Suhaib Webb – Political Theology (Part One) Beyond Biden
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of faith in our daily lives and the dangerous notion of seeking power in the west. They stress the need to realign language and engage with power to create justice for Muslims, as well as the challenges faced by Muslims who are educated on things that have no relevance to them. The speakers also emphasize the importance of political theology and the constant reality of sin in the political nature of the United States, as it provides a language to deal with difficult situations and allows people to live in a stable environment.
AI: Summary ©
First of all, assalamu alaykum to everybody here.
Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah. I know their Friday reminder was supposed
to be around 1:15 today,
but thank you. But my apology is,
just a lot going on. But I thought
it's very important,
to share a critical reflection.
And it's also important to note that
one of the important roles that faith
plays in our life is
an inspirational role,
but also faith demands responsibility.
When the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
a person came to him and said like
I love you, I want to follow you,
the prophet
said to him like are you sure what
you're saying?
To love me and to follow me
brings about
a certain kind of tax on a person.
There's a social tax, there's a moral tax,
there's a financial tax.
Being a follower of the prophet
is one of my teachers used to say,
Everything has Zakat,
and the Zakat of being the lover of
the prophet Muhammad salallahu alaihi wasalam
is sacrifice.
It's not easy
necessarily.
And this is insha'allah a day where a
number people are understandably
happy,
with what appears to be an election victory.
Allah says,
right in Suratul Rum Allah mentions that the
believers were happy with the help of Allah
when he gave
victory to the persians over the Romans. It's
a very normal thing.
But I think as we move forward,
one of the challenges that we face
as a a English speaking community
is language
and we see the community divided between
people who are completely
anti political or against political participation
and then we see on the other side
people who
in the name of
political efficacy
are willing to esque connection to the religion
and that's where
we have to appreciate
how Islam provides us a really powerful language
and I want you to remember this,
that Islam Islam does not only provide us
language to deal with perfect situations,
in fact the majority of the time Islam
is providing us religion to deal with imperfect
situations.
That's what makes it, subhanAllah, so beautiful. So
that's why the verses of the Quran are
there for Tawba, like how do I repair
myself spiritually
by turning back to Allah's.
So what I wanted to do quickly is
to
start to develop a few talks here and
there every Friday
on what would be kind of the foundational
what would be the foundations
of an Islamic political theology.
I feel that people on the left have
political theory
without political theology some sometimes,
and I feel that people on the right
sometimes have
a irresponsible
religious
theology if you will, political theology
and then they're not aware of say other
components of political theology which is going to
achieve a balance.
First of all there's this dangerous notion especially
amongst some of the Sunni
prominent teachers
that the masses are not obliged or encouraged
to engage in politics
iterations of certain Salafi,
pundits and scholars and teachers as well as
now in particular since the Arab spring within
the influence of UAE
and the money of the UAE coming into
the American Muslim community and propping up people,
we've also seen now certain Sufis,
pushing a form of what could only be
called Sunni Quietism.
This is not to call people out, but
this is to make people aware of ideas.
And I've even recently heard someone say that
we should not engage in
being,
allies to the environment because the Hadith of
the prophet don't mention that the environment is
going to destroy human beings.
Like, this kind of theology is highly irresponsible.
It's very shallow,
and it's very dangerous.
And within that is the idea that seeking
power or political participation within the west or
anywhere else
is somehow forbidden
and in an extreme case goes against the
decree of God. The decree of God can't
be changed.
But Allah Subhanahu WA Ta'ala. If we look,
there's very, there's a very powerful
point that we can find in the Quran
and and for those of us who are
not not scholars and not
academics, you know, the Quran is there for
you to drive your moral compass
before before
anyone
else right before anyone else can come in
and tell you how to think it's important
to have a relationship with the Quran
Allah
says
the King of or the Sovereign of all
sovereigns,
tu talmulkaman
tasha,
you give sovereignty and power to who you
want.
The explanation of many scholars here, especially the
early scholars,
is that power here means Nabooah.
SubhanAllah.
That
power
is intrinsically
aligned
to prophet
hood. That's very important
because the prophets in order to achieve things
Allah blessed them not only with spiritual power
and
but Allah Subhanahu WA Ta'ala gave them means
to have physical powers. We'll talk about in
a minute.
In the second chapter of the Quran,
verse 251,
Allah gave him power, sovereignty.
1 of the early
mufassar said,
Allah Subhanahu WA Ta'ala gave him prophethood. Why
why would
the word sovereignty be used as a synonym
for Nabuwa
to show how important and intrinsic they are
to one another
and we as a prophetic community,
if we only seek pure naboa
without
financial,
political,
and communal power,
then we haven't fulfilled this obligation.
So understand this well.
In the 5th chapter of the Quran,
Allahu Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,
he actually describes
power
as one of his
blessings. The 5th chapter of the Quran verse
number 20.
Allah says,
remember when Musa
said to his people, Moses,
recount and recall the blessings
of Allah upon you.
When Allah gave you prophethood
and made you kings.
So here now we see this duality
that is encapsulated in one verse. Usually when
Allah talks about prophethood, he says, mulk,
because all power is from Allah.
But here, Subhanallah, Allah divides it and says
that Musa says, remember the blessings of Allah
upon you when he gave you prophethood
and he gave you power.
Moluka,
kings,
political power. Of course, now we can apply
this in our context that we no longer
have
kingdoms,
but we have other ways to exercise power.
So this notion
by some people that the masses of Muslims
and these people, God bless them for their
sincerity and and
realign their sincerity to be inshallah. We see
through the Quran hopefully is a better way
of that
Muslims
in this age. That Muslims in this age
in in enjoy in certain Western countries and
countries overseas,
a semblance of freedom,
which wasn't experienced in the past. And in
the past, they had blessings which we don't
have now. That's just how life is. But
that demands that we realign the language and
understanding of how we engage power
because the siyyah of the people is half
of the fatwa.
So here Allah
says in Surat Al Maida verse 20
that saydna Musa refers to prophethood
and sovereignty
as a blessing of Allah
as a blessing of Allah.
And, of course, then in Surat Al Hadid,
I mean, it's it's beautifully
elaborated on. Allah says after
Allah
says that
we sent prophets
with clear signs,
and we sent them the book and.
So that people
will establish
justice
so that people will establish justice.
Imam Ibn Tamia,
he says something very remarkable about this verse.
He said this implies that the sending of
prophets and the revelation
of the books and the blessing of the
intellect,
its sole purpose is
is to establish justice.
So I I think it's important as we
move into
a discussion
over the weeks on Islamic political theology.
I see people I was talking with a
friend of mine. He was a Sanders,
supporter, a good friend, and he was telling
me my political theory is this. My political
theory is this. I said, okay. What's your
political theology?
So I don't have I don't know I
don't know the length. So if we're going
to call something Islamic, it has to be
supported what with the terminology and epistemology
and the nomenclature
of Islam.
It's very important.
So these verses,
chapter 3 verse 26, where sovereignty is used
as a synonym for prophethood. Chapter 2 verse
251,
sovereignty again is used as a synonym for
prophethood.
Chapter 5 verse 20 where prophethood and being
a king are mentioned together
as blessings of Allah
And then, of course, the 57th chapter.
And after send sending
subhanAllah the Quran,
sending books, sending messengers, and providing us with
intellect,
the last thing that is mentioned is iron.
And, of course, iron is symbolic of political
power.
Right? And in fact, here it is a
symbolic of the most,
threatening aspect of political power is the is
the is the the power to to
to raise arms.
But at a micro level, that has to
happen when there is,
like, politics.
That takes us now to what appears to
be potentially a Biden victory.
And I I I think it's very important
that we apply, and this is what I
hope to model for you in this brief
reminder.
How Aqida
subhanallah
should be brought to our context to inform
us for now.
One of the great concerns and challenges
with how Aqidah is taught is that it
is
causing Muslims to live in the past.
So you will find
Muslims arguing over the positions of Abu Hassan
al Ashari and Al Ghazari and
Imam Ahmed Rahim and
this Imam and this Imam, but they know
nothing about wealth inequality.
They know nothing about the environmental injustices that
are happening in the world. They don't even
know one name of one child being held
on the border
of California
and separated from his or her parents.
They don't understand how many
are suffering in the Jewish camps. They can't
talk to you about the Rohingya. They can't
talk to you about the young Muslims in
the streets that are struggling to get their
life together. They can't talk to you about
the young Muslim women who struggles with her
identity.
The challenges that she face at home and
in her community
and may even have eating disorders. So they
are educated
on things that have no relevance to today,
but then they call
this knowledge.
Imam Al Haramain said that knowledge is what
agrees with your context
and that ignorance is what yukhalif alwaka.
What is contradictory to your context?
And then worse is when they see
young people trying and older people trying to
contextualize
their religion and allow the voice of God,
the hitab of Allah
to speak to their reality, they call these
people modernists.
So you're gonna call those people modernists, they
should call you antiquated.
Because you may be able to regurgitate a
million different arguments why this imam is right,
this sheikh is right, this group is right.
That has gotten the ummah nowhere in 300
years. But you're unaware
of maybe in your own neighborhood,
there are people in your community.
Women being abused, men being mistreated,
youth being abused,
drugs, all kind of things happening. People just
wanting to learn how to pray, man. People
just wanna learn how to read the Quran.
But Shaitan got you busy on side issues,
on the side issues.
So that takes us to our last point
about the Biden potential Biden victory.
And that is
no matter who wins
or who or who loses,
we should not allow ourselves to be
happy to the point that we stop our
work.
We should fall under no illusion.
And that's why in Surat Rumi says,
The believers were happy
with God.
And I say this because there is a
very important point
to our theology
and that is that we cannot escape sin.
It is impossible for us to escape sin.
None of us can
be
perfect.
That's why Imam
Alakani and Jawahar tatuhid says that nobody can
earn profit. Prophets were perfect. The prophets had
isma in Sunni theology.
We are commanded to be like the prophets,
but we'll never be prophetic
as he said in the poem.
And we'll talk about how the idea of
the infallibility
of the prophets
leads to notions of an Islamic Liberation theology
in the future.
But it's very important to note that all
of us are sinners.
We cannot escape sin.
That's why Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says very
beautifully
in the,
44th chapter of the Quran
verse 6.
Be upright.
Allah commands us, be upright.
And this is called a conjunction
which implies togetherness,
wawul ma'iyah,
which means,
be upright, be down on the haqq.
But at the same moment, say Astaghfirullah,
because no matter how down you try to
be,
you are going to be in sin.
And unlike other religions
that utilize
sin as an excuse to rely on the
material world
or a material object that they have made
God
an idol or a man or a woman
Islam says that the outcome of recognition of
sin
is exclusive reliance
on Allah.
That the more someone becomes aware of their
sinful nature,
the freer they will be from a shirk
And the only security and safety and shelter
and fortress they have is Allah. So they
flee from Allah to Allah.
Allahu Akbar.
What does that mean then?
That means that voting for Biden is a
sin. Yes.
Voting for Trump,
sin.
Yes.
But within
the Biden vote,
there are acts of obedience.
That's why right after prayer, what is the
first thing you say?
What's the first thing we say after the
most sacred act we can engage in? What
is the first thing we say?
What's the first thing we say after that?
Why? Why after salah? Because you and I
cannot be perfect. We cannot escape sin.
But instead of allowing that to feel down
and visible and defeated,
this inspires us to turn to the one
who says,
I am the only one who can forgive
you.
Why am I saying this? Because I'm I'm
sure people who voted for Biden were
a little bit shocked that I said this
is sinful behavior.
It is impossible
to vote for any politician
in the world,
except there is some sin therein.
And as I started my Khukba,
I said that Islam does not simply provide
us a language
for when it's great,
but Islam as we'll talk about as we
move forward in the next few weeks,
provides us a language to move through difficult
times,
to navigate sin if needed,
to navigate
the inescapable
reality of God's providence
where sin
may
in fact not allow us an escape,
like voting in America.
Why is that important?
There's also obedience there.
Why is that important?
Because if I frame political theology
between obedience to God and sin, which I
can never escape,
this means that I will never be satisfied.
I will not allow a Biden victory
to intoxicate me to the point that I
forget my religious and social responsibility
because
sin is here.
And at the same time as it empowers
me to
check myself and my own sin,
It also allows me to hold Biden and
whoever comes into power, if I am in
a position of power,
accountable.
So SubhanAllah,
the presence and constant reality of sin is
something that should lead us leave us hungry
constantly trying to improve
constantly trying to draw nearer to Allah subhanahu
ta'ala. That's why the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam
said, Oh people,
I return to Allah every day 70 times
a day. This is Sayyidina Muhammad to teach
us that we always
have to be in a constant state of
repentance.
The point now as I finish
this short reminder, the first point was talking
about the importance of power,
how power, political power is synonymous with prophethood
in the Quran.
And the second component of this Khutba
is that even if Biden wins,
we should not rest on his victory
because sin is ever present.
Sin is ever present.
And by no means
am I
disqualifying
those people who voted for him. I'm supporting
you. But we have to that there is
sin there in our job now,
politically.
If we wanna talk about political theology, is
to limit the sin. So here's the
question. Is there a greater sin to be
silent in face of injustice
or to speak in face of injustice?
To be silent.
But the point and this is where we
have to be careful. I'm not speaking in
in absolutes.
I'm saying that Islam provides us a language
at times and Allah's mercy and forgiveness and
blessing
to navigate
difficult issues which may
in fact contain
some sinful behavior.
That's the challenge of life.
And that's why we have to be very
careful
of the influence of certain
foreign ideologies
in the psyche of the Muslim
that cause us to think in absolutes.
I started the Khukba by saying the beginning,
very beginning that Islam provides us a language
to deal with the complexities of life, which
is the balance between good
and evil.
So
I congratulate,
those brothers and sisters who it looks as
though,
you know, supporting,
vice president Biden. Looks like he's perhaps going
to win the presidency. We we say,
we ask Allah to bless us, to make
this presidency good for Allah's deen,
to make this presidency, Insha'Allah, a means,
of us being able to continue
our work in society to heal a fractured
world.
But the presence of sin and the constant
reality of sin, whether someone is whatever they're
doing,
should be a means to keep us hungry
and thirsty. And that's why Imam Ahmed as
he was dying. What did he say?
He said. No. No. No. No. Why are
you saying no, said Shaitan came to me
and said you did it. You did it.
You said no no not till I leave
not till I'm done.
So may Allah
bless us, and as we continue in the
next few weeks
to lay out some foundations of Islamic political
theology,
We're talking about now, 1st and foremost, is
the need for power,
different types of power.
We'll talk about that in the future. What
is power?
First, especially vis a vis say some components
of critical theory as well as some components
of neo traditional,
Islamic political theory.
And then inshallah, we talked about how no
matter who wins, it doesn't matter. We don't
stop.
No matter who wins
and understanding the presence of sin and evil
protects us from irresponsibility,
irresponsibly
romanticizing
anything
except what Allah has said is pure.
So as we step into a potential
Biden victory, we should be under no illusion
that we have great work to do,
that we have tremendous work to do,
faith work,
community work, social work, economic work, political work.
May Allah
bless
all of us. We ask Allah to increase
us tonight. InshaAllah, we'll have our regular,
Friday program at 11:30
PM EST. Inshallah, we'll be on Facebook live
and other places.
I wanted to keep this as short as
possible, but the 2 important points from this
short talk. Number 1,
the the intrinsic relationship
of prophethood and power And we see Muslims
who are always arguing over second issues like
revert convert. Have you built a a
a a structure to support converts in your
community, but you and I have the energy
to argue over terms? We're we're we're we've
exited Surah Tam Mustaqim.
So instead of getting caught up in little
side arguments and this and this build power.
Build it for the sake of Allah.
And then the second thing we talked about
is the inescapable reality of sin.
That every single one of us is engaged
in sin to a certain degree. May Allah
protect us and limit our sin, and that
leads to a
perennial reliance on Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And then
secondly, keeps us hungry
no matter how good the times get or
no matter how much of a victory
we think we may have achieved and allows
us not to fall into the dangers
of romanticizing
anything. And that's why when the prophet
conquered Mecca, what did Allah say to him?
All of you guys I'll ask Allah to
bless you to protect you to take care
of your families to take care of your
needs to protect us all protect the Ummah
of Sayidina Muhammad
to
invigorate us and bring us back to this
beautiful deen of Allah that we can become
those who serve and heal a fractured world.