Shakiel Humayun – Im not religious. Im spiritual. 47th Sermon
AI: Summary ©
The title of the Bible explains the importance of man in finding out who is best at their deeds through the use of the test based on their location in the universe. credentialing is the third way to acquire evidence, and the church's advice to not believe in the future is the only source of evidence. The importance of providing evidence to determine if a person is a good person and if they are in the right way is emphasized. Consent to the church's guidance is also emphasized.
AI: Summary ©
The creation of man mentioned in the Quran
is in 2 major stages.
The first where Allah says, That
he started the creation of man out of
clay. This represents the origin of man.
The second is where Allah subhanahu
says, Inna khalaqnat insana min notu fatin amshayajin.
That surely we have
created man
from a drop of mixed fluid.
This represents the procreation
that will happen on earth.
But the question is, why will there be
generations,
1,000,000, and billions of human beings procreating on
the face of this earth?
In that very same verse,
Allah answered that question.
Allah mentions
that He's created us here so that He
may test us.
So now we have an exam.
We have a test.
And for every exam and every test,
there must be a place
and there must be a time
for this test or exam.
What is the place,
the location for this test?
Allah subhanahu
says, Waqwalaqalakas
samawati wal lovedah.
That He's the one who's created the heavens
and the earth.
He created the heavens and the earth in
6 days,
in 6 periods.
And His throne was above the waters,
the galaxies,
the stars,
the sun,
the moon,
the universe
was created for what?
Allah answers the next words.
To test you which one of you are
the best indeed.
So the location for this test is this
universe. This universe,
this galaxy, this world built
for one thing.
For us to be tested,
we are
the center of the universe.
Angels, jinn,
of all
working for this test. Angels recording and documenting
what we do.
The evil jinn tempting us
to try to fail the test. It's all
part of this test.
So we have the location for the test
which is within this universe,
more specifically
on planet Earth.
But it is within the universe
which means
even if we end up going to Mars,
the test continues.
And so, Nama can say, We're not a
lekah. Why should I worship Allah? Because the
test is applicable throughout the universe
wherever we go.
What is the time?
Allah also then specifies the time for this
test. There has to be a time when
the test ends,
when the time comes out.
Allah salAllahu 'Alaykhalakanbahu
wa kayati abluwakum
biyukum bihissati mumah Allah
He is the one who has created death
and life to test you which one of
you are best in their deeds.
And this is why Allah has mentioned death
first because in any exam, in any test,
the end time is more important than the
start time.
The time when the time runs out is
more significant.
And that's why in the examination
hall we write down 20 minutes left, 15
minutes left, 5 minutes left, time is up.
Aladhi khalaqalam
note that death is mentioned first because death
is when our time for this test is
over. It's up.
And that's why we have in Islam the
encouragement
to remember death, to remember this deadline, to
remember
when this test will be over.
So we have the geography, we have the
time of the test. Someone may say, well
I'm
living on this earth.
How do I know?
Someone can say, how do I know that
I am getting a test?
That this is a test.
I don't feel like it's a test. How
will I know it's a test?
And Islam tells us that for us to
know anything,
to acquire knowledge or information about anything,
there are 3 major ways to do it.
One is through the empirical evidence that when
we observe or through experimentation
we figure things out.
So for example,
if we're driving
and there's a sign that says, Road closed.
That's information, that's knowledge, that's evidence
that there's
no point for me to drive further because
the road is closed. I see it. I
see the evidence.
The second type of evidence is testimonial evidence.
I may not be there at that spot
where the sign says the road is closed,
but my friend is there. And he calls
and he says, Hey,
guess what? Don't take this road because it's
closed.
Since he's a credible source, a person that
doesn't lie, and I believe him is a
person that has the qualifications
to check off a verification test. And he's
not a liar. And he's not a jiffer.
He's not someone who's playing a prank.
But he's someone who's honest. I believe him
that becomes acquired knowledge. That becomes evidence.
Or the third way is through reason.
I'm driving, I don't see a sign that
says the road is closed. Or I don't
have a friend that calls me telling me
the road is closed, but I see a
a line of cars
in one direction. I can deduce,
I can draw and come to a conclusion
that there's something wrong at that road, so
I should take another road.
So there are 3 ways where we can
acquire knowledge and evidence
in our lives. And all these 3 ways
are summed up in one verse of the
Quran.
'Tuddu walazi inshaaku wajahayna lakuosamaha
walamsawawatathida
aridammatishqu'oon
Where Allah says, 'He is the one who
has created you and made free your hearing.'
This hearing is for the testimonial evidence when
your friend calls and tells
you, for example, the road is closed.
As Samal waqalbasara
and the seeing. This is for the empirical
evidence when you observe
and you see the sign that says, the
road is closed.
Well Athidam and the intellect and this is
for when we use our reason to figure
out and draw conclusions.
So we have these methods
of acquiring knowledge.
We can use one of these methods to
acquire the knowledge that this world, this life
is a test for everyone.
We'll take testimonial
evidence
from the prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
who is known to be the truthful, the
most trusted, the most honest person
who
came to make
a preaching
revelation from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
To the point
that the prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alaihi wasallam stood on the hill of
Sulfah and said to the people, If I
could just say to you right now
that there's an army behind me ready to
attack, will you believe me? All of them
said yes.
And they said, I'm a warner to you.
These are people who disbelieve in the prophet
Muhammad.
40 years before prophet Uda, prophet Muhammad alaihis
salami
was known to be a gabi, the most
reliable, the most trusted.
Even to not point accurate prophet but those
who disbelieved him, those who wanted to assassinate
him,
those who cursed him, who slandered him, who
lied about him.
That amongst those they were people
when they had their wealth and their valuables.
They would entrust their wealth and their valuables
with the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
Because they knew there will be no deceit
or cheat
or any form of dishonesty coming from the
prophet Muhammad Muhammad SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam. So we
have a credible source of information.
A credible source of prophet Muhammad SallAllahu Alaihi
Wasallam where the Quran was upon whom the
Quran was revealed telling us through these verses
that we live in a text.
But we have another layer. The Qur'an itself
tells us
to analyze
and check the Qur'an.
Allah Subhana says, 'Nafanayat tadba'ool in Qur'an. Do
they not look deeply into the Qur'an?
Walokanazunarindi
rayillayna wajaynu feehthi athin kafiyah.
That if it was from someone else besides
God,
you would find a lot of inconsistencies
in it.
So the Quran tells us to check
the content that the most
credible source to prophet Muhammad Saksim is telling
us.
And just to put it into context,
why should there be
consistency if it comes from someone else besides
God?
Because the Quran is talking about history.
So historically, it has to be factual.
The Quran is talking about the future.
So when that future arrives and becomes present,
it can't be wrong.
And the Quran is talking about details of
dealings and transactions, and what is called fiqh.
And all of that has to be consistent.
We, there has to be principles and guidelines
and maxims that runs throughout
the content of the Quran in every chapter,
in every
detail, and transaction, and dealing without any inconsistency.
That's impossible for an illiterate man to do.
And so when we When we talk about
inconsistencies and accuracies,
we're talking about to the most minutest of
details. And I'll give you one example.
The Quran talks about the prophet Yusuf Joseph,
and Quran talks about the prophet Musa, al
Hassan, Moses. Both of them were in Egypt.
But when it comes to the time of
the prophet Joseph, it mentions the ruler as
a king.
But when it comes to the time of
the prophet of Moses, they were it it
mentions the ruler as
pharaoh.
It just
because today, historically,
it can be fact checked. At the time
of the prophet Joseph, there were no pharaohs.
By the time the prophet Moses, there were
pharaohs.
But there are other scriptures that exist today
which say that during the time of the
prophet Joseph,
Yusuf alaihis salam, he was living under a
pharaoh, which is historically inaccurate.
So if it's a content that is from
someone else beside the prophet, there would be
inconsistencies.
So the qawana
is bulletproof.
It has inconsistencies.
So in other words,
it is the only monotheistic
book on the face of this earth
that authoritatively
says it's from God.
And that it is preserved in its original
language
word for word.
And that it's preserved in its full entirety,
its full content today. This is the only
book in the world.
And it's only monotheistic
book. There's no other book that claims
to believe in one god
that has no inconsistencies and
is preserved in its original language and its
original content word
for word is preserved and can be checked,
just and verified to see if it's preserved
except the Quran.
And if this is the case, this is
that book
that is telling us
that we are living in a test, that
we have a test.
And so
if we have a book
that is telling us that we are living
under a test,
Then
for any human being, the question should be,
why
should I should I not why and cannot
follow
a book
that has come
from my creator
to the world credibly sourced
that itself can be checked for inconsistencies
and accuracy. Why am I not following this?
If we have a book
that gives us the answers on how to
pass this test in this life, that's what
the Quran is.
The Quran is the book with answers on
how to pass the test of this life.
Doesn't make sense for anyone to say I
can't live without the Quran. I can live
without this guidance.
And so the statement you hear sometimes from
people,
I'm not religious.
I'm spiritual.
These are an active bit.
When someone says I'm not religious, what they
mean is I don't follow any guidance.
I'm not gonna follow any book. I'm not
gonna follow any commandments.
I'm not gonna follow any do's or don'ts.
I'm not religious.
That's what it means.
I'm spiritual,
but for me my spiritual is that I
have my own way
of going to God.
I have my own way of figuring out
what is good,
and I will define good myself.
And here,
Islam wants as we mentioned earlier, Islam wants
us
to acquire knowledge based on evidence.
Islam wants us
not to believe in fairy tales,
in falsities,
but you'll understand reality.
Islam wants us
to leave subjectivity
and embrace objectivity.
And so sometimes we hear people start making
up spiritual things.
Like if they
had a loved one that passed away, they
say, Oh, I know he's looking down on
me right now. I'm not always looking at
me right now from wherever. How do we
know? Where does that come from?
How does a person
know? So Islam wants us to take away
these fairy tales we make up for ourselves.
This wishful fakie
has also existed in the time the polytheists
are Arabs.
When they say, oh, we think the angels
are phoenix.
And Allah subhanahu wa'ala So they're only following
the speculation. Wa'eemal zhanlalayuklimal
khaqin shayga. And that this speculation, this subjectivity,
this wishful thinking can't replace
the truth, the reality.
And so,
for someone to make claims about the unseen
or to make claims and say, I am
in spiritual meaning,
this is my way out and approach God.
They have to have evidence. We can't just
make up. How do we know that God
approves
of this way of worshiping Him?
How do we know God approves
of this way of communicating
with Him?
There is textual evidence. And so Allah Subhana
questions
such people. I say, Amlakum kitahuun fiyi tadruzoon?
Do you have a book that should be?
Produce that book.
Produce
a preserved
solid
book that's been tested for inconsistencies,
that believes in monothea that preaches monotheism
and directly
says it's from God. Produced that book.
Or do they have access to the unseen?
Do they see the people in heaven looking
down? Do they see if Edith is our
female? Do they have access? Do they see
the unseen
such that they document and record it?
So from this, we learn as a community
of believers that wishful thinking, assumptions, speculation
is something that Islam wants us to push
aside.
Islam wants us
to be knowledge based, evidence based
by the messages
that we talked about.
And everything that I mentioned today here, Bismar
w 2 verses the Quran.
Allah subhanahu says,
repeated man from a drop of mixed fluid.
So we have made him hearing.
We need to use a testimonial evidence.
And made him see,
he can use empirical evidence.
Ila haleinaw
sa'eedah
And we have guided him to the way.
And you've showed him the way which is
the Quran which is the book of the
answers.
Islam, yes, this is the way.
He has free will but we have guided
him to the way so it's up to
him not to be grateful about letting him
embrace these commandments
or to be ungrateful.
And if a person chooses not to follow
the Quran and be ungrateful, the only book
that's preserved, that intact, that not tampered with
that talks about 1 guy and believes also
preaches about Jesus Christ which is the Quran.
For a person who chooses not to follow
this way which is approved by God,
verified
to have no inconsistencies,
then the next verses talk about the consequences.
And the fire. And those who do choose
ilan nabahu alayhi shaboonamiket
sin khanim zedibakafi'ahu
alayhi wa'am. And then the righteous will drink
in paradise
various drinks of mawain and whatnot and a
lot more enjoyment.
So it makes sense that we share with
our friends
and our neighbors
and bring to their attention
that there's eternal
bliss on the line
or there's eternal misery and pain on the
line. We're not talking about paying new year's
resolution or new year's resolution. What are you
doing next year or what's your next what's
your 5 year plan? No. We're talking about
what
is your eternal plan?
What is your plan for eternity
forever?
So we have the eternal bliss and enjoyment
on the line and we also have eternal
misery and pain on the line if a
valid,
verified book is talking about these consequences and
results.
It only makes sense that every individual
look into it
and share it and be ascribed to the
guidance.
And even this term has permeated the Muslim
community, it's phrased on. Not religious, unspiritual
actually has done meaning. I'm not religious means
I don't follow the guidance, which means I
don't wanna pass the test. I'm not gonna
permit the answers.
So as for us as for us as
Muslims,
it's impossible to be spiritual
without being religious.
Because being spiritual means you're communicating with God,
and the only way you know how to
communicate and worship God is through textual evidence
of the Quran in the Surah of Prophet
Muhammad,