IOK Extension Conference 2014
Nouman Ali Khan – Last Impressions
AI: Summary ©
The importance of guidance and guidance in Islam is essential for individuals to have reassurance and protection. The speaker discusses the loss of New Orleans and the lack of a plan for the future, as well as the importance of guidance and praying. The speaker also discusses the legacy of the first Islam culture and the importance of acceptance and shaping one's life. The discussion touches on researching and studying the universe, the transformation of the world, and the negative impact of the porn industry on people's views.
AI: Transcript ©
hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam O Allah Ashraf al anbiya wa l mursalin wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa Minister nabeshima t elomi Dean Allahumma dynamin home woman alladhina amanu amilo Sally hut whatever So Bill Huck, whatever so v sub mineable Allah means
the villa he ministry Tanaka Jim
so holla at him have a bottle salata What about OSHA? What for so for yokomen Avaya elementa Baba Amina ami lasallian fula, aka toluna Jana, whether you've
been home rubbish, actually, suddenly were silly MD, Dr. Melissa Nia, Coco de manera. By the mean.
First of all, I'd like to express how happy I am that I get a chance to come out here. I don't travel nearly as much as I used to before. And it's been some time since I've been with this community. And I hope you're doing well in shallow water. I hope that you remember myself and the Muslim community in Dallas, in your prayers. And I remember you in Charlottesville, I promise you that I remember you as I traveled back with my wife in sha Allah tala tomorrow, in the brief session that I have with you today, the question or the title that was given to me is actually quite difficult. And about guidance and youthful years, or attaining guidance and youthful years. So the
first thing I'd like to give you is something that I've actually talked about a number of times on a number of different occasions. And that's just some comments about guidance itself that every Muslim should be clear on some fundamental starting points. And the first of them is that human beings, we have a tendency to have reassurance we want to, we want to be sure about something we don't like risks. We want to make sure that we're protected in the future, you know, feel, for example, making a move you want to ask 100 questions before you make the move. If you're considering a job you ask a lot before you consider a job, things like that, right. Or if you're investing your money, then you
consider a lot of factors before you you know, you invest your money, especially when it comes to our children, when we're going to put our kids in a school we do a lot of investigating before we put our children in a school. But at the end of the day, the reality is that Allah azza wa jal did not give us assurances in this life of the future in this life at all. We have to do the best we can. And at the end of the day, every step we take is an act of the local in Allah, it is an act of reliance in Allah, because you can have the best plan in the world. And things will not work out anywhere near what you thought. And you can have no plan at all, and everything will get
straightened out. That can happen and it certainly does happen. So you have many instances in the Quran in the prophetic narrative as well. sallallahu alayhi wasallam, where things are not, they don't look like they're gonna work out at all, like Musa alayhis salaam, being thrown in a basket. That doesn't look like much of a plan. But that is actually the means by which an empire is destroyed. You know, the empire of Freetown and the oppression of Fidel and against countless people came to an end, because a baby was thrown in a basket. So Allah has his own way of making things work out. On the negative side, also, there are people for example, people ask all the time, people
are worried about their kids. And I noticed there are some young people in the audience, but I'm gonna try to balance this conversation between parents and and the youth in sha Allah. Parents are constantly concerned, how do I give my children a proper education, I want to make sure they're good Muslims, I want to make sure that I don't have to worry about their Deen things like that. And you hear enough horror stories and enough lectures to be terrified of this scenario. You know, and then there are people you know, I don't want my kids to be like, you know, various hubs children, that's really you know, like, so there's enough of those conversations you have over he then, you know,
it's, it's great. But the thing I want to share with you is, on the one hand, you have, you know, situations where children are raised with the best of character without even a parental figure, like the story of use of Allah Hassan. Right, he's kidnapped as a child. So there is no father or mother figure, really, for him to look up to. So the remnants and the memory of a father to giving him certain lessons when he was a kid, are the ones that are that he's holding on to even in his teenage years. Can you imagine the last Islamic lesson he received, the last dose he received the last bit of advice he received when he was a kid is now coming back. And he's utilizing it when he's in a
closed room with a woman trying to seduce him. And he remembers that lesson. So, you know, and it's not like he's receiving a regular Islamic education. That's not the case. That's certainly not the case. Because the story reveals that, you know, the one that was raising him the Aziz is doesn't have the most ethical character either. There's a few gaps in his character that the story demonstrates, and obviously the lady's like super evil. So there's me where's he going to get this guidance from, but it's the it's the the initial part of solid use of, you know, demonstrates that this father did have direct engagement with the child in it.
had such long lasting effects. So one of the lessons that we derived from Sudoku. So for instance, especially as parents, is that we cannot underestimate the value of early education.
