Free and Yet Shackled

Some people are in jail. And yet they are seemingly free.

Some people are behind bars, and yet they are free in the sense that they are worshiping the One who created them. They are fulfilling the purpose of life. They experience a tranquility and a fulfillments and a sweetness in their hearts that no other human being can take away.

Some people are behind bars, and yet they are free by refusing to allow the temptations of this world, the distractions around them to shackle them by refusing to allow the oppression that they experience or they see in other places to affect them in terms of the purpose of life. Some people are jailed, innocently put behind bars, and yet they are free.

And the reality is, there are a larger number of people who are free, legally speaking, and yet they are shackled. There are people who are free, like many of us, and oftentimes, there's a type of imprisonment that people experience in terms of being shackled to their sins. There are people who are free and yet they are shackled by choice. They are shackled to the disobedience of Allah subhanaw taala they are shackled by refusing to move forward when Allah has given them many blessings, many reminders, many signs and many opportunities. Some people are free, and yet they are shackled by their desire to be pleasing to other people to be validated by others, willing to give

up what they actually believe in because of societal or peer pressure. Some people are free, and yet they are jailed in their minds. They are jailed in their hearts, they are jailed in their actions. And the reality is every one of us should consistently reflect on this question of whether or not we are amongst those who are free and yet imprisoned or imprisoned and yet free. For Allah subhanaw taala gives us many reminders in the Quran. And specifically here with the usage of the word oxygen and oxygen in general. And its different forms. It's found primarily in salt use. It's found primarily examples that we see with the story of Yusuf Alayhi Salam. But with regards to humanity in

general jail imprisonment, when one is innocent is a fitna, it is a trial it is a test and it is not an easy test. Being put behind bars when one is innocence

is something that we have seen throughout history and we've taken many lessons from,

from scholars, to students of knowledge to innocent parents to professionals. People are innocently put behind bars because of the color of their skin or because of their religion. People are put behind bars because they refuse to buckle under pressure, whether due to a political agenda or something else, people who are put behind bars because they are profits. People are put behind bars, because they refuse to support falsehood as scholars.

And one of the most famous examples in our Ummah, that we reference often but it's important for every Muslim to take lessons from his life is the experience and the legacy of the Imam Muhammad bin Hamad Al Rahim Allah. Imam Muhammad, for those who don't know as a reminder is one of the greatest scholars. In our tradition, one of the greatest scholars of Hadith one of the greatest scholars of under sunnah. And the Imam had been humbled Rahim Allah traveled and studied under many different scholars. He was raised by a single mother, Imam Ahmed Rama hula at a young age was dedicated to memorizing and memorizing memorizing not just the Quran, but many Hadith and looking for narrations

that are authentic, and he compiled one of the largest, most extensive compilations of Hadith when he was a scholar living in or under the rule of the ambassador era, the whole effort of the ambassador empire, there was an inquisition that took place, a court Inquisition, the Mishnah and here specifically, the Inquisition was going after scholars of the Sunnah who refused to publicly profess something that most Muslims don't care about or know about today. But it was an issue that they had argued about during that time. Whether or not the Quran is created or uncreated. Now of course, as I knew sooner we know the Quran is uncreated. Why is the speech of Allah Kola Mala cannot

be created? Why can analyze one of his attributes so you cannot say it is created this contradicts the Quran this goes against what Allah tells us so it's not a big issue for Muslims today. But they are Basset hula at that time, made it a big deal. Why? Because they were taking from Morteza Lee thoughts, a group that had risen to fame during that time, a group that emphasized rationalism over many other things. So they're more a Tesla, although there was some positive contributions of that movement to the OMA. The model. Tesla also had very problematic very problematic views in this

sense of contradicting the Quran, and it had influenced those who are in power. Long story short during the reign of two of these hula during the reign of two of them and Matt moon and Anwar AutoSum. The Inquisition was going after scholars who refuse to publicly profess what they had told them to profess. So Imam Muhammad was one of them. There were a few other scholars they were not very famous. Imam Muhammad refused. Why? His impression is that if as a scholar regardless of my life being threatened or not, if as a scholar, I buckle under the truth or under pressure, and I refuse to speak the truth that will impact the rest of the Ummah, why, and how the scholars have a

greater responsibility. The scholars have a much greater level of responsibility, because as he said, during the Inquisition, if the scholars remained silent because of oppression, because they're being oppressed by a ruler, if they are silent, and people don't know people are ignorant about the truth, then when will the truth be manifested? In other words, the truth won't come out. If the scholars who are supposed to preserve and teach the religion or not, and the people do not know then when will the truth come out? Now, he had what some people might see as a valid reason to stay silent, a valid reason to say whatever they told him to say because his life was being threatened by

he refused. Imam Muhammad Rahim Allah was tortured. He was put behind bars for a number of years and in fact, it was through the reign of two of the homophone until the third amongst them finally to reverse the Inquisition. And when he was put behind bars, they would frequently bring him out in front of other people. They would try to embarrass him try to humiliate him at one point, they brought some of their own scholar puppets, and they would say certain things to make him seem like he's backwards like He's silly. Like he doesn't know what he's talking about. In your mind. Muhammad would use the Quran. Reference the Quran referenced a hadith to refute them in front of public

audiences. They would take him behind bars and torture him they would take him behind bars and whip him they would flog him Rahima hula, but he refused. He refused to buckle under that pressure. He saw a level of responsibility. Now what ended up happening is Imam Muhammad Rama Allah, a very pious man who never missed priamo lane as his son reported Imam Ahmed Rahim, Allah pious man, his son report that his father used to recite the Quran every single day of his life. Imam Muhammad Rahim Allah who had memorized Some scholars say up to a million narrations with their different chains of narration with the different isnaad mo law is one of the most virtuous scholars the other scholars

had spoken highly of including Imams Shafilea from Allah who said, I left the dad and I did not leave anyone more virtuous and more knowledgeable than Imam Muhammad or had been humbled.

Imam Muhammad was finally freed. The Inquisition was reversed after two more rulers so he was imprisoned for a long time. And when he was freed, Allah subhanaw taala raised his status in DOMA. Why, because he had held on to the truth. He had defended the truth in terms of what is orthodox Islam, and it was seen even amongst the scholars as a very difficult test to get through. It's not an easy thing to get through when you're being tortured. Imam Muhammad Rahim Allah it was said about him by one of the greatest scholars out in Medina Rahim Allah, Allah subhanaw taala reinforced this religion with Abu Bakr Sadiq Radi Allahu Allah on the day of the apostasy, a leader and he enforced

it or reinforced it with him had been humbled on the day of the Inquisition the manner because of how he held on and this is not a surprising thing to us, unfortunately, unfortunately, it is not uncommon. There are many other people throughout history had been put behind bars for reasons like this because the ruler wanted to or because they were Muslim, or they were to practicing, and so on and so forth. Amongst them. Another great scholar was it been Timmy Ramallah in the 14th century? I mean, to me, it was a very well known scholar, even amongst his people, and he was put behind bars on six different occasions. None of these were crimes. Every single one of these was because of a

religious opinion, a verdict that he had shared or taught, had been tainted Mullah was put behind bars for up to 12 years of his life. And from behind bars, he used to write many of the books that now are being studied in western universities and academia, books that oftentimes will take us years to really dissect and get through it being timid. Timmy rahamallah was a scholar of independent thought meaning he studied them into him, he was very intellectual, very critical as well. And he revived a lot of hate in terms of going back to the classical to the original references in Islam. But long story short, how did you react to this injustice? You learn a lot about a person when

they're put through difficult situations. You learn a lot about people when there's a hardship, whether it's a family member, or a community member, or a scholar or anyone else. And so even behind bars, even in prison, there were opportunities that used to arise for some of the scholars for some of the righteous and even today with many innocent Muslims behind bars, dark

People who convert to Islam because an innocent Muslim is there. And the reality is it's an increasing number of people and even at the time of Ibn Taymiyyah Rahim Allah, a lot of the inmates, a lot of the people behind bars used to come and listen to him, and they had become more practicing and closer to Allah subhanaw taala. He saw his imprisonment as a divine blessing. He saw the injustice that he was going through. This doesn't justify it. Don't Don't misunderstand. But he saw what was happening to him as a divine blessing. And even Taymiyah rahamallah. He said the famous speech and I had shared this before that his students and other scholars have been on the podium

