What it means to be a Muslim

Man Rahim Al hamdu lillahi rabbil aalameen or salat wa salam ala COVID Mursaleen Sydenham Hamad Marathi, he was a huge marine my beloved brothers and sisters today Malik and Lonnie obrigado hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen appraisement To Allah Masha Allah Allah Allah will testify that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah and was in our love and our salutations to beloved Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu. It will send them to spice up your family, his companions and all those who follow his sunnah until the end of time. May Allah bless us to be amongst them. Meanwhile, hamdulillah Al Hamdulillah Eid Mubarak to all of you have you had a place to eat. And as we witnessed the end of

the Hajj season, and in fact, a few events occurred this week. And I thought, How do I bring all of these things together in one lecture? And for me, it these events, these three events that we're going to mention insha Allah speaks to a question, what does it mean to be a Muslim? And the three events is I don't know if you know if you know your science, you know, a Telescope was launched, and some amazing pictures were taken of the universe. There was a fatwa on homosexuality by the MJC. That received a lot of backlash. And of course, the completion of Hajj, how do these three things relate? And for me, and we'll try to discuss this issue of what it means to be a Muslim. So if we

jump straight into it, as we saw for the first time, you know, these amazing pictures of the universe begin to understand a little bit more. And the more we learn, the more we realize that there's so little of knowledge that we have the these are the brightest and smartest people on Earth. And when they look, and they keep looking in the summer, what as Allah Swan says, You will lower your gaze in fatigue for GL Basara karate and young kaliba. Illegal Basu. hacia will hacia Allah says that if you look at the heavens, in Santa Barbara, and you keep looking, eventually you will grow tired, you will become fatigued, you will become exhausted, and you will look down in

complete like humiliation, but humbled. It makes you realize that those who are the smartest, those who know will claim to know the most realize how little they know. And that if you marvel at the splendor of the creation and the order that is out there, it should really make you understand the Creator. When you see that in the universe, the system, this pattern, these design, there is a purpose, there is a a law, it must make you ask who is the one that proved that created it and put it in motion, and who put the law that everything follows, we know that without a doubt, the more we learn, the more we study, we prove now without with a fact that the universe was caused, it was

created. But 14 billion years ago, there was a time when there was no universe. And all of a sudden it came into existence, if it was caused, was caused by someone. It was created just created by a Creator. And so for us, the more we learn of this dunya the world, the sciences, the more it leads us to Allah subhanaw taala. And once again, this is what it means to be a Muslim, that we acknowledge that there is something greater than us, that there is a power mightier than us that there is a law superior to us, and that we are Muslims. We submit to that the word Muslim means the one who submits and we surrender to our Creator and to the Oneness of Allah. We also mentioned, I've

said this before, Islam is not the religion only of the ummah. It did not begin with Nabina Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it did not even begin with Nabil Adam, when did Islam begin? Islam is the religion of the universe. When you look at the sun, it is a Muslim, because it submits to the Creator. It submits to the law and the command that Allah had programmed it with every grain of sand. Every three every stop is a Muslim, as Allah says in surah Rahman, when Niger Moshe Julius tuna and that the stars and the trees make sudo to Allah and every single creature in all of creation, is a Muslim and submits to Allah. What does it mean to be a Muslim? Muslim is you obey the

command of your creator, you follow the law and the instruction and as Allah says, In Medina, and Allah and Islam that he does not accept any other way of life, any other system other than Islam. Now, many of us if you ask, what does Islam mean? The common definition is Islam means peace.

doesn't technically mean peace. Islam means at least Islamic means to surrender. It means to submit. And when do we use the word surrender? What do you think of you think of war, right? Surrender happens in war. Now when one side surrenders, what happens? The war ends now these peace. So Allah sponsors if you want to see peace, and happiness and order and harmony, it is only through the submission of Allah when you reject and you go against that submission, that is when you will find chaos and conflict. And so what makes us a Muslim than a visa Salam was also Messenger of Allah, what is Islam? And then everything says Islam is that you surrender your heart to Allah

and that the Muslims are safe all mankind is safe from your tongue and your hand this duality, to be a Muslim is you submit completely to Europe. Whatever Allah commands you you do whatever He commands you you obey whatever you forbids you stay away and how you treat your fellow human beings. That is what in a nutshell what it means to be a Muslim. Now we transition to Hajj, Hajj is all symbolic and it is it is emulation of the rituals of Nabil Brahim in Habib Rahim story, Allah commanded we know Allah commanded Nabi Ibrahim, with a command that defies logic, any system any law, any religion on earth would say, it is madness to sacrifice your own child. It is crazy, cannot be right.

