How the Quran teaches us what to do #09 Confronting Racism. A Quranic Perspective

Salam or Aleikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh 111. So that was super mario de su de la verite. So today we're going to talk about confronting racism, lots of questions, lots of conversations, lots of things happening around the world on this subject. And so we want to take a moment and really understand a Quranic perspective on this subject. You cannot study racism without going to sorta Nisa, and going to the very first verse, the opening verse of this particular sorta starts to highlight and even address and even cure the problems with racism. But before we get into that, let's try to understand a couple of things when we're talking about this massive subject. The first

question that usually comes about when we're talking about racism is how detailed is the Quran and Sunnah on the subject? And the answer to that? I mean, there are many answers, but one of the answers to that is the core and isn't very detailed on the subject. It doesn't go into great detail step by step scenarios and how to cope with them. The reason why is the versus the do actually address this issue are sufficient enough because they are direct, they are strict, you can definitely sense that when you read a few of these verses that Allah has zero tolerance when it comes to racism, and discrimination. So an example of that is ensuited hoogenraad. Law, yes, or

Coleman Coleman. I sat in yakun, Ohio men whom none of us know no person is greater or more superior than the other. And then Allah subhanaw taala, especially for those of you that study Arabic, Allah says law, yes, her that you should never Yes, her Yes, her comes from the word Sophia. And Sophia is not just that you present yourself that you're superior and better than others. But it also means not to make fun of others and put them down. So not to normalize that a particular group, whether they are a minority or not, but based on their skin color, their religion, their background, basically, the things that they didn't have a choice in an even if they made that choice to be part

of a particular religion or culture. That's their religion. That's the culture, they didn't design it, they didn't make it up. That's what it is. And that's the system. And those are the cultural traditions and habits that they follow. And it's not just them, there are millions of people that follow the same tradition, the same heritage. So when you look at all of those factors, Allah subhanho wa Taala says, lay as her, you should never even make fun of or take it as a joke that a particular people are the way that they are. And this is something like a lot of comedians do this, you know, when you're watching stand up comedy. That's one of the things that almost every comedian

does as part of their act is that they'll pick out somebody from a particular religion or background, and just start making fun of the guy just pure jokes, pure blows at that person. And then what ends up happening is when we find something that's funny, and it's entertaining, then it becomes habitual very quickly, then we, we start doing it with ourselves, we start doing it with our own friends, we start doing it with people. And before you know it, you see, and you hear what that comedian was saying about a particular group, you see that every time you meet somebody who's from the same group from the same religion or the same race, we start replaying those moments. And before

you know, everybody becomes a joke to you, you start making fun of everybody with the same color or the same background on some kind of love. This is why Allah without any hesitation nyas Coleman calm, no nation was superior or should present themselves that they are better and superior than others. I sat in your Kudo, homeodomain home, for the purpose of hey, we've been chosen, where preferred were more of supreme and better than all of you. So here's how we're going to treat you. Here's where we're going to act, we're going to tell everybody, we're going to treat everybody to make fun of you, we're going to turn you into one big laugh, one big joke. So the poor and when it

addresses the subject, it's very direct. It's very straightforward. And that's kind of one method of how you deal with the subject of racism is that you attack the subject immediately without hesitation. You try to find whatever avenues whatever methods, whatever options are there, in order to tackle and focus all of your energy on eliminating and eradicating racism as a whole. I don't know if racism will ever leave our world, but we certainly have the ability to at least address it and control it wherever we are. We all have that, that God given right to be able to be here to live and to be treated like anyone else. No individual is more supreme and preferred over others simply

by because of the pigmentation

Their skin, it's just not possible. It doesn't make any sense. And quite frankly, it's just silly. Because you and I, we didn't have a say, okay, we didn't design our color, we didn't design ourselves, we didn't decide what color we were going to be. This was all beyond our control. And it comes from a being from our Creator subpanel with our island that made this choice. And if any one of us was preferred over over others, it would have been very clear, and the wisdom behind that would have been taught to us, but we simply don't have that. And one of the things that the messenger Allah has sought to sell him said, as one of the last things that he said in his final

