Suhaib Webb – Summer Nights- From Protest to Process
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elder below his name initiate on our agenda Smilla Rahmanir Rahim
Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala Sayidina
Muhammad back Mattila he lived on me. On early he was happy to hear
Jemaine praise Allah subhana wa taala. We send peace and blessings
upon our beloved messenger Mohamed Salah aloha to you early, he was
talking to Salam, upon His blessings, companions, his family
and those who follow them until the end of time I said, I'm on
EComm Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh
number of people reached out to me and expressed that they are
feeling saddened by so many things that have happened the
extrajudicial killing of Islam Hania.
And just the continued sort of onslaught that we see happening in
Gaza, the open air massacre of a people. And it's understandable
that people feel very emotional about these issues, especially
when we're facing
an entity, a political entity that has no restraints, no commitment
to any type of morality, and is is rapid in trying to steal and take
what doesn't belong to them.
But the issue that people brought up is that some people said for
you to feel sad, or for you to feel hurt or for you to feel
pain is a sign of weak Eman.
So I want to address that. And actually, we would usually address
this on Tuesday nights and our theology class. But this allows me
to address the tapping in by no means do I want anyone to think
that I am shortchanging the power and importance of protests. I've
been in multiple protests and continue to go my family continues
to go Hamdulillah. I believe that protests are, as I was taught by
one of the great majority, a form of Naseeha. Right a form of of a
society giving its sincere advice, if you will.
But there's an issue that I want you to think about. And that will
lead into a brief discussion, I actually have a class I have to go
to, I read to a teacher in Karachi. I'm not Hanafi but I
study Hanafi fiqh, just to be able to serve people I live with are
mostly Hanafi is to serve them better. So I'm just reading like a
basic text to him at 11:30pm My time, so forgive me.
But
in our theology, we, we want to think about from protest to
process as being rooted, ideally, in in some type of emotion, some
type of moral, if you will, instability that then compels us
to move. The Prophet sallallahu sent him a link to this to
movement in the famous Hadith where he says, If you see an evil,
obviously, if someone recognizes evil, that's a moral judgment, as
well as the Sharia judgment.
That now is compelling them to one of three things. Right, if you
might not, I mean, c'mon, Karan, whoever from amongst you sees
munkar something which is detestable and evil, for the
European either let them change it with their hand, and if not what
they're handling with their speech, and it's not with their
speech with their heart without a call befallen event.
But the point is that there was a movement in that person, a moral,
if you will, sort of
faultline was broken that compelled them to act. So this
idea that feeling upset, feeling angry, feeling sad, is somehow a
sign of wiki men
does not align with the Sunni theology.
Sunni theology looks at the world through three lenses that I need
you to remember as we push into our topic.
That is, number one, the test of Allah, number two, the Command of
Allah. And number three, our choice cuspal. And you might want
to write this down. This is very important. And this is the
foundation of liberation theology within Islam.
That allows us not to talk about social justice but religious
justice.
We believe in something called religious justice, which actually
is more expensive than say, the limits of *
You're a social justice. But three things you want to keep in mind.
The test of ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada the Command of Allah subhana wa
Tada. And our choice, because also I heard I was I was in the Arab
world during the Arab Spring, I lived in Egypt during the Arab
Spring, I participated in the protests against Hosni Mubarak
Alhamdulillah.
With our teachers,
and I remember some people saying, like for you to protest against
this despot is a sign that you are like your Eman is weak. You
haven't accepted God's plan.
We haven't accepted accepted God's command.
One of my teachers said, no, no, no, we've accepted God's command
and pushed back against God's test course metaphorically, right.
And what he's getting at is this frame that I just gave you, if
you're an activist or if you're involved in activism, we
appreciate the work you're doing May Allah bless you and increase
you. You get the roses and the flowers of the community these
days.
You're on the frontlines doing so many great things. But there's the
test of Allah, the Command of Allah, and our choice.
At times, in our theology, we believe that the test of Allah and
the Command of Allah can contradict each other, the Command
of Allah is what's in the Quran, what came from the Prophet
salallahu Salam and the guidance of our lemma. At
the end, they'll add in one more fear boom accom share it.
That's where we get confused, like bad things happening in the world,
evil all over the place, Muslims suffering Muslims not getting a
victory.
So many things are happening. And and it can be difficult as emerald
paste in one leader to kill emoji, you know, or sudo level. In more
case, he said one of his poems like my knights are like waves
that drown me sometimes for like the dunya. And watch. Like, it's
like it's drowning us. But this allows us now to look at something
that the test can be good or bad.
And in the face of the test, I stick to the command.
So if if the test and the command are contradictory, like when we
become Muslim, you know, we go somewhere, we see all of our
friends doing evil. Shaitan comes to us and says, Well, all your
friends are doing evil. This is a god's what God has allowed to
happen. So he must be telling you to do evil. No, no, no, no. That's
the test of Allah in front of me. I stick to the commendable law.
That's why Sobor is so important. Because what am I being patient
and resilient on on the Command of Allah, when the test of Allah is
chaos?