Rahimullah went to him, they would try to comfort him often while he was in jail. And he would comfort them because of how strong his faith was, how strong his Eman was. So he said the famous words What can my enemies do to me? He said, My a snarl up what can they do to me, he said, My Jana, Jana t what Boustany are in my heart, and they never leave me. Wherever I go, they never abandon me. In other words, while he is behind bars, and he is not free, legally speaking, he's a free person in terms of his faith, in terms of his spiritual state in terms of his psychological states. He's feeling free more than ever before, but I'll come along. And then he said, the lens of optimism here

that we are all in need of, he said, As for my imprisonment, if I'm put in prison, he said, unhappy Hello, it is an opportunity to worship Allah in seclusion. You're looking at it and you see injustice, you're angry. Of course, there's angry when there's injustice. But while he's going through this situation, and he has gone through it six different times, he's trying to look at the positives, he's trying to interpret something here, that may be good for me, that I cannot see behind the scenes. So he said, As for my imprisonment, Hep C Haleiwa. It is an opportunity to worship Allah alone.

And then he said, Well, partly shahada us for them killing me, then I will be a martyr. He's looking out to the positives here. If they kill me, yes, there's an injustice they Allah will deal with them. But if they kill me, I'll be a shaheed. And then he said, We're Rajim in Bella dcr. And if they kicked me out of my land, then it's an opportunity to see other lands, it's an opportunity for tourism. In other words, even Taymiyah Rama Allah Who pardoned and forgave those who are oppressed him, wrote many books behind bars influenced oma in so many ways, while he was still imprisoned, never was married during his life. And he used to write letters to his mother to his family members,

to his students, to the scholars to the rest of the OMA. He used to write a lot of letters, even to some of the rulers, he would write letters, advising them, warning them giving them Dawa, calling them to the truth. And at one point, he had written a letter that was preserved, and that there's a famous book that compiles the letters that they've been taking from a law firm behind prison walls. And he said to his mother, it was not our choice to be far from you, had the birds been able to carry us we would have come to you, but the absent one has his reason. And had you been able to look deeply into the affairs of the Muslims, you would not choose for me any place other than the one

that I am in right now. Nevertheless, I had never intended to stay here permanently, remember 12 years of his life, he may do art for his mother, for the Muslim ummah, he made dua, and He forgave even those who imprisoned him and those who caused his imprisonment. And then he said, I'm always thinking he's telling his mother from behind prison walls. I'm always thinking about traveling towards you, and praying the prayer of St. Hora, meaning if I'm kicked out of this land, if that's one option, I want to come to you, I want to come back home, meaning I did not choose to be here. But listen to what he says. And this is a translation. He says it is inconceivable for me, if given

the choice to favor any of this life's mundane issues, or the lesser obligations of the dean, to being close to meaning, of course, if it's a small issue that I'm in jail for, or if it's something of a dunya, I would not choose any of that. Rather, I would rather come home to my family, I would rather come home and he's saying here to his mother. He said And yet there are issues which I cannot abandon for fear of their general and personal dangers, meaning what for fear that if I don't hold on to the truth and speak these views, and share these views, that it will cause harm to the ummah. And so in this case, he's giving preference to the OMA over his over being with his mother. And then

he says that the ondemand the witness sees what the absent does not teammate you're out for her and asked Allah to guide them to the best of things. And he said, the matter the situation that we are in, in the middle of is too great to describe what a whole I want to Quwata illa biLlah there's no power or ability except through Allah and then he gives salons to the entire family, the neighbors and every person that they come across one by one.

There are many innocent Muslims in jail today.

And there are many Muslim Muslims who are never freed in this life. There are many innocent Muslims who have just tried to sneak

