Nouman Ali Khan – Striking Examples From The Quran #02
AI: Summary ©
The importance of using examples in learning a theory is emphasized, as it provides guidance on deeper issues within the clergy community. The complexities of Islam, including the conflict between Muslims and Christian communities, the use of negative language, and struggles with sickness and sickness in the hearts of some people are discussed. The speaker emphasizes the importance of avoiding "slackiness" in achieving "medicals and human beings" transformation, rather than just a physical appearance.
AI: Summary ©
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the first thing I want to do today is set a little bit of background.
Because as I kept repeating yesterday, the purpose of an example is to help you understand a lesson. So the lesson at hand is already there. So the better you understand that the better the example makes sense. Also, examples sometimes are given by teachers not at the end of a lesson. But at the beginning of a lesson. Sometimes the theory is so complicated, or the theory is so, so detailed, that the easiest place to begin is with a simple example. And then you get into the theory. And then the theory starts making sense, right? And a teacher has to sort of decide each time are they going to talk about the theory first and the example second, or the example first, and the theory second
are sandwiched in between. And the same kind of principle happens in the Quran many times. The thing I'm going to the place I'm going to start with today is something especially for the younger audiences. I know some of you I've seen a lot of boys they look like they're memorizing Quran, so I'm going to assume they are memorizing Quran helps kids have a certain look, I've been around so I can tell. But especially those of you that are memorizing Quran, there are some things about Quran that will help you in understanding that easier some of those basic things I'm going to mention to you that are relevant to today's example. And those are that Allah revealed in this in the beginning
of sorts of Bukhara, Allah made reference, not just to this book that has been sent to the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam, but he also said, one, our own zeal, I'm in public, and whatever was revealed before you, whatever was sent down before you, so from the very beginning of this surah, when Allah said, there's no, there's no doubt about this book, that it's a guidance, it's for people who have Dukkha. Then he added that these are the people who believe in what was sent to you, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi salam and also believe in what was sent before you know, what was sent before us is the previous books, right? And this surah a good chunk of it is going to be dedicated
to the people who received the book before we did. So this becomes a very important part of our religion to understand what was given before us and how that was treated. We are therefore a continuation, the Muslims and the people of the Quran, the people the home of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi salam are a continuation of previous scripture where the final chapter of the previous scriptures, the the final testament, if you will, right, now, with that in mind, one of the things that Allah does, just like this book is the final revelation of Allah
Allah makes comparisons from what happened before to what's happening in the prophets life. sallallahu alayhi wasallam. So I'm going to make you remember at least two comparisons. I was gonna say three, but at least two comparisons today. One comparison is going to be that when the Prophet was in Makkah, salallahu Alaihe Salam, when he was in Makkah, he faced very serious opposition from the Quran. They didn't accept the Quran, they called it magic. The final verdict was its magic. They called other allegations before then they tried to humiliate the Prophet saw them in different ways, dismiss him but the final version was that it's magic because that way we don't have to explain
logically what it is we can't explain it. So it's must be Matt magic, right? And what Allah did is he compared that many times, to what fairground did with Musa particularly. So he actually if you study makinde Quran, you'll see Frauen comes up a lot. And when ferroan comes up, and the conflict between Iran and Musa alayhis salam comes up, it's actually coming up because Allah is making a comparison between what the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi salam is facing with the people of Makkah, is not that different from what Musa alayhis salam was facing with Iran. So that's one comparison that's constantly there. So in fact, even when you're studying or reading any Surah,
we're ferroan is being mentioned the Sahaba of the Prophet sites and they were reading about fit our own and Musa but they weren't thinking just about Pharaoh and and Musa. They were super imposing their story on top of that, like overlaying it. Back in the day, we don't have that kind of old school technology in classrooms anymore. But back in the day, some teachers used to bring these transparency slides and they put them on a projector, and it showed on the wall, and they put another slide on top of that slide so they would kind of get superimposed on each other. That's what the Quran is doing with the story of the Quraysh and frown. That's one of the things Allah is doing.
Okay. But what's interesting about that is for our own and Musa alayhis, salaam story, Musa alayhis salam was leading which nation has opened question for you, which which Legion was the leading? Good Bani Israel, right? But he's right, your story has two parts. I like you can easily think of it as the part before the water and the part after the water part before the water means they're dealing with Iran. Part after the water means Musa alayhis salam is dealing with his own people. He's dealing with he's formed his own community, they're independent. Now they're out in the desert, things are tough. And now he starts noticing that his people, the believers, some of them are not
really as much of a believer as he thought. And they are questioning him giving him a hard time even causing him pain. In other words, within his own community, there were some people who were hypocrites, some people that were trying to sabotage him, some people that were trying to undermine him, other people that were easily influenced by by the negative influences, etc. And he was dealing with all of that. Allah didn't talk about that when the Muslims were in Mecca, that part of his life, but Allah does start talking about that when the Muslims moved to Medina because in the seal of the prophets lie Selim, there is the Sierra, the mission of the province of him is one is before
the crossing crossing the desert. And the other is after crossing the desert, just like in the life of Musa the Sudan. There's before crossing the water and after crossing the water, and before crossing the water, he Musa alayhis salam was dealing with frown. And after crossing the water, Musa alayhis salam was primarily dealing with the main problem internal problem which was the hypocrites within his own people, the Israelites, when the prophets or seller moves to Medina, what's he dealing with? What's one of the biggest challenges that he's dealing with is the one that you're going to hypocrites. They're actually even a bigger danger than the outside enemy, the outside
enemies easily known, but the inside enemy can hurt you and attack you and demoralize you and weaken you in ways that you can't even stop so clearly, right? Because they join you and they say we believe just like you do. So there are very there are much deeper internal problem within the Muslim community. So what does Allah do Allah talks about hypocrisy way more in the medina Quran. Right and then Allah talks about the Israelites and how they were with Musa way more in the medina Quran just like in so little Baqarah right. So what I want you to do is the believers are being compared with the true followers of Musa and in the case of Musa lism. That's a green tea. Okay, cool. I'm not
going to drink it until after Okay, so, so the believers are compared to the true believers of Musar compared to the sahaba.