And not just and I don't mean education as in memorize this surah learned these daughters know how to make Voodoo. That's what we've turned education into education for us is informative in nature. It is not transformative. You know. So in the, in the previous talk, you heard repeatedly, this idea of having our children internalize the deen. And so that's, that's something that we're going to talk about in a little bit in sha Allah tala. But that's the first, you know, reality that I wanted to remind myself of, I do not control the guidance of my children, and you do not control the guidance of your children. As a matter of fact, we don't even have any control over the guidance of
our own selves. So the fact that you're sitting here, you know, blessing that we're sitting in a gathering of Muslims, trying to learn something about the deen of Allah. But this is not because you had a super righteous upbringing. There are plenty of us sitting in the audience right now that are parents themselves, that have made some pretty big mistakes in your lives. And if you look back, there wasn't like a set formula that ensured that you will receive guidance from Allah azza wa jal that you followed and that therefore you have guidance is actually a gift of Allah, that all of us have to acknowledge came to us from Allah azza wa jal. But regardless of that, we have to make some
efforts on our part. Now on the negative I didn't get to mention on the negative on the negative you have the case of no honey Salaam, in some sense, the father of all humanity, because at one point, this pretty much you know, theory, Ottoman Herman nama, I know you're the offspring of whoever we boarded onto the ship, with New Holland his salam, and what a plan that was, all humanity would have died, had not been wilhemina, who Allah that Allah Hanwha do so. We loaded them onto just planks and nails literally, unless as a thing made up of just planks and nails. In one place in the Quran. Allah doesn't even call it a boat or a ship, and Ark, he just says boards and nails for the greatest
flood to ever hit humanity. And that's the reason we're survived. We're breathing air today, and we're talking to each other today, because of those boards and nails. That was a loss plan, you know, but in any case, I talk about New Orleans, Sam because he's one of the greatest messengers that has ever lived. He has something unique in common with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and that he was the messenger to all of humanity, because there was no other humanity left. Our messenger was sent to all of humanity and he was basically the only messenger for humanity at the time.
But you know, what's remarkable about New Holland is Salaam. Unlike our messenger sallallahu alayhi, wasallam, McKenna Mohammedan about had the marriage alikum. Mohammed Salim is not the father of any of your men, any of his male children did not live long enough on this earth to see the age that they were they would become men knew how to his salon did in fact, have a son.
And what a great opportunity Your father is a prophet. That's pretty awesome. And not just any profit will mean only last minute Rasul. Allah home actually the first messenger of great resolve the messengers of elite status, the five of them, He is the first of them actually. He's the Trailblazer laser in this in this legacy. And yet, if you study his legacy, the first thing that hits you and hits you really hard, is the fact that he couldn't get through to his wife and he couldn't get through to his son.
Who is he gonna go ask Allah Oh other than Allah, Allah What can I do for my son to listen to me? You know, when parents come and ask, what can I What can you give me something that if you just say that then my son will transform are my daughter if you just are the most awkward one of all they drag this teenage kid?
Hey, we he watches a lot of your YouTube videos and he's like,
just just say something to him.
Okay, sorry, bro.
You know, I can't even know how to he said um, couldn't get through to who? His own Son. You know, Yusuf Alayhi Salam is awesome. And he was a beneficiary of the advice of his father. But wait a second jacoba Islam had other kids do.
They were not just beneficiaries for a little while the remainder beneficiaries of their father's advice for many, many years and yet, until the very end of their lives to lead down the road did they are the entire story did they actually turn around and make Toba?
So it's not in our hands. And we have to accept that. We have to we like things to be in our control. We like things to go exactly as we want. And so long as you have that you yourself and I myself haven't internalized one of the most fundamental truths of life on this earth. We are a board we are slaves. We have a master the master is in control. We are not in control.
We are not in control. Now that we accept that then Allah will give us advice on how we can earn his favor. Because guidance from him is a favor and you you have to work hard to earn that favor and you have to provide your children not an opportunity saw luck in favor them as well. You do your best, you knowing full well you cannot ensure anything if our beloved messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam turns to his daughter. He turns to his daughter and says yeah Fatima Tobin to Mohammed tequila for in Nila emblica lucky mean Allah, he and Fatima daughter of Muhammad you need to have your own taqwa of Allah, you need to be conscious and aware of Allah because I will have no
authority against Allah. When I stand before Allah in your favor. I won't be able to help you. If the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, whose shafa We are all hopeful for on YOLO qiyamah is telling that his own daughter, his own daughter, and we have to internalize that reality and I've taken too much time for that one comment but I think it was important to set that foundation. The idea that I really wanted to talk to you about today is an ayah from sudut money I'm in a really scary IRA.