sermon to all of his companions, over 100,000 of them, he said to them, that no black is superior to a white, no white is superior to a black. So in other words, none of you are preferred or superior over the other just because of your skin color. So when the messenger or the skeletal system addresses that, that way, no one can now come about and be like, well, what if? Well, what if I, what if I believe this? Well, what if I've grown up this way? What if my culture taught me this way? It's done. It's CASE CLOSED, like that should be thrown out of your mind and out of your life immediately. And so unfortunately, until this day, there are still tribes that believe they're

superior over others, like within the oma within Muslim communities, there are castes, there are still people from particular places background and skin color, that for whatever reason, have adapted this attitude. Racism is very much real and alive internally in our own. And so verse number one of soda 10 Nisa is going to help us address this problem, understand why it is so significant in the sight of Allah, and even just appreciate the language and the tone of the A now Sudeten Nisa, here's one thing you want to know about this particular surah because you have 114 sources to choose from, that you could have put this verse in, but a lot chose to put it in this particular chapter

chapter number four, so attendees, why some of the scholars explained Sudetenland Isa is the is the surah. One thing that makes it very unique and it stands out over others is that it addresses the extreme problems and the extreme issues in any community of any society. So for example, in the poor and insolent in the south, you have a verse that tells your history Metallica, Omaha, to come Urbana to come to Hawaii to come and so on and so forth. Allah has prohibited for you in marriage, your mum, your sister, your daughter, your son, etc. The question is, who would want to do something like that to begin with? The answer, unfortunately, there are there are people in this world that would

actually consider doing something like that. And so this sort of addresses the extreme of the extreme. So that's why you have a verse that way. Because if this issue had ever come up in any community, then Allah subhanho wa Taala, his law immediately addresses it saying, that is the worst of the worst scenario. And so in this case, obviously, this is all prohibited. It gives you a list of all of that. That's what sutan neasa is, when it talks about hypocrites. It doesn't just introduce hypocrites, but a love describes their behaviors, their attitude, even the way that they worship and they pray what you thought palma de la sala de Palma husana your own a nurse when they

stand up for prayer, they stand up and they do it intentionally out of laziness. So they they don't really want to be the you're all una ness, but they're just doing it because they want people to see them. Oh, yes, I saw him he was at the masjid. Yeah, but he didn't want to be there. And he prayed like he was lazy. He was not interested. He complained. Why did he ma'am do this? Why is he saying this? Why is his cell so long? Why's it so short, just one complaint after another they didn't have that desire to be there. Whether you could want to lie Illa Padilla and as a result, they don't remember a lot except just the little every now and then maybe when they're in trouble when they're

cornered then they'll remember Allah subhanaw taala but otherwise alized out of the picture. Now with that being said, this sorta addresses the extreme of extreme in culture and society. What's the verse first verse and sort of 10 Nisa wasn't talking about racism. That's the extreme of extreme. In other words, for racist if you're somebody that has even the slightest slightest attitude or inclination towards racism, you've already fallen into the extreme in the sight of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Like, that's how shameful racism is. That the moment first split second if you feel as though you're superior and better and preferred over others just because of the color of your skin. This

As Allah put it in sort of thing he said, it's like a territory you should never, ever be part of. And I and I understand totally that it's not just human beings in the sense that it's not just something that we see. And we talk about. I mean, you have entertainment industries, you have TV shows, you have a whole culture that's behind pushing this narrative that a particular group or race is better and preferred. They're always the leaders, they're always in charge. They're always making the decision. So there's a bit of propaganda behind this, this this, this massive subject of racism, right? And so it's been encouraging and it's been put out there you see it in movies, you see it in

commercials, you see it all over the place. And so that culture has developed to the point where people actually started to believe this stuff. So what is the lesson? Yeah, and Johan ness knotty? Are you a Latina, Eminem? Oh, all of mankind. So if there's one person, one person that's a racist, this message is not just to the one person. It's everybody. Yeah, you have NASA topo Rebecca mulethi Hanako Coleman Neff. sinuata. Here's the first instruction how the Koran tackles the subject. It took hold on Beckham, have one of your master. We can talk about Tableau all day. Always remember taqwa. It's the consciousness or awareness that Allah is watching you and listening to you like he's