But when Allah commanded Nabi Ibrahim to Sloten obese made his submission to Allah His obedience to Allah was not that I'm going to kill my son if Allah commands me to do so what he believes is whatever Allah commands me is good. That if Allah tells you jump off this cliff, it will be for my own benefit. Allah is not going to leave me in the let's just a workout. Like when Allah told Nabi Musa you go to the Red Sea

and when he get to when he got to the Red Sea what didn't obese or what did bunnies or you'll say that we are going to drown your Lord has brought us here to die. And Nabi Musa said Carla, no, my Lord will not bring me to this and leave me like that. Lovey Ibrahim Nabil smile understood that if Allah gave me a command, it might seem crazy, it might seem unrealistic, it might defy my logic. But if Allah commanded me to do this, it is for my own benefit and at the end, I will see it and that is why part of the slogans of Hajj and that we recite in our Salah cool inner sadati that my pray want to Sookie and my sacrifice mama yeah that my life where my mighty and my deaf Lila here. It's all

for Allah the Lord of the universe. I don't know. Yeah, Allah, you know, when you come on, I obey. And I submit that whatever the world says out there, whatever science is out there, yes, we listen and we, we take note of these things, but my Ultimate Direction is what Allah has commanded. Now we transition so that was Hajj. And it's very sad. When we say with one tongue, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, you are the greatest, you are the greatest. But the minute we have a command in the Quran, or the Sharia that we don't like, then this must change the Sharia must change. We know better than the Quran, Islam must be updated and modified. Islam must be must come with the with the times, Islam is

backwards, the Quran is backwards. And that is now we transition to the next topic that I mentioned. There was a fatwa on homosexuality, and we spoke about homosexuality last month in at length overrules and what's permissible and not permissible.

We can debate interpretation as much as we want. They all certain things in the Quran that are open to interpretation, and you can debate and that's why we have formal debate with with knowledge is not just my opinion, today, people feel that if I feel sick, this is someone told me that that's my interpretation of what Islam is. Now you are entitled to your own interpretation, but you're not entitled to your own facts.

Someone cannot say to you, it is my interpretation that the earth is flat.

If it goes against logic, common sense evidence, then your interpretation is rejected, you can hold that you have the right in this country, wherever to hold whatever opinion that you want, doesn't make it right. And it doesn't mean that I need to agree with you. So one may read the Quran. And there are certain ayat of the Quran that indeed there is room for interpretations of 1500 years scholars from China to America have been interpreting it and discussing it and 100 is permissible if they laugh, but there are certain things in the Quran that are not open to interpretation. You cannot read the Quran and say well, after I've read the Quran from Fatiha to NAS, I believe that

hammer is okay. I believe that it is okay that Allah is a trinity on say those things, Allah has a certain way other Biller, those things cannot you know, you cannot say that. And if you wish to force your your opinion upon that, then it's not an interpretation. It is a rejection. It is a rejection of the Quran. And so if you look at the facts of the MDC and this has become under a lot of scrutiny a lot of debate that How can you claim that if someone you know follows a certain lifestyle we said that if you follow a lifestyle It is haram and if you commit a sin and you're repentant, it doesn't matter how big the sin is, so long as you repent Rambla Muslim, we all commit

sin no matter how big it is, we even know the man the Hadith, he murdered 100 people there's no greatest sin of the sheikh, they murder 100 people and he made the stick fight number forgave him no problem. But to challenge and reject the Quran, even if you don't commit the sin.

For example, someone might say I don't drink alcohol. I've never touched it in my life. But this the Quran saying Hummer is haram This is backwards we must change it. That is a statement of rejection.

of the Quran tend to multiple for now you fall in the blood very dangerous area, which might take you out to the fold of Islam. rejecting what is clear in the Quran, now you're not making Islam anymore. Once again, go back to what I said Islam is to submit to Allah. That yes, we can debate an ayah legitimately. But once it is clear, this is what Allah has commanded. We should be completely slammed now I submit, whether I like it I don't like it I submit to Allah.

Whether you are in favor I'm not in favor with it benefits you harms you or Allah if you commanded it, you know better I don't I don't Allah Soprano's base, and that is what it means to be a Muslim, complete submission to what is in the Quran. And the Sunnah, and SubhanAllah. Just think about this. If you genuinely believe you look at the telescope, and you look at these galaxies, and this massive universe, and the power that's out there, and you believe the One who created these things. He knows the past, the present and the future, who is eternal. And he tells you listen, don't do this. It's bad for you. Are you really going to question him and say, maybe you got it wrong? I know better.

This is really sound like you would question the Rabbil Alameen that you know better than him. And so Allah says in the Quran with regards to the Quran and Sunnah America and any movement, it is not for a Muslim, whether or not a male or female, either Kedah Allahu wa rasuluh Umrah that if Allah and His Rasul command something and he Hakuna Loma FIRA you don't have a choice and a meta analysis you don't even your opinion does not count anymore when Allah and is rasuu command something you don't even have a say in the matter anymore. These only some man watan.

Ambrym were made yet Silla and whoever disobeyed Allah rasool Allah who forgot the Dolla dolla Medina and it goes against Allah and His or Sue goes against the Sharia, then you have gone transgressed far off from the righteous path. Allah also says, For our worship because Allah swears by himself, law you know, you will not be a true believer HECTOR You hacky McAfee Mushara bainham to Medallia up and we'll see him how Raja mimma CoreData Are you send him with us Lima, Allah says this is with regards to the Sunnah. Today it's become today people have gotten to the point they've just conveniently rejected the Sunnah completely. They ignore it, whatever the Prophet says, We reject

that. And now they're trying to reinterpret, reinterpret actually means to rewrite the Quran, Allah says about the Rasul

by Allah, you will not be a Muslim, you will not be a believer, I'm not saying this, Allah is saying this, until they the most of the people make you Muhammad Al Salam, the ultimate judge concerning that which they dispute amongst himself, if you have a disagreement, they make you the judge amongst them, and they find within themselves, no discomfort, whatever their association says, we accept, we don't even feel bad about it, whatever you see the Rasulullah. I accept it from what you have judged, and they submit in full submission to the command of the results of Salah. Now, what about the Command of Allah subhanaw taala. So we say we say to certain group of people, yes. If there is

an interpretation, if there is an opinion that is open to discussion, no problem with Hamdulillah. But where there is no interpretation, when the is clear, black and white, you don't have a say, as to what Islam is. Islam is not Allah decides what is Islam, you only have your what is your right is to submit an estimate. And if you don't submit, then it's Han allah and You reject, then, or you're a Muslim, that is for Allah to decide. So what makes you a Muslim? What makes you a Muslim is, as we said, is to submit to your Creator, but it's also it should be manifest in how you treat the creation.

In terms of the Creator, Allah subhanho wa Taala mentioned the one action for the Prophet Salam reminds us the one action that if someone does this habitually, if someone is consistent on this Alhamdulillah, it is a guarantee of his Islam. And that is sada

as the resource as the Sahaba said, they did not view any action or any sin as very important because we speaking about what makes you a Muslim. And actually, the next question is, does this make me a coffee? That's the next question that comes up. And as I said, so many times, we do not make that clear or anybody no matter how crazy the opinions are, no matter how disobedient they deeds, or what we can see on the outside, ultimately, there's a day of piano and yes, this common slogan, you don't have the right to judge us through no one has the right to judge anybody. In fact, we can't judge ourselves only Allah will judge. But we do have the right to say this is what's

permissible and impermissible. I can tell you that it's haram to eat pork. I'm not judging if you want to eat bacon, between you and Allah, but It's haram. There's no set a judge that you should have judgment. The only thing that the Sahaba when they would pass judgment on someone.

The only sin that they would put a man's imam in question is if he left side are completely

the Sahaba fought against the house they fought against many different groups. The only time someone an action but

potentially removes him from Islam is if he has abandoned Salah completely. And so the prophecies, the covenant that distinguishes between us and them is Salah, Mintaka, the gaffer and whoever leaves of Salah completely, then he falls outside of the fold of Islam. This is very important why? For us to say let's not talk about other people and other people's belief. If you want to judge the level of your Islam and your level if I want to judge someone else, not judge others. How do I know if I'm a true believer that the best litmus test is the quality of your Salah, the person who does not make Salah at all. It says even though he has no iman, the person who makes salah, but it's difficult. He

hasn't tasted the sweetness of Eman but there is a man in there that I submit to my rock but any other obligation? Well hamdulillah that's a mystery. As for the one who finds peace, tranquility, enjoyment in Salah, who rises up to tahajjud out of his own or her own, you know the love, then Alhamdulillah that tells you you are your that's your relationship with Allah subhanaw taala. And so this is when we ever talk about Islam at a human at a personal level. The focus is on the quality of one sada with regards to the Navy some asked about Islam and a Muslim, the prophet some says Every religion has a characteristic that will define its people. And the characteristic that will define

my ummah, is modesty is higher. And this more so in our time and place that we are now where immorality is widespread, and people live how they want to live, the Muslim should always stand out, the system should always stand out, not

with what were the level of our modesty, people should feel I don't swear in front of that Muslim without that, you know, I think you'd find that people are shy to commit sin in front of someone that they believe has a high level of morality. It was fine I know we won't swear in front of our parents or our grandparents because we have some level of Iran and you find this in many of our you know, co workers they won't act openly certain sins to certain even though they don't need me to descend. But they will know some some way wouldn't sit right with him in front of I shall Fatma she's going to do Qian we're not going to speak like this. We like to talk about the party last

night. This is what it means part of what it means to be a Muslim. The Muslim gonna be some says is the one for Mustang and hand the people are safe. And the believer is the one who is trusted with the lives and wealth of of the people. Part of your Islam

is not only how you communicate with ALLAH in sada not only how you spend your time in the masjid, being a Muslim is also how you engage with insan around you. And therefore, it is sad, but it's true when people say these Muslims or these pious people want to condemn this sin and that sin but look at the way they treat the employees or the the domestic worker or how they treat their wives and children and this truth to that. It's almost like what is the quality of your Salah if you can make Salah and stay in stand for hours in Salah and hours in solitude, but you go out there and you abuse and you sway and you cheat and you lie. You take the hook the hook of someone else? What is it

really the quality of Islam?

Allah subhanaw taala commands that we worship Him in our rituals and we worship Him in our ama in our dealings with insaan. In fact, in most of the Sharia, there are certain rituals which are specific to him Hajj, Salah Sokka. In fact, even in those things is a human aspect. But that is purely for Allah sake. The rest of the Sharia is how you engage with people around you.

Your Islam is measured by how you treat people. And so the Prophet saw me saying Now listen again, I repeat the Hadith. The Prophet says, if you ask the question of my Muslim, he says, A Muslim is someone who's tongue and hand the people feel safe from no one fears. That Hamato Fathima will harm me verbally, later on physically. Nobody should feel fear of a Muslim, that they are going to do something harmful to them. And the believer is one step above that the movement is the one who people actually entrust their lives and their wealth with they come to you to keep their money safe. They come to you when they in a problem when they feel vulnerable. They pick up the phone and they

phone you someone's in the house. They found the Muslim neighbor, someone is in hospital. Can you pick the kids up from school? Who do I pick? I found the Muslim friend because there is a stress the security that a Muslim provides the people around so

and in this context of this fatwa, it's very clear, certain things are impermissible. Certain things are tantamount to Cofer, but at the same time, we live in a society where people are not going to agree with us, and people aren't going to live by our lifestyle. And people have done they've rejected more than that. They've rejected the Quran. There's everything

How do we engage with him the same way this this hadith is not for how you teach another Muslim. It's how you treat people. Your atheist neighbor should feel safe from you. Your atheist neighbor neighbor should feel that my best neighbor is the Muslim neighbor. The friendliest one is the nicest one is Muhammad, the neighbor who's commenting all the sons, your co workers doing all the sins against the Sharia should feel that this person has the highest level of luck. I feel the safest with him or her. And if our friends don't feel that way, again, then at least we say, look at the quality of your Islam, the quality of your Eman, the responses to more Hadith, the most complete of

all believers in Eman are those who have the best character we know this hadith so many times, but it goes further, who is soft in nature and are friendly to others and they will be friend that people want to be their friends. He is not one of us who is not friendly and he's not does not befriend people. That means you're not from my ummah, you're not from my

community. If there is no softness in you, there is no friendliness in you. There is no kindness in you. This is not part of his of his sunnah. And so finally, in this last

Hadith, very important Hadith in our times, as I said before, no matter what a person does, or say, we can never declare the feed on anybody. We never do that. Because this is the means of the heritage. This is the first Sikh in Islam that caused chaos in the Ummah is one Muslim, declaring another person who says the Kalama you're not a Muslim, that is for Allah to decide. Our job is to bring people into Islam and not to expel them from Islam, irrespective of what they say or do at most. And this is not even for us. This is for the word AMA, to say, this belief that you have my brother is potentially Cofer. That's as far as we can go. We say Brother if you believe you say this

thing and and perhaps you don't understand, it's like you don't understand the Quran or Arabic whatever. But to hold this belief is in conflict with the Quran and the Sunnah fundamentally, that's as far as you can go. But look, what how do we interact? How does a question come to how do I interact with someone who is openly homosexual? He says a Muslim who, you know, he's committing adultery selling, he's a drug dealer. How do I interact with him? But he says I'm a Muslim, looking within our businesses. Whoever prays Salah and he faces our Qibla he faces Makkah, and he eats halal food

is a muslim meaning and he takes the Kadima obviously, he's a Muslim, and he's under Allah's protection. So do not betray the protection of Allah. Do not you don't ever expel someone from the door off the fold of Islam, not your job. If he says the calamari says I'm a Muslim, then whatever happens is between him and Allah, no matter how he lives, his life if he dies, we need to make Janaza Salah and that man or that sister, we need to bury that person in our Maqbara that person is sick we need to make sure we make dua for that person in life and in death. So make dua that all of us Yeah, Allah keep a steadfast on the deen of Islam, grant us to submit to the laws of Islam. Even

though it is not maybe popular in the world that we live in. Let us put Islam as paramount, the Quran and the Sunnah first, above whatever is out there May Allah forgive our sins and translations and grant us to any man that is complete and let us pass away upon Islam and as believers I mean, it is Aquila, with a super into all those who could bond with us

during the days of Eid Al Hamdulillah I think we started at 120 sheep and most of it Alhamdulillah has been donated and will be part of our soup kitchen and so we will be distributing that to the poor will hamdulillah Mala except from all of us. And then from the sheep to the

marriage. There's a lot of lot of interests that are his family and I got so much so many people have messaged me about this meet and greet looking for a partner, one sister, you know, she sent me a message that I make it I didn't respond to her in time she says you know what, you took too long to reply, take my name off there. I don't want to be on that list anymore. Allah may Allah make it easy for us. So perhaps part of marriage is somebody you know part of this is a lesson in Sabah you know, so in London nonetheless inshallah we will host this event before July, those who have registered inshallah we will make a final selection. Those who have not yet registered I think every

day Today's like the last day and in sha Allah may Allah bless us all with happy marriages Amina was Allah say now Muhammad will handle Ira without me