In this ayah and before this is important to note Allah mentions a number of prophets and messengers and that is the style of the beautiful so let's millennium.
Allah azza wa jal for instance mentions is married either his Solomon says what's called Phil kitabi. is Mary in the who kind of saw the word what can I will soon be over? Can I know who it was?
He mentioned zipporah He is married and he Salamis has something awesome. He says about him. You know that he was a true full prophet. But in addition to all of that he used to tell his family to pray and give Zakat used to command them to pray, tell them to pray and do the cut which is pretty awesome because we're why uniquely singling out a smile at his Salaam of all the other prophets and telling us about his smile on his Salaam that he used to tell his family to pray. I would imagine every prophet would tell their family to pray. Why is my dad Islam because we are tying him directly to the legacy of our father Ibrahim alayhis. Salaam Abuja Li Mo p masala tea woman's reality and
Allah is showing us that that sincere Rahim Allah Islam, Allah make me an establisher of prayer, and also from within my offspring or from within his offspring is who is my darling, his solemn and he's fulfilling the the law of Abraham and Islam. Allah has gifted that gift to a smile on a salon. So he's furthering the importance of Salah actually carrying the deen forward in this passage, you know what it is carrying salaat forward. I'll repeat myself passing on the religion in this passage is actually expressed in what passing down salaat passing down solid, we think of Salah as an obligate obligatory thing that is done five times. If you study the Quran carefully, you will find salaat is
actually the legacy of Ibrahim alayhis salam, when you study the legacy of Ibrahim alayhis salaam, and what he wanted people to be afterwards and how they would be protected. Salaam is an inescapable truth. It is actually the the central beam of our religion. It is the central pillar of our religion. Everything else revolves around it. If you don't have Salah you don't have anything. You don't have anything. As a matter of fact, when people you know, when we when people are raised on Judgement Day, what do they say? How long did they live? Do you know elisabetha illa Yeoman, we only remained on this earth for one day. And what is one day made up of in salata, Canada, mini Nikita,
makuta. Our day is simply going from one prayer to the next to the next to the next to the next. So if all of life is reduced to a day than to do it day is reduced to what prayer, like in the night in the mind of a Muslim, there's no such thing actually as 10am or 12pm, or 3pm, or 4pm. It's right before the hood and right after a Muslim and between Muslim and OSHA, actually, we think of our entire life schedules around our prayer, we think of what's at least we're supposed to think of them around our prayers. Now, the value of prayer. In this passage, Allah mentions different prophets and how they carry the legacy and from their genealogy other prophets and from their genealogy other
prophets, but then going to an idea of such dying, which is cool, because the previous talk was about such that this is actually an idea of sajida that I'm going to read on I know, and I was thinking to myself, I don't know there's going to be so many people in the audience. If you read an IOM series that will have to make studies I'm like, why are we getting lazy about such that woman is a moon they don't get lazy. Allah says that himself so we shouldn't get I shouldn't hesitate in sharing something with you from the Quran is going to call us to do surgery. So some volunteer helped me figure out which way the table is because we're going to do this okay. Anyway, anyway,
well, I ecola Tina, and I'm Allahu Allah him, Mina Nabi and those are the people that we face.