The Quraysh are being compared to fit our own, in a sense. The hypocrites within the Muslim community are being compared to the Israelites that were giving musante salaam a hard time. So in other words, like the Muslims of the time, we're being told, none of this is new. This has all happened before. Not none of what you're doing. It has never happened before. It's all played out before in history right. Now. You'll notice in the beginning of social Bukhara, Allah talks about believers. Then he talks about disbelievers. And then finally he talks about hippo
crits there's three groups he talks about, right? And then later on in the Surah, Allah will talk about Adam Ali Salaam and after other money, Sam, he's going to talk exhaustively about Bani Israel is going to be a lot of detail given to the new Israel. But it's what's interesting is Allah when he's talking about when Israel isn't just talking about Bani Israel because who's in the background of who's acting like when he is ill within Medina. It's not just the Israelites it's also the mafia con they've been kind of they're getting bunched together, these groups are starting to get bunched together, then things start getting getting even more complicated or not complicated, scary. And
what do I mean by scary? The three groups that are in trouble are the two groups it looks like two separate groups, there's the kuffaar and there's the mafia con there's two separate groups. As the Quran continues, Allah starts talking about them as if they are one group. So he starts putting them together like Jonah Hill co Farah Well, Munna Filipina, well, hello dolly. Ready starts putting them together. So this is some of the things that are in the background of before Allah gives this example. Now I want to share with you some things I'm going to read through this rather quickly then explain some brief things to you. And we'll get right into the example.
So talking about disbelievers. Allah says in this is from the sixth Daya onwards in a Latina Cafaro so when I lay him under the home, I'm limping home. Now you may know those who disbelieved. It doesn't even matter. It's the same for them. Whether you want them or you don't want them, or you never want them, they won't be believing, they will not believe why why is Allah saying? It makes no difference for the Prophet to do Dawa, so it's on them, and they won't even believe? Because the Prophet SAW Selim already spent 13 years in Makkah, giving every possible Dawa there could be given to them every chance for them to accept Islam has been given. They know Islam to be true and
rejected it anyway. There and Allah proves that over and over again in the entire McCain Quran until the point where they didn't want to hear the Quran anymore, attempting to kill the Prophet salallahu alayhi salam, so at that point, now they have sealed their own deal. It's not that Allah has said, Oh, now I've made them incapable of becoming Muslim. They decided they for life don't want to become believers. Right? So now Allah is commenting on that, Hashem Allahu Allah Kulu be him while there are so many him Allah of Saudi English our talking about those disbelievers. Allah says Allah has placed a seal on their hearts and on their hearing. And on their eyes. There is a cover on their
seeing there's a cover so their hearts are covered, their hearing is covered, and their eyes are covered, right. They're sealed, sealed and covered with a home I thought when I leave and they have great punishment. So this is a commentary on the kuffaar the nonbelievers the enemies of the prophesy. So I'm already now we come to the second category Wamena NASCI mania Kulu Amma nebula he will be Leo Mila it will not have meaning. This is the second category of nonbeliever. But Allah says among among people there are there's a certain category that stay say we believe in Allah. They say We believe in the last day, but they're not believers at all. Oh, they say it but they're not
believers at all. The first group was called Alladhina Cafaro. Those who disbelieve the second group has been called they don't believe at all sounds like the first group. Because when you say about someone they don't believe that sounds like they just believe. But Allah didn't use that exact language. He said no, they say they do. But they don't actually believe at all. You can add your own Hola Hola. Hola dena. Amma know what Maya the owner Illa and fossa home. Oh my gosh, Arun. They are trying to deceive Allah. They're trying to, you know, con Allah and those who believed and they're not actually fooling anyone or deceiving anyone except themselves will not yes or no. And while they
themselves don't even realize it, physically will be him. marrowbone facade, the Hula, hula Matoba in their hearts, there's a disease. There's a sickness in their hearts for the Hula, hula medulla, then Allah has increased them in sickness. Now I'm going to ask you, I'm going to create some questions for you. The first thing was they're trying to fool Allah and those who believe. And they're only fooling themselves. They're trying to deceive them. They're only deceiving themselves. The question then becomes, how are they deceiving them? Allah didn't say he just said they're trying to deceive them, but didn't answer how. Right? The second thing he said is they have a sickness in
their hearts. And Allah made their sickness even worse, he increased them. What's the sickness? And how does he make it even worse? He doesn't answer he just says, This is what's happening with them and they don't even know it. Okay? Then the third thing he says is Akela Hola, hola to FSI do fill out CalU in the monogamously. When and when they're told don't create more corruption in the land don't create problems in the land. They say we're the ones making peace. We're the ones negotiating for peace. You see,
the hypocrites had an interesting policy.
They said I thought Islam is about peace. So we should negotiate with Americans and work out a peaceful solution.
Are you Yeah, I know. They've done some things, but it's not that bad. You know, we should just do just steal our brothers and why are we going to war again? Well, who needs war? War is a bad thing. Isn't it?
Nothing doesn't Allah not like war? So we're trying to their back handedly trying to make deals with the corporation, undermine the Muslims and all of it right? And when you call them out, Hey, what are you doing? Why are you why are you sabotaging the government of Medina? Why are you trying to go behind the profits back? Sorry, sir No, right? No, no, we're just trying to make peace. We're doing this for the better of the public. We're looking out for the greater good. They make them they do this out of cowardice. But what they make it look like is they're doing this out of public service in their mind animals. Allah in the home will move to move soon, you should know that they are the
ones causing all the corruption. Well, I can assure you however, they don't realize it. With Akela whom I'm you know, I'm a nurse, and when they're told believe, just like people have believed meaning when the hypocrites are told why does your Islam Why does your iman not look like the amount of these people that are sincerely believing following the Prophet not questioning him? That's what the mind looks like. So when you say you have Iman, but you don't act like it? Why can't you be more like your role models that are there? They're senior to you in the faith just be like them. They say I don't mean hookah. I'm Anna sofa. They respond. Oh, you want us to believe like these idiots. So
if they say the fools, you know that like the fools believe like, they're, they're saying, Oh, these Okay, you want me to believe like them, they left their home. There his entire chavala business Tamar came here a whole house, he had a whole family had a whole business. He left all of it and came here with the amazing homeless. Now he's living with a Mahajan. He barely has a mouth to you know, his own mouth to feed and he's got a whole family behind them. That sounds like real genius. You want me to be like them? This is this is the example you want to give me. Let me live a little. So they would look at the Sahaba who have migrated from Makkah. And they will say these people are
pretty stupid. They did this and they ruin their lives. And they're making our lives difficult to later on. They'll say in other places in the Quran. Basically, they are an economic burden on us to like why do we have to deal with these people? Right, so they had that mentality? So when they were told, be like, then they're like, no thinks these are not role models for anybody. These are not very smart people
in the home Homosassa they in fact, they're the ones that are fools Well, Akela Moon however, they don't even know why their local Latina Amanu Kalu, Amana and when they meet those who believe so when they have a public gathering, and they meet with the Muslims, they say of course we're Muslims, too. We believe to what either Hello Alicia Ltd him. But when they go back to their devils, meaning their secret counselors and devils doesn't just mean they have secret Gen meetings, by the way to go back to their devils. Allah describes in the Quran, there are devils among human beings and they're devils among Gen. These are devils among human beings. They go to their other people, they have
their real meetings with them. And they say, you know, International was testing we were just joking. In America, Vietnam and Afghanistan, when we're actually with you. We go to those meetings to show publicly that we're with them, but our real loyalties lie with you. We're just kidding around when we go there. We're just we're just playing with those guys. Okay? It with the Muslims in the magnanimous stasiun. And Allah says Allah Who yester has it will be him. When you're moved to Humphrey to hear him Yama Hoon. And Allah is the One who is playing around with them. Allah is mocking them, in fact, and Allah is allowing them to continue in their rebellion running blind, and
Yama Hoon is used which is interesting, as opposed to Yeah, mon. Or yeah, mon. Yeah, mon would be their blind. Yeah, Mo Hoon is blind of the heart. So they're running around blind, they don't even know that they're running around blind. Okay, now all of this is going to become tight because it seems like a lot of information I know. But it's also going to start tying in together, whether it can Latina Stata, obala lettable Houda femoral, Robbie Hotjar Autohome. Well, mechanic's lien those are the people who purchased misguidance in exchange for guidance, they had guidance, they gave it away, and they took misguidance. Instead, their sales, their trade didn't produce any benefit for
them. It wasn't a profitable business. And they were never committed to guidance to begin with. Now, I'm just going to share some brief notes with you that I wanted to explain the first thing one of the first things I told you was ALLAH has among them are those who say they believe but they don't actually believe at all. Remember, and number eight, Allah is answering himself with the question comes, what do you mean they don't believe at all? How can someone say they believe but they don't believe at all? How are we supposed to know that? Well, Allah Himself explains it in the 14th time that was the eighth and the 14th tire he says, when they go meet the disbelief when they meet the
believers they say we believe when when they go to their secret devil leaders, what did they tell them? We were just joking. Meaning we don't believe at all they say it themselves. So Allah exposed it and then later on explained by the way they are even they're even admitting as much from their own mouth. But in secret meetings, you don't know about them. Allah knows about them. So Allah exposed what's going on behind the scenes. Then, you remember they said they
They try to fool Allah, they try to deceive Allah and those who, those who believe. And they're not fooling anybody except themselves, while the same way. Now when they come back, when they say, Oh, we were just kidding, we're not we didn't really mean it. You know, and Allah says, they're not fooling anyone but themselves. And in the end, Allah says, and they're no, they're not making fun of anyone, Allah is the one making fun of them. They're fooling themselves. And they're the they're the butt of the joke. Well, you don't need to hear and hear me among my interesting when the most interesting example here is Allah said there's a disease in their heart. And Allah makes their
disease worse, Allah increases them in their disease, right? On day one, they were told, why don't you you have good role models follow them?
Right? If somebody feels a little bit bad inside, yeah, I should be more like that. I don't know why I'm not more like that. Then they say, Yeah, you know, I should do better. I'm gonna try harder. When someone's really far gone in their sickness, they look at someone who's supposed to be a role model. And instead of feeling like I should be taking inspiration from this person and becoming better, there, you know how they say the best defense is offense. Instead of acknowledging that the sickness is so bad, they look at that person and say, Oh, this idiot told me to follow him. This fool, please, no thanks. Keep your guidance to yourself. This is how far gone they are. This is how
far gone they are. Now, this is pretty bad. This is all describing it as pretty bad. But there are some two important takeaways that I want you to have. Before we get to the parable. The first takeaway is they think they're really smart. If you notice all of these ayat, they think like they're, they're playing a double game. You know, they're giving an impression to the Muslims, and the Muslims are too stupid to read because they think they're stupid, right? That they won't catch on. So they can play that double game and have other loyalties, and nobody's gonna find out. And they're too smart. They're super smart and political. That's kind of how they position themselves.
And Allah keeps saying, actually, the real fools are themselves. They're actually the ones on the receiving end of the joke. They don't see it, though. So the the first interesting irony is, they are actually, in a sense, blind, in a sense, fools. But the only one who doesn't know that is themselves, they have no idea. That's one interesting thing that comes out of this. The second interesting thing that comes out of this, this entire parable is a comparison. The comparison is where I really want you to focus now, I'll ask you about this tomorrow, because if we're going to need it tomorrow to
fit around was compared with who
that was compared with who I forgot Kadesh good. One person remembers Good, good for you.
But who is slightly were compared with who?
The mafia, the mafia. Now, if you look at the population of the mafia goon, they didn't migrate from Makkah, the majority of the people we consider went off your own and some of them got named, or the the pre existing population of Medina, they're from within that. Okay. And Medina also has the Israelites. So not only do they have something in common, they're all from the same area. They're from the same area. Now let's think about both of them and think about what they have in common with each other.
The people of Medina were looking to develop they were they had multiple tribes. Ulsan has Raj were multiple tribes. And they were trying to make one central government. If they had 14 tribes, so many tribes, each tribe had their board, council leader. And we all know when when people have a board, and they have a meeting, making one decision is very easy. Right? Quick, everybody agrees immediately? No, it takes a long time. When you have one, you know, when you have a business and you own the business, you don't have to have a meeting and discussion, and then have a committee and the committee has another committee to check what the first committee is doing. You don't have to you
could just make a decision. Right? But because it's your business, you could do it quickly. So the Olsen hustlers realize we have 14 tribes, each tribe has a panel, and there's too many opinions and we can't get any decision made. And the city itself is hurting, it would be in our best interest to have one king.
So we come together the United States of Medina, the United tribes of Medina, and we will have one king, right and Abdullah nobody was going to become that King actually before the coming of the Prophet. So I said, but they were interested in having a leader that will solidify the objectives of the millennium people before Islam. Now on the flip side, you have been to Israel when he was ill were people that were given a prophet every generation
you know, in one narration alive and tells the Prophet even tells us so Salam Calama Halacha, Nabil holla whenever you every time when died, another one took his place. The Quran also says cofina I tried him Bureau Selena, we reinforced them like links in a chain one after one profit after another after another after another. Right so you have for example, even in this
or is that we know of Ibrahim Ali Salam has his heart Ali Salam has Yakov Ali Salam has Yusuf Ali Salam what's happening, one after the other after the other Zachary Ali salaam Yaga. Lisa mesa de Sena, one after the other after the other, right? Musa alayhis salam immediately hold on Ali Salam, there's a there's a continuation of constant succession happening with even later on in the story of Musa alayhis salam you know if kala Musa li Fatah who the Fatah is also in some of the DeviceID actually a prophet Yasha. Right. So there's interesting there's constant continuation of prophets until it isa Ali Salaam. The last of the Israelite prophets are the ones that come to Bani Israel
was Jesus is Ali Salam. So it's been six centuries, nobody's come
even for them. And they recognize that they don't believe and some say that there was one 400 years before them or seven 800 years before that. They they name somebody in Jewish religion, but they're waiting for the final profit to come. They know some of their scholars even said, there's been so much of a gap. That means the last one is coming. And then you one thing in their own literature about the last one, the last one is coming and he will lead us all to victory. That's what their belief was about the final one to them. Now, many of them, some of them actually, some historians say believed he's coming to Medina.
So some of the Jewish families had moved to Medina, because from what they read, the last one will come here and he will lead us to victory. What is the what are the people of Medina and the Jewish people have in common in Medina, they're both hoping to get a unified leader that is going to give them victory that is going to defend them, isn't it? They're both looking for that. So they have that in common interestingly, what else do they have in common? They had a lot of fights with each other. These people have a like a lot of fights within each other. They were considered they considered themselves more savvy, more knowledgeable, the Israelites considered themselves more
savvy, more knowledgeable. The Israelites had a problem with non non Jews, Gentiles. There has to be from one within us has to be one within us. When the prophesy Salah moves to Medina, is he from Medina is the immigrant.
He's an immigrant. So the Israelites have a problem with him, because he's not from the Israelites. And the politicians of Medina have a problem with him? Because he's not a born resident and a Prime member of Medina, how are we going to give our government to a foreigner from Africa and all of his cabinet are all the people from Africa? What is this all of a sudden? So this was in a sense, the problem they had with the prophets I said um, is very, very similar on both sides, both sides they have a very similar problem. So when Allah is describing the mafia, Conan desire, right? In a sense when ALLAH is talking about the mafia goon it's also taking a jab at Bani Israel.
Okay, because the one who is ill as we will read SOTL Baqarah you will see no amino Bhima on Zilla Elena work for Oh Nabi Mahara, who they say we already believe in what was given to us. And Allah says no, they disbelieve. So they say we believe what are the hypocrites say, we believe and Allah says we're my homie, meaning they don't believe at all. And then this you had your own allah how Alladhina amanu they tried to fool Allah and those who believe and you'll see some of their Hodari later on so Takara from the Israelites so Allah will compare the munafo when he's talking about them in Africa and the It stings a little when wa salam ala listening. And when ALLAH is talking about
Bani Israel, who else does it sting them when I feel cool, it's like a two way connection between the two of them just like coloration, frown and frown and Quraysh. It's like that. So now Allah is about to give an example. And the example interestingly strikes at both at both. So now let's look at the first part of this example. Martha newhome. Their example is gamma salaallah visto. carbonara is the example is something like the example of somebody who tried to light a fire. The only comment I'll make about the word method. Is it not sure says Rahim, Allah and SFC very interesting. He said, muscle was not used commonly by the Arabs unless a picture was being painted. That was very unique.
It's not a common thing they did. And once they did it, it became coined, like a coined phrase. And they didn't change even the wording of it, it became like a, you know, and or two speakers have something called covered. Right? You don't change it's like a phrase like a like a saying, and you don't change the wording in it, you keep it as it is, right. And so the word method was used as something that is so powerful, that they know it's gonna get echoed over and over and over again. So not everybody can just drop a method. It's actually a Macola. And allow Rob, and this is why they're famous proverbs and sayings. We're actually also called Umfeld. They're also called them fun, but
Allah used muscle and then he used GM Medallia home, CA Natalie, and they still got an error that CA, which usually is just adapted to HP, it means like the combination of the two suggests Allah will come
Here's a situation with a situation. Instead of comparing a person with a person or thing with a thing, basically speaking, he's going to be comparing a situation with a situation. Now here's where the Tafseer gets interesting. The to understand the situation of the hypocrites to get the idea Allah says it's something along the lines of somebody who tried to light a fire. Somebody who tried to light a fire. Now who tries to light a fire. Somebody who's traveling in the desert, is getting cold. They're out in the wilderness, right? And then they try to get a some sticks together some stones together, and they're trying to make a spark and try to light a fire. You're not You're not
trying to light a fire when you're living inside a mansion. Unless you're a pyromaniac. You're not trying to light a fire when you're living in civilization. Nobody's in the middle of a street trying to light a fire, call the police if you see such a thing, right? The idea of lighting a fire is you have to be out in the middle of the wilderness, right to be able to light a fire. There's some interesting things we learned from that. The Arabs were not an advanced civilization.
They were a desert people.
You don't give this example in the middle of the Roman Empire. You don't you don't have to tell them about lighting a fire because they have advanced cities and architecture and streets and streetlights and all of it. The Persians don't need this example. The Chinese civilization doesn't. But if you tell the Arabs, you know, like lighting a fire like oh, yeah, out in the desert. I do that all the time. Just last week, I got lost, I had to.
It's relatable for them. You know, it's like for you. There are examples like someone who had to go to a gas station like, oh, yeah, I feel the pain. You know, it's immediately relatable for the Arabs. But I told you there's two strikes, right? It's striking at the Israelites and it's striking at the mafia pool. The Israelites have a very special relationship with someone trying to light a fire. And that's actually the story of Musa alayhis salam when he was traveling in the desert, and his family was getting cold, and it was getting dark and he was trying to light a fire and he couldn't in the distance he saw a fire. So there's already a oh, by the fire, what's he getting?
Where's he going with this? This though, because I know somebody's trying to light a fire. Now, two ways to interpret this. And I'll tell you which way I'm more inclined, but one way that this has been interpreted this part who is this person trying to light a fire and let the stoker dunera, a person who is trying to light a fire. One interpretation of this is Allah is talking about the the Israelites, who for 600 years haven't seen a prophet. And they're trying to find really hard, the final prophet who's going to lead them. So they're being compared to a person who's trying to light a fire because once he has the fire in the middle of the dark, he'll know where to go, he'll know
how to defend himself, he'll finally have his problem solved, he won't be freezing out in the cold. All of his problems have to do with him not having fire. Just like the Israelites, we're seeing all of our problems have to do with us not having our leader the final prophet hasn't come.
On the flip side, the people of Medina, aren't they trying to find a leader too? Aren't they trying to fight? And by the way, when you have a fire, don't you lead the way? Like imagine you have a bunch of people, they're all the whole families there, they're freezing. And if you don't have light, you've got yourself a problem. Right. So once you have the light, you can lead everybody. So whoever lights the fire can lead them. So they're all trying to light up both sides are trying to light a fire. That's one kind of way that this comparison is understood. Another way you can understand this, this example, the same example is actually by thinking about the Prophet himself.
So Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Before the Quran came. He was involved in the city of Mecca. And he was very heavily invested in the well being of other people. But it was still frustrating him to the point where he used to spend a lot of time up in a cave away from the city. And if any of you have gone for Umrah or Hajj and have had a chance to go up the mountain, where he used to spend time, just the amount of effort it takes to get up there. And now they've made stairs. There were no stairs back then. So the amount of physical effort it takes to get up there and then stay there for a few days. And his wife is bringing him that food. What kind of wife is this? Also the Allahu anha
you know, you're upstairs and use a cannula you're like I
get it. Yes yourself.
The kitchens downstairs, you know.
She's going up a mountain.
These were special people, you know, anyway, so he's up there contemplating thinking, thinking thinking, What is he thinking about? There's lots of theories among the people of Sierra study on what he's thinking about. One way I like to contemplate that is he's thinking about how to what is the solution for all of this chaos? Like, I keep trying to help the poor but poverty increases. I tried to help the people that have been wronged but wrongdoing increases. Like it just doesn't seem to end. If you do humanitarian work, then you do and in fact, people who do a lot of humanitarian work, they don't become more hopeful over the years they become more hopeless.
because they see the problem, they help this much the chart of them helping is growing, we were able to help 5% This year, we will be able to have several percent next year we will it will be able to help 10%. But the problem is going 300% 400% 800% The chart, the chart of the problem is working way faster than the chart of the solution. Right. So it starts dawning on you the hopelessness starts kicking in, and he's looking for this, like some light.
Right? And you would imagine when the Prophet of Allah salAllahu Alaihe Salam was up there in the mountain, I would imagine he would be striking a fire up in the mountains to spend the days the Knights there, right. So the example has multiple targets. And when he does strike that fire, like imagine who was the other figure that the profit is compared to in the Quran in this story, Mousavi Salaam and Musa ism also tried to light a fire and he will then he saw what in the distance when he got there. He was looking for now not means what fire but what he found there instead was newer. What he's found there instead was light meaning guidance note is a representation of guidance if you
study this parable, masala homecare masala this toccata Nara Fela Allah atma hola who the hub Allah who the newly ala switches from the house to newer immediately, because in both of those quests, there's a fire being lit. But actually in the end what you what you end up with is not what now do you end up with, nor you end up with light. Right? So this is one remarkable way of thinking about it. I'm more inclined to think about this for the messenger of allah sallallahu Sallam and I'll try to work through that parable with you and help you visualize what Allah is telling us in this parable from to the best of my understanding. So sai Salam is trying to find the solution and
Gibreel Ali salaam the angel comes and gives him the new beginning the Quran the Quran has described itself as a newer, right for ameobi Allah He was really he was a new delivery on Xena. Now the Prophet SAW Selim has late now once he lit that fire Allah Allah atma hola who and when that fire lit everything around him lit everything around him. I think the language is so beautiful because Allah didn't say Allah know what mahalo when it illuminated the word for illuminating or lighting There's no word or an outlet. But Allah said Allah at any law has an element of heat in it. No doesn't have heat in it. But Bo though is another word for light from it you get the idea also or
this is because they uncle
who they are and Leah is the same word we just you know butcher things in Urdu. So that's so though means light but light with heat in it. Like one of the other sharks out there and will come around neuron right. So what is the heat represent the word of Allah came, but the word of Allah also has warning in it has intensity in it, just like the burning heat of the desert sun. Right, so it illuminate and by the way, the desert sun is clearer than any other sun. Right, everything becomes absolutely visible. So although at mahalo who means it completely illuminated everything around him, so let's stick with the image. Somebody is trying to light a fire. Not only does the fire get lit,
but this is an unusual kind of fire. Everything around him is completely illuminated. Although at the macro level. Now the whole point of lighting a fire is he's not the only one in need of it. Anybody There is also looking for, for some light, some some some warmth, to get close to it. Now Allah uses the strange, strange phrase. He says they have Allahu venuti him.
Translating This is tough. I'll give you a bad translation first. Allah removed their light. Allah removed their light.
A more literal translation will be Allah took their light away.
Allah took it away meaning himself. Allah took it with him. The Hub Allah will be new to him. Okay. Now let's understand what's going on here. Because right now Allah was talking about one person who lit a fire who were who is this day, all of a sudden, everyone assures understanding of this studied that read means Allah was first talking about an image. Then he stopped talking about the image and now he's talking about reality. He's saying Allah has taken the light from the hypocrites. He's taken the light from the Israelites. He's taken the light from the kofod he's got he's gotten rid of all of their light of their Iman. Others say no, he's still talking about the example the image is
still intact. So I'm gonna keep the image intact and try to talk to you about this. Imagine that you and I are among the people who are in the desert last don't know where to go. And one of us one of us was trying to find the light light a fire and they finally lit the fire. We're all of us hoping somebody would have a fire. Yeah. Where the where the people of Medina hoping that they'll find the unified leader. Yes. Where the Israelites hoping they'll find their final prophet. Yes. Right. And then there'll be
People who are in the dark and Makkah, right, and they don't even know that they're in need of light. There, they don't even know that. And Allah says, Allah took their light away the hub Allahu venuti him. This is an a really interesting, counterintuitive example. And I want you to understand it from what came but you know, all those IATA explained before. Now they're going to come in handy
when they were told to believe like those who believe what do they say?
Should we believe like, these fools? These fools? In other words, they're come they're told come closer to the Prophet and come closer to the people who are around the profit slice alum who are learning from the profit slice on them who are in his company who are around the light that gives them the warmth of Eman and they say, No, thanks, we are going to stay away, isn't it?
Is and they say no, no, no, we're gonna keep our safe distance. You want me to join that? No, no, no, no, I don't want to get burned by that fire. Just I'm good at a healthy distance. I'm good. And I can see it from here. No, thank you. It's good enough from a distance. And the people that are around there, they even they join it close enough to say yo, yo, we're here too.
And then they go back. It's not really, we're not really taking that seriously. So they don't want to be anywhere too close to it.
And even if they do show up, they want to show up just for show. Right? What does Allah give as an example was Allah takes their light away? What does that sound like? They were in the same place. Allah just left with the light. Allah took it and took it away. But what's happening in reality? The prophet is there among them, the Sahaba they're among them, who's the one walking away?
They are.
Allah could have said, and when finally the light came, they walked away.
Right? Because they're the ones moving away. But Allah didn't say that Allah says Allah is the one who took their light away. How will you understand that? If you look at the previous ayat, you notice every time Allah talks about a reaction, they make fun of Allah, Allah is in fact, the one making fun of them. They're trying to fool Allah. They're in fact fooling themselves. Multiple times in the IRT will find they do something and Allah does something in response, they do something and Allah does something in response. How did Allah take their light away, by allowing them to continue to walk away.
That's how Allah took their light away. It's not that Allah left with the light is still there. It's interesting that in the Arabic language, the the Hubble nor the going away of light is also used to describe blindness. So let me give you this example, oh, man, this pretty soon, he's going to turn the lights on, it's gonna get brighter in here. It's scary out here. And the moment it turns light,
you go blind.
Now, the irony of it all is it's really bright out here. The only person who can benefit from that brightness is someone who is blind. Or somebody decides to blindfold themselves. Allah is describing a really sad reality you are in the company of the Prophet site.
You're in the company of the UN, Allah brought you in that circle, Allah brought the prophets I send them to Makkah, Allah brought the prophets I said, I'm to Medina, so you could be close to him. You could be as you are closer to the light than the rest of humanity.
This light was meant for you. Every person in Medina, every person in America, this life was meant for them. This was a special gift of Allah to them, that Allah did not give the Romans that Allah did not give the Persians that Allah didn't give anybody, but I'm gonna give it to them. And what's crazy about them is that they became blind from it, they can't benefit from it. Notice the words nudy him the hub Allahu de nuit in their light. Allah could have said Allah removed the light, the hub Allah who been *, oh, the hub Allahu venuti. I'll be *. And now, he could have used any phrase he said, they'll have Allahu venuti him their light, meaning the light was meant for them. It
was meant for them. But when they don't appreciate it, it gets taken away. So understand this comparison.
If you blindfold your eyes,
and you keep them blindfolded for six months, you don't take it off.
When you open your eyes, what's gonna happen? You're gonna be blind.
If you tie up your legs, don't you lie in bed, tie up your legs tight, no, no blood supply. And you lie there for six months like that? Are you going to be able to stand up after that? No. There's a fitrah. Allah created. Allah gives you an ability. In this world, Allah gives you an ability. Allah gives me an ability, when we refuse to use that ability. When we refuse to use it, you don't use it, you lose it.
Allah gave them the ability to see the light, to feel its warmth to come close to it. When they denied that enough times. What does Allah do? Allah takes their ability to appreciate that light away. Allah blinds them from that light so they could be sitting right next to the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam
but not their hearts can't see that this is the messenger of Allah. So they can be hearing the Quran from the voice of Rasul Allah Himself salAllahu alayhi salam and it will not affect them at all because they're just blind to it now they deprived themselves of that so many times that Allah took that ability away from them they're those abilities have been paralyzed, removed from them the hub Allahu venuti him. This is the imagery given of those people without aka Humphrey Lumet and he left them in darkness is on top of darkness is on top of darkness. What is multiple darkness is mean, if the if the light was on over here, and I'm standing right here, and I keep walking away what's
happening? Am I in more more brightness or less brightness? I'm going more and more and more dark meaning they keep walking away from the Prophet more and more and more. He left them to go further and further and further and further in the darkness. What's interesting is this is not the first time Allah is describing this. He already described this when he was talking about the kuffaar
he said already before I'll read the ayah to you.
In a Latina Furusawa Allah Allah him and Dr. Amnon Hatami Allahu Allah Kulu be him. Well, Allah subhanho wa Taala I'm sorry, him how he described some of the kuffar right and now the mafia goon as they go further and further away. They're becoming closer to the kofod if you're getting away from the believers and the prophets I said, I'm Who are you getting closer to the confer those who have blinds over their, their, their eyes, where the homeowner Darlene. So it's an incredible way to depict this picture. And one of the coolest things about this picture is the phrase, Fela Abba atma hola who when it illuminated what is around him was also salam was looking for guidance himself.
Allah describes what we're GA ba learn for her that he saw you seeking looking lost, and he guided you. So Allah guided his messenger. So I said, um, but Allah didn't just guide him, he gave him something that illuminates his surroundings. But the interesting thing about the light of Allah is, you know, what Allah home with him whenever he Allah keeps completing his light. And the the, you know, in 23 years, all of Arabia got lit up.
