Muhammad West – After Vaccination – Reconciliation
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of history and the "hasn't been a year, but it's a year." They emphasize the importance of community and personal capacity in bringing people together to resolve issues, and the negative impact of the pandemic on people's lives and their bodies. They stress the need for people to be agents of Islam and humanizing one's opponent, and discuss the importance of protecting one's privacy and privacy in the face of the virus. They end with a call to action and a suggestion to leave the situation to one side.
AI: Summary ©
You want to check on rajim Bismillah R Rahman Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala shopping mousseline CD ROM Hamid no other early he was so happy he married my beloved brothers and sisters sedap Malik Mohammed Allahu Akbar kachel
Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen always and forever we begin with the praise the thanks in the worship of Allah, the shadow Allah, Allah will testify that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah subhanaw taala and we send our love greetings salutations so beloved Debbie Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam to spice up your family whose companions and all those who follow his sunnah until the end of time. May Allah subhanaw taala bless us to be upon the Sunnah of Nabina Muhammad Al Salam in this life, to live according to His example, to die upon the Sunnah, and to be resurrected amongst his companionship in the era. I mean, while hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah. Oh,
praise be to Allah who has made days that are they used to work and leave and given public holidays when hamdulillah as one person said, the best thing the government does for us is to give public holidays and Hamdulillah. And yesterday, you should know is the day of reconciliation. And it's not just an accounting holiday, but the day of reckoning. That's an accounting job. And it's the day of, and it's one of I think that the idea of when we did our when they set up the public holidays, whichever ministry did that was to say, look, we are a divided society. When we built the new South Africa, we're very fractured, a lot of the wounds still exist. Just because we have now entered a
new age doesn't mean the feelings, the anger, the hostilities comes to an end. And it's sort of to say, we sort of in the year on a foot of reconciliation, and start the new year in in goodness. Now I know this is not our year, Islamic year. But even the Sahaba had this kind of concept. When they chose the calendar, they had to decide what is going to be new year and what's going to be the end of the year. And they chose the ledger the month of Hajj to be the end of the year. Why why the ledger, because why not make Ramadan the beginning of the year. And the idea was, after a year of sin and fighting and all of that you go for Hajj, and you end of the year clean, and you start the
new year, a new that was the idea and the concept of the sahaba. And the St. Thomas said no matter the Alon, they actually initiated that as the calendar will Hamdulillah. Now,
from a personal perspective, we've all had our little squabbles within our families. And I want you to think today before as we get into this football, what are the people that you fought with this year? You know, verbally and not physically but even physically? What are the people that you disagreed with your work colleagues, your family, in the community, or those people that you have a graduate at the moment in your heart, they might be someone that you you're you're not on speaking terms with SubhanAllah. Think about that person as we begin this, this football. And I think one of the big debates that we really had as a community is around vaccination. We fought about it we
discussed we agreed, we disagreed, sorry, we even went to the wind to fighting with one another on this issue. And now we are in our camps. You're either pro or anti moralists. There's a very few there's undecided. But we still have to see one another and love with each other and move forward. So after the vaccination issue, and it's always issues is the Lebron issue, there is a heart issue. There is the, you know, meat issue, whatever it is, is always an issue. Often after those issues, we still have to live with each other, get along with one another, we still a community, how do we reconcile move beyond our differences, doesn't mean that one has to give in to the other. But can we
move forward productively. And that is what reconciliation means. And so when we take this concept of yesterday being the day of reconciliation, it is very much part of our ethos for an Islamic perspective, reconciliation. From a dictionary perspective, the essence of it is to change your psychological change your attitude towards the other. So you and someone else might have had an argument. The argument is, maybe there's a logical component to it. They are you've he's got his views. She's got her views you've got as the pro vaccinated, you've got your views as the anti Vaxxer. You've got your evidences, but there's also an emotional component between the way you feel
about one another. And we are trying to take away the feeling of animosity and hostility. But we can we can agree to disagree without hating one another. And that is really the essence of of reconciliation. And so this goes beyond the vaccination issue. This is just in your own personal my personal capacity, my family, your family. But I think from a community perspective, the big clash at the moment is this issue of vaccination. I just did put to put put it out there. Where do I stand on it is irrelevant. Whether I'm pro or anti, I've always said I'm either pro or anti vaccine. I am pro methodology. The methodology is you either an expert and if you're an expert, then you need to
make HD head. You need to formulate an opinion. If you're not an expert, then you need to find a trusted expert and someone that you believe knows the truth and make that lead of that. We do that with everything else. You either fix the car yourself if you're a mechanic, if you don't you try to
Find the best mechanic you choose the one you believe is correct. And you take advice. Sincerely take advice. And if that's the methodology you follow, well Hamdulillah that is what Allah requires of us. Allah doesn't require that we get everything right all the time. We'll never get it right all the time, but we need to follow a methodology of getting to an answer. And so that has always been my opinion when it comes to the vaccination issue. But more importantly than whether you vaccinated and unvaccinated is how do we get along with each other when we in our camps? We had a talk last week of the Friday last week, last Friday evening on the gel. We talked about fitna and you know the
gels fitna is not so much about bringing water and yes that's going to be the and calamities and earthquakes and all those kinds of big things used to happen. Mankind has been through that fitna, the fitna that the JAL brings is not knowing truth from falsehood, not knowing which came to go to both sides believing they are right and fighting one when we speak about fitna in Islam that is fitna hardship is not in itself a fitna an earthquake in itself. We all know it's bad and we come together as a community. Sometimes a calamity brings us together. A death in the family brings us together, but fitna is way an issue. The family doesn't speak to one another. We are fighting with
each other. That's so much worse. And that's why I think the the real disease that followed the pandemic, that is inflicting our hearts is sometimes worse than the actual disease, may Allah protect us. So Allah
wants us to really beat people that cherish this concept of reconciliation, Islam cherishes reconciliation in Islam, and we know this stuff, even as non Arabs, we know we must make sort of makes you look between one another. This is a means to bring people together sort of means to fix something, we fix the relationships, and we need to be agents of Islam, we need to go out and make Islam. When the angels asked Allah, why are you going to create mankind while we are Allah? Why? You know, side note, we had a very interesting discussion workshop and the LGBTQ question yesterday, we had a workshop. We'll talk more about that later. And what we said to the attendees, it's not
impermissible to ask why Allah to understand. The angels did that when Allah said, I'm gonna make mankind, they asked why they're gonna make the UFC, they're gonna make you sad, they're gonna make corruption. The opposite of that is Islam.
And so the people on earth, unfortunately, there are agents of visa, they make moves, they cut up the coast things, they just cause animosity, they break down the system. And that is why we always need people who bring about this law that fixes things that builds things, that when things fall apart, we are the ones that go in, get involved and bring people together bring organizations together. This is what is part of being a believer. And we have so many examples in the Quran and the Sunnah, encouraging Islam. One of the most powerful yet for most powerful is Allah speaks about an extreme situation where two groups of Muslims are not only disagree, they don't only have
different factors, they don't have only different programmers, they are so divided, that they are actually killing one another. They're going to war against each other. But hamdullah we're not the well in our community. Now, we're not there. In other parts of the world. Maybe today, this killing actually, that's the most extreme kind of differences were two Muslim parties are fighting each other waging war against one another. And this happened the first incidence of this was the time Sahaba in the fitna, between the Sahaba and the time of Saint Nadira, the Alon, and this idea became relevant then the Sahaba and even knew this before this idea was they were practical until the time
of Satan Ali Raja lon, and look what Allah says, well in thought if attorney minute meaning if two parties of the believers, and it's very important, Allah says even though they're fighting each other, even though one is right, and one is wrong, even though it might be that the vaccine party is correct, or the anti vaxxers are right, whichever party they are still both meaning they're both believers. They both love Allah, they both worship Allah, they're still your brothers. So Allah says that if two parties of the believers external they're at war with one another, then those of us who are not involved the neutral third party for us the whole Bina, Houma, then we should make an effort
to bring these two parties to Islam. We need to bring reconciliation between if we see two family members who are talking, it should be the duty of the rest of the family to bring Islamic bring those two family members to the table for in Baba.
Aha, but Allah says, but it could still happen. That it's not that it's two parties fighting one another. It could be one party that is abusing another party. One party is actually the aggressor, the Transgressor then Allah says, For God to let eatable he had, then we should all unite with the abuse party, the aggrieved party against the oppressor and bring that party the bear that I'll use the word Baja meaning buttons. He doesn't say the coffee the party doesn't say the shaytani party.
He says the policy is the party that went beyond its limits.
It's a very soft way of saying they are sinful transgressing. It didn't Allah didn't even say the fossicking the sinners, Allah said those who went beyond what was allowed. Bring them back to the in Illa amarilla to the ordinance of Allah, bring them back to the limits of Allah, then we should bring if you are the one that is the one that's abusing, swinging, causing all the fitna, then we should bring that person for his own sake, back to the ordinance of Allah. For in fact, then asked us for in fact, that if they do come back and they stop the transmission for us, the whole Boehner Houma then once again, bring reconciliation between them. You mediate and Sudan irrespective what
happened no matter what words were shade, what colorful language or shade even. First swirl shade Subhan Allah, Allah says, Now you come together, Bill on injustice welcomes you to an unjust terms. Of course, if the injustice is continuing, then we can't bring Islam until that stops until the harm stops within bring justice in the law should be looked at and I wasn't and I was very few areas where Allah says he loves in Allah. Allah says, I love people that do this will bring about Islam, and brings about justice. Allah says I love those people, who all of us power we hope we make dua we all love Allah. But it is the reality that not all of us will be loved back by Allah to that degree.
But the people on this dunya that bring Islam that make this world a better place that bring people together. Allah says I love those people, those people Allah loves, and this is on a big scale. This is now on a community scale. Maybe more relevant to you might be between husband and wife. Allah also mentions that they could be enough by now between husband and wife. There could be some disagreements. Allah says we're in 15 Scheppach Bina Hema beanie beanie Hema, that if you fear that there's going to be some disagreements he laughs between the two of them further as to how commandment early he will have a commandment earlier when the two of you each brings a neutral
arbitrator. So the husband and wife are fighting they can't come to a conclusion what should we do? Then the wife says, Okay, we bring a neutral arbitrator that has been agreed or a neutral arbitrator. They bring a referee. Basically you bring a referee, you bring a referee, then Allah says look at these words, Allah says in your reader is law that if you do genuinely want, you genuinely want to make this law. You genuinely want goodness between you. You are fickle luck Boehner, Houma. Allah says, I will bring Tofik in that I guarantee you, I will make it such that you will come together.
Allah will bring about reconciliation between those two parties. And that is the essence if parties really want to get along and live with each other, in spite of the differences. There is a way and it shouldn't be strange for us and Allah, we live and work productively alongside people that disagree with us fundamentally, in terms of who is Allah, the Quran, our religion, they disagree on so many fundamental things, but we can still we can still live side by side. Yet when it comes to small issues on Allah these issues are small, which that you keep LeBron whether you vaccinate or not. These are small issues compared to the big things we can't get along. We fight we argue
Subhanallah from the Sunnah, and we really all you know, it said when both parties talk about following the Sunnah and following the deen and we're doing this in the name of Allah. There is no sunnah when it comes to the Halacha and attitude. Look at the Sunnah of Nabil Salam, when he conquered the people of Makkah after they had killed the Sahaba after they went to war against him after the, you know, all they did to him. When he had the upper hand what did he do? He said unto him, tilaka to free there is no retribution and anyone today there is no there is no goal there's no benefit in you harming another person, belittling another person insulting another person sending
another person to Jad and I'm calling another person that COVID What get bent over there's no reward in that Subhanallah the easy reward in bringing people closer together. And so when you really want to follow the Sunnah, the Sunnah is about Islam. It is about making your community better, making your community better. And Allah commands this is not something that's not a nice to have. Allah says, factor to Allah and be conscious of Allah wa sallahu that by Unicom, Sophia Allah and sit write your affairs amongst yourselves who are to Allah Hawara surah in Quinto mean if you're really believers, believe obey Allah and His Rasul. If you already believe in Allah, saying, if you really
believe in Allah, put aside your differences for the sake of Allah. Put aside that Quarrel that you have with your wife for the sake of Allah, put aside that issue you have with your brother that you're not speaking to for years for the sake of Allah, not for him, not for her for the sake of Allah. You know, by now, his opinion on vaccination, you know, her opinion vaccination. If by now after showing the team study of how amazing the vaccine is, and you still listen for the chancellor is not going to be going to take the vaccine. And after showing how many videos of how bad the pharmaceutical companies are, and he still took the vaccine, and how he took it, no, what's he going
to do now? He's not going to change your opinion, but you still need to get along with this person.
If you still need to talk amicably with this person, you must still be able to laugh and smile and greet, and look off and care for one another. And subhanAllah this argument has become so ugly that some people, they take joy when the opponent dies, you find people who are pro vaccine, they're very happy when an anti Vaxxer dies of COVID Swannanoa. Yeah, the biller and vice versa, you'd find the anti Vaxxer very, very happy when you see this guy who was pro vaccine into the vaccine and he died because of the vaccines Pinilla. Now, it's not any more about saving life. It's about being right. It's about me winning. What about the hockey anymore? If you get if your arguments have reached that
level, then no, that's got nothing to do with truth and falsehood got to do with Allah. It's all about being your own ego, that arrogance, like that arrogance of shaytaan, I must be right. It's about me. That's a problem. And that's a bigger disease than COVID. That is the disease that caused shaytaan to fool that is the disease that will forbid a person from entering Jannah that arrogance that I am right. They are very, very good Muslims, very, very good people that take the vaccine, very, very good people who don't take the vaccine, we make dua for every single person to be saved from this disease, not a single person on earth. Well, hopefully of the of the the normal people
have anything to do with this disease bring it about, no one is happy at the disease being the no one wants to be taking trial medication, no one wants to see them as it's close. But we all want to also see our community safe. And in that our objective is the same. We disagree on how we're going to get the even Our destination is the same, but may disagree. And that is the law comes in, that we will agree will disagree but will or will not be disunited. Now, how do we move towards reconciliation? These are not just only nice words, there needs to be a process. There needs to be a process. So if you're sitting here and you're and you're listening to this lecture and you say,
look, I haven't spoken to my my sibling in months now, how do I start? How do I start the process? Where do I begin? And before of course, number one is always about that near in the middle Albania, you start off with having that conversation with Allah. And you remind yourself I am doing this not so that person can say you know what you are right, or that person can apologize, or that person can agree with you. You're doing it because you want Allah you want Allah to love you. Remember that I in allow him to, to get the love of Allah Subhan Allah that is worth it for you to
bring yourself down maybe. And so to begin that Nia, I want to do it for the sake of Allah.
To ask yourself, I want things to be better between me and my siblings, me and my community, I want things to be better. How do we start? How do we start this conversation and remember the Hadith it's not I should have put it in here. The one who initiates this conversation is better than the one who doesn't initiate this conversation. The one who starts the process of Islam is the one that gets the lion's share of the reward. The one who extends his hand first, even if that person doesn't give the end back. That person is the one which Allah loves. So it begins by ending last than it is stop the arguing now.
There's a time and place for us to discuss issues, factoids and disagreements. We're always open to discussion. We're always open to Jay, if we're discussing things.
If we're discussing things and asking questions to learn Alhamdulillah there is no shyness in that. And as I said yesterday, in our class with our on this issue of homosexuality, we said we reminded it's this that is a safe place to ask any question, but out in the public, where you abusing and harming people, that's not the right place. Because now you're scoring points and scoring blows are all in trying to find the truth. Stop the hostilities. And what that means is stop sending out messages for the purpose of hurting one another. Stop sending out memes or comments that you know is meant to antagonize.