Or Allah showered favorite upon they have they belong within the legions of prophets mingle realty Adam, from the children the legacy the offspring of Adam alayhis salam, wa mittman hamdulillah. I knew him and whoever among them, among the ones we boarded on to the ship that is implied with new holla Islam, the ark woman, Ria T. Ibrahim will slot in and from the children of Ibrahim and which Prophet did I say? I didn't say smiled, I said. So then the question arises what happened to who he was mentioned and his smile is not mentioned meaning the legacy from his heart is mentioned. But the legacy of of misma Islam is not mentioned. It's not mentioned because he was especially mentioned
already. He was put in number one position. And now this is these are the next I art. This is the beauty of Quran it prioritizes things a certain way, when a man had a narrow waist avena this is where things get really remarkable. Now it's talking about us. So far, the IOD we're talking about profits, then he says and out of the ones that we guided and out of the ones that we chose, and the word for choice aged avena suggests that he chose based on something good he saw in you. So every single person who believes in Islam, who follows millet, Sabina Ibrahim, who follows the legacy of our father Ibrahim alayhis salam who accepts La Ilaha Illa. Allah is actually from within people
Allah chose. They belong to people that Allah decided to give guidance to the fact that you're Muslim has, from an Imam perspective has nothing to do with who your parents are, has nothing to do with it. It has everything to do with the fact that a law chose you, and has everything to do with the fact that there is something in you that makes you special enough that you should be worthy of that choice. And that is the meaning of the word ej Sabina is Tifa is just a pure choice. You don't even know why it's made. It's purely from the one who made the choice. But each device is done based on qualifications. Like when you hire someone you find the right qualifications and hire them. Or
when somebody gets accepted into a college is because they have the right kind of scores. They get accepted into the college. It's that that's actually called HD ba. That is called h diva. And Allah uses that word for the entire oma. Throughout history throughout all prophets, anybody who followed them, including ourselves until the day of judgment. Anybody who will accept Islam is actually a decision by Allah is a decision by Allah which Sabina then he says about these people, what do they have in common? What
are they heme iron, man? So Jaden wabakimi. And now we are tied to the legacy that began in this ayah with who Adam and his son think about this from other islands Salaam, to me and to you, what ties us together. When the IOD when the revelations and the miracles of Ramana recited onto them, they fall into such that and cry. This has been the this is what's been passed down, such that has been passed down Salah has been passed down from all the way to the top, all the way to the bottom. This is an ayah of such that somebody told me which were criminalized, please. This way, we're gonna make such
now we're tied to the legacy of guidance holding on to guidance with the legacy of salah and now the scary IRA.
For her law firm embody him health
after them, after the people who held on to this legacy, much after them came another generation of let me translate this in order first nikken may
have useless people, losers, disappointments, people that are in the next generation. They're called Aleph if there's any good in them, any euro domain has been half an hour, while euro domain health with sukoon lamb and ash are in the language when you say hello if you're seeing future generations that you're proud of. And when you say hi love the sukoon when you put a sukoon on it, then these are future generations that are a disappointment. what I call nicoma useless. Allah says then after them have came you are useless generation a disappointing generation came. What makes them so disappointing. Listen to this, a bar or salata. They wasted the prayer
Alliance telling me in you a nation a generation has been wasted. They are no good. There's nothing coming.
from them, and what makes them no good. The first Crime The first tragedy of these people the wasted the prayer when I'm yaku tarraco, Salah sacado, Salah Cano cassava cassava sobre la Musa Lu la mia colada. He did not say they left the prayer. He didn't say they were lazy in the prayer. They didn't say they forgot about the prayer. The language is very precise. He says they wasted the prayer. Now how do you waste something? How do you waste money? You waste money in a number of ways. Or how do you waste an opportunity, you don't take advantage of it. You waste money, if you put it somewhere where it doesn't bring you any benefit. You wasted the money, you had something good, you didn't do
something good with it. You wasted your time, you could have done something so much better with your time. In other words, there's something there, but you're not using it the right way that is also wasting it. So let's not necessarily talking about people who don't pray. He's not limiting the conversation to people who don't pray. He's talking about people who don't benefit from their prayer. They don't benefit. They wasted it. The Prayer is supposed to transform me it's supposed to transform you. It's supposed to change something in us. You Why is it supposed to change something in us? This is already This is the remarkable eloquence of the Quran. In the previous ayah we
learned people heard the IOD man, and when they heard the IRF What happened to them? What happened? They fell into such that tell me what happens in your Salah, you stand and you listen to the Ayatollah rathmann and what are the next phase in Salah. What's the next phase in every regard the final phase, you fall into such that
in other words, what you physically do, you're supposed to experience emotionally as well. You're supposed to be so overwhelmed by the word of Allah, that you just fall in before Allah. It's supposed to actually not only be a mechanical thing, it's supposed to be a natural consequence of experiencing the word of Allah. As a matter of fact, when you recite the IOD, you should want to go into such that not because you ate too much or because you're tired, but because these ions are so powerful that you can't even hold yourself up anymore.
You can't even your knees are wobbling because you just you're overwhelmed by a lion you just want to fall when he says that described in the Quran. When magician see the power of a law of a stick turning into a snake regular people they all think it's magic. The Magician's got a snake moose has got a snake but the magicians know their industry so they can know that there is no magic that's for real. So what do they do? What happens to them, they fall into such that when people have the book, come and visit the Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wondering we've heard there's a prophet here. There is a prophet mentioned in our books, we want to see if you're a liar or not the here's
some Quran and what do they do? What does the Quran describe, they fall into such that they fall into such that the idea of such die in the Quran is when people are overwhelmed when the family of use of Elisa Lam is reunited. They see him and they're like that's the same kid we threw in a well, they were so overwhelmed by the power of a lot of protects them when he decides, you know, and to keep them on guidance that they fell into such that they just couldn't help themselves but they fell into such that the idea of such data is being overwhelmed. What are we learned? Why is that a part of our Salah because you and I are supposed to be overwhelmed but overwhelmed by what?
