Sadullah Khan – Jumuah 20th Rabi ul Awal 1445 6th October 2023
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AI: Transcript ©
Before, we're going to start, inshallah, can we
just ask the brothers to sit to the
front, inshallah,
try to fill all the gaps from the
front of the masjid.
As I say, is in front of the
masjid.
If you were to know what is the
reward of it, you would have drawn lots
to sit in the front row.
We ask you brothers and sisters to the
front inshallah.
And,
I would like to introduce our guest speaker
for today
who doesn't need any introduction.
It is our beloved Hazrat.
In the name of Allah most gracious, most
merciful,
all praise is due to our creator,
our cherisher,
our nourisher and our sustainer.
We bear witness that none worthy of worship
but Allah.
We bear witness, we believe in all the
prophets who came throughout history
And we bear witness prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah.
Rasulullah salallahu alayhi
was habih wasallam
is the final of all the emissaries of
Allah.
Respected to Ulamah,
Khufad, A Imma,
Elders, brothers and sisters, respected youth,
I greet you with the Islamic universal greeting
of peace.
May the peace, the mercy, and the blessings
of Allah
be upon each and everyone present here.
When we look at our current leadership in
South Africa,
whether political leadership
or religious leadership,
we notice an unfortunate
disconnect
between
leadership priorities
and the real needs
and concerns
that affect the lives of people.
This makes leadership somewhat
irrelevant
except for the fact
that political
and religious leaders
make critical and crucial decisions
that impacts on the lives
of the community and the society and the
nation
and the will power
over what affects
the lives of people.
Religiously,
there's often a self righteous struggle for control
and
this is reflected very often
in a mutually exclusive monopoly
of what is true Islam.
If you follow the debates
among the ulama circles sometimes, may Allah bless
all of them,
it's more about who's more correct
and who are the ones who are deviant
and lesser,
innocent
fight or struggle somewhat
between those who try to preserve
the faith
and more so in relation to other ulama
who may have different perspective. Whether it be
the or
whatever issue it may be. It's always these
secondary issues
that take center stage
rather than the real needs of people. People
are starving, people are dying, people are being
killed.
We worried now should we eat salami, shouldn't
we eat salami,
should we make tawawi, 8 rakats or 20
rakats? Who's Sunni, who's Shia, who's right, who's
wrong. We caught up with this all the
time and none of this is new and
none of it really relevant.
None of it is new by the way.
It's all been discussed, argued,
reargued
and regurgitated.
So the exclusive monopoly
of what is true Islam
arguing about marginal matters
and a tendency to over focus
on secondary issues
and the inability it seems to address relevant
matters
that are really challenging our community.
And in addition to that,
there's a seeming desire
in some circles
to attain
or maintain
positions of authority.
Politically,
we have many
incompetent buffoons
as leaders
who tend to serve their own selfish self
interests.
Leaders whose inaptitude
and mediocrity
is apparent,
We use taxpayers money
to appease greedy elites in collections,
and there's abundant evidence of corrupt leaders
complicit with crooked cops
and criminal elements in society
who act with impunity
seemingly immune from prosecution,
perpetuating a culture
of unashamed
criminality
without a sense of accountability,
neither any fear of arrest,
nor retribution,
nor punishment.
Such leaders
further fuel the culture of corruption
leading to an increased inequality in our society
and therefore, if you look at our youth,
wanting to leave the country
eroding
the safety, the security,
the aspirations, and the hope of majority
of the people of the land.
We therefore witness an increase
in fuel and food prices
but loss of jobs.
We pay increased taxes
but have decreased in service deliveries.
We witnessed an increase in unemployment
but no decrease in the money being stolen
by these politicians.
Our beloved city is turning more and more
into a space for the homeless to set
up unsavory checks
at most inappropriate places
from outside the airport
to inside the heart
of this most beautiful city in the world.
The people blame the government,
the government blames apartheid
and we keep spinning in a circle of
blame and no one takes responsibility
and nothing significant
ever gets accomplished.
When we reflect on where we are,
we realize how far we are slipping from
the ideals for which people fought
whether religiously
or politically.
We fought for freedom
not
for us to pay taxes to government
whose officials
are paid salaries
to steal our money that we pay for
service deliveries and there's no accountability.
You are forced to pay taxes but you
can't hold accountable those who are stealing the
money that are meant for the people
or benefit the people.
And therefore, we need to relook at what
freedom is.
Freedom is not having a position of authority
that allows you to do anything you want
and I want you to keep this in
mind because this is the underlying
point that I want to make.
Freedom is not
having a position of authority
that allows you to do anything you want
Not at all.
Freedom
is not the right to do as we
please,
but freedom
is the opportunity to do what is right
in the best possible manner
because you have a choice to do whatever
you want to do. And a person of
faith therefore would take it as an opportunity
to do what is best in the most
appropriate manner.
We will have the verdict of the inquest
of the killing of imam Harun on Monday
in Cape Town high court.
Imam harun was a religious and a political
personality
and how few are there who are like
him?
Executive member of the Ulema council
as well as a political activist who died
54 years ago
this year
and we ask, is this what they gave
their eyes for?
If you look at the current situation,
the status quo, the way we find ourselves
is a betrayal
of their heroic legacy
and a smear
on our noble heritage of struggle from the
time of Sheikh Yusuf and Twanguru till today.
Neither can people of conscience
allow this to go on
nor can the masses afford
to be continued victims
of inept
useless leadership.
And Allah warns us even among the believers,
but it's a lesson for all of us
in relation to society.
If you don't
combine your efforts in the field of goodness
and in righteousness
There will be greater trials and miseries
and major corruption
which is so evident
in our society.
So if we continue to elect incompetent,
corrupt,
self serving politicians
to positions of leadership
when we are not victims of the state
but we are accomplices to their crimes.
If we don't ensure
relevant
capable religious leaders,
the fate of the faithful
could be in jeopardy.
So so there's undoubtedly
a dire need
for genuine leadership
and this is the point I want to
elaborate upon.
Leadership in Islam is a trust, it's an
Amanah carrying
great responsibility
and this for us whether we hold positions
of authority because
each one is somehow the other in charge
of something. If you're a principal in charge
of your school. If you're a parent, you're
in charge of your house. If you're the
manager of the business, you're in charge of
the business. If you're an elder brother, you're
in charge of your younger brother or younger
sister.
So do understand that everybody has Masulia
in some way or the other.
But I'm talking about leadership of institutions. I'm
talking about leadership of political parties of religious
authorities and institutions.
Leadership in Islam is
a trust
that carries tremendous responsibility.
And among the primary roles, of course there
are many roles we can delineate, but among
the primary roles
are those of being a servant leader
and that of being a guardian leader.
And I want to just elaborate on 5
points among many that could be there.
1, as a person of faith in particular,
And if we let people who are not
necessarily of our faith,
then ensure that they have these qualities which
are universal values.
Those people in leadership
or who qualified to be in leadership or
candidates for it
manifest it manifest the prophetic purpose
of representing the best interest of the people.
They must represent the best interest of the
people
and it begins by the whole notion of
the establishment of
equity and
justice.
Allah send prophets throughout history
in order that justice may be manifest between
people, in all people.
And therefore,
it prioritizes the implementation of justice
and the maintenance of that justice.
Hence no place for crime, no place for
corruption
and therefore Allah says in the Quran in
Surah Maidah,
in dealing with society
with a leadership position and authority position
and when you judge between people or deal
between people, judge
with justice.
Allah loves those who implement
and those who uphold justice.
Secondly,
do not hanker for leadership. It's very important
to note this. It doesn't mean you can't
stand for a position or you can't apply
but it's so evident you can see there
are people who want to be in the
limelight.
People want to be in the limelight. Of
course you're in the limelight if you're a
leader,
But if it's your primary objective then your
interest is not the people, it's yourself.
Keep it in mind, in mind how good
a person you may be. If that's a
primary objective
and that anybody who does not, who opposes
you or challenges you,
you undermine them.
That's a very dangerous sign.
That do not have that, do not have
a desire for leadership
because the community
and the situation and the circumstance
confirms the position because of your capacity,
because of your ability, because of your humanity
and therefore because of your personality.
And therefore the Rasulullah Muhammad Ali wasalam hadith
documented
in the Jamiyah of Imam Atirmidi.
He said,
Do not hanker for a position of leadership
for if you receive it due to your
hankering or desiring or asking for it, you
will be left alone.
You'll find it a very lonely place.
You'll find it very lonely.
And if you receive it without asking for
it then you'll find there'll be assistance and
support for you in that.
Because a position of leadership
is conferred,
it becomes a responsibility
of the elected person
or selected person to act in the best
interest
of the one he or she leads.
That is
why or consultation
is such a primary factor in social relationships
and in decision making
and specifically in circles of authority.
Our wise ones have said some people says
the hadith is not the hadith.
So wise ones have said,
So it's attributed to Rasulullah but he didn't
say perhaps one of the companions of Abiain,
Allahu Adam, but wise ones have said,
The one who consults
the one who consults will not regret consultation
because
consultation and there's a very important point also
especially in religious circles.
It doesn't mean you give everyone a chance
to say what they want to say and
you already made up your mind what you're
gonna do. That's not sure.
Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam
was the battle of Badr. This is Rasulullah
who receives wahi from Allah. The greatness of
creation. Allah
says
All that Allah says about him, he goes
to the battle of Badr. He tells us,
Sahaba, we stand here. That's we wait for
the enemy. And one of the companions said,
you Rasool Allah, is this your opinion or
did Allah reveal this to you?
He said, you know, he said he said,
no. This is my opinion.
He said no, war strategy.
Rasoolullah,
we are outnumbered by the enemies.
We are 300, they are 1,000.
They are well equipped armed train.
We are a rag tag of 313 people.
If they come here they'll defeat us like
that. Let's have an added
advantage. Let's go beyond the well of Badr
so they don't have water. So they have
to beat us to get to the water
so if they don't have water they may
turn back. And the Rasulullah said, that's a
good idea. Let's do that. He didn't say
I'm Rasulullah. I know better. I receive revelation
from Allah himself through Jibreel.
He didn't do that.
Publicly in the presence of an army. He
tells them what to do. They didn't disobey
their Rasul but they asked him. Look at
how different the sunnah to now. You can't
ask the sheikh, the sheikh knows best. The
Mawlana knows best because he gives fatwa.
Be very careful about this.
So
sure is
important and wise ones have said the one
who makes sure. It doesn't mean that you
make you give sure and wise one said,
you'll never regret if you make sure our
consultation
but it doesn't mean to give everybody a
chance to say what they want to say
but you already do what you have in
mind.
But consider and value the input of each
and make a decision based on collective wisdom
of those who are involved.
Because you may still do what you think
is best but you may modify your strategy
based upon the idea of someone else. Battle
of another battle
of of handak.
The arabs never had an idea of digging
a trench
but the armies came the massive armies of
many tribes outnumbered.
So a Persian companion of Rasool Allah,
salman al Farisi.
We do this in Persia when the numbers
are great. We put a trench so they
can't come into our area and they dug
a trench. And the prophet himself was involved
in digging the trench and there are many
narrations about what the Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
did. He didn't say a foreign thing. We
Arabs don't do that. Where do you come
with this bida'a now here?
It worked. The strategy Al Albuqdad.
He did.
So I'm trying to explain to you that
Rasool Allah himself, it wasn't a private discussion.
It was a public decision in the presence
of people whom he was instructing and commanding.
So
your energy,
your consultation,
your inclusivity
makes you charismatic.
It makes you transform the hearts of those
around you and make them willing to go
along
with your decisions.
It's your energy not your power.
You see if you're in charge,
you are the head or the boss.
There's a big difference between being a boss
and the leader. If I have a shop,
if if I have a lot of money,
I open up a shop. I tell you
open 8 o'clock tomorrow, you go home at
7 o'clock tomorrow night. Sunday open at 5
o'clock, you close midnight. Otherwise, I fire you.
That's a boss.
A good position, a good power.
Don't confuse being in charge with being a
leader.
There are many bosses
but they're not leaders.
We have now people watching the World Cup.
So captain is the main guy. He decides
who bowls, who doesn't bowl, who maybe include
in the team, but he doesn't win the
game.
So he knows the batsman. He checks the
pitch. He sees the bowlers.
He looks at circumstances,
he makes sure the physio is there who's
not on the field in case some important
person gets hurt.
All of that must be considered that makes
you a winning team. Otherwise, you have a
team.
Different between success and failure.
So So though you're the captain, you know
the one who scores all the runs, not
takes all the wickets, or feel all the
balls, or massage the person who got hurt,
but you know who to coordinate and bring
out the best in people. And if you
can do it that people do it lovingly
and willingly
then you are a leader.
So we don't have many leaders, we have
many bosses.
You see
Lao Tzu was an ancient
philosopher, Chinese philosopher. He said
a leader is best when people barely know
that he's around
And when his work is done
and the team or the group's aim is
fulfilled and the objective is achieved,
people
will say, we did it.
We did it and the leader will say,
yes, we did.
Not I did,
yes, we did.
3rd point, perform tasks with Ikhlas or sincerity
and purity of intention.
And
have a clear objective
upholding
your position of authority
with with nobility, honorability
and with respect
and remembering
that the position you hold is an amana,
is the trust.
Numerous ayaats about a manah.
That a manah and justice which has the
first point I mentioned
are always intended.
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala links it up
and the numerous
trust is so important. You have no faith
if you have no you're not trustable, accountable.
Is a sign of a hypocrite. The
4th point is provide
riyaya,
guardianship
and be aware of your Musuliya, your accountability.
Said all of you are in some way
guardians and protectors of others
and you will be held responsible for whatever
is under your care.
3rd point,
the last one,
you offer your with.
You offer your service with compassion and empathy
and
is,
the notion of selflessness.
Wishing well for others like what similar to
the concept in some way of what they
have.
What is
I see in my my task the goodness
for you in what I need to do.
So a true leader wants to serve
and through service acquires authority
and that authority becomes manifest due to the
person's involvement in the concern and the welfare
of the entire structure, the welfare of the
people and the team or the situation that
he or she leads.
This is in keeping with the tradition that
Ibn Asaqid documents and Allah knows best where
he said that Rasool said,
If not at least wise ones have said,
the leader of the people serves the people.
In other way put the servant of the
people is the one who leads the people
or the leader of the people is a
servant of the people.
So leadership is not a title whether religious
or political.
It's not a position
but it is a sacred trust and responsibility.
Many are there who are in positions of
leadership.
How few are there who are in the
genuine sense
leaders
of note?
A true and ineffective leader and this is
more specifically for our people in religious circles.
It's always lovingly concerned about those whom he
or she leads.
Always lovingly concerned. I'll give you one numerous
ayaat examples in hadith but one example I'll
give. Ibrahim alaihis salam sees people worshiping idols.
They threw him in the fire as a
small kid. They did all these things
And then still people persisted even when he
was a big man. He said
Many of the people are still misguided by
these kind of things despite all his effort
and his struggle.
But what does he say? And look at
this attitude of the Prophet.
We are Milat Ibrahim. Ibrahim is our Abina
Ibrahim. That's all as our forefathers Ibrahim.
Ibrahim is a Dua Alaihi Salam. Insurah Ibrahim
he says,
he says
People so many people go astraya Allah. But
if they follow me they're part of me.
And if they don't follow me then what?
Nonetheless you are still most forgiving. Most He
didn't say
He's a prophet of Allah. They're worshiping idols
for God's sake.
They're not stealing or doing something. They are
worshiping idols.
It's inexcusable. But look at his attitude and
hope.
These people are doing so many of them.
If they follow me which is your guidance
then they're part of
me. Disobey me. Don't follow me.
Then what?
Kafi'i.
No.
I know. You are still the most forgiving
and most merciful. That is the prophetic example.
That is sunnat
Ibrahim.
So,
let us remember
with the message for all aspirant and political
aspirants to political or religious leadership. All those
who are electing people
to those positions. In the words of the
greatest leader of all times,
our beloved Muhammad said
in a hadith document in the Sahih of
Imam Muslim.
In other words,
the best of the leaders
are those whom you love
and who love you too.
Love,
care,
compassion,
accountability,
seeing to the welfare of people, that's a
leader. If not, you are merely holding a
position. You're possibly a boss,
which very rarely is liked.
Remember,
love and respect
can never be forced
for those who are in positions of authority.
Always remember this.
Love and respect are 2 things it can
never be for. I'll keep quiet. I get
my salary. I'll keep quiet. Or you'll fire
me. I'll keep quiet. Or I lose my
position in the
group. I'll keep quiet.
But love and respect can never be forced.
It's only compliance because they are forced.
Love
and respect cannot be forced or imposed.
It can only be earned.
For that beautiful
as usual lecture.
Allah and,
grant long life, full of.
Was not too well.
And all those who are not too well,
And we say Mubarak
on the birthday of one of our regular
Musalim
Hajj Farid Peterson who's celebrating his birthday today.
Allah subhanahu bless him with a long life.
Full of khaylath and barakat.
And as well as the brother of,
Hajwari, brother Hajj Sadiq and and Hajj Fatima
whose universities today. Allah
grant him a long life together with happiness,
with love and compassion.
And then there's invitation from Fajrul Islam Center,
for the annual jalsar that will take place
tomorrow, Insha'Allah.
That is Saturday, tomorrow, 7th October. It will
take place at, Weinberg Civic Center
starting from
tomorrow
until Maghrib. And a guest speaker
will be Mufti Mohammed Akhb. He's a leading
figure in competitive Islam and religion
as well as some of the students of
Fajal Islam will do some presentations there as
well. So everyone is welcome.
Ladies and gentlemen are welcome tomorrow. That is
Weinberg Service Center, Hawpaz 3 until Maghrib Insha'Allah
and supper will be served Insha'Allah.
Can we just ask your brothers to stand,
mister Fardlich, and fill all the gaps? Yes,
sir, brother. We lost the idea in the
masjid,
last week. Mohammed Javed,
Sheikh. I've got the idea with me.
And just ask the brothers to stand in
and
fold the gaps. So, people are standing there
on the tiles. There are still space upstairs.
A long
welcome.