Sikander Hashmi – MuslimPro & Your Privacy KMA Friday Message
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
We begin by praising Allah
the lord of the universe, our creator, our
sustainer,
our renourisher,
and we begin by sending peace and salutations
upon his beloved messenger,
Muhammad, the son of Abdullah,
the final messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam.
I hope and pray, my brothers and sisters,
that you're all doing well, you and your
families,
through the grace and mercy and blessings of
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. May Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala protect you all. May Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala bring ease in all of your affairs.
May Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
open the gates of mercy and forgiveness and
blessings
for all of
you.
This week, my brothers and sisters,
the adhan
probably went silent
on thousands of phones belonging to Muslims around
the globe.
This was because it was revealed that the
top
Islamic app in the world, Muslim Pro,
which offers prayer times and adhan and Quran
and, duas and much more,
had reportedly sold
anonymous
data anonymous user location data
to a company
which had then sold it to contractors that
work for the US military.
Now the company behind the app, which is
based in Singapore,
accepts that they sold anonymous data,
but they dispute the allegation that the US
military got access to the data from the
company that they sold it to.
Now, of course, as you can imagine, if
the allegations are indeed true,
the concerns surrounding this breach of privacy are
very serious
that could result
in serious real life implications
for some.
Now the reality is
that app developers
generate revenue through different means,
including ads,
especially when they're free apps. So you may
have been using Muslim Pro or other apps.
And someone, recently mentioned that,
you know, even when they're reciting Quran, they
will sometimes get ads,
for gambling or for other things.
So you get, you know, free ads, which
generate revenue for the developers.
They also generate revenue. So another revenue stream
for, for app developers
is to sell the data that is generated
by app users.
And, of course, there are paid apps that
have subscriptions or one time payments and so
on. Now that data is generally supposed to
be anonymous,
but users can easily be identified for those
who really want to identify them. Now as
a result of this incident, many Muslims have
stopped using the app.
Now my brothers and sisters, this incident
highlights an important point
that many users of technology may not realize.
And that is that basically with each new
device or app,
your privacy is becoming more and more at
risk
because you are never going to be the
only one with access to your data.
You know? So where it is being stored?
Who's working on it? Who's intercepting it?
Who has
lawful but also unlawful access to it? For
example, which government agencies or foreign entities have
backdoor access to it? These are all questions
you may never find the answers to. And
all of these, you know, services and platforms
that we are, using as part of our
daily lives,
many of them, right, many of them have,
vulnerabilities.
Many of them have actual access that is
built in,
for,
you know, governments, for law enforcement agencies, for
for others to be able to access the
data when when they need to or when
they want to.
Now one good principle is to assume
that whenever you have a device that is
connected to the Internet
or connected to a network,
it can be
used or may be used in ways that
you do not expect or that you do
not want.
You know, we live in a world of
information and communication. And each year, there are
inventions and new products that make many of
us more connected and more dependent
on technology. And, of course, no one will
know this better than our local community since
we are in the tech hub. So first,
you know, it was just
computers,
then we had, you know, webcams,
cell phones that turned into smartphones with tons
of apps.
And, you know, GPS
that started out well before you could print,
directions.
And even before that, we would actually have
maps. Right? Then we had got GPS units.
Then of course after that, I mean, those
still exist, but then we also have, apps
that offer directions.
Web based security cameras.
You know, many homes having and devices having
Alexa or Siri and Google Assistant with microphones
around homes,
fitness tracker, smart TVs, online banking, like, you
name it. Like, the the impact or the
role of technology
in our daily lives, it's just immense for
most of us. Now all of these may
be secure, but any security expert will tell
you that nearly every product that is connected,
no matter how secure it is, will have
vulnerabilities that can be misused
even if they are promises and laws that
aren't supposed to let it happen.
So my personal
advice is that if you have
any advice that is connected,
assume that it can be used to listen
to you or to watch you unless you
actually, you know, cover the camera physically.
If you are using a smartphone
or connected devices,
assume that you can be tracked sometimes even
when it is off. Assume that any personal
info being transmitted through networks
can be exposed.
Now, of course,
our privacy is important because
there are those things that we don't want
others to know about. And usually, it's for
two reasons.
Either it could hurt us, it could be
damaging to us, or it could be embarrassing.
So this is why, you know, we protect
our PIN,
our social insurance numbers, our, you know, financial
and personal details because they could be misused
by scammers and by fraudsters.
Similarly, if you have business plans,
if you have, you know, a a great
idea, you will most likely want to patent
it.
Get a patent for it Or, you know,
if you have, another
some other great idea, a business plan, you
will probably wanna save it and protect it
until it's time to execute so that others
don't copy it and don't get a head
start over you. Or perhaps it is something
that you did
or that,
or something that you do that you know
will embarrass you or get you in trouble,
perhaps rightfully, but also sometimes wrongfully as well.
You know, if you cheated someone or, you
know, you look at and watch stuff on
your phone when you're alone,
who you talk to behind,
you know, your spouse's back or just, you
know, conversations that could be misinterpreted or or
used against you in some way. Or perhaps
they're just details of a personal nature. Right?
Maybe about your body, maybe about your family,
your spouse, your age maybe.
You know, all the concerns
about privacy
that we are discussing here
have to do with the fear or the
risk of being hurt and embarrassed
in this world. And sometimes, again, the implications
can be quite serious. For example, you know,
if somebody's a victim of identity theft or
identity fraud,
that could be very, very disruptive to a
person's life. You know, if someone is actually
has access, you know, is,
impersonating you and going out and taking out,
you know, loans and mortgages and running credit
card debts that are actually in your name,
then clearly that poses a serious threat to
your your financial well-being and your ability to
to function, in today's world.
So these are, you know, very, serious concerns.
Now, for example, with regards to the app
as well, when there's an app
that is being used, almost exclusively by Muslims,
then even if the user,
location data is anonymous,
that can be very, useful for some entities
to see, you know, which places Muslims are
frequenting, who is frequenting which areas, any particular
addresses, any particular sites that may be, you
know, that may hold special importance.
And that can unnecessarily,
get someone in trouble even when they may
not be planning to do something. There have
been multiple cases of, you know, people even
in our, in our city, locally in our
communities
that have unfortunately,
been the victim for such,
type of, false, you know, accusations or,
entrapment, if you like to call it. So
this is a serious issue.
But again, all of these
relate to our presence, our our our functionality,
our life in this world.
Now just as we may be exposing ourselves
to hurt and embarrassment through sharing of information
and communication,
I'd like to talk about a greater hurt
and embarrassment
that we could be exposing ourselves to as
well without realizing
it. Because you see, the prophet
said that Abu Ghraib rebullahu anhu relates that
he heard Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam saying that
that all of my will be forgiven
except
the So
not the but the The is first here.
All of my will be forgiven except those
who sin openly. So the
is the one who sin who sins
openly.
And he went on to say
that it is a part of sinning openly
that when a man,
meaning in person, does something at night.
And then the following morning,
the following morning when Allah has concealed
his sin
or her sin,
what does that person do?
He says that also and so.
And I did such and
such
last
night.
The next morning, he uncovers what Allah had
concealed.
Right? So here the prophet
is telling us about the case of
the Mujahireen,
that these are the people who sin openly.
A person who sins at night
commits a mistake, commits a sin, which they
shouldn't have, of course.
But then the following morning, I mean, it
happened at night, so nobody was, you know,
aware of what they had done.
And the next morning,
Allah
had kept that privacy over that sin, had
kept that cover over the sin. But this
person went out of their way to inform
others about what they had committed the night
before, meaning the sin that they had committed.
So all of the people will be forgiven
except
people who
participate or who behave in this way.
Right? So what we learn is we try
our best not to sin, but if we
fall and we end up doing it, then
we must seek repentance, seek we must repent
and seek forgiveness from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
and we must not boast
or tell others about our sins.
Unless, there's one important exception, unless it is
to seek help or for justice.
Right? So for example, you need to go
and seek help to talk to a counselor
or you need to go talk to an
imam or someone who can help you or,
you know, if someone has has, been wronged
or there's a a plan to wrong someone
to commit an injustice,
then, you know, you you try to seek
help, you try to prevent that harm from
happening,
or you know that something has happened and,
you know, a person the victim needs help.
They need justice so you go and you,
you know, you you testify to the authorities
or in court and so on. So unless
it is to seek help for the problem
or to assist in the deliverance of justice,
other than that, in most cases,
one should continue to conceal
the sins that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is
concealing.
Now the prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam also told
us with regards to others as well. So
the mujahideen this was with regards to people
who make sins themselves
and then they expose it themselves. Right? So
they have a sense of shamelessness about the
sins that they have committed. So the rule
is if you commit a sin, don't tell
anyone about it. Right? If it's between you
and Allah and
Allah has has covered it for you, then
keep it covered unless, of course, there is
a valid reason for doing otherwise such as
seeking help.
But the prophet has also told us about
others as well that
that
whoever conceals
his Muslim
brothers, false, and of course goes for sisters
as well,
conceals their faults and weaknesses. Allah will conceal
his faults and weaknesses on the day of
judgment.
Whoever exposes his Muslim brothers or sisters' faults,
Allah will expose
their faults to the point that they will
be disgraced in their own home.
SubhanAllah.
You know, and it is,
you know, perhaps it it could have been,
a little bit more difficult in the past,
you know, to understand how a person will
be disgraced disgraced in their home. But, subhanAllah,
again, with technology and, you know, so many
advancements and so much that is available to
us that we can do, so much at
stake even within our own homes, it's not
difficult,
to understand
or to, imagine how that could be possible.
So the same principle applies for others as
well. So for ourselves, don't expose your sins
unless there's a need. Same for others as
well. You cover the faults of others.
Don't expose and embarrass people.
Right? If,
and it's the same principle that if it's
about protecting someone or something
from being wrongfully harmed and the or the
granting of justice to victims, then it is
a responsibility
to speak the truth and uncover. Right? So
this is not an excuse,
for condoning injustice.
This is not the,
this is not an excuse
to, staying quiet and being complicit
when there is a need, or when someone
is being wronged. So there we have a
responsibility
to come forward and share that information if
we are,
if you are privy to it. But, otherwise,
do not expose the false of people. Do
not try to embarrass people. You see the
prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam, you know, as well
in in his the the part of his
beautiful character, right, was
to be careful about the feelings of others.
To be careful about the feelings of others,
not to put down people, not to embarrass
people. So if someone comes in and makes
a mistake, you know, to advise them, privately
or at least being sensitive to their their
well-being and being sensitive
to their their their, their feelings as well,
because, this is, this should not be our
intention. Right? When we are trying to correct
someone, we are trying to find out that
there is a fault somewhere, then we should
try to do that with utmost care and
concern.
The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
also told us about another instance
where a person will be embarrassed and will
be humiliated. So this one, the previous one
was talking about, was referring to a person
being disgraced in their home, of course, in
this vinya. Allah
protect us. And there is a greater form
of disgrace and embarrassment as well that the
prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has told us
about
that.
That he who acts to show off, Allah
will disgrace him on the day of resurrection.
And he who does good deeds
so that
people, meaning may hold him in high esteem,
Allah will expose his hidden evil intentions before
the people on the day of resurrection.
Right? So there's knowing a way if a
person tries to show off to others by
showing that they were doing,
you know, good deeds,
but
they are actually doing it to show people
so that they can build the reputation, you
know, build high esteem in in the eyes
of people, then certainly they will be exposed.
If not in this world, then on the
day of resurrection, Allah
will expose that person and all of their
evil intentions. May Allah
forgive us
and purify our and help us in purifying
our intentions.
So our intention should be sincerely to please
Allah
alone through our deeds, and it is very
lowly
to act
or to do an act to show that
it is for Allah but instead to have
ulterior motives.
You know, it's it's already bad enough that
a person does, you know, apps, in a
hypocritical manner or, you know, shows one thing
and has other intentions when it relates to
our interactions with people. You know? So you
show that you're helping someone, but in reality
you're not. You're trying to score some points
or whatever you're trying to do. So that
is already bad enough. But on top of
that,
to do that with a good deed,
to show that one is doing something for
the sake of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, when
in reality it is not for the sake
of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
That is a very, very serious matter and
such evil intentions will be exposed when Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us. Now,
ibn Hajjal, he he mentions
that, Imam Al Khatabi,
he mentions the the great 4th century hadith,
commenting on this hadith.
He mentions that this means that whoever does
something
that is not sincerely
for the sake of Allah merely
wanting people to see him or and hear
him
will be punished for that.
Will be punished for that and Allah
will expose him. Allah
will expose him and make it known
what he is concealing.
And it was said he goes on to
say that it was said that whoever does
something
with the intention of gaining status
and prestige
among people
and does not seek the continents of Allah
does not seek the continents of Allah
by doing it, then Allah will make him
will make that person the subject
of bad speech among the people in whose
eyes he wanted to gain status, and he
will have no reward for it in the
hereafter.
Right? So once again, whoever does something with
the intention of gaining status and prestige amongst
people and does not do it for the
sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
then Allah will make that person a subject
of bad speech among people in whose eyes
they wanted to gain status,
and you will have no reward in the
hereafter. Now, of course, if we find someone
in that situation,
we shouldn't jump to conclusions and judge them
that, oh, people are speaking bad about them
because they must have had bad intentions. Right?
We don't know what is in people's hearts.
It could be a trial from Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala as well. But nonetheless, we should
always be very, very careful that we try
to purify our intentions,
that we do not do anything to please
others, especially when it relates to good deeds
that we are showing that we're going to
please Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala or we're making
it seem that way,
and, may Allah
protect us.
So to recap, my brothers and sisters,
there is great concern today
over, the leaking of information of data that
could hurt us or embarrass us,
And this is a very real concern,
and we should be,
you know, depending on how comfortable you are,
you should nonetheless be aware
of, what you are using, what technology is
being used.
You know, a lot of times,
general users may not be aware of the
types of data and information that they're actually
sharing. Right? That they're allowing to be shared.
One, example
that I think there's greater awareness about now
is,
you know, metadata that is embedded inside photos
that you take. Right? And if you don't
disable the option,
your camera, you know, could be giving away
location information
of where you're taking pictures.
And there's a case of someone who was
taking pictures of their children, you know, and
posting it on social media not realizing that,
you know, the exact home address or location
of where they were taking a picture of
their kids was actually embedded in in the
photo. Right? So there's there's there you know,
I would highly encourage you to go through
your privacy options,
on your device, on your accounts, social media,
or, you know, email, whatever
services you're using so that you're aware of
what type of data is being stored.
SubhanAllah, I mentioned this before as well. You
know, if you're a user of Facebook, you
can download,
right, your entire Facebook history, right, which is,
like, every single post that you wrote.
Susan. And for many of us who are
on social media, we may have been using
this for years now, maybe over a decade,
even more. And so how long when you
download that and you look at that I
mean, to me, it just reminds me of
the day of judgment, right, and our book
of deeds. Right? Because it's only one platform,
but the amount of detail that it contains,
you know, every single picture, every single photo,
every single comment, every single status update,
you know, perhaps even likes, like, so many
you know, so much information
that is contained in that file.
And that's just one platform, and that's just
some of the time we spent in this
world on that platform. You know, imagine what
our book of deeds will look like when
every single action, every single word, every single
like, anything that you can imagine that we
have done is recorded in that book. May
Allah
make our book good for us and grant
it to us in our right hands,
So my brothers and sisters,
the concern for our worldly life, our protection,
from embarrassment
and hurt in this worldly life is very
valid, and we should be we we should
be aware of what we are doing with
our devices and what we are bringing into
our lives.
But also,
there are,
other things that can embarrass us and hurt
us in greater ways, especially in the day
of judgment,
and 3 things we need to protect ourselves
from. So number 1 is sinning openly
or divulging the sin that Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala has covered for us. Okay. So first
of all, we try not to sin. We
ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to protect us
from our weaknesses and temptations and from acting
upon our impulses to commit sins.
But if we find ourselves in that situation,
try not to do it openly, number 1.
And secondly, Allah
has covered it for you. Do not divulge
it for others unless you're seeking help or
unless it has to do with with protecting
others or or the justice.
Secondly, concealing the faults of others. So when
you find out that another brother, another sister
has a weakness, that they're committing a sin,
there's something that you find out about, you
know, it doesn't have to be a sin.
Some something you find out about their their
private lives that has to do with them,
do not share it with others. Cover it
for them and Allah will cover yours as
well. Unless, again, there's a legitimate reason for
sharing it, in that case, to the extent
that is necessary, you maybe even be responsible
or accountable,
if you don't share that information. So there
are some important exceptions.
And thirdly, my brothers and sisters, doing good
deeds only for the sake of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala and purifying our intentions of ostentation,
of wanting to show off and ensuring that
any deed that we do or that we
make up here that we're doing to for
the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it
is indeed for the sake of Allah and
not for any other motives, especially not wanting
to gain position or prestige in front of
people. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us.
May Allah
grant us purity in all of our intentions
and actions. May Allah
protect us from all types of embarrassment and
hurt and humiliation
in this world and the next I mean,
you know, Baral Amin. As you know, my
brothers and sisters,
alhamdulillah,
phase 1 construction has been going on, for
some time now here. But, alhamdulillah, it is
now nearing completion. Alhamdulillah,
in this building which you are right now,
there is,
there will be space, inshallah, for approximately
250
worshipers.
Of course, right now we're having to social
distance or physically distance,
but once, that is no longer the case
soon, Insha'Allah,
we should be able to host approximately
250 or so worshipers in this building. Parking
lot should be complete as well, Insha'Allah, with
approximate space for approximately 130 vehicles or so.
We also have, 2 new multi use halls,
in the basement to host programs and activities
for families, for seniors,
for youth, even upstairs as well for children,
for sisters, brothers, for all different segments of
our community, Insha'Allah.
The property, alhamdulillah, as you know, is being
used, to safely host approximately 400 or upwards
of 400 worshipers each Friday,
in multiple sessions as you're aware.
And this is, of course, very, very,
timely because
the rich craft recreation complex is not available
since, as of March. Right? So,
March shut down, our bookings were canceled, and
they continue to be canceled, and there's no
prospects of of going back there for stuff
in the meantime.
So somehow I was thinking if we did
not have this property, if we did not
have the space, we would have had a
major problem because there's nothing available for rental.
So,
this is available and because of your, thanks
to your support, and your commitment to all
these, brothers and sisters, alhamdulillah, are able to
offer stuff to Jummah even during the pandemic.
Now additional funds, are required
before we can go on with construction for
phase 2. So phase so this is not
what we are aiming for. This is just
the beginning. What we are actually aiming for
is a brand new building, a new purpose
built masjid and a gymnasium behind it that
we can use when there's larger crowds.
So a a full center, insha'allah, that can
accommodate 1100 people, insha'allah. So this is 250
here. What we wanna do is accommodate 1100,
and that building, insha'allah, will be built right
in front of this building. So, like, when
you leave out of the door up to
the road, that is this is where the
building is gonna be, inshallah.
But in order to get to that point
where we can actually start work,
we need to have enough funds,
to to so that, you know, we can
safely begin and not have to leave it,
in the middle so that it becomes damaged
or anything like that.
So today,
our appeal is that you, help
our community rise out of this pandemic,
together and stronger. From the law, we're trying
our best.
But, you know, we've made it so far
from the law,
and we want to rise out of it
with greatness for Allah for Allah
for all of his blessings
upon us. And mashallah, many brothers and sisters
have been contributing,
you know, you do so online, do so
after salatul jama'a in other ways. So we
really appreciate your support
because we know that times are not easy
and, subhanAllah, you know, the reward
for giving when times are difficult, right, when
poverty is on the horizon or something that
you fear, it's even greater. Right? It's even
greater. So people who are taking the step
and the amount doesn't really matter, honestly. Right?
It's the fact that, you know, you're still
willing to give under such circumstances.
That is a great thing. So we ask
Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, to accept from you,
and to continue to increase you in all
that is good.
That being said, donations are down compared to
last year.
So year to year
when we come
we're down approximately
this time.
And,
we don't wanna put pressure on the community
to make up that entire amount because we
know that it's challenging times.
But we are trying our best, inshaAllah, to
make up half of that before the end
of the year. So we are hoping to
cover,
as $300,000.
This was this will help keep phase 2
construction,
from being derailed Because if, you know, we're
we we don't make,
you know, make up that, or at least
a part of that, then it can have
impacts on when we can actually start phase
2 construction.
And the reason we wanna build the the
building is not just to have a nice
building and say, oh, masha'Allah, we have a
nice question,
which is gonna be great insha'Allah. But really,
so that we can start offering the services,
and providing for the needs that our families,
that our seniors, that our youth, that our
children, that our sisters, that our brothers, that
everyone every single person in our community needs.
But that is really the the intention and
the focus of the building. So the goal,
like I said, is $300,000.
Today, inshallah, we will be looking for 10
brothers or sisters who can gift a $1,000
each. Right? So approximately after the tax credit,
it's approximately $640.
If you can afford it, please do it.
Right? I don't like to pressure on people,
but feel a little bit of pressure that
if you can afford it, then please do
it. And if you can't, then whatever you
are able to give,
that will be greatly appreciated and he asked
Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, to bless you with
much more than whatever you're able to give.
InshaAllah. So outside you will find, the machines.
You can also give online at haramustems.ca/donate.
We have multiple options to which you can
donate and for
your continued support.
And most importantly, make dua for our community,
for the success of this project because it
is only only for the sake of Allah,
you know, all of us who are involved
or even contributing, who knows how long we're
we're gonna be, alive in this dina to
benefit from it, but inshallah, it will be
for the service of our deen and for
the sake of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and
for future generations.
Sameer Allah except for me all.
We have
a couple of pieces of sad news,
this week as well.
The sister of our brother,
Abdul Ilah Mahmoud passed away, in Morocco,
and also the brother of our brother, Hamid
Khaldi also passed away this morning.
Let us make dua for them and for
all of those who have passed away.
To their loved ones at this difficult time.
Oh Allah, make them a means for continued
reward for those who have returned to you.
Oh Allah, please heal the grief in their
hearts. You Rabbala.
Oh Allah, please protect all of us from
all types of harm, whether it is visible,
whether it is
Oh, Allah, peace, cure.
Grant relief to all of our sisters who
are ill, who are living through hardships, our
brothers
and brothers who are living in pain, long
term pain and hardship, our elder sister who
is living with growing weakness and illness, our
elders who are battling cancer and other illnesses,
brother Mumtaz, doctor Habib ur Rahman, and everyone
who is in hospital or or who is
ill. Oh, Allah, you are the cure. Oh,
Allah, you are the shafi. Oh, Allah, please
cure them and relieve them quickly and completely.
Oh, Allah, all of the brothers and sisters
who have supported us, who are supporting any
of your causes. Oh, Allah, who are supporting
any good works. Oh, Allah, please increase them
in goodness. Oh, Allah, please reward them greatly.
Oh, Allah, please protect them from all types
of evils and hardships. Oh, Allah, please protect
their future generations.
Oh, Allah, please accept it from them as
salaqa jariyah. Oh, Allah. Please continue to benefit
them for their from the goodness till the
day of judgment.
Brothers and sisters, those who are at home,
please pray, please offer protocols of lower prayer.
For those who are registered for Friday prayer,
please come at your allotted time.