The Quran
we're supposed to have this all of the Quran when we hear it recited, it's supposed to shake us to the core. You know, Allah azza wa jal describes this in the Quran.
In you know, Tolkien Allah, what do you like? Uhm, is utterly utterly him it was added to me, man, and when the author recited just increases them in mind, their hearts tremble, their hearts are overwhelmed, just by hearing the Word of Allah.
You know, and this is not the subject, but since we're over time anyway.
You know, something about gins I'm not going to tell you a story. Relax. I'll tell you something about gyms. gyms travel a lot. They don't need a passport. Right? So they travel across cultures. They travel across galaxies. I mean, they travel, you know, there are some some places where they cannot go authorized access only where she has been rather than, you know, meteor showers or hit on them or whatever, but they go all over. So there you can imagine they're even multilingual.
A group of jinn, you know, the jinn were stuck on the earth when the prophets lysozyme was receiving the Quran. You know that jinn can travel in the sky, but when the Quran was coming down, the sky was locked down. They couldn't go every time they tried to go to their usual hangout spot next to Mars or something. They got shot down, you're like, Where's all the security from Angel security like never before, and they're not allowed to hang out where they normally hang out. So they're all stuck where on the earth
You know, that's when pseudo gene also fell out. They didn't let me go to a summer.
They didn't say, we knew that nobody will overpower a lot on the earth. They never mentioned the sky. You know why? Because they can't go up there. They're stuck on the earth. So now they're hanging out in on the earth. And they're traveling around just hanging out in a group of them passes by Rasulullah sallallahu, Alayhi Salaam reciting Quran
they're just passing by him reciting Quran and they all stopped, and they just started listening. jinns started listening. And because they're multilingual, they're actually even familiar with what they recite from the book of Musa alayhis salam. So they actually you know what happened? Allah describes the scene where it's sort of like
they're talking to each other. They're passing by when they came in the presence of the Quran, Allah says, they said to each other, shut up, listen,
he listened. Once you do, follow makuta when he was done when it was all done, then they went ran back to their nations moon v going to warn them jacobina inner Samia Nikita bonsey Lombardi musah we just heard a book that came down after Moosa.
There, they're so amazed, they just heard it right now and they're overwhelmed. jinns are overwhelmed. This book came to human beings, first and foremost. Well, where's our reaction?
When the lessons they wasted the prayer will lie. If you think of the if you think of the art about prayer, and the true engagement of the believer with the Quran with the word of the lights, actually, in the prayer, it's actually in the prayer. Now I'm going to, you know, deviate subjects a little bit, I decided that that was the first crime by the way, although Salah, they wasted the prayer, I'll tell you the second consequence in a second, but we need to build up to that a little bit.
Let me tell you something. We are living in interesting times, for many reasons. We are living in times of skepticism, right? So the idea of, you know, religion being an outdated pre modern thing is very common. Now. It's, it's the it's the common atmosphere. In high school, it's certainly the common atmosphere in the university setting. So it doesn't matter if you're going in the accounting field, or you're going to go into medicine, if you're a Pakistani. Or if you're going to go, you know, whatever field you're going to go into, you're going to take a couple of years of electives. Okay, and those electives, the idea of them is to instill enough in you enough, doubt enough ideas.
You know, from the point of view of anthropology, to, you know, psychology to philosophy, you get exposed to enough ideas that are there more than enough to shatter, or at least at the very least, rattle your foundations in your faith. They're there to mess you up. And especially if you go further in your studies, some some students decide they're going to go further in their studies in the humanities, so they're going to study, you know, sociology of religion, or anthropology or something like that, may Allah protect them, because most of the people who end up in these fields become highly agnostic, or highly skeptic of religion, you know, because they look at it, because
the, you know, in the academia, they study religion, like much like they're studying a corpse. It's something dead, and they're doing an autopsy. It's a soulless study of religion, they call it Islamic Studies, programs, in many universities. It's anything but you know, it's this, it's this idea of just studying this thing. That's very, their approach to it is no different from the department next door, that studying cadavers, is honest to God, that's it is what it is that that is how it is. Now we're in that environment. And we're in that culture. And those ideas are not only relegated to academia anymore, they have made their way into YouTube, they have made their way into
popular media, right? So we're exposed to that line of thinking overwhelmingly, all the time.