Many times people send things not for the sake of learning. But just to add an extra blow add an extra punch in to hit below the belt than a Beatles song says. I guarantee you we know this hadith
a house in the suburbs of the outskirts of Jana and a house in the middle of Jana and a house in the highest part of Jana for he who gives up arguing even though he's right even though you're right even though maybe the truth is that the anti vaxxers are right spine Allah
if the argument does not read any fruits anymore, it is no longer discussion that is productive. It is G Dan has no goodness in it. It only brings about ugliness in stock then hold back then there are others say You know what, Brother you've said everything you need to say you know where you stand. I know where I stand. Any further conversation is going to become an argument let's move on from this I make dua for you. You make dua for me, but even in real life you can do that if you can say Brother I've been I've been you know for days now we've been arguing about this. I've told you about the dangers of vaccines so gonna go if you still gonna go let me know so I can make dua Allah keeps
you safe. That is
Through brotherhood, that is a real concern. So the problem is I get no smart giving you a house in Jannah. Just keep quiet, to stop arguing. Even if you're right now fight about if you are wrong Subhan Allah, what have you all been without knowledge. It's like saying I guarantee you you saved from our house in Jannah. You just keep quiet. Stop the arguing. If you're if you're beginning whatever it is vaccination or anything else to stop the beginning now
the second part for two of the steps of a once the once the emotions calmed down, and we know this has been in life, you know, take a timeout, you need to take a timeout with the emotions called when the emotions are calm, we can now think rationally we can think logically. Number two, it's important to always humanize your opponent.
In whatever debate it is, whether we're talking about LeBron, vaccination, homosexuality, whatever it is, when we don't see the other person, our opponent as a human being, we don't see that it's coming from a person who has feelings, who has love, who has fear, the guys who are vaccinating, taking the Vex, why because they scared of dying of a disease and the guys who are not taking the vaccine, why? Because they scared of dying because of the vaccine. Both are scared. No one wants to be in the situation, when you look at it from that perspective, that this a human being is trying to save their life. It gives you a sense of of it softens you up yesterday SubhanAllah. Again, this
this LGBT
forum that we had, personally to be very moving comment, the person said, I know what I'm doing is haram. You know, and I don't try to dispute that.
They were just surprised that as an Imam, you're willing to have a conversation that you actually sitting next to me eating with me, because I was always told, I'm like a leper, like a disease, no one country come near me. Now Subhan Allah, that is not the stamp. That is not how we interact with people that we put someone we condemn a person by the call, we make a person evil. Remember I say that so many times when Allah said to Nabi Musa, the most pious man on earth, to the worst man that ever existed for your own, when you speak to him, speak to him with respect, with dignity with honor, speak to him, Cole and Elaine a soft word, I fear own gets that in certainly your mother in
law, your daughter who deserves more, even though she might think she's worse things around, but she deserves more respect than that. The person who is an anti Vaxxer deserves more than that pro Vaxxer that homosexual deserves that drunkard that drug addict deserves more than that, because they're not fit on morality they not fit on. We even said that in the Hadith yesterday, that the we take pride of this hadith that the man who killed 99 people and then he asked the Wali What should I do the well he said Allah will never forgive you. He killed the valley also 100 People then he went to the Alim can I be forgiven? He says yes, Allah can forgive you. And then he died before even make Toba
but he went to Jana, we take so much pride Masha Allah, that person 100 serial killer, he can get the Mercy of Allah for not not not to vaccinate another that's the freeze was the anti vaxxers was the homosexual is worse. Heinola
when we start getting so involved in our arguments are bickering, we forget that another human being on the other side of that phone to another side of their Facebook account. Understand the views of that other party is coming from love security and will lie on this issue of the vaccine. Every single month you those who stayed open and those who closed did it for the love of the Masjid. No one should judge the NEA of any committee any no Imam was happy that the Muslim was closed Wallahi no Imam was 111 Holiday now Masha Allah, no, we cry must disclose on Allah. But we did it because we felt this is the right thing to do for the sake of the Ummah, allow yourself to consider, you know,
sometimes I feel we are so sure of ourselves, we have actually, it's good to have doubt sometimes maybe I'm wrong, you should lay at night on an issue of healer. And think to yourself, What if I am wrong? What thing? What if I really, really, you know, the pharmaceutical companies are trying to manipulate the world. Just entertain the idea. What if really, this is a disease and the vaccine is the cure, entertain the idea at least what if my mother you know, is right what she's saying? What if the daughter you know, is right. Once you have that little bit of doubt in your mind, it will give you the chance of not maybe changing your opinion when I'm telling you change your view, but
changing your attitude towards your opponent. And of course, always recognize that that person has rights and dignity beyond this issue. That is still your neighbor. Remember your neighbor, when Allah talks about being good to your neighbor, not just your pious, tahajjud making neighbor you must be good to even that neighbors drug addict. Even if that neighbor is atheist, even when they whatever you have, that person has rights over you. Number three, humanize this person you're talking to yesterday. That's one of the things the person said to me, treat me like a human being. Even if I'm a bad human being but also the person it hurts me when you say certain words and names.
We never insult people. Never you'd find them to be solemn calling someone a donkey or the sinner that you won't find that
any sooner like that.
Number three, find common ground that if we can agree on this issue, look at what we do agree upon. We will agree on so many things panela we still one family one, we still have one day in one shot. We still want what is best for our kids. What I want what I want for my kids I want for your kids. Understand that we are sharing in this pain. You have lost family members, I've lost family members. This last two years have been difficult and everybody everyone's business has suffered. No one is happy that we stuck in our homes. Subhan Allah fell all bleeding. Don't kick each other. When you're on the ground. If we're in the trenches, at least we in the trenches together Subhanallah understand
that common ground? How much has this costed us, there's no benefit in still adding misery upon next panela. And then we should look at the next step. Where we are. We want to move forward in this. We want to we want a better outcome. Surely a family or maybe on a personal level, a family that's not talking to one another. They're not visiting each other because they have some animosity, surely you don't want to die like this. You don't want this to become the norm forever. And if you ask them say, I don't I don't I'm not happy. No parties happy at the end of the day you sit down in both camps. Are you happy that it's like this divided? will argue in fighting? They'll say no, no one
likes us. So how do we move forward to a better outcome? You don't have to compromise on your views. You don't have to change your opinion. You don't have to take the vaccine or not take the vaccine. What you can do is saying let's leave that to one side. And let's maybe make a joke. Let's have a bribe. With social distancing. Of course, let's, let's remember the good times let's pick up the phone and just say Salaam Alaikum, are you? Well, let's just make dua for one another. And in that Allah will put remember, Allah says He will make Islam you take the first step, and he will make you you Africa. Remember Allah says that if the bus went away, I am the one who will make our make dough
fit between the two of you. You just do your part, take the first step. And so
my message to everyone today,
Rush before the end of the day to day tomorrow, to be an agent of Islam in your family. Let you be the first one to take that step forward. Let that reward come to you. If you see some filler in your family, in your job in your community, whatever. Let you be the one to take that first step forward. The hadith which I've repeated so many times, all of us ultimately when Jana doesn't matter what happens here in the dunya. But when you walk through the gates of Jana, well hamdulillah you've succeeded, we'll forget about this. Oh, forget about the arguments and all the issues. How do you get there remember this hadith and maybe some tells you it may not let me tell you something better
than the man who makes a lot of gadget better than the man that FOSS every single day better than the billionaire that gives billions in charity. What is better than all of that's panela the one who reconciles between people with these discord, the one who brings people together, he's better than all of that's panela if I knew if I was finally if you and I grew up one day to be a person that made the agit every night and fostered every day and gave charity all the time. We think that hunger have saved even better than that is for you to pick up the phone and say salam alaikum we haven't spoken to in a long time. How are you? I just want to check you okay, that is better than that.
Subhanallah make that Kunia I want this on my scales of goodness today and this module. May Allah grant us to be agents of Islam. May Allah bring our hearts together. May Allah bring our community together. Mala grant Shiva for those who are sick mela grandma Kira for those who have passed away and may Allah grant us goodness in the days to come mean just like Allah just announces once again, I just like to thank the youth team obeyed and the team will be very busy this last two weeks they had first they had the Nightmare on Elm Street on the jail last week, last week, which is very, very well attended. The whole weekend. They were busy with the door opening youth from underprivileged
areas and took them around, took them to the planetarium and the observatory or other and stayed in the middle seat. So while other kids are enjoying the holidays, they started the holiday by giving back to the community when hamdulillah and then yesterday they posted that this workshop crisis of faith for people of the LGBTQ eye segment of the community. Can we have this discussion? Alhamdulillah very, very successful. So I think personally JazakAllah fatal beat and the team. May Allah bless you and Grantham Tofik in the studies that waiting for the results may Allah grant him success in that and all the height in the future. Amin shukran Santa Monica live but I get it