Suhaib Webb – Friday Sermon Envisioning Faith & Black Muslim Luminaries
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Praise Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. We send peace
and blessings upon our beloved messenger, Muhammad Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam. Once the prophet
salallahu alaihi wasalam was sitting with his companions,
and
this was something that was often asked
of the beloved messenger, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam,
and that is like, what's the best thing
I can do?
You find this question
quite often in the
engagement of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
and the Sahaba.
And
if we just go forward brothers, and the
prophet,
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam,
he he said
in this important instance,
Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said to to
believe.
To believe in Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala.
Belief is so important
that not only are we commanded to achieve
it
as believers, as someone who's trying to find
faith,
But even after belief,
we are encouraged to look after it. That's
why Suratul Fatiha, even though we're already
Muslims and we're already guided, alhamdulillah, by the
grace of Allah,
we still say,
Ar Razi said, you know, you say,
guide us. Even though you're already a believer,
meaning
like keep keep me strong, like don't let
me waver.
We know that say that
she said that the supplication that I heard
the
prophet make the
most
was Oh Allah,
if you're from Sham
Oh Allah, the one who turns the hearts.
I keep my heart firm.
In fact, subhanAllah, in the Quran we find
something unique. And I heard this from one
of our professors, doctor Abu Haifa Amawi,
It's a great mufassar in Egypt.
Well, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says,
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, O you who
believe,
believe.
So he describes
us as believers inshallah.
But then
he commands us to belief.
So he asked us, like, what do you
think that means? Like,
you say, oh you who are eating, eat.
Like, I'm already eating. Why do I need
to eat again? So I was like,
Like you who have belief,
believe.
And he said what it means is
Like to refresh your faith
and to review your faith
and to be introspective
about your relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
That's why the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
he said,
You know, in this authentic hadith, the example
of faith
in your hearts are like new clothes that
fade over time.
And he said, so you should constantly ask
Allah
and you jed the imanik to
refresh
and revive your faith. One of the ways
that we can do that is to revisit
how we framed
the concept of faith in our lives.
Perhaps we've had bad experiences
related to faith.
Perhaps through irresponsible leadership
or someone who is maybe overburden
burdening in their
asking us to adhere to faith or in
our own trials and tribulations or shortcomings.
But
in the chapter called Abraham, we find something
really really beautiful, how we should see faith.
And when people
look at faith in this way,
they will not see faith as something which
is limiting,
or something which restricts them.
But they will see that the idea of
faith in Islam is really about
tying ourselves to God
and becoming the best we can be.
That's why Allah says,
In the 25th verse of Surat Ibrahim,
prophet Abraham,
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says, and it's a
rhetorical question.
Have you not seen how Allah sets forth
mathala? The word is like translated
as a parable,
but
packed in in that word is something very
powerful. That's lost in translation.
Because we call an actor Mu'mathil like Adil
Imam in Egypt. It's one of the most
famous Mu'mathil. He's a famous actor.
But subhanAllah,
the reason that the Arabs would call a
parable, Mathala,
is this is something Alika and Tumathiru.
Like this is something that when you learn
it,
and I learned it, and we've understood it,
then it becomes a blueprint by which we
should act on. So that's why it's called
So it's something that I am exposed to
and I learn,
but the intent is to employ it in
my life. Just like an actor employs a
script,
here we're employing
the commands and guidance
of Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala. Allah says that he sets forth
a nice example to be followed.
And that is,
a good word.
Which is like a healthy
robust
tree.
Its foundations are firm. Its roots are firm.
And its branches are infinite and they shoot
into the heavens.
Some of the early
commentators of the Quran
took this verse to help us frame how
we see faith
and our potential.
That is for example, Sayidina Ibn Abbas
RadiAllahu Anhu said,
That the good word is the word of
faith.
Is like this tree.
And he said the tree is the believer.
The knowledge of the believer
and the emotional psychological state of the believer
are like the roots of the tree.
So the chest
and the intellect are in concert
Based on that good word,
I'm rooting myself
intellectually
and spiritually.
Muhammad Rasoolullah.
So that implies
learning.
Believers should constantly be in the state of
learning. 1 of the
unfortunate
post colonial
hangovers that still impacts our community
is that religious learning is just for children,
but children don't lead the world.
So we'll send to
learn and we'll stay home and chill.
Whereas, Masha Allah Sayedna Uthman ibn Affan, he
memorized the Quran when he was 36.
Once I was in, when I lived in
Egypt, I came to California.
There was this old,
uncle,
And he came to me,
and he said to me, you know, Suhay
Beita,
I know I'm I'm 86 years old,
but do you think I can go to
Eshar now?
I was like, subhanAllah. Like, what are you
saying? He's like, yeah. Like, have a passion
to learn deen.
I was like,
Masha'Allah go for it. So he went to
Egypt, Hamdala, he learned Arabic.
He was 86 years old. So this idea
that like
knowledge and religious knowledge is regulated to children
and not something that we're responsible for. Allah
says,
You have to know.
Are those who know and those who don't,
the same.
If we had only learned, we wouldn't be
in *.
So knowledge is crucial.
Musa said like, I would
ask Allah's protection from being ignorant.
Then allowing that knowledge to settle in my
chest,
rusuk means something that's dug deep, so it
digs into myself. That takes time. Knowledge takes
time and experience.
Hikma comes with nuance.
So my hustle is stabbing.
And after that, I'm able to calibrate this
faith.
And unfortunately our community
at times
religious leadership tries to look at this from
a very myopic
vantage point.
The ideal Muslim, like there's a book I
saw, the ideal Muslim. I read it. I
was like, man, I pray 5 times a
day.
I'm alright on that. Okay. That one, I
need some work.
I'm good on that one. But I don't
feel like the idea like, this isn't me,
man.
This is the author.
We tend to project
and live vicariously through other people. That's a
side
of selfishness and religious immaturity.
But when Allah says,
the branches that come from this tree,
These are the different ways that the believers
are going to calibrate their faith. Whether it's
through being a lawyer, whether it's being involved
in finance, whether it's through the arts, whether
it's through music, whether it's whatever.
Fashion, an influencer,
whether it's an imam or a sheikh or
a student,
whether it's an activist,
all of our branches are different.
But the root of those branches is the
same.
That's why Sidi Ahmad Zorook, he said,
Just because we come maybe from different perspectives,
doesn't mean that our objective,
Our end is Allah.
So that's why the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam
is able to build a robust community because
he's able to appreciate
people's talents
and allow them to contribute in ways that
are meaningful to them.
So I would never want anyone in this
room to be bullied
or intimidated in the name of religion from
achieving
the best you, if it's for Allah.
The last is the next verses,
That this tree is always given fruit, man.
247,
365.
And that implies that we have to go
through test and trials, different seasons.
No one can follow the prophet
without being tested.
And as the prophet said, no one can
love Allah without being tested.
So that means this tree has to go
through different
stages and places, but still maybe sometimes the
fruit isn't abundant.
Maybe sometimes it's not really ripe.
Maybe sometimes it's, you know, needs a little
work. It's not as organic as it should
be. It's mixed with some sin.
And that's why the prophet said that the
example of the believers like a date tree.
Ibn Hajjar said because the date tree gives
dates all the time.
And that every part of the date tree
can be used. Its bark is for our
rus, its leaves were for the sajada, and
we eat its tamar.
Whether it's balah
or ratib, whether it's not ripe or ripe,
you'll find people like that kind of date.
So he said,
That's the believer.
That wherever they are, they're able to bring
some fruit to the situation.
But those seasons are a little different than
winter, spring, summer, and fall.
Prophetic seasons means
to struggle with your family like Adam,
to be ridiculed like Noah,
to be lonely like Yusuf. That's where prophecy
lies.
To be lied about like say to Maryam,
To be opposed
and speak to power
like Sayedina Musa.
We just go forward. That's where prophecy lies.
To be rejected like Sayidina Isa.
To be thrown out like Sayidna Muhammad alayhi
mus salam.
Those are the seasons of prophecy.
They're not easy.
So ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
to make us strong.
And when we know that those seasons are
just temporary,
they are part of Allah's creation,
they're like salt on the Qada of our
life.
The meat of the qada is Allah.
That's why Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala said to
say,
If you wanna know if I'm happy with
you,
ask me if you're happy with me.
So ask Allahu Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and
This is black history month.
50% or 60% of the American Muslim community
are people who identify
with an African origin.
Every single American Muslim
rest on the shoulders of the death and
martyrdom of Malcolm.
So it behooves us during this month
to take some time with our wife, with
our husbands,
with our children,
and reflect and study on the great historical
figures
that have blessed the ummah of the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam from Africa
and from the black American Muslim community. If
you have an opportunity, maybe you can go
visit the grave of Malcolm up in the
Bronx.
Maybe you can visit Masjid At Taqwa in
Brooklyn. State Street Masjid founded in 1939.
MIB in Harlem.
Some of the older communities, the beautiful East
African community now which lines the boroughs of
New York City.
But let's just talk about some of the
major players who impacted our Islam right now,
who came from Africa, masha'Allah.
The first is the first martyr of Islam,
Who is a woman? A woman of color,
Sumayya Bintul Hayat.
Sumayya Bintul Hayat was from Africa.
She's the white the mother of Ammar,
ibn Yasser.
She was murdered by Abu Jahal.
She's a woman who our historian say was
Ifriqiya.
She was from Africa.
Her son, Ammar, of course also. Then by
default also a great companion of the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
was of African origin.
Ayman Al Barakat,
one of the best friends of the Prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
The mother of Usam ibn Zaid,
who married Zaid ibn Haritha.
Who the Prophet visited her so much that
even after his death,
Abu Bakr and Umar, Sayna Ali and others
would continue to visit her
out of Ihtiram to the sunnah of the
Prophet salallahu alaihi wa sallam, and because of
her great Maqam.
She's the woman who when they came to
her they said, why are you sad? Don't
you know that what Allah has given the
messenger is better? She said, I'm not crying
because the messenger has passed away. I'm crying
because the Quran has stopped.
Throughout our history, Dhul Noon al Masri,
one of the founders of Tassawaf, he was
from Nubia.
He died in 859 Al Hijri.
Regardless of your orientation,
Muhammad ibn 'A'ari
Al Jawadih al Hussaini, the 9th imam
in the Shia tradition.
His mother Sabika was from Nubia.
He was a black man.
Throughout our history Abu Aswar al Du'ali, he
wasn't black
but his original name was Valim ibn Aymir.
He said, Man what kind of name is
Zalim?
Because the word black in Arabic means master,
Sayyid,
Sauda, Aswad.
So he said, I'm gonna change my name
to Abu Aswad because Aswad is beautiful.
A very different type of understanding of what
it means to be a mature member of
the community of the prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam.
And we should do this with, mashaAllah, all
of our cultures and all of our people
because we are a beautiful ummah. But if
we don't know about each other, we can't
honestly say that
we're beautiful. My own teacher,
Sheik Abu Mustaf and Diya from Senegal,
who the Nadai converted grabbed me and he
said,
are you gonna be the stupid white boy
convert?
I was like, what? He's like, I'll see
you on Tuesday with a notebook.
And he made me study with kids. He
said, you study with kids to be humble.
Because you white Americans
got some problems.
I didn't like take it like critical race
theory and destroy the Sheikh. I was like,
yeah. Okay, Sheikh. And he had me memorize
Quran.
And I asked him, how did you memorize
the Quran in 14 Quran? He said,
My sister
My sister from the Marabitun
taught me.
Abdul Ben Yassin, the founder of the Marabitun
movement in Morocco,
is someone from Africa.
Ib Mu'mundari, the the greatest writer, the greatest
dictionary in the Arabic language, Lisan al Arab,
he was from Nubia.
The point I'm trying to make, masha'Allah,
is that this shouldn't make anyone feel guilty.
We should be inspired to learn our history,
And we should be inspired to celebrate black
history, not just for 1 month.
Allah doesn't say, was shahr.
But we acknowledge this month
and we acknowledge the incredible contributions
of African brothers and sisters to our deen
and to our ummah.
We ask Allah
to bring
true affinity to our hearts.
We ask Allah
to make us aware
as
people who are not of African origin in
the Muslim community
that sometimes we carry privilege.
I say that as a white man in
the Muslim community.
How can we be aware of that privilege
and make sure that we control that privilege,
and then leverage
whatever we can to truly be allies to
people by stepping out of the way and
getting back.
To ask Allah
Ask Allah to show us our own evil.
As we ask him to keep us strong
on the truth,
ask Allah
to bless our brothers and sisters in Africa,
from Senegal, the Gambia, Mali,
Mansa Musa, like Allahu Akbar. It should be
like movies made about Mansa Musa.
Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless our
teachers
and our masheikh
and our brothers and sisters.
Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless the
people in Congo,
in Sudan.
You know, Al Jahid,
the great philosopher, he was from Africa. He
wrote a book called Mafaghrat
Sudan al Assaiir Bul Dan.
He wrote a book called The Virtues of
Sudan
compared to all other countries like Sudan, Sudan
is superior.
And he used hadith. He didn't mean it
in as we understand now
racial constructions.
He meant, Mufakharab Binyamillah.
Like to be proud because of the blessings
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
We ask Allah Subhanu wa Ta'ala to give
us kullub salim, shaa Allah. We ask Allah
Subhanu wa Ta'ala to make us truly friends
and brothers and sisters
and allies and lovers of one another.
Ask Allah
to bless our brothers and sisters in Somalia,
in Kenya.
We ask Allah to bless our brothers and
sisters in Egypt, in Tunisia, in the Maghreb,
and all over, Alhamdulillah, the world. We pray
for Palestine, of course, our brothers and sisters
in Syria. And we pray for New York
City.
May Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala make us on
the right side of history.