Baltimore, MD
Omar Suleiman – ICNA-MAS Convention 2022
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of showing leadership and consistency in community practices to be successful in the world. They emphasize the need to show morality and show consistency in one's actions to avoid "weirding of the people" experiences. The speakers also touch on the importance of showing consistency and morality in community practices to make it seem like a "weirding of the people" experience.
AI: Summary ©
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smeller hamdulillah salatu salam ala Rasulillah
Why did it he was so happy Well, Manuela.
I want to begin with a story
of our beloved Prophet salallahu it he was salam
sitting in a moment that we are very familiar with known as the Treaty of today via Saudi Arabia.
And there is a moment with the Prophet Alayhi Salatu was Salam in the Treaty of de via that is very famous, where, as he's negotiating this peace treaty, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is willing to accept certain conditions, from so Hadith, nor will the Allahu Taala and who would become Muslim later on, because he knew it was for the benefit of the community. And he saw the future sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and he was not a petty man.
And amongst those conditions, was that you would have to erase off of this treaty, Mohammad Rasool Allah, Muhammad, the messenger of allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And we all know the story where it have not to be thought about all the time and who did not want to erase the name Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the Messenger of Allah from that treaty. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says shows show me where it's at.
And I'll erase it myself.
Why because the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam understood
that even if Rasul Allah
was not written on that treaty,
it was inscribed in the hearts of 1000s of men and women and 1000s and millions more to come.
That didn't need it to be on a piece of paper, in order to live their lives in accordance with it. And he erased it sallallahu alayhi wa salam, not a petty man, a visionary man sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Now there's another incident that takes place because as you see the multiple ambassadors that are entering in to see the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and try to negotiate this treaty. And one of the men that came forth was a man by the name of Ottawa, Ibn Massoud a Salafi, while the Allahu Anhu also became Muslim later on just like so hated Manam but AutoWeb and Massoud was a proud man from five
and he had a certain presence to him and he was the chosen ambassador to Caesar and Kisara and the Joshi to the rulers of the world. Because of his imposing presence. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said I saw he said no money on his salaam, Jesus peace be upon him, and he resembled Ottawa I've been through that should tell you a lot about his appearance.
So he comes into the gathering of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam, and he knows the prophets lie Selim from before.
And a man by the name of Molina, I'm not sure about who's from setif
stands up behind the Prophet saw some of them and takes up the position of a guard.
And as Ottawa enters in, an Ottawa has entered into the legions of the pompous rulers and tyrants of the world.
He starts to address the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and because he's still on that old way of thinking, he puts his hand out to grab the beard of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam to belittle him.
And when he does the movie, Robin Sharma, whose face was wrapped, he takes the bottom of his sword, the handle the sword, and he knocks his hand off of the beard of the Prophet slice on them.
Or what looks up at him
and he does it again.
Well, he knocks his hand away again.
He does it a third time.
Molina knocks his hand away again.
Puts out his hand a fourth time
and he says to him, he knocks it away and he says listen if you want that hand to come back to you again I suggest you don't put it out
I'm not going to do this a fifth time
and so he looks up and he says you know Who do you think you are? And he says to the Prophet slice and I'm Who is this man and the prophets I'm smiles at him and says that's actually your nephew.
Well, zebra even sure about
a third off even mystery with the photography that's actually your nephew. That's covered. And that standing up for the profit slice I'm in that way. And no one responds back with a message like you know, I used to change your diapers. I knew you when you were young. Who do you think you are?
But he leaves that gathering
and he goes back to flourish. And this is before he's Muslim.
And he says to them, Jaco, oh my people. Listen to me.
The hull to Alamo look, I have entered upon the kings of the world. The How to Allah kisser Allah Pacer. I have entered upon Kisara and basil Caesar and the Joshi of Abyssinia.
He says, follow Allah Hemara E to many can cut you are the man who was humble now you are the most humble Muhammad and Muhammad.
He said, I have never in my life seen a man who is more revered by his companions, no king, no man that is more revered, more loved by his companions than Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam is by his companions. If you read back into the 19th century, Reginald Bosworth Smith, he said that he was the pope without the Pope's pretentions. And he was Caesar without his castles. He didn't have the military power or the supports or the appearance or the attention and I'm paraphrasing here, but he didn't have the traditional structure of a person who in such a short period of time, is able to command that large group of people and to change the landscape of the world. It wasn't typical.