How to letters to their families. Letters to the rest of the OMA. There are many innocent Muslims who have been put behind bars in Palestine for decades now. And still children are being put behind bars. There are many innocent Muslims who are behind bars in India, and many innocent Muslims in concentration camps in East Turkistan, what is called shinjang at the hands of the Chinese oppressive government. And there are many innocent Muslims in prisons here and all around the world. And generally there are many innocent people put behind bars. But as for those who are in prison because of their faith, and they hold on to their data in Allah, and they become stronger believers

behind bars. Abu Dhabi, Allah Juan gave glad tidings. He reported that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said it below him infomedia Toluna lagenda toughie Selassie Allah subhanho wa Taala the word in English is loose. So don't Don't think too much about this Allah subhanho wonders at people who enter paradise in chains. And there are a number of meanings for this hadith. One of them as Indian Josie Rahim Allah said, it means that these are people who have been taken prisoner, and they've been restrained. But when the truth is shown to them, they submit to the truth. But more scholars have stated about this hadith that it refers to the Muslims who are imprisoned, and they

die behind bars. Muslims who die meaning in chains, so they are resurrected in a similar state. They are entering gender in a similar state, as a reminder of what they went through in this life, and they held on to their Islam as a reminder of the faith that they had in one of the greatest tests that people can go through. There are many people who are being tortured as we speak today as we live our lives freely as you go back to your home. As you enjoy your freedom. Legally speaking, there are many people who are imprisoned, and we forget about them. They are imprisoned and we don't make dua for them. They are imprisoned and oftentimes even the Dawa attempts which are massive in

this country have become undermined, belittled neglected in many communities.

And the reality is, there are people who will always be in prison, always even in the future, while being innocent. And we are talking here about the innocence prisoners. And they may never see justice in this world. They would wish to have an hour or two of freedom to be able to do something of quiet to be able to contribute something to the community or to the OMA. But oftentimes, as we know, in many cases, they don't have that chance. There are many examples of scholars, dozens or now hundreds of scholars in a country that made itself seem like it was a hard line strict Islamic country in which even driving for women was haram in a land in which I should on the other hand, I

used to ride her camel.

And now things have changed. The floodgates of concerts and music and clubs and alcohol have opened. And the scholars are now behind bars. The scholars are being imprisoned. Scholars who've never advocated for violence, who have never advocated for anarchy of any type. put behind bars. Well, we're living our lives. The example of the first democratically elected president in Egypt, a health of the Quran and someone who tried his best as far as we know to practice Islam, and to demonstrate what Islam meant to him, put behind bars and slowly killed off and as is the case for many others, and many other innocent prisoners in Egypt and many other political prisoners around the world. May

Allah subhana wa Tada ease their affairs and grant them justice and grant them freedom. And may Allah subhanaw taala punish those who oppress along the Amin.

Sometimes people think success for the believer is only in having legal freedom. But there are some people it was meant for them destined for them in this life. To be behind bars for wisdoms we cannot see. And to die in a state of faith is not always a loss. It's not a failure. We may think that the one who did not get justice, that there was a failure here, spiritually speaking, they may be martyrs like us havin dude who were all killed in the ditch in the fire. You may think success is only in one form that you live in the preservation of life is one of the most important objectives, McCall said of the Sharia. But sometimes it's not meant for them. There are people who are free and

they're far from Allah. There are people behind bars and they're closer to Allah subhanaw taala and have benefited the woman countless ways.

And sometimes people come out from jail, and they have new insights, new experiences, new things, new dedication, so they ended up serving them in a different way. Had they not been tested with imprisonments.

One of our professors at the University of Jordan had criticized the government there for getting involved in a war that he as he was criticizing in a way that he or you'd not do not think twice. You can criticize domestic and foreign policy. He was criticizing them because the country was struggling economically, but you cannot criticize the government so they took him to jail. For several months he disappeared off campus went to jail.

And they tried to intimidate him to try to scare him silenced him as well.

And when he came back out, I was walking on campus I used to pass by his office every day. And I walked by his office one day and the light was on. So I knocked on the door and he was there, he was back. And I asked him what happened and he explained about his experience. He said, I have never felt closer to Allah subhanaw taala than during these few months, read 1000s of pages of tough seed and tetherball and many other things and read the Quran every day and made dua said I never felt as close to Allah subhanaw taala then through this experience, sometimes those insights are beneficial for the person, the individual, or their families or their home in ways we cannot measure. But the

reality for most of us is not that the reality for most of us is that we are legally free hamdulillah and it is a blessing. And while you are legally free, oftentimes, we do not imprison our knifes rather we are imprisoned by it. We do not control our desires. We are controlled by our desires. We do not shackle our tongues in our hands, but rather we are shackled by our tongues and hands. And Abdullah bin Massoud Radi Allahu Allah. And he said, Well, Allah He led the Inner Inner her vital by Allah besides whom there is no deity, he said, There is nothing. There is nothing on earth that is in greater need of a lengthy prison sentence than the tongue. Because often times we

commit dozens of major sins every single day by backbiting, gossiping, lying, slandering other people. And there are many other examples like this, who may be in a situation in which you are racing, away from your weight from your temptations, away from sinfulness away from disobedience and other people take it easy. Other people are very lacks. Yusuf Ali Salam once again, the example of a surgeon mentioned maybe nine or 10 times in the assault on the prisoners as well use of it his son and the only thing we'll say about this, when the wife of an Aziz tried to seduce him, Allah subhanaw taala tells us was stabbed up called Bob. They both were racing towards the door. But they

were racing towards the door for different reasons. She was racing towards the door to shut the door and to commit a sin to do something that is evil.

And to oppress by force, Yusuf Ali salaam was racing to the door and away from sinfulness, out of fear of falling into disobedience, racing towards Allah's pleasure, racing away from something that could be extremely harmful racing from what he sensed as dangerous. And later on, when she was mocked by the women of the city, and she had Youssef walk out in front of them, to show them this is the man that I was trying to seduce. She said, if he does not do what I command him to do, I'm going to put him in prison, and he's going to be amongst the disgraced you see prison always usually you see that as what, as something that is evil as a bad option. Yusuf Ali Salam may drop, and Allah

subhanaw taala answered his dua and for him prison was better than the situation that he was in to be put behind bars for use of it Saddam freedom and protected him from something sinful.

Restrain your desires and you will be the most free of people. Restrain your desires, your knifes, control them, and you will be the most liberated of people. And if you have shackles that are holding you back, you know you're committing a major sin. You know, there's an act of worship, you still have not implemented but it is obligatory

and it's seemingly holding holding you back like you are shackled by it. At the end of the day. Remember the shackles you let go of will give you the greatest freedom and the next life will give you the greatest freedom when you die. And you'll taste the freedom of the sweetness of faith in this life as well. What a merman Hawthorn upon will not be one enough Sanyal Hawa for eternal Jana to heal Magua as for those who had a fear in this life and all of standing before their Lord in the next life, and they restrain themselves from their evil desires, then for them paradise is their home. May Allah subhanaw taala make us amongst those who are free, legally and free in terms of our

temptations and shackles of this life. And may Allah subhanaw taala rectify the affairs of all of the innocent prisoners all around the world. Along the mean ask the Lord for forgiveness. He's the oft forgiving the Merciful.

hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah were an early he was Sami woman Juana.

No matter how strong you feel your desires are your neffs is your stronger.

No matter how busy you are in life. Seek knowledge consistently, for it will protect you and benefit you. No matter what sins you commit to return to Allah immediately. No matter how much effort it takes, stay away.

From bad company. And finally, no matter how tempting this world is, remember Jenna is greater work towards Jana productively. The Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam also referenced prison in a different way. When he said a dunya siege noon movement were janitorial careful. This life is a prison for the believer. And it is a paradise or a garden for the disbeliever. What does this mean? As is explained by Raja himolla? As for what Allah has prepared for the believers in Jana, it is so great Jana is so great that it makes this life seem like a prison and the Hellfire for those who are wicked and deserve it based on Allah's wisdom and His justice. The Hellfire is so severe and so bad, that it

makes this life for the disbelievers seem like agenda no matter how bad their lives are here, no matter how good they are. This life is like agenda for the one who's going to be punished. And for the one who's going to enter Jannah May Allah make us amongst them. This life seems like a prison, a sincere legacy with Allah subhanaw taala is for us to be liberated, freed spiritually from all the things that are holding us back. So free yourself of the shackles of this world for yourself with the shackles of temptations and societal pressures and ask Allah subhanaw taala to grant you sincerity and consistency I ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to grant justice to those who are being

oppressed in every land in every place, and to make all of us a source of justice and a cause of justice for others. And ask ALLAH SubhanA wa Taala as he gave us legal freedoms in this life to make us amongst those who live spiritually free as well. And I ask Allah subhanaw taala to make us amongst those who die upon La Ilaha illa Allah and a resurrected in good company along with me.

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