And a few years later, purchase started getting lit up, and Rome started getting lit up, and India started getting lit up, and the Africans and Europe and Australia and Southeast Asia and who this light kept on spreading and spreading and spreading billions of people around the world came into the fold of this light. And the people that were closest to this light, some of them were blind.
Isn't that wild? They have Allah who we know to him. You know? He says
it's actually a lark, Lachlan, I think if I'm wrong about this funny quote, quoted this poem, intellect does two things. That the mind is two things, right? And he says, you know, one of them is, you know, come out vote was Shamcey lanpher. Oh, I infer is although I am newer, is like, it's like, one kind of a mutt Warren was more he says there's a light that is or there's an intellect that you learn from. Like your child grows. He hears you say bah bah, bah, bah, bah, bah. You will eventually start saying Baba, here's your mama, mama, mama. You'll eventually say, Mama, that's the child's mind growing that's more, but then there's another intellect called multipolar. multipolar
means Allah has put something in his Tobia meaning the fifth love Allah, the light that Allah gave all of us, right? So he says, and there is no benefit for Lion for almost more either lumea Commodore, he says there is no benefit of you learning new things. If the light inside you, you have let it die. And what does he compare it to? It's like the light of the sun that cannot benefit someone if the light of their eyes is gone. Come on, I thought was some slay on fire in 90 manure. Right? This is the light of Allah the Quran came and the people closest to it. Some of their hearts were closed off, and they couldn't benefit from it in to all of this history. But what's the point
of it for you and me? In this this wild example, this incredible example. The point of this example is our closeness to Islam. Our social closeness to Islam being in the masjid being around the Halaqaat of Quran being being in the space where Islam is echoed where the light of Allah is there isn't enough. You could be right there and be blind. You can be right there. It's passing right through you. You know? And No, nobody's immune from that none of us are immune from that. It could be that you are doing okay and then you start slipping away slowly but surely, but you're not physically going away. When you stop when you and I stopped using that gift that Allah has given us.
Allah starts removing that ability from us like in everything else in the fitrah so he says someone Bookman armbian For hola John one one last thing I'll share with you I'll let you guys go for tonight.
I'll give you the very famous i Alright someone they're deaf. Someone
Book One, their mute, mute means they can't speak. And then on mute, they're blind. But the previous is when they're left in the dark, isn't that about blindness, right, they're left in the dark. So the darkness makes it blind, or their eyesight is gone, that makes them blind. Or if you look at the last idea about outside darkness, which is blinding. Now, this I will also mention physical blindness or immune. But you would expect that blindness would be the first thing mentioned, because the previous idea was about darkness. So you expect a lot to talk about blindness now. But he didn't mention blindness. First he mentioned deafness. Then he mentioned muteness, then he mentioned
blindness, someone, book one and then finally Borromean, what this order is really special. It's really special. So let's think about disorder. This is actually one of the most remarkable examples of tragedy that you read means Allah was talking about an image, right? But he wasn't really talking about that image, that image was being used to describe reality. So now he's going to shave off that image and start talking about reality. And in reality, light, in the image light is like a fire. But in reality, true light is something that's heard. spiritual light is not seen spiritual light is heard the Quran is described as light, but the Quran has not seen the Quran is one heard. So in the
in the in the spiritual world, actually, the ultimate light is what goes in the ear, actually. And you know, there's a there's a phrase in Arabic, I'm reminded of a sermon for Java 10. Right, when you hear something badly, then you respond badly. You know, people that have deafness, they have a hard time speaking clearly.
When they have they don't have they don't have a speaking problem. They only have a hearing problem, but they're not able to speak clearly. Why not? Because if they can't hear it properly, they don't know what sounds to copy. So they never learned how to pronounce something properly. And when you hear a deaf person speaker, like, do they have a speaking problem? Also? No, actually, it's the speaker, the hearing problem, turned into a speaking problem. So Allah mentioned someone, and then he followed it up with Bookboon, their inability to speak, right? And in a spiritual sense it is they didn't take in the word of Allah. And when they didn't take in the word of Allah, they didn't
respond to it properly. They didn't respond to it properly. And we're gonna dig a little bit deeper into this phrase, you know, not listening to the Word of Allah. First crime. That's the easiest one to understand. You know, Allah says, Don't be like those who listen. Well, hilarious man. They they say we listen, but they're actually not listening. Right? Well hold is Marilyn. So that's one problem. But the second more important problem is there are always going to be in society, influencers and followers. The younger people here when I say influencer and follower, you immediately go to Instagram, Tik Tok or whatever else right influencer follower. But before this
technology, there are always influencers and followers in the world. There used to be influencers on the radio, there used to be influencers in the local temple. There were influencers in the village there were influencers in the family, there's always the whole of humanity has always been influencers and followers. Now it's just become easier for you to be an influencer. And if you're influenced dumb people and you can collect a lot more dumb people under you globally so you can globally connect all the dumb people together and be their collective influencer, right? If you're smart, you can collect other smart people under you and you can be a smart people influencer etc.
Right? So, if the tendency was always there, technology is just a catalyst. Right? It makes it faster and more more exponentially more powerful. That's all it is, but the juice was always there. Now. The Quran often talks about the influencer. Again, I'll say that again the Quran often talks about the influencer. Why? Because the influencer is usually creating a huge problem because the influencer starts impacting a lot of who
followers. So in the makin Quran, Allah will talk about the millionaires, he will talk about the politicians, he will talk about the social leaders, the elites of society, why because everybody else wants to be like them. Everybody wishes they had the same same kind of horse that they have same kind of camels that they had same kind of mentioned that they have same kind of clothes that they have, they are the influencers, everybody else is dressing like the influencer, everybody else wants the same right as the influencer. Everybody wants to be in the same kind of neighborhood as the influencer. Everybody wants to look like the influencer. This used to happen 1000s of years ago
does that happen today? That everybody wants to copy the influencer in some way? Yeah.
You know a celebrity will wear a certain kind of T shirt t shirt sales will go up
you know celebrity will pick up a drink and drink all those drink sales go up celebrity endorsement, isn't it? That's what he says I'm you know, I love this restaurant. That restaurant. I said everybody follows. Everybody gets in it. Right. And companies pay big money to get the sponsors influencers to endorse their product, right? So the Quran goes after the
influencer, but it also sometimes goes after the followers goes after the followers. Now here in this idea, it's in a sense capturing both the influencer refuses to listen.
They refuse to listen. They have their closest to the light so they have the most access to understand and take it in, but they don't want it. And when they don't want it what are their followers do? Well if he doesn't want it, I want it. If this was any good, my favorite influencer would have liked it too.
Because he doesn't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it does not happen today. Yep. Once you once you surrender your brain and hand it over to the influencer, usually thinking for me, sir, you do the thinking for me, then what they accept you accept what they reject, you reject. So you decide to refuse to listen, because they've spoken.
They're saying I'm not listening to this. Now, it could be that one of the faults that by the way, the influencer by the way, sometimes they hear something in the Quran. In this time, they hear something in the Quran and they agree with it. They're like, Oh my God, that's so right.
If I say it,
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be an influencer anymore. Because most of my following doesn't follow this.
So either I speak what I actually believe, or I keep my following.
Right. So what do they do? Do they speak up? Or do they stay quiet? Oh, does that ever happen now that there's an influencer? And they know they should speak up about something like genocide, but if they do speak up, they might lose their endorsement. They might, they might lose their contract, they might lose their mind their next Netflix series or whatever the * else. But if they saw a better, better, better thing to do what? Stay quiet.
Change the subject. Don't talk about it.
Don't talk about it. Hey, why haven't you said anything? So what are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about.
You know what that is Bookman mute.
They won't they don't want to listen. But they also don't want to say it because they know they're influencers. If they open their mouths, somebody else might listen. And then they'll lose their following altogether. By the way, if you do listen to the Quran, then you've accepted that your influence is meaningless, you will only take influence from Allah and His Messenger, salallahu Alaihe Salam. So you're no longer interested in being a leader, you're now interested in being a follower. So you're about to give all that life up, but that life is too juicy to give up. So it's better to just stay quiet about what you really think. Just be quiet.
And the other thing is the followers, the followers are like, but I really like what the, you know what he said, but I'm following him. But if I, if I go with them, all my friends that are also followers, they're all going to hate me. They're going to kick me out of the club. I can't agree with him. I can't can agree with those words, it's going to cost me my entire social group.
They're gonna take away my membership badge, they're gonna, they're gonna block me. Nobody's gonna, nobody's gonna want to put a thumbs up on my comments. It's all going to be gone. If I agree with that one. The cost is too high. I'm going to be book I'm also I'm going to be among the, I'm going to be abcam also, I'll be quiet. I don't say anything.
And then Omean. Finally, blind. I'm just going to pretend I don't see it.
I just I don't want to think an Urmi means in a figurative sense, not just physically blind. When you know something is there, you're just trying not to look at it. Well, I didn't see anything.
You know, that is deliberately ignoring something. Because it's there. And if you have to deal with it, and the reality will come out. Allah says about atma Allahu everything has been illuminated. So it's impossible to ignore it. This is teaches us that actually before blindness, there is the refusal to listen, and the refusal to speak what's truly in your conscience.
And though if those two things aren't there, that's where blindness comes from. The first idea was about blindness. The second idea is this. This is someone Bookman, Omean, is actually describing the origin of blindness. Where does blindness come? How can these people be so blind? Nowadays, you can find even on social media people speaking, and they're speaking absolute nonsense, and you're like, there's no way this person believes this, right? There's just no way. How can we be that blind to reality, and you have to do just a little bit of digging, and you'll find behind it, someone and book Bookman, which will explain the Omean
that's what we'll explain. And finally, Allah says for homeless children, thus they will not come back which completes this image. You remember it sounded like Allah is taking the light away. If Allah is take taking the light away, then the IR would have ended and Allah will not bring the light back.
That's not how the IRS the IRS, they will not come back. So what is the IRS teaching us Allah did is I'm the one who left who actually left. They did but Allah allow them to leave
And Allah allowed their light to be taken away from them because they didn't want to appreciate it. And they don't want to come back to this light. And this is this is this powerful image that Allah has painted in this ayah about those who are stubborn in their way and will refuse to follow Allah's guidance. May Allah azza wa jal protect all of us from that. And may Allah Allah will just allow us to recognize that in this remarkable is the one who lights the fire, maybe just one, which means they're always going against the majority.
And when you go towards the one who's who has light, you're not going towards what is popular, you'll always be ended up going towards something that is unpopular. It's unpopular in your family, unpopular in your community, unpopular in your circle, right, just because you're in a Muslim country, doesn't mean that Islam is prevalent. I came from several Muslim countries in last year where lots of girls were telling me I always ask them, what's the hardest thing about being Muslim? And they said, wearing hijab, and they were all wearing hijab. And I was like, Why is this hard in a Muslim country? What are you talking about? I understand if somebody said this in Australia, or said
this in Canada, or said this in France? Why are you saying it's hard, you're in a Muslim country, they're like, you don't know how much kids make fun of you. And the teacher makes fun of you, in our schools in the Muslim countries, for girls that wear hijab.
That's the reality. That's the real and their family, their family makes fun of them. They're like, my, my, my cousins, my uncle's, my aunts, my extended family, my older siblings, everybody makes fun of me because I decided to wear a hijab, in a Muslim country, and the school teacher and my school friends, everybody, I'm isolated, because I decided to cover or two because I pray in this recess, I pray I make a lot of work in a Muslim country, to girls making Salah in the corner, and the entire girl of school of girls making fun of those two girls, because they're extremists. Right? So what I'm saying is the people who will hold on to the light anywhere can be the minority. There can be
the mind and it costs you. It causes you to open your eyes, it's more convenient to stay blind. It's more convenient to not listen. It's more convenient to think something but never have the courage to say it. It takes a lot to say it. It takes a lot to overcome one's blindness but blindness is convenient. The one who lit that fire took work and following it takes work staying in your places easy staying in the blind is easy. May Allah azza wa jal makers of those who come back towards the light and remain there. BarakAllahu li Walakum Pukekura Hakeem when a fire on your ear can be like it was lacking said I'm really gonna have to lay down our cattle