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was different. And he said, If any man ever could claim that he ruled by divine right, it would have to be him. It's one of the greatest proofs of his prophethood he didn't have the army of a prophet. He didn't have the supports of a prophet. He didn't have the wealth of a prophet. He didn't live the lifestyle of a king or a tyrant he was different sallallahu alayhi wa salam
wins aids, and how the federal the a lot of times, who has the adopted son of the Prophet slice on them
his father found him. After looking for him for decades, aid was kidnapped as a child
sold into slavery, purchased by a caveman or his arm.
Who was the cousin of Khadija will the Allahu anha, gifted to Khadija will the Allah and her gifted to the prophets lie some and the prophets lie Selim took him in like a son Hibou Rasulullah he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the beloved one of the prophets lie some he never felt less than anyone in the household of the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he never felt belittled. And this is all before the prophets I some receives revelation, and his father is going around the world trying to find him.
And when he finally finds the Prophet sallallahu Sallam and realizes that Zaid is with him,
and calls for his aid to come back to him,
ze though the Allahu Anhu says, I'd rather stay with Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
and he says Tim's aid, are you going to choose
a life of slavery over a life of freedom? Because technically speaking, he came in to this household, through that means, are you going to choose a stranger, over your family, your people?
Are you going to choose that life over the life that you would have in your own household? And he says, listen to me, my father, in the federal atrium and how they logically say, I've seen something from this man. He's different.
He treats me better than a person would treat their own family, their own children. And that's when the prophets lie Selim, with the permission of his father actually adopted him officially as a son before Islam. But the prophets lie some was different.
You know, the famous story of almondmilk Pablo, the Allahu taala, and who were all modeled the Allahu taala, and who walks in to the room of the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and he rises from his bed, and the prophets lie some has marks on his back. Because the bed of the prophets lie some and this is at the height of his power, the bed of the messenger of allah sallallahu Sallam the most important man in the Ummah the most powerful man there
is a bed of branches that leaves marks on his back and all model the Allahu Anhu cries and the prophets lie some says why are you crying Alma
he said I've seen Caesar I've seen kiss law I've seen what kings live like and you're so much more worthy than those kings are in the profit slice and I'm says to all model the Allah Tada I know Allah Tala. I'm gonna talk about Aren't you pleased? That for them is this material world and for us as the Hereafter with full confidence he was different sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
When you look around the world and throughout history at tyrants, tyrants are some of the most insecure people in the world. They know they're imposters and so they have to overcompensate for their own insecurities with
All sorts of things to demonstrate superiority.
When you look at the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, what caused people to revere him so much?
They didn't need any of the traditional supports of a king to become the most influential and impactful man in the history of the world. What did the prophets lie Sanlam exhibits of character
that not a single person from his household, defected without the threat of persecution were they to do so. But the children of his enemies almost unanimously within the course of a decade came to his side.
Not one scandal in the house of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, not one child who defected and said, You don't know what he's really like on the inside.
Not one person who could claim being mistreated, the most overexposed man in history in terms of his biography, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and what do you see except for the moral high ground? Well, INEC Allah Allah hooligan Aleem, you are on an exalted standard, you're different. You're different. You're different. When we talk about leadership,
and what it means to be a community of leadership. A great leader does not just put forth a shared vision that people can coalesce around. A great leader demonstrates the highest standards of that shared vision.
And there was no one in the ummah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, who at any point had any doubt that he was living, to the standards that he was preaching. And in fact, demonstrating them in a way that the more that you would know about his private life, the more that you would be convinced in his public message.
Why do I mention this about the messenger Salallahu Salam? And how is this related to the topic of the day, when we talk about a balanced message, when we talk about quantum higher on mutton, or collegiately NAS, you are the best nation that was produced for the people when you are shahada, Allah nurse, you are witness upon the people, the way the prophets lie, Selim was a witness upon you.
The way that you gain the respect of a society that is in search of a greater purpose is by demonstrating that in your actions in a way that is so self evident, that you don't need to overcompensate.
And in fact, you can propel yourself ahead as a community without the other supports of power that others have to resort to.
That by being always on the moral high ground and calling people to moral consistency. You can always at some point, overcome those who are morally bankrupt, even if they have all of the mechanics to suppress your message.
That's our messenger sallallahu alayhi wa salam,
a prophet that could sleep under a tree.
A prophet that could walk without a bodyguard, a prophet, that could proudly come forth before his people and not have to talk about his greatness, but demonstrated with his humility, a prophet that called people to what was better for them in this life and the next, and they knew it's because he was always dedicated to their welfare in this life. So why would he not be dedicated to their welfare in the next, when you're talking about a search, and people searching for moral clarity, a world of moral inconsistency? I want you to go back to that message. And I want you to go back to the messenger SallAllahu wasallam. And ask yourself, why was he so effective?
You could read every leadership book in the world. And I guarantee you could connect it back to a tradition of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, how was he able to wield all of that power, and not exploit and abuse that power when he had it? In a matter of two decades? Your brothers and sisters,
I want you to think about this for a moment, two decades, which is the extent of the message of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his Syrah is exactly the same timeframe that we now have as a Muslim community from 911.
To decades, since 911, the entire Sierra of the prophets lie Selim post receiving revelation is just two decades. Look at the growth. Look at the trajectory. Look at the resilience look at the moral clarity. And we have to ask ourselves at this point,
at what point do we manifest
that consistency and that courage and that morality, to wear
What we preach has become self evidence in our community practice. I mentioned this earlier today I'm speaking to a group. When the prophets lie some entered into Medina, and he gave his inaugural message there naturally could be a lot of hesitation, you know, you hear every politician give you that opening message about what they want to accomplish in society.
And almost consistently, they disappoint with their inconsistency.
And their failure to live up to that message. The prophets I send them walks into Medina. And I've only got a decade with you 10 years with you. And in the midst of war and facing the threats of genocide and facing all sorts of internal turmoil and external turmoil.
What am I going to tell you? Are you hitting us up Salam, O people spread peace, I'll play multiplayer and feed the hungry amongst you and feed each other
and connect the ties of kinship and pray at night while other people sleeping you will enter into Jana in peace. And you know what, by the time the prophets lie, Selim
was put into his grave and Madina, Munawwara
all that he had preached, had come to be an experienced reality by his community.
People are searching right now.
People are looking for something that makes sense. People are looking for an example of consistency. And as a community, we cannot just quote, the Sierra of our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, because Allah made him a Shaheed over us so that we can be shahada over the people.
We have to live it in a way that it becomes so self evidence that it is indisputable that what we have is not like what other people have, and that we're different in a good way. But the moral middle cannot be claimed except by those who maintain the moral high ground and do not succumb and do not compromise and do not become inconsistent. I leave you with this thought. Al Hajj Malik, el Shabazz and Hajj Malik el Shabazz, Malcolm X Rahim Allah to Allah.
What they hated about him so much
was that you couldn't soil him.
With all the FBI records on him 20,000 or so pages of documents of his phone calls and his meetings and his travels with all of the attempts to soil him, the only thing they could come out with was, he's a morally upright man who neither smokes nor drinks, and he's rarely late to an appointment. The man is like a saint. Their words while they were trying to de legitimize him.
And that's why you see in a sincere person Subhan Allah, with all of the attempts to delegitimize with all the attempts to discredit even when they assassinate him. Those who disagreed with him still said he was one of the most sincere people that they had ever heard of or met.
I want us their brothers and sisters to recognize and I have to end with this in sha Allah to honor that our character is our credibility. That was the case for the Prophet slice on him as an individual. That is the case for us, as leaders in our communities and with our families and with our neighbors and with our co workers leading the way with a moral example. And that is the way for us in sha Allah to Allah as a collective community. I pray that Allah allow us to live that beautiful example of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salam to where people find the Ark of Noah being his sunnah, when they're drowning in all sorts of other things, and that they see what his
example has manufactured in us in hopes that they too, would find the clarity that we seek on a daily basis by trying to be more like him. Hola. Hola. I mean, does that mean a little fight on Santa Monica?