I want to summarize the problem of modern thought in four, four ways. I think this is important for this conversation, especially when we're talking about giving faith to our children, and passing the legacy of faith and prayer down to our kids, then I think this is important. And if you heard this from me before, I apologize, actually, no, I don't apologize. You need to hear it again. So So here it goes. In pre modern society, it doesn't matter if they're Muslim or not pre modern society, put God at the center. So whether it was Hindu society, or it was Christian society or Jewish society, pre modern societies put some higher power at the center, okay. And people who understood that
higher power or studied that higher power or worship that higher power were the most important people in that society. So in Hindu society, the people who were the most religious, you know, pundits or whatever they are, they were actually the the elite of that society. In Islamic tradition. Dalai Lama are the elite of the society. They were the most noble, most respected of the people in the Catholic tradition or in the Christian tradition, the people that studied Catholicism, they were actually very noble. They were the noble class of people, right?
So, the study of God was the most important study.
The second most important study, I'm gonna go in order now three things, at least, the second most important study was actually the study or the focus on an afterlife. And it's not limited to Islam. Everybody talks about either whether they talk about karma, or they talk about heaven and *, or they talk about something. But there's a constant emphasis on an afterlife. Do we have that emphasis in Islam? Absolutely, every everything you do, there are consequences and benefits of it in the market. So there was a focus on God. And there was a focus on the afterlife. And then thirdly, after God in the afterlife, there was a focus on bettering yourself. Morally bettering yourself
spiritually, saving your soul, I like to call it every culture has something about saving your soul, the Christians talk about saving the soul. You know, the Buddhists talk about it in one way in one in so many words, the Muslims, we talk about this ghetto knifes cleansing the self, the diseases of the heart, right? So this is emphasis on, there's a part of me that is inside, that isn't my physical being, there's a spiritual entity inside me, and it needs to be taken care of. So what were the three areas of emphasis thus far? God, what else?
afterlife, and you can just say, the soul, God, the afterlife, and the soul. And then finally, as a result of all of these, actually, I'll hold off to Finally, let me tell you what happened in postmodern society, postmodern society, the revolution in Europe basically leads to many, many different kinds of philosophy because philosophy was outlawed in Europe. But after the revolution against the church, there was an explosion of philosophies in Europe. And there were so many different, so many isms, right? All these all different kinds of isms. But at the end of the day, all of those isms had a few things in common. And I want to share those with you. They said that
we've been studying God throughout history. What does that given us an oppressive regime? What does that produces that produced a better world, but even now that we have an opportunity to explore the universe, understand matter, develop physics and chemistry, you know, understand mechanics. When we study these things, we see immediate benefits. You know, the industrial revolution in Europe is not because people studied God, but it's actually because people studied the universe. So we've been studying God a long time, but nothing really happened. But when we study the universe, what happens? Great development, you see fantastic results. So you know what, whether you want to believe in God
or not, it's okay. But the real important thing is to study the universe. So there's a shift in focus. Now, the emphasis is on studying the material sciences, and that that shift that started with the European revolution is so powerful that you when you decide to study something that is immaterial. For example, if you decide to leave architecture and go into doing a major in history, your parents will say, What are you doing?
You have to get a real job.
And most the most prestigious jobs today, the most prestigious positions today are people that hold positions in a particular science. Is it true or not?
There's a shift, cultural shift. And is this a shift only in Europe and America? No, it's a global phenomenon. So there's this overwhelming emphasis on science on the universe? What was the second thing that pre modern society used to emphasize the afterlife?
We've been thinking about heaven and *, what does that done for us? Well, you know what you need to make, we need to figure out how to make this life and this society and this world and this city in this country better, we need to advance our study of urban development, and architecture and sociology and political science and even psychology, let's make this life better. And when they emphasize this, were they able to develop was Western civilization able to develop more amenities, more advanced political structures, more advanced infrastructure than humanity has ever seen? Absolutely. The study of science we are beneficiaries of it. The fact that I'm using this microphone
and there are cameras recording us and you can watch this on YouTube. This is because of the the emphasis on scientific discovery. The fact that we took highways here, you know, the kind of infrastructure people can Roblox is arguably software.
You know, why do people love coming here? Why do people love going to Europe, especially when they come from the Muslim world? Because in the Muslim world, the way we used to park our cows in our camels back in the day is still how we park our cars.