always there. What does that do for a believer? It now you internalize that the Presence of Allah is with you all the time. He's there, he's watching, he's monitoring etc. That causes you now to be more cautious of the things you say and do. Because why ultimately, you want to please your Creator. So that's called telkwa. So we scholars explain further and then as a result, you're protecting yourself from any consequence with a love because why since you know he's watching, what are the moment you still going on? Well, now you already know and he knows what you're keeping a secret and he knows what you're what you're letting out. That's obvious. But at the same time, you're you're

being cautious of yourself because why you do not want to be a subject to the punishment of Allah subhana wa Tada. So all of that is called telkwa. Remember, we're talking about racism right now. So the first instruction Allah says is anybody who feels that they're superior over others? Fear Allah. First and foremost, it toppled up because then Allah explains, you know why, unless the Holocaust manifests in wahida. Wanna come in handy? Haha. Well, that's I mean, who Mary Jane and Kathy are on when you said, because you all came from one Neff sniffs in wahida, he created all of us from one naps, that's referring to add to Marley's. In other words, we all have the same father, we all came

from the same person, where all his progeny were all part of this legacy of Mr. Lahey, Sam. So in other words, do you see how the poor dad is tackling this? We are all the same in terms of creation, in terms of presence in terms of just being a human being we're all the same. We might look different, talk different, act different, eat different, do things differently. Our behaviors might be differently our attitudes might be different. But we're still human beings. And that was the last panel with our this choice. So a lot of reminds us that Hey, you guys came from the same father as Marnie. Some magnificent White will have wahala come in has soldier had you created for him his

wife, Zelda his wife, what Beth Amina, who Maddie Jalen cathodal, when you said and as a result, as a result, they're spread out it multiplied, it started to expand the population on this earth, more men more women. So in other words, the versus saying that as a result of all of you coming from the same father, the same admire these to them and his wife, meaning that these are mothers and fathers, these are the first human beings put on the face of this earth, the fact that that's our legacy. That's where it goes back to at the end of the day, the world and the population and all the different people that you see around you the different colors, the different heritage, cultures, and

so on. This is all from him. subhana wa Taala, he allowed this to happen. It wasn't me it wasn't anybody else. So when somebody says that by association, meaning because I belong to a particular color, we should be treated differently. I have no right to say that whatsoever. What gives you the right to do that? Why would you ever for a moment, say that to anybody when you had no involvement, no say in creation to begin with? Because if that was the case, if somebody felt they were preferred, and why didn't you design a human being yourself? Why didn't you create all of us to be the same way? Why didn't you just design others, your friends, your neighbors, the people that

you're surrounded with on this earth because let's face it, you don't have nowhere else to go and live. Can't go to Mars. You can't go to any other planet. You have to live right here with everyone else.

So the fact that these subjects like racism and so on, they're so limited like you don't have much to say about it because there's nothing you can do. You have to just learn to understand, accept and cooperate is your first indication that racism is just simply shameful and wrong. Well, that's I mean, homodiegetic Athena when he said, What tupple la levy Tessa Luna v one or ham, then fear Allah, the same Allah or creator that you're always asking about. So this is specifically referring to the machine code and they also talk about who says Allah? Who is this person? Or who is this creator? Who is this thing? We want to know what he is? Where is he? Can I talk to him? Can I touch

him? Can I see him? They wanted to ask these kinds of questions. But then Allah subhanaw taala says again, what tupple Lovelady and have Taqwa of the one that you're asking about, and the wounds and remember where you came from, in other words, in other words, this is just absolutely remarkable. When mum is about to give birth, like she's pregnant, the child, you have no say, you don't know what color the child will be. You don't know what when that child grows up, who they're going to be more inclined to marrying, and how their future is going to look you don't know anything like that. And so unless says fear of love the alarm that you ask about, they will bother to talk about, but

also fear Allah subhanho wa Taala, what is the womb when the mother is carrying that child, because you have no say, no input on how the child is going to develop, grow, and what kind of child in terms of color have You see, when when she gives birth to her child, we just simply don't know. You hope that it'll be similar because of, you know, science and biology and all of those things that can tell us okay, you know, if I'm a particular color, my husband or my wife is a particular color than the child should be a particular color. That's usually how it works. But to Allah subhanho wa Taala fear him because you simply don't know, it's a reminder to all of us, when we have no say and

