Islam Scholars And Politics

Nouman Ali Khan

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Channel: Nouman Ali Khan

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Episode Notes

This Khutbah was recorded on November 4th, 2016 in Malaysia.

The most talked-about nation in the Quran, says Nouman Ali Khan, is Beni Israel. But this is no coincidence. Allah uses the trials and tribulations of the Israelites as a point of reference for Muslims to prepare us mentally for what we will go through and to learn from their mistakes. In Surah Al-Baqarah, through the story of the 12 tribal leaders, Prophet Samuel and Taloot, Allah evokes a peculiar chapter in that history to draw the line between religion and politics. As an Ummah we learn that there will be politicians who will try to manipulate religious scholars, seeking their endorsement to legitimize their undeserved authority. This is why scholars must be politically savvy and are commanded to give trust and responsibility only to those who deserve them, otherwise they will create chaos.

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Somebody recently Emily, Emily, Sania Coco de

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la ilaha illallah wa la Miranda, Mina Latina Amina Mohammed Ali heard whatever

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it is come by, I'd like to share with you some reflections from two ions of certain bacara these ions are towards the end of Sultan bokhara. And these ions deal with a particular chapter, a small chapter in the history of many sorry.

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First and foremost, just a quick comment about the nature of the discussion about benissa alien, the Quran. These are the most talked about nation in the Quran, Allah talked about their history in more elaborate detail than any other. And Allah azzawajal gave us them their history as a point of reference. What they went through, in a sense, should mentally prepare the Muslims for what they will have to deal with. This is the only one that was chosen by Allah honored by Allah in the past, they had many trials and they had many failures now allows recording those trials and there's those failures because now we are the oma that are going to go through trials, and we should learn from

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their mistakes and not fall into the same failures.

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This is why one significant difference between us and them is Eliza, which gave them lots of profits, we have one messenger

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Allah gave them called llama hella can be used as a narration says, and return one would die another would take his place, continuous chain of prophets. But interestingly, as a parallel, the messenger would also tell us a little bit more. Allah Almighty can be

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the Prophet that the scholars of my alma, the teachers of my own mother knowledgeable of my oma play the role of the MBR of but he's slightly in other words, the job of those profits was not to give new books, those profits when he was in for the most part, they didn't give new revelation, they only talked about it again, they refresh the understanding of what he again and they renewed the people again and that's what the job of the island the dirty, the you know, the knowledgeable among the community. That's what his job is to refresh the role of the Sunnah of the messenger of the book of Allah subhanho wa Taala. That's what they're supposed to do. So they play the same role in that

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sense of reviving the oma. Today what I wanted to talk to you about in this particular chapter in the history of the Israelites is very peculiar. And there's a reason I chose this passage not just because of where I am today, but where the oma is today.

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Many of us have a lot of questions about the relationship between Islam and politics. Where do you draw the line between the religion and where it is the role of Islam and where does it enter the space of politics? And the book of Allah teaches us some incredible lessons by means of story to help us understand some of the teachings of our Deen in terms of the Muslim thinking about politics and how we're supposed to be intelligent citizens. The scene painted here is of the Elantra Elad mela member. The OSI Didn't you look to the chiefs, the leaders from among the children of Israel. So they're the owner of the time and lies referring to their leadership. And their leadership is

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basically 12 tribes and each of their tribes has their own governor, you can say, and the governor has his own Council. So some argue that each of them had about six members in their Council. So altogether 72 politicians 72 people in the senate of the Israelites, okay. And they were pretty divided among each other. And while they were divided among each other, fighting against each other politically, campaigning against each other, who is going to be the governor of one tribe who will win. And then among all of them, who will be the president on top or the Prime Minister on top, there are all these politics happening within them. And they were so ugly, the politics that they

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became weak. And when they became weak, outside enemies were easy, it was easy for outside enemies to attack them, because they were too busy fighting each other, weakening each other. So this is a scenario in which the Israelites find themselves they are politically very divided, they cannot come to agreement about who should be the leader. And as a result, they become weak. And when they become weak, they are being attacked by outsiders.

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Now at that time, because they believe that the leader should come from one of the governors, let's just imagine these 12 governors, if we're going to have a president, it's going to have to be one of us. So they go to their prophet.

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Allah says if called to intermediate level, Santa Monica Nakata de la, they go to a profit that they had, and told him pick a kingdom mungus appointed King, then we will find in a less path. Now there's a few things to consider here. Why are they going to a prophet? As a matter of fact, if there's a prophet among them, there shouldn't be a question who should be the president?

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That question is already answered by the fact that there's a prophet there. But no, they go to this prophet and they say you need to pick a

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King among ourselves. Now the other interesting thing here is the nature of political campaigning. These people are not liked by their followers. They have bad corruption on the record.

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But if the prophet who lives among them and the Quran doesn't mention his name and talaq, we learned his name is Samuel r mo festoon. We'll call him when they go to him, and they're trying to convince him to pick one of them. Why? Because if the Prophet votes for one of them, that becomes the Islamic vote.

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So now everybody else will say it's a sin not to vote for this one. Because the Prophet voted for that one. They are trying to win the vote of the Prophet not because they're interested in following the Prophet. They're interested in the prophets vote, because once he endorses one candidate, that is the religious the right thing to do is to endorse that candidate. In other words, and I told you the parallel, right, our our religious leadership, in a sense plays the role of the prophets of the Israelites, when religious leadership, when a scholar who has lots of followers lots of people that are influenced by his thinking, by his doodles by his total and things like that, he can have a

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political opinion, it's possible. And when he has a political opinion, all of his followers are going to think he must have that political opinion based on his understanding of Islam.

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And therefore, voting like he did, or having the same political opinion, is the Islamic thing to do. But the thing is, even though I'm standing here in the position of a theme, I have my opinion about sports. I also have my opinion about politics. I also have my opinion about cars. I also have my opinion about food.

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I have lots of opinions, but I have my opinions about education. Just like I have my opinions about politics, but my opinions on all of those things are not inspired by the Quran. I like barbecue chicken, not because I studied that intercede. That's my personal preference. I can have my reasons for picking one candidate over another and maybe somebody who is more scholarly than I am, or just there are two scholars, they're equally qualified, but they have two different political opinions. Is that possible? Sure. Does that mean one of them is more Islamic and the other one is less Islamic? No, because this is a matter of understanding what happened, what the occurrences of

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worldly affairs, but they realize that they don't have that kind of legitimacy among the people, these politicians, they don't have legitimacy. People see them as corrupt, but they see the profit as righteous as good. So if they can win the profits, vote one of them, then they will guaranteed to win the election. Because then they will use religion as a means of their legitimacy. So they come to him. And Allah describes this so beautifully, that

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they came to their Prophet, they said, a prophet that they had, there's a there's a separation done between the word nebby and La home, as if to suggest he's a prophet, but they're not really that close to him. They're only showing their religious loyalty artificially, and they're trying to manipulate this profit and the way the way they say it is, you need to pick a king of mungus Why should I vote for one of you know, cotton, FISA vilella, we're gonna fight in the lowest path. In other words, they come to the the mom of their time, the prophet of their time. And they come and they say to him, you need to do this because this will serve the cause of a lot. Because they know

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the Prophet is not interested in politics, but the prophet will be interested in the path of Allah. So sell him what he will be interested in. They're trying to manipulate the leader, what are we learning as an oma, there will be politicians who will try to manipulate religious leadership,

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they will come to religious leaders, and they will say that you need to vote this way or that way. Because that's, we're gonna serve the cause of the we're gonna serve Islam and the scholar if they're not sharp, they know that they know the text, they know the wire, they know the tradition. They know the sea, they know. They know,

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Sharia, but if they don't understand politics,

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then they can be played with very easily. They need to be sharp on the street smart. So what does he do when they come to him and say, pick him up pink Kingdom August because we're being attacked from the outside. We need to have unified leadership. And once you pick a king among us, we will fight in a less path. He responds and says color Hello, I say to him in Kuta la comunidad de la to Cthulhu he says it's very likely you people, even if fighting was revealed by Allah. Now right now you're saying you will find in the path of Allah and Allah, he's the prophets I send them even if fighting was given in Revelation to you, you people wouldn't fight

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your politicians you do the talking you'll send our sons to fight. What do you mean you're gonna fight? You don't find anything.

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So the the prophet SAW right through it. I'm not buying into your propaganda. I'm not interested in your empty speech. Don't sell me you're gonna fight

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In the path of Allah, you are not the kind of people who fight for anything. You don't fight for anything.

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They then they get upset.

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They say, what will what will be wrong with us of course, we will fight in the last path to freedom in the arena. We weren't the ones kicked out of our homes, we were the one separated from our children. In other words, we have gone through a pressure of course, we're gonna fight in the path of Allah. And then Allah stops the story and comments. They give such a powerful speech. Why shouldn't we fight in the path of Allah, we were kicked out of our homes, we were separated from our children. See, politicians give good speeches.

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A very powerful spirit people listen.

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For it for him.

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And what happens next for them makuti body monkey Tonto Hello. After this amazing speech that they even gave to their prophet. Allah says when fighting was in fact revealed on them first, they all volunteered to fight, but now it's been revealed. And then the law says they turn their backs. So when the winner kalila minim, except very few among them. In other words, not all politicians are the same. Some are also good, but the good politicians are very rare to find their kalila men what a Quranic commentary. It's not, we don't brush all of them with the same stroke and said, they're all corrupt, they're all messed up. There are good among them, but they're rare to find. And you can

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find them how the ones that get their hands dirty, the ones that do the work on the ground, the ones that mingle with the people and make the effort that will be located in the middle.

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Now they're thinking fine, this prophet has given us this, we've given him the speech, he's gonna have to pick one of us, one of the 12, because we are the experienced politicians, we are the ones that have experience and qualifications and we have the campaign finances, to run this thing, and to run government because you know what the belief became in a corrupted society. And by the way, this is a Muslim society of that time. Don't think of them as non Muslims. Buddhists are evil, the Muslims of that time, in their minds and became the wealthy deserve to be in political positions. If you're a millionaire billionaire, if you're, if you're well established, and if you've got lots of

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businesses, and you have a lot of social backing behind you, you're not naturally you're the kind of people that deserve to be in positions of governance. You should you should be given those responsibilities. What is the law do? I love flips this equation?

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This Prophet says, basically, I'll come back, I'll tell you.

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He takes his time revelation comes to this prophet, he comes back and says, in the law,

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the prophet comes and says to them, by the way, balut has been the chosen one. ballute is the elected one. And I'm not voting for him. Allah has voted for him.

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There's Biola polluters, the one that alive shows and accept none of their name is dilute.

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Who's this guy? The Israelite narrations will tell us he was a shepherd up in the mountains. Nobody knew him. He lives with his father alone. And he used to just take care of a sheep. And he finds this tall young man brings along and says this is your new president. This guy from the farm. This is your new president and all these 12 governors are sitting there and

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I know kulula will welcome Alena. How in the world is he? him going to have government over us? See, they didn't say, ooh, la la, la la, la.

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They don't say how can he run the country?

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They didn't say that. How can he run the nation? They said how can he run over us?

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See, the truth is coming out now. Their problem is no can be nobody can be above me.

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They're not their concern is not governing the nation. Their concern is remaining in power. That's their concern. At night, aku Allah Elena, when I came in, who and we are more worthy to run the government then he is

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one of the Muta SATA middleman And on top of all of the reasons that he should not be picked to run. He hasn't been given a lot of money. If Allah wanted him to be president, he would have been a millionaire. He comes from the village. He's a farmer. He's a shepherd. If Allah wanted him, he would have had a lot more than lunia. You see.

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Interestingly enough, who voted for in Allahu Akbar, Allah has chosen a lot has appointed. So when they say that doesn't make any sense. We can accept a loot. That doesn't add up. Who are they questioning? allies? Oh, it is. These are the same people a couple of minutes ago, they came to the prophet and they were so convincing. No cartel fee service. We're ready to find in the path of Allah. We're ready to die for Allah. And just a few moments later, Allah gives him instructions and no excuse me What? Just because Allah said

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See, the truth comes out very quickly. When it's put to the test, the truth comes out very quickly. All that fake, powerful speech, just poof, vanished into thin air. And their, their true nature was exposed that they didn't really believe in Revelation. You know, a lot of times politicians will. This happens in the Christian world, in the Muslim world, the Jewish world and the Hindu world all over the world. Politicians will act like they're religious.

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They'll show in a public state, you know, the politicians in America, Donald Trump will show up at the church

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hills, he has no reason to ever go to a church, except election season. You understand? They'll do it to show people that they have reverence. This is what the Quraysh used to do with the Kaaba. They used to go to the Kaaba and Allah says that, you know,

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they don't pray because they want to pray at the Kaaba. They pray because it's good public relations is good publicity for their campaign, because they're in control because people think they're religious. So this religion is shown to show you know, political legitimacy. To give people the impression one is more Islamic than the other one is more Christian than the other one is more Jewish than the other. One is better taking care of the Kaaba than the other. That's the manipulation that's done.

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So Allah azza wa jal exposes them in this in this such a brief story, but every bit of it exposes the dirty nature of politics, and how people have been can easily be manipulated, that they have to take a step back and look at the reality of things. We don't assume people are corrupt. And we don't assume people are good but we what's the principle? The principle in Quran is in Allah Hi, and welcome unto Abdullah not in idea. Allah commands you. You should give responsibilities and trust to people who deserve them to people who deserve them. You know, that's the real is there? Are they qualified? Are they qualified or not? If somebody makes the argument This one has more taqwa than

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that one. How can you get judged? Where did you get get the measure from? Allah says a taco when the messenger says a taco Hakuna Koran says in alikum in Taku Taku. The Aqua lies inside of the hearts. How are you and I judging This one has more taco than that one. We don't know that. All we can judge is track record. All we can judge is performance. All we can judge is qualifications. That's all we can judge. And that's how this responsibility has to be fulfilled. And that doesn't just say you should do this. Allah commanded the oma give responsibilities to those who you feel are convinced are most qualified in the Lucha yellow token, and to Abdullah mana Tila.

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That's the commendable love to you. So now in this story, went by loot was picked? And the question, the Prophet came back again and said in the last of havarti,

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it is no doubt Allah, he's the one who's chosen him over you. And he's chosen them because of his purity almost as if to say you people are all impure. You guys are impure was Adam.

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And Allah has made him far more. Allah has given him expanse, meaning Allah has enhanced him in two ways. In knowledge, none of you are as educated as he is,

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was just a man physically, he's very capable. Hey, you were suggesting you're going to fight in the path of Allah right? Can any of you show me if you're more qualified to fight the IRS want to come in the ring and figure it out that way? You know, and he's the tallest among them. But this one is called balut. You know,

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we'll let you and so as he does this, as this, this dialogue happens, I won't, I'm not here to tell you the entire story. But I wanted to show you that the stories in the Quran, the each bit of them, embeds inside it's such profound teachings, that if we understood the way we live as citizens, the way we deal with leadership, we wouldn't be naive, we wouldn't be it would not be easy for us to be taken for a ride, not the not the common among us, not the religious among us. Just because you and I may be more knowledgeable indeed, doesn't make us savvy in understanding the nature of politics. Those are two very different things. And in this story, we're actually learning that the law and the

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people of knowledge, they have to understand politics very deeply. So they don't get taken advantage of understand this, you know, the the the member is a very powerful place. If I stand in the member, and I'm sending in somewhere in the Muslim world, and I speak in favor of one, or I speak against another in power in the world of politics. There are 100,000 people that in Joomla, that 50,000 people at Joomla you can create a riot after your hobo.

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You can create chaos after because of your hook, but you can and people will die because of your words. That scholar may never have lifted a gun that's so deep may never have picked up a sword, but he has blood on his hands. There's blood on his hands because of the irresponsibility of speaking about something that he or she knows, or he knows that they'll create chaos. So Pamela

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Be very careful in this space and not not to confuse these two things with one another. And this is the Sunnah of this prophet that's mentioned that when we saw that When, when, when this religious, you know, rhetoric, this religious propaganda was given to him by politicians he saw right through it, not interested. No, no, no. And then the truth came out because these, these people are put in a position of public service. We make genuine genuine law, that all of the people that are engaged in these positions of public service that Allah azzawajal gives them sincerity gives them the ability to do their job and to serve their people in the best possible way. We make sure that Allah gives us

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the wisdom and the intelligence to pick the right kinds of leaders, and to empower those leaders that they recognize if they're making a mistake, that they're able to change course. And because we're all human beings, we're never going to have perfect leaders just like we're never going to be perfect ourselves. So just because our our governments are not perfect, or our governors are not perfect, or presidents or prime ministers are not perfect. That doesn't mean they don't deserve their job. If you're waiting for perfection, wait until you go into the ground and hope for agenda, then you can find perfect perfection. Perfection is not going to happen here. I'm never going to be

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perfect not notice our leadership. But so long as there is a strive to improve. And there's honesty and there's a commitment to principles that we can all commit to and we can all hold each other to then inshallah Allah this world becomes a better and better place. barakallahu li walakum filco Hakeem, when finally we are complete

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salatu salam O Allah

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Subhan Allah, Mohammed, Mohammed el amin, Wada, Allah, he was a marine

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ecology in the la vida de Luna Allah maybe yeah amanu sallu alayhi wa sallam Sima Allahumma salli ala Muhammad Ali Mohammed Camus Allah Allah him, while early rahima philomene in the middle Majeed Allahumma barik ala Muhammad Allah Allah Allah Muhammad

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Rahim

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al amin in nikka, hamidah Majeed about the la rahima como la la ilaha

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illa Allah,

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Allah in the Salah, Taka, taka taka makuta