You know,
and just like the camel moves around later than anyone put the brake on,
you know, but we are we the world was mesmerized by the infrastructure developed by the West. Absolutely mesmerized. Now, that's the second shift. Instead of focusing on the next life, let's focus on this life. What was the third emphasis that used to be
They're the soul who needs the soul? What is the soul godness? Let's study the body. Let's study medicine. Let's study physiology. Let's study neurology. Let's study the you know, the material part of the human body is such a universe in and of itself. It's fascinating. Let's make discoveries and breakthroughs in medicine. And in the fields of, you know, you know, you know, surgery, and research in this in this funnel in this area and forget spirituality, let's replace spirituality with psychology. And if you're having a problem, there must be some kind of chemical imbalance, we can fix that for you take this pill, and you will not want to kill your cousin, you know.
So let's see what happened. A world that used to be emphasized on spiritual truths, God, the afterlife, and the soul now started emphasizing the universe instead of God, this life instead of the next life, somebody says, Why are you going to study Islam? Well, because I want to, I think it's good for my next life.
Get a job, go study something that'll help you get a job now. And somebody says, Why are you Why are you making we'll do well, you know, it's a means of purification. Praying is the purifies us, you know, in Salah to
purify, just use soap impure,
people started thinking of themselves and the life around them only in material terms. Now, let me tell you the last part, this is the reason I brought this up these this dichotomy of three versus three. I brought this up. Thank you. That was pretty cool. Okay.
So this dichotomy.
I tell you why I brought it up.
Before pre modern society, a society based on faith, you have a set of values.
And those values are revealed by Allah, they're revealed by a higher power. Therefore, they are not subject to change, because they're timeless. And if you live by these values, then you will make God happy, then you will better your afterlife. And you will be able to keep your soul pure.
How will you do those three things by abiding by what he revealed.
But when the emphasis shifted,
when the emphasis shifted, there was no longer a need for God's law, or God's advice, because the things that you will get as a result of following his advice are no longer emphasized. So morality itself became relative. What is good to you? If it feels good, do it if it doesn't feel good? Don't do it is the moral compass of the United States and by extension, the world is the moral compass of the world constantly shifting. What was wrong 30 years ago is okay, now, what is wrong today might be okay, in five years, the conversation about marijuana went superfast. That went way too fast. The conversation about homosexuality, study it over the last 30 years don't even talk about the Islamic
perspective. Talk about the American view on homosexuality in the last 30 years. And what do you find? It's remarkable the pace at which the transformation has happened.
From its introduction into media to the point where it's celebrated by the President of the United States is pretty remarkable. It's pretty amazing how quickly that happened. Now, because we don't need a constant morality, we need something that is what relative it's as society changes, we should change alongside with it.
What did salon do? salon? b by the way, we call it a karma to soul is a karma means when you stand and when you stand, you don't lean. The values in society have a wedge this book is km because it makes you km. It stands up straight. Its values don't budge, its values Don't move. Now that Allah gave us these values, this Hold on, look at what happens. They wasted the prayer. They let go of the prayer. When you let go of the prayer, the entire moral worldview that comes with the prayer is also gone.
When you waste a prayer, that's what that means. So what's the next part? What about oshawott? They follow desires?
What if I just summarize to you? What world are we living in now? The consumer world that we live in now, where the ultimate good is what? following well being your thirst just to do it. Sound familiar?
You know?
If it feels right, it must be right. As a matter of fact, in the world of counseling in the United States, in many, many states now, counselors are not allowed to receive their certifications. If they're counseling a young person who comes in says I have certain thoughts, certain sexual deviations in my mind. I have these tendencies. I feel bad about them. You're not allowed to say yeah, you're right. Those are not good feelings you have
they're supposed to say if it feels right, you should go for it. You can't get your
licensing counseling if you don't agree, and that's increasing, we're officially becoming a nation of what about oshawott follow what the desires what the Shahada is, follow desires. You know, recently in Times Square, there was a you know, Time Square has those giant billboards and the you know, the calling in Megatron, it's some bigger sticks, not a robot, the big screen, you know,
advertising, they actually advertise the * website on Time Square. And the * industry, which is one of the most powerful industries in the world, and internet marketers that make millions a month, the vast majority of them are in the * industry. Now their next move is, well, if we're going to further this market, we're already making bunches of money, you know, spreading * online. But we can further this by making it normal, if we can make it acceptable. And it can we can put an ad of it next to a coke or next to like a McDonald's french fries. It's just a normal thing. That's okay. That's the next step. There are non Muslim movements
right now fight the new addiction, they're seeing it as a problem, but they're only gonna see it as a problem for a little bit. It's coming. It's coming. And in many of your offices, and in many of your universities, and in many of your public high schools. When a child or a co worker has some * on their phone or on their tablet or even on their screen, nobody cares. It's not a big deal, or the way they talk it's not a big deal. It's not a big What about OSHA hot whatever it was the first downfall salaat
Russia how hot and then the final the worst downfall for sofa yellowkorner Haha, then they will fall into deviation. And they literally means that a curve or a deviation, which means their values will deviate and they will deviate more and they will deviate more and they will deviate more until finally the ultimately the ultimate deviation is when they fall into jahannam.
