ICNA-MAS Convention 2018
Omar Suleiman – Fear Must Go!
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the concept of fear and how it can be productive or dysfunctional. They touch on the use of paralyzed quotes from the Prophet and the importance of hope and balancing fear. The speakers also discuss the use of fear and trust in Islam, as it can lead to a "hasn't been enough" feeling. They emphasize the need for fearless actions and self-help to overcome fear and achieve success. The importance of trust in God and self-help in one's life is also emphasized.
AI: Summary ©
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Pleased to be with you all Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah ala alihi wa sahbihi wa Manuela, we begin with the name of Allah subhana huzzah Anna and we bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped or unconditionally obeyed except for him and we asked him to send his peace and blessings upon His Messenger, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his family, his companions and those that follow until the Day of Judgment Allahumma Amin, your brothers and sisters, everything I had prepared just went out the window because of what Sheikh Mohammed this chanel we covered, not because he took my material, but because there were so many points that he
touched on that segue into this discussion of fear.
Fear is a very interesting emotion. It can motivate or it can paralyze.
It can be productive, or it could be destructive, depending on who you fear, why you fear and what you fear. That fear is either praised in the Quran, or it is looked down upon when it becomes paralyzing and destructive and leads you to nowhere but despair. The Last Lecture by Chicago Abba talked a lot about hope.
And unless you have that hope to balance you out, there is no way that that fear could possibly be productive, because the default of fear is that it is a paralyzing emotion. It needs hope, in order for it to be productive. But I want to start off
based on a hadith that
builds on what was just talked about with unasyn domanda, called the Allahu Anhu describing the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And I want you to picture the scene.
If there was to be an attack on a city,
what usually happens to the most important people that reside in that city? Where do they go?
What do they do? I'm actually asking a question. By the way, it's not rhetorical.
They hide
when a head of state is present, and an attack unfolds. Typically speaking, the head of state will be locked down under maximum security.
And those who are already most vulnerable, and poorest will be the greatest at risk because they weren't even important in the first place.
And that's another discussion altogether. But too often, we only talk about the oppressed when they die, not when they're living. So when we talk about Black Lives Matter, it's not black, that's matter. There's a whole system of Black Lives Matter, which has to be discussed before Black deaths, but that's aside from the case usually the most vulnerable are thrown up there.
And the most powerful and the most important, those who are the most important are hid away and tucked away, often by their own commands.
I want you to picture the scene in Medina and this hadith sends shivers down my spine because I always think about it. When I think about the quality of fearlessness that we take from the Prophet sallallahu I knew he was salam. And I said no Malik Radi Allahu I know as he usually did, when he would reflect on the life of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam described a beautiful quality of the Prophet peace be upon him, and then a manifestation of that beautiful quality. And there's a pattern there when you study the narrations of Anna's may Allah be pleased to them that he'll say something beautiful about the Prophet slice and I'm but it's easy to cast a quality on a person, but
then he will actually give an example of how that quality was lived. So he says karma Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked us the prophets lie. Selim was the best of people. And in this context, he was also speaking about the way that he was externally he was the most perfect of people. What ads were the nurse and the most generous of people well as gentleness and the most courageous of people. And he recalled this incident that took place where there was some noise outside in the middle of the night in Medina, and the people thought that they were under attack.
So when Medina is under attack, where do you think the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam should go? What do you think the protocol should be? Shouldn't everyone surround the house of the Prophet sly Salam and make sure that he's protected.
Medina has supposedly under attack and he said, and we came out and we see the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam writing on his horse unstrapped to it. So the prophets lie Selim is not is completely unrestrained on this horse, and he has his sword in his hand.
and the prophets lie Selim is riding around to make sure that whatever came would be deterred. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says to the Companions as to the people of Medina, and I'm Toronto, Nam Toronto, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.
I lead all the Allahu Allah says that when
the battle would become toughest, when it would become HOTTEST. And when we would be utterly exhausted, the people would hide behind the Prophet peace be upon him in battle.
He was the nearest to the enemy. Al Bara said that the bravest of us would only be standing next to him
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
what was it about the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam that gave him such courage and such composure. In the face of things that would usually cause people, absolute fear. And fear is a more comprehensive emotion in the Quran. There are different things that you fear.
Some people fear death.
And you sound radical when you tell people not to fear death until you can throw in a Socrates quote, which exists or a quote from Plato or a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, who said that if you haven't found something worth dying for, then you're not really alive.
But when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says that the nations will gather against you and feast on you at a table, and fear and one will be placed in your heart. And the companion said, What is that why and the prophets lie someone said Who but dunya what Cara here to note, to love the world too much, and to hate death too much.
That doesn't make us a death cult. You can find similar sayings and context to the same effect. That if you haven't found something
that gives you absolute resolve in the face of things that should should make you scared.
Then you need to reconsider what it is that you're living for. In the first place. What was it about the prophets lie some that he didn't fear?
the snares of the people and the stairs of the people and the smears of the people? Allah describes that as a legitimate fear in the Quran, the fear of being outcast. When I ha phone Aloma Tila and they're not afraid of the blame of the blamers we're not worried about being outcasts. What was it about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that when a man grabs his sword and stands on top of him and says, yeah Mohammed minium now can mini O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi salam who will stop me from killing you.
That the prophets lie Selim with full composure and tranquility, can say Allah.
without stuttering
without shaking, Allah
there was something about him sallallahu alayhi wa salam.
And it was that complete trust in Allah.
that nothing was worth fearing. But Allah,
that no consequence that would be faced, for his sake, is taught is to be feared either.
What's the worst that they could do to you?
What's the worst that they could do to you? When you're living for Allah subhanho wa taala. If they kill you, it's shahada, it's martyrdom.
Whatever they do to you, if they slander you, then Allah will glorify You and raise you what's the worst that they could do to you? That's that fearlessness that was in the voice. The N quivering voice of Ibn Taymiyyah Rahim Allah when he said, What can my enemies do to me, My garden is in my heart. Jana is in my heart, you can't take it away, they kill me. It's martyrdom. They deport me, then it's a chance to reflect on the signs of Allah and if they leave me in isolation, then it's a chance to be in seclusion with Allah.
There is no fear, because there is nothing worth fearing except for him and there is no consequence worth fearing if it is faced, because of
your determination to do what He commands you to do. Subhan Allah to Allah, and the prophets lie. Some taught us many lessons in that and I want you to think about this because
fear is a natural emotion and it takes time to get over that. And for many people,
they really start to get over that fear when they face things that they realize, were not so bad as they were made out to be when they overcome difficulties in their life.
Then they're able to conceive of how they would deal with a difficulty of a greater magnitude when they face it in their lives. So it's not when you're afraid that you're insincere.
But sincerity propels you to that fearlessness and so that courage.
When we see, there is the honor of our modern day Muslim heroes in the Hajj Malik el Shabazz, Malcolm X, who said very bluntly that he never does or says anything except that he expects the most difficult of circumstances and consequences as a result of it.
If you YouTube Muhammad Ali bodyguard,
a man who many in America predicted would be assassinated by the way, and said it was a miracle that he lived to see 40 You can actually go back and read the editorials of people expressing amazement that Muhammad Ali was not assassinated. May Allah have mercy on him. And the man walked around without a bodyguard, fearing no one but Allah.
In an era where any black man who opened his mouth too much would be assassinated.
Muhammad Ali, may Allah have mercy on him, who had the biggest mouth for Allah and for the truth,
went untouched. apartment was set on fire the day that Malcolm was assassinated. And it only allowed him to grow in that determination. It was meant to shake him but it only further stabilized him What does that come from?
What it comes from is not seeing what's around you that is supposed to be causing you fear.
But stabilizing that which is in the inside and reminding yourself of the one who sent you here with a purpose and the one who truly protects you, and the one who truly rewards you, and the one who truly honors you. What can anyone do to you then?
It was the scene in The Battle of one the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was almost killed and he's carried behind the mountain.
And his enemies call out.
I feel call me Muhammad's is Mohammed sai Salem amongst you is Abu Hanifa the father of aboubaker amongst you is all about amongst you,
and they boast
they boast
that this was a date for us. That we have avenged our fallen embedded.
And one of the words that came out of them or one of the sentences that came out of the mouth of other Sophia and that day was we have Erza what is Lana? Larissa we have Erza an idol, and you have no Erza the prophets lie some didn't tell almost all the Allahu Anhu to respond and insult his idol because his idol was insignificant, and his words were insignificant, and his intimidation was insignificant. He said respond and say Allahu Molana Willa Mola calm Allah is our protector and you have no protector. He brought it back to Allah. Because if you have Allah that nothing else matters, that no one else can frighten you, then no one else can scare you, then no one else can intimidate
you. Because you realize that all dignity and honor and protection comes from him.
Take it back to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, Sheikh Mohammed just spoke a little bit about it. When he's in the cave, Sheikh Mohammed spoke about the actual protection from the enemies. But think about that. If there was any moment that would absolutely send shivers down your spine. Imagine being in the cave that day.
And you can smell and see
your enemies, just a few feet away from you.
All with their swords,
ready to pierce your body.
All of them waiting for the opportunity to kill you. You've already seen so many of your own killed. You've already seen the torture of Amara and Samia and hubbub. And so many of your family you've already seen it all. And now this appears to be the end.
And Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Taala and who
started to Fear not for himself but for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says to him with full composure, love to Hassan in hola Marina, do not be afraid. Allah is with us the prophets lie some didn't even mention
any of the spider web or the bird's nest or any of the circumstances No. Why are you afraid? Allah is with us now. taxon in Allah, Marina for Ansar Allah Who Sakina Who are they? And this is such a beautiful effect of the Quran here. Allah specifically says he cast down tranquility
tea on his heart. And Allah knows best but but the scholarly interpretation that his heart is referring to Abu Beckett here that he cast down tranquillity on the heart of all, Beckett, Beckett already had a class he was already sincere, he was already truthful. But Allah settled his heart and put tranquillity when you have that composure.
As you look around you and everything is meant to intimidate you. Everything is meant to threaten you, everything is meant to shock you. But on the inside, you're growing that trust in God,
to where it doesn't even faze you anymore.
I'm not going to pretend like I have no fears.
And I'm not going to suggest that any one of us has attained the courage of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in this room, nor will we ever attain the courage of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in this room.
But I what I will suggest is this, that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam equation
for attaining a sense of courage and not being afraid,
all weighs, circulated around that singular concept of toe Hades of experiencing monotheism in the heart and settling your heart with Allah.
And never over estimating the circumstances, or the people or the threats, or the things that are said about you.
If you haven't found something worth dying for, then you're not really living. If that sounds radical, well, we have a radical fear of Allah, and a radical fearlessness of all of these cowards that are trying to intimidate us because of our belief in Allah.
settle yourself on the inside. Allah knows that we have enough courageous examples, that we have enough courageous examples from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his companions in the righteous, who we saw live in our lifetime, that were able to propel through the most difficult of circumstances, your brothers and sisters, these are times that are meant to scare you. And I want to end with this and my time is already up. And actually, I didn't even scratch the surface of what I wanted to do. But I'll say this, the first thing is just recognize that everything around you right now is meant to intimidate you, all of these, all of the news cycles, all of the politicians, words,
all of these threats, all of the incidents that are taking place, it's meant to scare you. The greatest way to resist that is to build that trust in Allah subhanaw taala. How you do that is by centering him in your life, in times that are not frightening so that you will have him in times that are frightening. And that's what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught that remember Allah in your times of prosperity and Allah will be with you be with Allah on your prosperity, Allah will be with you in your adversity. That's not just referring to I know you always hear that at the fundraiser. That's not just referring to your financial capital, or the money that you have. When
you have money. Be generous and give so that when you don't or when you're in a hard time, Allah will send money to you.
Be with Allah and prosperity. Allah will be with you in adversity, be with Allah in times when you're not afraid and Allah will know you and be with you in times that you are afraid.
But center Allah in your life and as a community, we need to center Allah subhanho wa Taala once again in our discourse, and remind ourselves that Allah Who Molana when I'm Allah, Allahu, Allah is our protector, and they have no protector. Zakum a little hate on us and I want to come on