no involvement in something, it's our first clue that we have no right to change that to touch it, we have to accept it for what it is because why that is the way that Allah wants it to be, he is a muscle where he is the one that fashioned all of us. So don't look in the mirror, especially to the youngsters, a lot of them do this, wishing that you would look a certain way that your skin would be a certain way, you know that your eyes and your your facial features can all change. Don't do that. A lot is almost always the fashion to you, unless you have like an emergency or a medical issue. You have to be grateful and you have to be content. And you have to accept that at the end of the day. I

love put all of us on this earth to live together. We don't have our own bubble Homes and Gardens and parts of cities where we never interact and mixed with no other human being. That's not the way the world lives. And so we have to understand that just by association we have to cooperate in Mullah can are the Komodo peba Allah says that he is the one upon all of you a euro p but what about P is like the farmer that grabs an animal by its neck and steers it where it wants to go. So in other words, Allah subhana wa tada is saying, if I really wanted to, I could literally grab you by the neck and force you to be and go in whatever direction I need you to be an enemy Judo go. In

other words, this is how Allah subhanaw taala is saying if you're thinking you're supreme and preferred over others, like you can control others. Well just remember, we are like cattle tin sight of Allah in the sense that Allah can literally grab us by our necks and control us. So what do you say to that? This is exercising and reaffirming and showing his authority over those who think they have authority over a lust creation. You don't align Allah subhanho wa Taala reminds us of that in this area. That's how Sudeten nissa starts off. That's how the sorta that addresses the most extreme issues in culture and society. That's the first subject that Allah subhanho wa Taala chose to remind

us about, before we talk about anything before we get into marriage, before we get into the hypocrites before we get into any other legal issues with respect to relationships before we there's a large chunk of sort of denisa about orphans before we talk about orphans before we talk about them. All of these subjects before we talk about inheritance, Allah wants you to know you are all equal to one another in terms of creation, how you behave and the choices you make, that's what separates you. But at the end of the day, your presence alone You are equal to everyone else. That's the tone that Allah sets when you want to reform or build a community that is equal that is, that is

pluralistic in the sense that it allows everybody to live in harmony.

to cooperate to respect each other, if you want to get to that stage, then the first thing is eliminate any feeling or attitude of superiority over others. And that's discrimination. That's racism. Allah says remove all of that. And some panel up. I just think it's amazing that this is the starting verse of suited Nisa, it was one of the longest soldiers of the entire poor end. And that's the opening sentence. That's how les sets the tone. And so with that being said, there's so much to talk about on this subject. But I hope that at least this verse gives us some insight of how the poor and addresses the subject, you know, as soon as this is done, then Allah subhanaw taala goes

into another subject eventually comes back to this later on the sort of, but the point is alesse sets the law of the law down, speaks in very direct, very firm language, and literally zero tolerance. When you approach racism with that kind of attitude. You're able to understand why it exists. But you're also able to know why you have to combat and confront racism, whether it be at work at school, we as Muslims, just because somebody you know, is not Muslim, doesn't mean we can't stand up for them. You know, if you see racism at work, say something, stand up to it, you know, I address it, if it's happening right beside you, on the bus, at least say something, I mean, make

sure you're safe. Make certain make sure that you're not going to escalate the problem and add to it but at least to voice your opinion that that sounds right. Like what are you doing? Why are you Why are you talking about why are you treating someone that way? So, so panela one of the most shameful qualities in a human being and Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us from it. This is all I want to share with you today be in the lab. I think with this subject, because of considering the events that are unfolding and happening around the world. I think we're going to come back to the subject again and again a few more times before we conclude this see this series but this is yet again

another verse in the poor and that teaches us how to behave and how to interact how to cooperate with one another. May Allah subhanaw taala give us the strength and knowledge and wisdom to receive this a to practice and implement its teachings and to encourage others to do so a local menu which is located on everyone take care was said Mr. alikum warahmatu Allahi wa barakato