That's why the deceit of this ayah they say I'm Tara to Santa button, the sky rain vegetation, the sky does not rain vegetation, the sky rains water which leads to vegetation that here it says they follow deviation. They followed by the way I look, I know I'm over my time, but that's okay. They'll Forgive me.
inshallah, I'm only gonna take like two more minutes, I promise.
The first meaning of Ray abala. Well, haber Listen to this. The first meaning of Ray is misguidance. So they're misguided, there is no standard for guidance anymore. And second of all, it is disappointment. So they will follow something and it will not give them pleasure. So they'll follow something else and they won't give them pleasure. And they will constantly be disappointed. suicide rates will go up. People will live miserable lives, depression will go up, anxiety will go up. People will have fancy cars, nice clothes, people have all these things, but they will not be happy, they'll be miserable. They'll be on antidepressants, or they will take loads and loads of drugs
because they don't want to face reality because they're too disappointed. They're in those IE, then it means they'll facade corruption, things will get there thinking this will make the world a better place it will become more enjoyable, but the world will become actually only on the surface more enjoyable. The reality of it will be a kind of ugly corruption you can't even imagine. So you will go to places where there are beautiful malls and there's, you know, the lighting and the design and you're just gonna be like amazed, but the people who work there and work minimum wages are going to be living in subhuman housing. You know, it's going to be facade it looks pretty, it looks pretty.
They're going to sell these clothes in the malls at 200 302,000% profit that are going to be made in factories where people are working like slaves. Even animals shouldn't be treated that way. And if somebody decides to do an investigation on them well and good, but don't do too much of an investigation because you'll you'll lose your job and Fox or CNN facade will come. Corruption will come because there's no guidance to keep humanity in check to keep its greed in check. And the final meaning of life is Thor Canetti. Mashallah we like him Allah argued, he said, lay also means the abandonment of prohibition.
In other words, there is no such thing as wrong.
There is no such thing. It's not it's nothing's wrong.
When it comes to the bottom line, everything's okay.
The corporate soulless corporate industry, watch these documentaries yourself and listen to me watch these. They're not made by Muslim fanatics. You know, they're not made by right wingers. You know, they're made by people who study what happened in the Gulf oil spill, study what happened there?
You know, they there are no prohibitions for them, so long as we can make money. We don't care if we put people's lives in danger. We don't care if we pollute the entire oceans. We don't care. This happens when a useless generation comes up who didn't make prayer. My final comment? Why did I share this dark picture with you? This seems a pretty depressing talk.
But you know, the
There's another
element of our ama navami lasallian with the exception of those who repentant who revive their faith, and the one who did good deeds
who acted righteously for hula, hula Jana. Well, if they're going to be entering Jana they will not be, they will not be no wrong will be done to them in the least bit. What does it lead to at the end of this ayah a useless generation came, but even within them, there will be people who can make Toba, they can fix things, they can go back to how things are supposed to be. So if we, us and our children are in the danger of falling into health, we can become Aleph. We can become Hello, we have to fix this. We have to understand the urgency of the matter today. Communicate with your children, be an open conversation with your children, be cognizant and not afraid, not overwhelmed by the evil
outside, learn to raise the kids so that they can stand up to that evil and do the right thing stay there. the only the only hope left for humanity is people who stand up for the for the word of Allah. The word of Allah did not come to sit in a university or be downloaded on the website, the word of Allah supposed to live in people's hearts and is communicated to other other people's hearts. That's the generation we want to raise. And that's the hope that we have in shallow data with institutions like AI Okay, with efforts that are being made all over and people can we can raise people's like moral compass so that they can go into the executive boardrooms of shell and IBM
or whatever else. IBM is gone cares about IBM anymore. You know, or Apple there needs to be moral people in these places. Where are you gonna get moral people from? Right here in this hall? Right here. I pray that Allah azza wa jal allows us to rise to the occasion. And may Allah not make us of those who are disappointing next generation barakallahu li walakum wa salam aleikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh