Feeling Disconnected from Islam

Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

So,

you know, coming to this convention, now in 2022, I've been reflecting I've had the last couple of years where we didn't have a convention. And I kind of got used to coming to conventions and speaking to people, and especially connecting with a lot of young people. And a lot of people that, you know, they may know me from

the internet and online or whatever, when I come to econo convention, I get to actually meet my brothers and sisters. And it's awesome. And I've been doing this now is Pamela and I feel old. But it's, it's coming up to a decade now that I've been doing this, and I've been reflecting a lot, especially for this convention, in thinking about what we've been through what's going on right now and where we're headed. And thinking about the role of our fates, and thinking about the next generation that is coming up and the challenges that they are facing, I think a lot of the brothers and sisters that are in my space of of trying to inspire people and trying to connect people with

Allah subhanaw taala, we're often dealing with challenges, what are the challenges that a lot of people are facing? What are the challenges that today, for example, young people are facing. And one of the things that I want to speak about today is a seeming disconnect between what our faith is, or what we are told our faith is, and then what is happening in our real lives. And subhanAllah I remember being in Medina and studying in Medina, and during July, we would go to the masjid and listen to the Imam give the hotbar. And it was a very different experience that listened to the hot vibe in America. You know, the Imam would come in very nice clothes, climb the member be up high and

deliver a very formal type of heartburn. And I've been to other countries as well, other Muslim countries where the Imam gets up. And it's a very seemingly formal chutzpah, you know, and I was used to coming from the MSA and stuff, my brother gets out, he pours his heart out. And he's talking about real issues and all this kind of stuff. And then you go to some of these countries, and it seems it's very, and I was like, hold on, there seems to be a a disconnect between what is being said on the member, and what is happening in people's lives. Because oftentimes, what we hear being preached about is the is the ideal, what we're supposed to do, how we are supposed to be as a

Muslim, you're supposed to do this, and this and this, and this is how you're supposed to be. And oftentimes we hear that, and we come to conventions, and we hear this and we hear this ideal. But in the back of our mind, there's this thought of you know what, that's cool. And it felt good to hear that. But I gotta go back to my real life after this. And my real life is complicated. It's messy, I'm dealing with real problems. This Ideal Muslim is simply not me. It's cool to hear about it. It's fun to see religious people talk about religion. And and yeah, it feels good. Yeah, this nice, but it doesn't really apply to me. Like in my real life. There's there's just a tiny bit of space for

Islam. But as Islam really my life the way I see it, see it being preached. And the reality of our faith, my brothers and sisters, the reality of Islam, is that Islam was not sent to be practiced by perfect beings. Islam was sent to be practiced by imperfect beings, beings, by flawed beings, by people who make mistakes, by people who commit sins by people who do wrong.

But it's not was meant to be practiced by people that are constantly striving to better themselves. And that my brothers and sisters, is the goal. And I hope that those of my brothers and sisters who are in this space and you're trying to preach and inspire that that is our that's at least my goal, that I don't expect to like when I give a talk. I don't expect that, you know, everyone's going to be a perfect Muslim now. But what I hope for what I what I make dua to Allah for is that I hope that we are at least inspired to better ourselves, that we come here this weekend. And we say, You know what, here's some realistic changes I can make in my life because Islam is not meant for perfect

people. You know, we hear stories of the Sahaba we hear stories of the prophets and so on and so forth. And we think yeah, that's them, that this is me.

But Islam was not meant for just one people. It was not meant for one time it was not meant for one place. It was not meant for one culture. We can look at the world today and think the world is crazy. There's so many challenges, so many trials, so many fit in and sometimes and I hear sometimes religious people talk like that, right that this The World Is Too crazy right now. Like we cannot survive, there is no way

and absolutely that is not the case. And that is not the correct approach. Because if we believe that this deen is from Allah who's

I don't want to Allah, that Allah has sent this Deen that we have to believe that this Deen this way of life this religion this faith is just as applicable today as it was 1400 years ago. Allah yeah Anna mon Haluk was one luckily for the hobby, there's Allah not know what Allah creates, when Allah is subtle, was gentle, Allah knows every subtle difference between human beings. Allah knows every subtlety of our creation. And Allah is all aware, Allah knows, Allah knew when the Quran was sent, when the prophesy send them was delivered, when he was delivering the message, Allahu Subhana, Allah, Allah knew that the world would be like this in 2022.

And just as Islam was sent, for Arabia at that time, it was equally sent for us today in this complicated and this messy world that we live in.

And so the question now comes, what do we do? How do we make sure that we find that value in our faith? How do we make sure that we it's it's easy to say, you know, our Islam is just as applicable today, as it was in history?

But where does that come from? Where does that strength come from? And a lot of times, you know, it's it's ironic, I'm standing here talking to young people, a lot of times, this is a conversation that I have with parents, because parents come to me with a lot of anxiety about their kids, and where their kids are growing up. And so many, you know, it's a crazy world. Things are complicated. So many things have become normalized. Things that no parents say things that back in my time, things that were considered wrong and immoral things have become so many, so many, those things have just become normalized. Now, how am I going to raise my child in a world like this, and why as a

parent, I think about myself as well. And one of the pieces of advice that I give to parents, is an advice that I want to share with all of you as well. And that is the important the importance of having a strong foundation. And I say that, because when we build a strong foundation, when we have strong well suited strong principles, then we are better equipped to survive, whatever the world throws at us. Whatever is happening in the world,

we will be better equipped if we have a strong foundation. I think about that brother that I was once speaking to who said he told me, he said, I grew up with Aetna, and YM and all that kind of stuff. And he goes, You know, I kind of lost my way. You know, when I was young, you know, I was in middle school, and even high schools involved, why am but I went to college, he said, but I lost my way. Because I felt this sense of freedom, I was finally away from my parents. They weren't watching over me, you know, and I saw things in college, and they're very tempting, and so on and so forth.

And he goes, I went through a rough time. He goes back through all of that. One of the things that I that I always knew was the difference between right and wrong. He said, I did things I did messed up stuff, right. But I knew what I was doing was wrong. And there may not seem like a big difference, but it is a very big difference.

Because there's a difference between a person who does something thinking it is okay, and normal, and it's fine. That's just how it is. This is the world we're living in. Versus a person who knows, because of the foundation, they were given as a young person,

that what I'm doing is wrong, because that person has a path back to Allah Who Subhanallah died, because there's something inside that is knowing at them. And you know what that is? That is our fitrah. That is our natural state of being. And it is important to understand that fifth law, that fifth thought is a part of our foundation, for it is important for us to understand that we are not created

to give in to our base desires. We are not created to give in to every temptation.

It can happen. And it's normal, it does happen. But that is not the reason why Allah has penalty. Allah created us. Allah created us to worship him to live our lives in submission to Allah who's panela data, we're not always going to do that. We're always no not always going to be the greatest app dot. But the fact that it is part of us and we understand that is a very, very powerful tool.

Because that means that we can weather the storm. When things become confusing when things become difficult. You know, Allah who's kind of like to Allah actually gives us an example of this in the Quran, as Allah who's kind of like to Allah says, Allah I'm Tara Keifa Daraa Allahu Methoden. Kelly met on Peggy but Khashoggi written by Kiva. Allah says, Do you not see how

Law compares or gives the example of the good word

to a good tree.

The good word being La Ilaha in the law, the good word being to hate the Oneness of Allah who's Panama to Isla? That the example of hate the example of Allah, Allah and Allah is like a good treat, a slew Hatha, but

the foundation of it is strong. It is deep rooted will further Allah Hafiz Summit, and its branches are high in the sky.

Strong, we can withstand the winds we can withstand the change of times and culture and normalization and trends and so on and so forth.

And then Allah who has panela data also tells us the example of an evil word and evil word. In short, being that which takes us away from La Ilaha in the law. What must I do candy mutton hubby.

Kashia rotten Kabita the example of an evil word a bad word is like an evil tree or a bad treat it to 30 Min folk and out it has been uprooted from the earth. Mother Hammond Farrar, it has no stability. What does that mean? That means when we go away from our foundation, from to hate from law, in law in the law, that natural state of submission to Allah who is a data, we will never be able to be firm. One day, trends are going this way. And we're going to be going that way. And other day the trends are going this way. And we're going to be going that way. And never are we going to find stability. It is only through our faith. It is only through Islam, it is only through not not

in the law. Do we remain firm, regardless of what is happening in the world? As Konkuk crazy as the world gets? Our foundation is strong. Our foundation is that you, Allah, you don't even take me out of the Mallanna dad, I find it very interesting. I was reading

a passage where he was talking about politicians.

And he was saying, you know, politicians, they are like a tree in the wind that is weak.

Because they're blown left and right. Like, no, no pun intended, but the culture and the norm is going one way and they're gonna go that they're gonna go that way because politicians for the most part, they want to please people. And the idea is that the more people that like them, the better they're going to do, the better politician they're going to be. And so if all the people turn to something that's bad, well, it doesn't matter what is bad or good, it's, I'm gonna go with the people.

If society is going one way, well, I'm gonna go that way, because I gotta please the people.

But our goal is not to please people. Our goal is not in the height of Allah. Our goal is to please Allah Who Subhan Allah to Allah. And that is why to me, conventions like this are so vital, because it is at conventions like this, that we revitalize our faith. And I know it's hard Subhan Allah living as a minority, in a culture in a place in a world

where it seems like the majority is doing something else. The majority believes that something which is clearly our knifes understands that is wrong, and immoral, the majority tends to think it's okay. It's hard being in a world like that. But never forget the foundation that you have, as a Muslim. Never forget that Allah has patented the ALA, by the very fact that you understand that your fitrah your nature is telling you to submit to Allah whose panela data means you have a strength that other people simply do not

that you will not be able to be knocked down, regardless of the wings, regardless of what is happening in the world today. And this is why my brothers and sisters, it is important to be connected to our faith,

and SubhanAllah. In a world in the world that we're living in today, our faith, even Subhanallah can get used for people's purposes. It can get used, it can become politicized. It can be used for people's agendas, and so on and so forth. And this is why we need to be very, very careful about who we take our faith from. Where do we take our knowledge from? You know, it's about a lot. We live in a world today, where it's where a lot of what we think of as good or bad is about image how people are seeing now people are perceived.

And I know we live in a culture of of celebrity, even in what I'm doing here right now is how

Allah, we have celebrity do art and celebrity chefs and, and I'm not throwing shade. And I, you know, honestly, I get the irony of me being up here talking about this, but we got to be real. Our faith is not defined by individuals or how popular someone is. Our faith is defined by what is pleasing to Allah who's panela to Allah.

That is why our goal has to be that we want to follow the truth. We don't want to follow people. The only person that we can say we follow them blindly, is the Prophet sallallahu. Allah he was sending them, everyone else, they can be wrong. They can make mistakes, their own desires can be involved in their message, they can have agendas, and they can, whatever else can be part of their message, except the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa send them you know, there's a very scary Hadith that I don't think has fully come through yet. But I think we're almost there. And that is a Hadith regarding knowledge, authentic knowledge, the Prophet sallallaahu send them is that in Allah, Allah Jacobi to

learn in desire and Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it away from you.

Right, by just taking it away in a busy room and just taking it away from from from Allah's creation from the servants. While I can, Jacobi don't learn, be a cop dilemma. Rather, Allah who's panela data will take away the knowledge authentic good knowledge that which is good and pure and correct.

By the scholars dying out, and I don't think we are there right now, and Hamdulillah.

But as some of our scholars say, that it is possible to interpret this hadith that it can partly be true, that without a doubt, and scholars can lesson there can be less than there were before. And what is the outcome of that the Prophet SAW I said to him, he said, had three Ironman, until a time will come where no person of knowledge, no scholar, no Island, is left with the nurse,

rose and drew Hala, they will take as their leaders, the ignorant,

the ignorant for Su, and people will ask them

what do we have left? We have only those who are ignorant. And so if there's no one else to ask, people will ask those who are ignorant for sue for a stone. And they won't remain silent. A person who is ignorant, but they're put in a position of leadership, they're put on there put in front of a lot of people that have a large following, and so on and so forth.

Well, these people may begin to believe that because they're popular or known or because they're in a position of leadership, well, I know what I'm talking about. And so people will turn to them and ask them and they will not hold back. They will give their fatwa They will give their answer, they will respond for us. They'll be lazy and they will respond they will give the answer without knowledge for Ubuntu or Ubuntu.

They will go astray and they will lead other people astray as well.

And this hadith I know is scary, especially in the times that we're living in today. But it's this hadith should serve as a warning and as a reminder for us to look at who we take our knowledge from. Because this knowledge as our scholars of the past, they would say that this knowledge is our deen. This knowledge is our faith. This is how we worship Allah Who Subhan Allah to Allah. So be careful who you take your faith from. Be careful, be careful who you take your deen from. Because this is our once again, this is what keeps us firm. This is what keeps us grounded. And this is why we have evidence after evidence after evidence. We have it out in the Quran. We have Hadith of the Prophet,

they send them that reminds us of the merits of people of knowledge.

The prophets I sent him he said in our lemma, what I said to Ambia that the dilemma the scholars, they're the inheritors of the prophets, that the prophets don't leave behind any wealth, they don't leave behind money, they leave behind knowledge.

And the scholars are those who inherit the knowledge from the prophets in my extra Allah, him and everybody under Aloma.

It is only the scholars

who properly worship Allah who is penalized to Allah Who are properly mindful of Allah who's Panama Allah who had the cashier of Allah who's Panama data. Why? Because this knowledge is our relationship with our Lord. And this is even more

are imperative, in troubling times when we feel like our faith can easily be shaken. When the norms are changing quickly. When things are becoming normalized,

it becomes even more important that we recognize and we have the ability to recognize people have knowledge, and understand that we take our knowledge from them. And so my brothers and sisters, I want to leave you with this.

Learn your principles, build a strong foundation, and no time, no age, it's never too late to say, You know what, I don't have time to learn my faith anymore.

And it's very easy to get caught in the secondary issues. It's very easy to start arguing about certain fiscal issues and this and that, whatever. Every day Subhan Allah online, there's a new controversy.

There's a new hot take on Twitter isn't there? Someone's like my new hot take check it out. Muscle Twitter going crazy. Because somebody says something controversial, and everybody's going at it back and forth or whatever, or tick tock, some tick tock influencers, like you know what, here's my hot take of the day.

1000s of views, everybody's sharing it, everybody talking about it.

And I get it. It's a form of entertainment. And we find a certain level of comfort in that we enjoy that and so on and so forth. But our Dean has to be more than that.

Because it is as I said, the way we stay firm in these difficult times. And that is why I urge you my brothers and sisters, turn to the people of knowledge and build a strong foundation for yourself how that will LaHood to Allah Subhana Allah whom obey him take a shadow and still go to the lake was set up on a contract with Allah He or barakato