Siraj Wahhaj – Identity
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AI: Transcript ©
We have our chef here. Chef Amanda slotzo. Hatch, who's going to talk about identity shallow. Tyler, please be attentive. She came from a long places conference last night and he is with us tonight. Charlotte and he will make it lively. He promised me Russia back home chef.
So let's come through shala Oliver astronomicon
Rockman Rahim Al Hamdulillah Chateau La ilaha illallah wa rahula Sri Kala shadow Anna Muhammad Abdul Salam Abad is a is there a difference between this mic and this one? About the same? Can you hear me with this mic?
Okay.
Brothers and sisters, um, before I speak to you?
And can I be honest with you? I have no idea how long I'm gonna be speaking to you.
There's a possibility that we may be here two or three hours.
Did you hear what I said?
I want to begin with a supplication that our Prophet made salaallah sanlam Allah home in the terminal min lion for all over lie seek refuge with you from knowledge that doesn't benefit.
I pray that this conference
that you come out of this conference better than you came in.
And I pray that I'm able to contribute a little bit of that.
I want to talk about identity.
And I want you to take a look at me.
Take a good look.
Because I have several identities.
One of them
under a sweat.
I am black.
And you know what?
I love being black.
I love my black skin. I love my kinky hair, my broad nose and my thick lips. I can't wait to wake up everyday black.
You should ask me why?
Because Allah said,
who will or the user will confirm or Jaime k for your show. It is Allah who created you in the womb as he please. And if Allah is pleased to make me a black man, I'm happy to be a black man. You ought to be happy how Allah created you.
All of us have these very
identities. So number one, Ana aswad. I'm black 1968, probably none of you were born.
But in 1968, there was a song that was number one for eight weeks
on the radio number one for eight weeks. And that song was sung by a man named James Brown.
And that song was, say it loud. I'm black, and I'm proud.
You may not appreciate me as a black man saying I love to be black. When you realize years ago, black people hated to be black. They wanted to be white. Even if you studied The Autobiography of Malcolm X when he was young, he was trying to be white. And this is why Martin Luther King Jr. said he who gets behind in the race must forever remain behind or run faster than the man up front.
You've heard it said you heard black people say Black Lives Matter.
When a black person says Black Lives Matter. And you tell them all lives matter. That's an insult. And let me tell you why. When the black person say Black Lives Matter, it's a summary of what they really want to say they really want to say Black Lives Matter. Also.
If all lives matter, you don't have to say Black Lives Matter. So number one, honor aswad on black, number two
on Africa.
Some African
the difference between most of you most of you know what country you came from. But the average African American, we don't know where we came from. All we know is we came from Africa as slaves. So an African years ago I was in Jamaica, West Indies. And there was an expert who can look at you and tell what country you from. I said shake shake me. Where am I from? He looked at me he said, Mandingo, so black people. We are black. Number two, African we African number three americium
I make no apologies. I'm American.
Hewlett tahuna. I was born here in America. So I am an American. And the S word on Africa. Yo, I'm Ricky Yun, number for the Prophet peace and blessings upon said in a Bashar.
I am only a human being. And he didn't say anything more than what a lot told him to say cool. In the maebashi don't miss lucam say I am a human being just like you let's take a moment and talk about being human.
What did he say in honor Bashar.
He said Bashar Bashar is different from intimate Anna Bashar. If you say on a bus, you're a human being, you might be bragging
but when you say in number on a budget, I am only a human being what you are saying you're not divine.
You're not perfect. Only Allah is perfect. In the Mahayana Bashar I'm only a human being. Let me say something about human beings.
Let's see what the prophet Alayhi salat wa salam said,
and Natsu kulu, whom bello Adam for Adam in Torah,
human beings, every one of them are the children of Adam and Adam is created of dust.
Every human being from the same mother and father, Christians, Jews and Muslims agree is in their scripture, the identity of the first person, Adam.
If you study Hadith literature, you see on Yama, piano, all the people will go to the five greatest prophets.
No, Abraham Moosa Isa and Mohammed, Salah Salem, and they also go to Adam, and they will say to Adam, yeah, Adam, and Abu Bashar. Oh, Adam, you are the father of mankind. colloca labia de Allah created you with his own hands will never coffee. And he breathed into the spirit. Well, I'm not too fussed. And he ordered the angels the bow down to you. That's gonna kill Jenna. And Allah put you in the agenda. So we are human beings. But you got to be careful. You as a black person got to be careful you as a Somali have to be careful. You as an American as an African have to be careful because on the one hand, Allah says lacava Quran, many Adam, I have honored the children of Adam, we
are honored. And let me give you an example.
I was in the airport, Atlanta, Georgia.
And I was going to the security. And I noticed as I was going to security, there was a security man with a dog.
And the dog was smelling everyone.
And I was intrigued as I was going around security. I was watching the dog and that man
and then I noticed something.
That dog started sniffing one of the passengers and started making noise. He got something
let me be honest with you.
The security ban was white.
And the passenger was black.
So what I did
I got my social media.
My check this out.
Almost see what's gonna happen.
I'm getting nervous, because I'm thinking someone's gonna come out and they're gonna beat that black man down.
But then something happened. That passenger started laughing.
He was laughing
and he went out of the line and I realized what happened.
Every once in a while to make sure that the dog is doing his job. They put a plant
put something on the person to make sure that the dog is doing his job. Did you know that some animals have the sense of smell millions of times 100 millions of time more than human beings.
So Allah said this way in the Quran, Allah, Allah sakurako sana YT when I feel all Don't you see Allah has subjected for you everything in the heavens on Earth. I took my wife to Australia, Australia's on other side of the world. And when we came out of the plane, we landed, we went to get our luggage.
And I noticed that there was a dog smell and my wife's luggage.
And I know the dog is looking for one of three things. Number one, the dog is looking for drugs. So I started looking at my wife
was looking for explosives. I started walking away from my wife
or the dog is looking for food. Because they don't allow you to bring food in the country. And sure enough, my wife had food in her luggage.
What am I saying? We're human beings. Who can tell me approximately how many people on this planet
67 billion.
Think about this for a moment. I want you to think about this. Because I want you to think about
7 billion people on this earth and every one of them have a unique fingerprints true or not.
Number one, number two,
I met an Imam in Medina. In I'm sad. In email Assad has a unique
talent. He's able to imitate 100 of the greatest recitals of chorion.
And when we recite he sounds like you're Mmm, yo Cory, Cory.
Even though he can imitate, scientists may tell you you may not know this. Every human being has a unique voice.
Number three.
Did you know every human being has a unique handwriting.
Those experts can tell.
And one more.
You ready for this one?
Every human being every one of them have a unique smell.
If you don't believe me go to sue to use of my Yakuza. I smell the scent of Yusuf.
This is why when somebody breaks out of prison, the prison guards take some clothing and let the dog smell it and the dog will follow that because every human being have a unique smell. What's my point? What's my point? Allah has made us in one hand we humans Some of us are black, some of us are white some but that doesn't matter.
The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said in the Lord Allah Alejandro Isa Asana como la isla Swati como lacking in through Allah, Allah.
Allah has not come to look to your bodies know your forms, you're going to look to your hearts and your deeds.
On a sweat on black on every Kenyan, an African American. I'm American bashaud I'm a human being.
And I saved the last one.
Because this is the most important one. Hey, buddy, okay.
Anybody okay?
Give me another few minutes.
Sisters. Can I talk to the brothers for just one minute?
I'll be right back. Don't worry brothers. They can't hear us.
Actually question I want to answer. How many of you like and are attracted
to females Raise your hand.
Even a three year old boy raised his hand.
Alright, alright. Alright.
You brother didn't raise your hand. See me after the meeting. We're gonna talk.
You can't help yourself.
That's how Allah created you. Allah created the man and the woman to be attracted. But Allah warns us in Quran but Tikka hoo, boo boo, la la. And these are the boundaries of Allah don't go past them.
Now I'm gonna take a few moments and I'm gonna talk about the last identity.
How many remember Michelle Obama?
To tell you something she said.
She said, being married to Obama.
I realize that he had many tests.
And I've come to realize that the Office of presidency doesn't change who you are. It reveals who you are.
It reveals who you are.
Every day and I don't know the level of your Eman here. We have different levels. The Prophet said minocqua will you hire on Wahhabi Illallah Amina movement is
a strong believer is better a more love Bala than a weak believer God is good and all of them would agree some of us sitting here don't have the highest level of Eman. Would we agree? Okay. For me, I don't want to leave nobody.
I don't want to leave nobody here. Because my love is for all of you. I don't care how much Eman you have or don't have. Because you know why? Because the door's always open. You can always turn back to Allah subhanho wa Taala. So I want to talk about this identity.
I had traveled to England, one of the young brothers that I met years ago said ma'am Suraj when we were young, you made it cool to be a Muslim.
You made it cool to be
a Muslim.
Someone said to the Prophet Alayhi salat wa salam Yeah. It'll be
the best of creation.
You're not our Prophet said. He said
that he Ebrahim
does Abraham
Would you agree
that all of us gonna die
equal to now?
True.
Yes or no?
And we're gonna die and you don't know when and you don't know the land. You're gonna die. I was in Memphis, Tennessee. Last week. Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years ago, assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, born in Atlanta, Georgia.
You know, no, have no idea where but we do know this that we're gonna die. And number two, we know that we're going to be resurrected and we will be resurrected make it true or not.
Imagine being resurrected naked. And the prophets Allah Sallam said, and the first one to be resurrected on Yom Okayama will be. Ebrahim
he bream.
Why?
Why?
every prayer,
every prayer, Muslim say this. I begin you finish Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa Allah Allah Mohammed
Ibrahim, Allah Ali Ibrahim.
Why we mentioned Abraham and every prayer.
How many of you made Hodge raise your hand
commemorating what Abraham did one levina and those with him?
Imagine that.
Abraham,
the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings upon them how many prayed in his Masjid.
1-234-567-8910 11 prayed in his 12 prayed in his magic 13 he said.
One prayer in my Masjid is better than 1000 prayers made in in other Masjid in Al Masjid al Haram, except Masjid Hara
the house that Abraham built. Do you know that every week I go to different city, sometimes in the different countries and the first thing I do when I get to my desk
destination I asked the question, what's the direction in the house that Abraham built?
Was the Qibla
this Abraham is within Hasina this good example. Wow all of this about Abraham and I came to this conclusion. In this voice to me summarizes why Abraham Alayhi salat wa salam is looked upon in such esteem. Where did palabora he Morocco because imagine for a term nahoon
and when we tested Abraham with test
any fulfilled every test
Do you know young man, how do you nine years old?
Do you know that every day we tested
every day with testing?
To better Kala DB here the hidden MOOC, Oh Allah coalition. Allah, Allah.
Allah Allah.
Allah, Allah Xie saga for you are tested every day. And guess what? Allah see everything that we do everything that we do, can I give you a proof?
I'm sitting in my office one day.
And I read this idea from Quran
matters coonawarra illa Allah.
And there's not a leaf that falls except Allah knows it.
So I woke up to my Masjid. And I started walking
east. And as I'm walking,
I'm noticing as every site will notice, scotoma water
and notice 1000s of leaves on the floor.
And I said to myself, you mean to tell me Allah knows every leaf that falls? So I did some research.
I want to know how many trees on the planet
come to find out they're like 3 trillion trees on the planet. Some trees haven't as many as 250,000 leaves.
And a lot of nose, every leaf that falls.
You know, that means he knows everything we do.
Every little thing that we do, Allah knows it. And you know what?
We're tested
every day.
What was the test of Abraham? A couple of them. You mentioned one or two. Sounds like Misha
Sankara.
Let me mention one or two.
There's a sister in America so called scholar.
She said Abraham alayhi salatu was Salam was a deadbeat dad. sofala
a deadbeat dad, are you kidding me?
Is it because Abraham left his wife, Hagar and his baby smile. And he started walking away.
left him in the desert. Hagar ones behind us? Yeah.
Yo,
Abraham doesn't even turn around and he keeps on walking. He and his wife and his baby in the desert and all they have is some baits and some water and he keeps on walking and he never turns around.
And then hey guys said
isn't Allah commanded you to do this? He said yes. And she stopped and said, Allah will never neglect us.
Think about that.
And because Abraham Alayhi salat wa salam did Oh, that Allah commanded him to do. He was put on a high position. Someone said, You will never be judged
by your circumstances.
But you will be judged how you respond to the circumstances.
Now what about circumstances? You're Muslim?
You know, a sister's.
Some of you may even ask the question why I wear hijab.
Shake. Abizaid, do you know
I used to be Christian right.
Shake. You know, I used to be Christian.
I was living in Brooklyn on a project called Marcy projects. Seven years old. Sunday morning, getting ready to go to church.
I'm a Christian. Seven years old, getting dressed
Sunday morning ready to go to church?
And x my mother, how come we got to go to church anyway?
So my mother, she took out a belt.
And she hit me a few times. And then she asked me Now do you understand why you got to go to church? I say Yes, ma'am.
But I didn't know.
So 12 years later, I left the church and came into the masjid.
Your daughters, your sisters, connects you one day. Why you wear hijab?
Why you wear hijab?
Are you going to beat her?
When your young son asks the question, why have you got to go to the masjid? Are you going to beat him?
Are you going to explain to him? Because I'm of the conclusion brothers and sisters that seldom do we deal with the root of the problem. But we deal with symptoms are given example.
Do you know that many times you tell your daughter put on a jab? Some of them not all of them. They leave the house but he jabbed they go one block, they take it off.
And when they come back from school, when they get near home, they put on the hijab.
And what happens? The mother, she raised the bar, you got to put on
your witty jab, you gotta wear the hijab.
But the problem with the mother is she don't understand the root of the problem. The problem isn't he jab, I give an example. One day I was in a program, speaking to some Muslims.
And the end of the program, three young sisters look like high school college came to me and say, ma'am, Suraj, we want you to show us from the core and why we should wear hijab. And we don't want no a hobby. We just want Qur'an, why we should wear hijab, they weren't wearing Hijab
so instead of telling them that if I'm Khurana x on the question,
sisters do you make a lot?
is a No not really.
I see all makes a lot No.
You find in the Quran, you should make a lot * many places.
If there's many places in the Quran, you find you should make a lot and don't make a lot.
What make you think if I show you one version called and you should cover and you're going to start covering?
You see, because he jabbed isn't the problem. He jab is never the problem. The problem is our relationship with Allah.
If our daughters and sons get hooked up to Allah, then they will do whatever Allah orders them to do. You got to begin First things first, someone asks the question, how long will the building stand and how strong is the foundation? If the foundation is not there?
test so we tested a Muslim.
Can I tell you something sisters about hijab? I think all of these sure you could agree for us, for me, the most beautiful woman in the world to me, a Muslim woman with a job?
You know why? Allah put it this way? Yeah, the sun Nabila the minister,
or wives of the Prophet, you are not like the other women.
You Islam makes you different. You human being I mentioned that Somalian black, whatever you are. You live in Minnesota. You live in Minneapolis. Whatever it is, how can you lie? But you know, the fact is, they will not be one black person in general, because they're black.
And not one white person in * because they're white. Not one person in general because he's a man.
No woman is going to be in * because she's a woman
is based on our deeds and allows mercy to us.
identity.
Islamic identity you Muslim.
Here's the test now. I'm closing out
you know what?
I mean, you Muslims, right?
using hand
you know like everybody else
shake I was on the plane riding from New York to London
in the guy next to me
Subhanallah
he was drinking so much alcohol
and you know what?
I didn't drink alcohol only because a lot in allow me to do it
there's a listen brother
who told me he man if I go to general All I want to do is smoking some weed
and he's an Imam.
You know what?
He's a servant of Allah.
You different from everybody else.
You rather people looking at you? You know they saying you're supposed to be a Muslim.
You're supposed to be a Muslim, and you act like everybody else. Are you better than me?
Are you better than me? You talk about me and our daddy careful, but you do the same things that they do. Can I pull your coat? Do you know that sometimes?
In the Quran
you see people in general speaking to the people in * and the people in * speak to the people in general. Did you know that the bear witness to that hobby? They make the one proof from the Quran and one Hadith.
The people in general will look down at the people in *'s masala coffee, soccer. What made you be in the Hellfire corlew lemna mousseline
we are not those used to make a lot.
Let me tell you something.
I got how many minutes? I got? I got a couple minutes.
Five minutes, I will take 10
Listen, in France. If you acts, the people, what's your religion? 64% of us say I am Roman Catholic. 64% of the population said I am Roman Catholic. But only 4.5% actually practice.
What percent is of the Muslims practice the dean.
Shake do we know?
Do we know?
What percent is about women where he jabbed?
What percentage of the Muslim go to the masjid? Do more muscle go to the masjid or don't go to the masjid
practice. So that's one I from Quran, one Hadith and I finished with this.
People in general will look down at the people in the Hellfire and say,
Lord, our brothers.
Can we use our moon?
They use the fast with us. What you saw Luna Anna and they prayed with us with the huduma manner and they made Hodge with us then
what did they do?
Some of them they committed murder. Some of them they stole some of them. They beat people stole the wealth chapter my man who had a shot in the head that will cut the fat that
Allah will take the good deeds and give it to the people and take the bad deeds and throw it on them and throw them in the hellfire. I pray Allah the Almighty that that happens to none of us. The good news is this.
The Prophet said, in
our team, your D shall be judged by your last deeds. You know what? I don't care what you did yesterday. I don't care what you did the last year.
But hamdulillah you can turn it around, turn your life around, and identity of a Muslim. But you know what? It takes courage. Let me tell you one test that Abraham had and then I sit.
Allah recorded a conversation that Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and listen to what he said.
Yeah, Sarah, Lisa, Allah what she mean? Gary Walker ruukki. Oh, Sarah, there is not one believer on the face of the earth other than you and me.
Can you imagine?
How many of you have Muslims in your school?
Look at this
Shake I was in Birmingham, UK
this year last year. Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. You know they said about UK, United Kingdom in England. The sun never sets on the room on the English Empire. The sun never said that's how big it was. But right now the Roman Empire or the
English Empire is finished.
I was in Birmingham
during eat
Birmingham, United Kingdom in a park you know me people pray to eat
100,000
Abraham and Sarah.
Only two Muslims on the planet.
So you
you minority in Minneapolis
you minorities skin color. What you know what you love Allah subhanho wa Taala and if you love Allah and follow the deen Allah will make us successful even as he made Ebrahim Elisa that was awesome Salam successful and Mohammed Salah solemn successful I prayed that you keep your Islamic identity. Never ever let it go. The identity address is one thing.
Yes hollyford machinery cane v opposite the disbelievers. Yes, but our real identity is our character. Our Eman our faith. May Allah bless you and bless this conference. I mean, salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah.
Zakah long fat shake