And that's what it means to worship Allah as though you see
him even though you can't see him you know, he sees you. That's
actually the meaning of the Hadith. And tablet Allah Hakka
indica Torah, the ilimitado Contura. In New York, it's not
some weird, esoteric explanation. No, no. When all things around me
are evil.
I stick to the hub.
Let's call it karma. Yanni in Alladhina, Kalu. Robin Allah so
master calm, right, those who say we believe in Allah subhanaw
taala. And then they stay committed, and they stay
hamdulillah dedicated to the hokum of Allah.
That is the essence of Islam that's what it means to submit to
Allah. So these three things, number one,
test and challenges that Allah puts in our life whether whether
they are
possible or not.
Number two,
the HUKUM of ALLAH that comes through through ye from Quran and
from the Prophet and from the mountain for
number three, our choice and when we ask Allah subhana wa Tada Yeah,
can I go do what you can to stay you will always worship you'll
always seek, we seek your help to stay on the hokum
we seek your help to stay on the ruling we seek we seek your help
to stay in a state of Islam. That's what after we say in this
time, it didn't sell out instantly. Like keep us firm.
Someone asked him Mr. Rossi Rahim. Hola, Yuma, Arizona, like why do
Muslims say do not sell out in stock email after Allah has
already guided them? He said because they're asking Allah to
keep them on the hook to keep them on the hack. And that's why the
prophets Allah Allah Why do you suddenly used to say Allah whom
I'm up buddy bell hooks up there colombiana de or Allah there
Turner of the hearts. Keep my heart on your on the truth. And
that's what Allah subhanaw taala says Allah the Halacha multiple
higher Talia Balu welcome or you upset or I'm gonna have a credit
death and like to test you that's that test. For the believer.
That's the test a Hasib a nurse who ain't new to Roku, a Hulu
airman who lives there? None of us do.
Do people think that they are going to say they believe and not
be tested? Of course, that's that test, that test has to happen.
Because that contradiction is going to be there all the time in
our lives we have what Allah has commanded. We have what's going on
around us. The Muslim is the one who submits not to the world. But
Muslim, the Emory law, but it's submitting to the commendable. So
in the face of all these challenges,
this is a moment for us to build our strength, and to stay strong.
And to know what the lucky hack that the promise is of Allah is
true, and not to become weak. When I tell him what a dozen, don't,
don't be sad, don't be depressed what and tool Allah in Quran to
more meaning, more meaning you will be successful if you if
you're believers in what in what Allah in a Promise of Allah, that
will ever sincerely stick to the Command of Allah in front of in
front of existential chaos. These allow for Allium, whatever, he
says, very important, this is the foundation of aqidah. This is
functional towhee that leads to strengthen the unity of the
community and not dividing us if you're studying al Qaeda from
someone. And the fruit of that al Qaeda is that you hate the
Muslims, you hate the Imams, you weaken the ranks of the Muslims,
you're not standing up here. But actually, that should lead to a
greater understanding and appreciation
for Allah and a greater capacity to submit to Allah subhanho wa
Tada. So I say that because
as we face these challenges, we have to come to grips with the
process, not just protest, we can no longer just be satisfied with
protest. Protesting is important.
At protests will Hamdulillah. But also we have to start to think
about in honestly, in the context of Western Muslims, we saw what
happened in the UK, were immediately the far right, labeled
the actions of that of a Muslim, we saw the reaction. We saw people
that even we thought were allies of the community to come out
coming out and attacking us. attacking our people
in the United States are constantly under pressure from
different different sorts of layers of the world. And we see
internationally, what the public slaughter of people in Gaza, the
open execution of people, clearly these executions violate basic
international agreed upon human rights. And we see that Muslim
leadership, Muslim political leadership is silent.
It can feel like a very difficult moment.
But it's perfectly acceptable to feel that way because you can be
upset and angered by the test of Allah.
But not anger at the hook.
And that's why the Prophet SAW Allah when he was dilemma. When
the Qibla wasn't being changed. Allah says Karnataka Luba wotja,
HCA Vista, Matt, we see you keep looking at up to see when we
changed. Sonowal Liana kept. Okay, but that in turn, Baha su will
turn you to a camera that will make you happy. That means before
he wasn't happy, he wasn't happy with happened to pay, pray that
direction.
But when the command came, he handled it changed. So we see here
that it's okay, if you speak Arabic, it's easy to have anger
and to be sad and disturbed with ullmark door, but not to be angry
and sad with each other. It's okay to be angry instead, what was the
what's been decreed in our lives as tests and challenges that
contradict the Sharia. But we should never be upset with the one
who Subhana wa Taala who would decrease those things, which is
Allah.
I say that and I have to jump off because one of the things that I
think I want to encourage us to think about are really the
following areas and then forgive me I have to jump into another
class today.
And that is number one, we have to start to think about our political
power. And we can no longer tolerate and I'll go through this
next week in our contemporary issues class people would tell us
that engaging in politics is shirk and kufr
we need to unpack that theology theologically, give you the
evidence as for why it's not shirking Cofer, and that we can no
longer tolerate this stuff because it's going to weaken our ranks.
And, and, and cause us not to act in a way that at least in front of
Allah, we did our best. We did our best people say, well, this
doesn't work that doesn't work. The people in the moon I feel keen
and that's what they said to the Sahab. Look what you did, it
didn't work. Then when I feel pain and taboo, that's what you did.
This didn't work. And when I feel pain in hands up, they said that
you did this. Listen, the outcome is to Allah. we're commanded to
make effort, but we're not commanded to make the outcomes of
effort. Well, now they get you lead, but if your job is just
To convey the message to people, the outcome is to Allah. So one to
think about our political power. How do we amass political power?
And then how do we use that political power for say, like the
next 30 to 20 years, what's the 20 or 30 year plan for this, and
that's where we need
people that are involved in politics in the Muslim community,
not just to be thinking about getting the career appointment in
the federal government, but come in and inform and educate the
community on those candidates that best align with Islamic values,
and are going to protect our community. It's very important.
Number two, we have to think about economic power. How do we create
economic power within our community? I know when I was an
imam at Boston, we actually had a lint trust that was up to $22
million. And we were about to start a credit union in the
masjid, which was interest free for Muslims are heavily reliant on
blood. I mean, there are ways to build economic power for people in
the community.
Number three, we have to think about our unity. And we need to
make an assessment what has worked and what hasn't worked, like have
an honest conversation, have these divisions between this group and
that group, this teacher and that teacher in this? What, what is the
fruit of that?
We should no longer stomach it, we should locate unity as Muslims,
not necessarily uniformity and admitting our differences
important? Absolutely. But a broader mandate of unity as being
something which is not only a moral command, but a religious
command we'll have to follow up on but we'll have strategic benefit.
All the infighting, what has it done? What has it accomplished?
What has it built? What What has it done to preserve, even a bottle
of water can get into Gaza, but people are arguing about this and
that this group, that group, the chef attacking this person, who
can't even get a bottle of water is
like that, that is a community that is understood if illusion,
like it's not dealing with reality. So especially when you're
young, and I think it's very important for people on Tik Tok
are watching, don't stop to create a resume of your Islam that's
always involved in these fights and these differences, create a
resume of Islam that empowers you build you scales you and lets you
let you become the greatest Abdullah that you can be. And the
most beneficial person you can be. That's the resume of experiences
that you want to have in your Islamic education. Not the Crips
and Bloods and the gang violence and what's it going to build for
people?
So So Unity, there's so many lectures I did on it, you can find
them on my podcast, you can find them on YouTube practical unity,
not impractical unity, because we have to acknowledge we do have
certain differences that are non negotiable. How do we how do we
how do we then work within that system?
The last thing is that we need to increase our worship or to unlock
with Allah and not underestimated in the mitochondria and come to
Masada and with you as long as you pray. What you said okay, you
barely anything yet, buddy. I am with you as long as you meet.
So next week shut out on Wednesday night I'll be overseas but I'm
still going to try to make it happen. Beat Nila. We're going to
continue talking about contemporary issues want to talk
about the issues of political participation within a democracy?
And what are the different levels were contours that addresses
within the need to build political economic, communal power? Allah
listed this in the Quran. When he says
firsthealth Europe back on Zoom Matobo LA, use it to what an
either political, the Prophet says to His people listen to what he
says. Repent to Allah, seek his forgiveness and Allah will
increase your strength
to times who will attend to Isla Quwata come the strength of deen
the strength of a man, the strength of being a Muslim ILA
quality come with whatever kind of material strength you have is
enough. Oh Wharton, 2011 man, a man in the UK who were 10 map or
vertical.
So So here we see especially those of us who become Muslim, or those
of us who came back to Islam, don't throw your talents away.
It's the Muslims need your talent, because it is either coming
forward and either co equal, God will increase you in religious
strength, with your strength that you already have, which is of
course, eluding to economic, political, communal, whatever kind
of strength you have in your life, your talent that you have. If we
turn back to Allah and flee to Allah years, Ito could go what and
ILA who was equal to all who attend to tapestry so we'll talk
about that next week. Forgive me tonight for the short bye N have
to go to a class now. But now last month, Allah accept
all of us and may Allah protect us, Alma and all of us of course,
we're certainly startled by the
mass murders, extrajudicial killings of people, the continued
aggression on Gaza and we have to stop asking these people to do
anything for us. It's very obvious that until we have our own
strength, unfortunately and our own ability to impact and heal a
fractured world
it's going to be a tough road. So as to last but we should not we
should protest but by no means I honestly believe that some of
these sickos they like it when we say like Look what you've done
look what they did, they did this they slaughtered this they killed
this. I feel some of them actually there is something wrong with
them, that they actually enjoy seeing people analyzed. So ask
Allah subhanaw taala is a bit not Allah has given us a Luca subhanaw
taala your head so for now, what you said but now, Iman, you have
did Elena or and for Baraka, la vie cul de sac and malo heron. My
apologies for taking your time for Salallahu salam ala Salem Hamad
Salaam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh