Reforming the Self #04

Okay Bismillah R.

And hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah

on a salatu salam

ala Houma aluminum demand fentanyl and fentanyl being an internal as even element yet on the on the meat. Welcome everybody on this drizzly cool fall day.

We are at a very important part kind of like the meat of the

first part of Alaska and his book. The ILA macadam is Sharia. And today, we're going to talk about the translation of that title. And I'll propose a tentative translation. And that'll kind of give us a little bit more sense of what this whole book is aiming for. We got to at the very end of last class,

just as a brief refresher, because we kind of stopped in the middle of a chapter along with us for Hani was talking about the purpose of human life.

And we mentioned, I should say, he mentioned three purposes. Can anyone remember what they were, I guess, let's put it back to you guys. See how much you remember? What were the try to see what you can remember, if you just remember one, okay, to try to get all three, what were the three purposes of human life that are all good, but also how to identify?

It

you can use the chat box, you can use your microphone,

whatever you want.

Everyone should at least be able to get one to worship, there you go. That's the easy one. Okay, good to worship Allah Khilafah. And

anyone remember the third one.

The third one that we're missing was actually the first one in order.

And will not only going are we going to talk more about them today. But he's going to go into the relationship between the three which will help you remember it better in the future.

So the first one was a male

settling upon Earth. The next one was a bad, worshipping a lot. And the third one was Khilafah, representing a lot. So you have a male or a bad feed off that sounds very lovely and rhymes in Arabic, settling, or settlement, worship, and representation. And we talked about a raga. But also honey always brings evidence from the Koran to support his claims. We talked about his evidence for those three purposes, as based in the Koran,

and the one that really concerns us. And we'll see why today in sha Allah is that last one Khilafah. Because these three purposes that are available elsewhere, honey has identified, they're not equal, and they don't all exist on the same plane, there's actually a hierarchy, right, there's

off the very, very base level is the one that you have to do in order to live which is a metal settling upon the earth on the earth. And the second one, which some people do very bad, and then an even smaller selection, and the higher purpose of human life is fried alpha. So Khilafah will be the most important one

which we will discuss shortly. Insha Allah

so Allah will ask for honey, he talks about these three things and he when he's settling into talking about Khilafah, representing Allah on earth, and what it means.

And we talked about how it's sort of like taking all of those qualities which Allah has, which by no coincidence is what we're studying in the Saturday night class when it comes to laws, names and attributes, and making those beautiful attributes

manifest in creation.

So Allah is generous. He loves generosity, and he loves it to see he loves to see generosity being existing in his creation.

Right? So then Therefore Allah loves when we are generous, and how can we kind of achieve this level of Khilafah is by trying to bring about that generous quality that Allah loves and creation as much as possible. It's not just generosity, it's all of the qualities that Allah loves, such as wisdom, such as justice, such as forbearance, and excellence, such as bounty.

All of these things are, what are all about Asfa Hani calls? Allah macadam, a Sharia, which is the title of the book. So half of the title, and Vidya Isla al macadam, a Sharia, how can we translate this particular phrase, we might call it,

the elite qualities, right. So he's, again, all God has tiered our purpose into three levels, the lowest is just taking care of your bodily needs, the middle is realizing that you do owe a lot some worship. And the third is kind of trying to embody these characteristics and manage the earth and the everything in it in the way that Allah would like it managed, according to.

And so this, what it takes to do that work is called an mccadden machete on which we could, I guess, put forth the translation of these elites qualities, right, and has to do with something that's elite, something that's select something that is higher or finer qualities, right things that not everybody has, and that they have to be developed. And so in all of us for Hani title, this book of Vidya Isla McHattie, machete, he says, this book is about the path to developing those qualities. So of all of us for harneys job in this entire book, is to take you from someone who might just be stuck at level one, just settling on Earth, or might have gotten to level two is worshiping, you

know, and to show you that there's a higher purpose that you have been created for this, this level three, this elite select level, and to give you the tools, and the awareness and the techniques to realize and actualize life at that plane at that third high level,

which is something that Allah loves.

So he gives an example as to what is the urgency or why why should we be so concerned about reaching this higher level? Why don't we can sign or resign this sort of

lofty status to the saints, the people who are in Mauritania, or you know, wherever we imagine them to be kind of just doing their own worship hidden away from the world? Why is it that me and you, and Utica, New York or wherever you're tuning in from, should be with a normal day job with, you know,

maybe a short temper, sometimes, maybe whatever you bring, why should we be striving to this higher level,

he gives the example of a sword and a horse. And he's his point is he says that

everything that's created for a purpose.

If that thing doesn't fulfill its highest purpose, then it's kind of like an embarrassment. It's kind of like a, it's a shame. It's kind of a disappointment. So he gives the example of a sword. You know, think about all of the uses that you could put a sword to.

If you really wanted to,

you could slice bread with a sword. You could.

I don't know. You could cut up a piece of paper. You could turn it into a saw and chop wood and do things like that. But the highest purpose the specific purpose that a sword is created for is for battle. Right.

And so if you were to see a sword that were like so perfectly molded and sculpted and shaped

Heat forged for battle

to sustain all this kind of, you know, hard use and this wear and tear and being

clanging against shields and things like that, and then you see it lying around somewhere. And it's used for chopping wood, or for cutting paper.

This is kind of a waste. And it's kind of an embarrassing thing for the sort, it's kind of a disappointment, because it's capable of so much more.

He gives another example of a horse, a horse that's in its prime, that's strong and fast and lean, and it's ready for, for anything, it's brave, it's trained, it's able to, at that time, go to war, or at least to race or something like that. And instead, maybe it's just hooked up to a mill, and it's just walking in circles all day pulling a load. Or even worse, it's just left alone and neglected.

Right, you would look at that horse, and you would feel sorry for it, because you would know that it's, it's destined for such greater things, or it has such greater capacity. And it's just kind of not being used for that capacity.

We could imagine lots of other examples in our own life. Imagine, if you gave a gifts of for somebody, let's say you gave a watch. And you get a very nice watch to somebody for a gift.

You could use a watch to tell time on your wrist, you could use it as a paperweight. You could use it to bunch vegetables or flowers. You could use it for all sorts of things, right? If you were to visit your friend that you gave this watch to.

And you saw that he wasn't using it to tell time he wasn't using it to wear on his wrist but he was propping open a window or something with that watch. Not only would you feel sorry for the watch and disappointed but you would be probably a little upset at the misuse of that thing for other than its intended purpose. Well, all of what a raga but also Hani is driving out with this is what about us.

So many of us are stuck in level one or Level Two activity, just worrying about our food and our bills and our

dunya responsibilities

or stuck at level two, which is better than level one, but still doesn't see the big picture.

We've kind of benefited ourselves but we're not quite yet taking that benefits. The people around us in our community are kind of just content to make our five daily prayers and faster on the lawn and do the little bit that we do

on all of us for how he's trying to tell you that you've been created for much more that you've been created with the capacity to be Allah's Khalifa, or from his full of fat. One of his representatives, one of the people that literally can walk into a room and change the way it feels. Bring this.

You know, we talked last night about lowercase d, divine quality, a secondary divinity that is sourced from Allah's divinity. Or we could say, you know, again, lowercase g, some godly attributes, you could bring life and the tranquillity and inspiration and respect and honor with you wherever you go. You could breathe it into all of your interactions, and all of your relationships. This is how it was to be around the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, when people looked at him, they couldn't take their eyes off of him. Even just the way that he walked, the way that he smiled his countenance, his whole being was exuding this kind of high level, this Khilafah he was

representing a law and all of those things that Allah wants to bring about on Earth at all, nobody else for Howdini is telling you that that can be you. Not only that, that can be you. But that's your real purpose, that this is actually your destiny. And you're actually created for it. Everything that you've been given all the stuff he's been talking about, up until now, about the faculties that you've been given the intellect and the soul and all this. It's all there in order for you to fulfill this purpose.

And so,

our job our motivation should be to

ascend and take up this mantle, take up this responsibility and develop ourselves, develop ourselves accordingly. So that we can do this work.

Because even though we said that man is a potentiality, or human beings are primarily a potential,

we don't come out of the womb having these qualities ready for the Khilafah ready to be allows representative. Some of us may be Allah made it easier or closer to our disposition than others. But it's something that has to be worked out. It's something that has to be trained, it's something that has to be

cultivated.

And Raghavan also had his purpose in this book is to, first of all notify you that this cultivation exists. Second of all, inspire you,

in order to motivate you to pursue that cultivation, and third of all, to give you the tools and to help you begin that journey of cultivation, where you can become where you can become a representative of Allah, and fulfill his Khilafah. Wherever you are.

Whoever doesn't do that, whoever's stuck in the lower levels, especially level one, not so much level two, but an argument also honey uses the eyes of the Koran to say that these people are, are worse than animals. Because the animals are fulfilling the purpose that they're created for

people who are stuck in level one, they're just concerned with their coming and going, they're buying, they're selling their income, they're out there expenditure. They're doing your we responsibilities, which are real responsibilities, and a theater, if you will, or a forum through which to practice these things that we're talking about the Khilafah of Allah. They're not the end goal in and of themselves. So a person who's stuck in this level.

There were some of the animals and he uses a loss statement and home illogical an army Bell home alone. They are only like cattle bell, no, rather there. They're worse than that, without Ecomondo off you doing? Why are they worse than that? Because they are completely oblivious. It doesn't even register. It's not even on their radar, that there's anything other than that to life.

So the next chapter that RhoGAM asks for honey embarks upon after he's given you this kind of roadmap, he shown you the levels, the rungs on the ladder, what's behind you, and what's ahead of you.

And he's motivated you, he's trying to tell you that this is your destiny. This is your responsibility to pursue this level.

He has a chapter that's kind of like a, he wants to make sure that he focuses that energy and that motivation in the proper way. He doesn't want it to be hijacked, and the zeal that someone could feel kind of be used for

something bad or the wrong way. And so he talks about

how this kind of reform is going to go about.

And he spends a while talking about

two main types of reform,

reforming the self as the first type. And the second is reforming others.

And he does not mince his words at all. When he says that one who has not reformed himself or herself, is not fit, does not qualified, is not able to reform others.

In the style of our author, he bases this off of several verses of the Koran and sort of sort of batata Allah says a testimonial and nurse availability with 10 Selma and foster calm one some testimonial Kitab of Allah taffy, don't

do you command the people to do good to do righteousness while you forget yourselves. And you read and recite Allah's book.

Don't you? Use your reason, if that's happening to

Allah says in surah to Matt EDA, yeah, Johan Lavina Avenue, Alec

Man full circle Oh you who believe upon you is yourselves to worry about yourselves. Laidlaw command Bala data data

there, it's not going to harm you at all

other people

who have gone astray as long as you guys stay on your path of guidance.

Then he mentioned a statement of our eternal hubbub, SATA who couple and the Silverado.

He says that you have to study and understand and train yourself.

Before you become responsible before me before you become in a position of authority, or people are going to look to you whether whether that's a spouse or a parent or a local community leader, or anything, study up and develop yourself. Prepare yourself. Because once you become in that position of authority and leadership, then it's almost too late. People are going to be taking your example whether you're ready for it or not.

One of the Messiah, one of the scholars I was closest to in Medina, his name is Sheikh Abdullah, even Amina should PT. He used to compare it to a doctor and there's a couple of doctors with us tonight.

The purpose of a doctor

is to treat people

and improve their condition.

Well, how can someone treat someone if they themselves are sick?

Were stuck in the middle of a pandemic right now? What if you went to the doctor to get your your invasive nose swab to find out if you have COVID or not.

And the person who's giving you this thing, they themselves are tested positive, they themselves are a risk.

They're not going to be able to help you at all treat you identify anything? No, all they're going to do is end up spreading their disease.

So all of these things, an argument is for having he says our why

a person doesn't begin with trying to reform others.

The person has to begin with reforming themselves.

And until they reform themselves.

They're not qualified, and they're not in a position to reform others.

Now, here comes the devil's advocate, if you will,

how do we make this

reconcile or dovetail with all of what we know from the religion, about commanding the good and forbidding the evil.

And all of us for Hani is saying that you can't reform other people until you've reformed yourself. But then we have many, many texts that stressed the importance of commanding the good and forbidding the evil. How do we reconcile between these two seeming contradictions? It seems like Robin Robin also Hani is telling us to to not do that. What's the way out?

Is no one allowed to say anything to anyone else?

Or do you have to be perfect or some level of proficient in order to correct anybody?

And if so, what level? What level do you have to be at before you're allowed to start correcting other people?

I'm going to wait for this one. This is a juicy question.

Doesn't it depend on the way you present it and your intentions?

Doesn't it depend on the way you present it and your intentions?

There's no doubt that the way you present it

is part of it.

And your intentions are also part of the to

what does that address? What's wrong with us for Heidi saying,

because of ragab, Elsa honey is saying

you might use a technique.

That's correct.

And you might have great intentions.

But if you yourself are still sick

with these diseases of the South,

these diseases of the heart, he's basically saying you're going to pass on your germs to somebody else.

So even if you present it correctly in this, like technical sense, right?

And you have a good intention.

Does that save you from that? Doesn't seem like

you might still be, let's say, for example, arrogant, let's say that somebody is arrogant.

And they want to correct somebody else about arrogance.

Right? And they approach it they use the correct technique.

And they have a good intention

do you guys side with raga? But also how do you do you disagree?

Do you think that such a person should shut their mouth basically until they fix themselves?

Or do you think that it doesn't matter that if the person sees something he has to it's like the the

quote unquote, counterterrorism initiative see if you see something say something?

Disagree, so you disagree with which one shake family you disagree with? Along with us for honey, you're saying See Something, Say Something doesn't matter if you've

focused on ourselves first. Only advisor someone asks Okay, much thinking hard about it, Mashallah.

Kelly's says you should at least be working on the diseases of your own heart before trying to remind others, but it is not a prerequisite to have completely overcome them. She finally says going back to medical example, it's like saying you can't help someone deliver a baby. If you never had a baby. I like it. That is good, good thinking, shake family. I like it.

Good. So we have the example of somebody who's sick passing on their sickness. And then you have a different sort of example, which you gave, which I really like, which is like someone who might know about something, but maybe necessarily not had experienced it or struggled with it in the same way. So it's almost like a question of experience, which I liked that angle A lot.

I like all of your ideas. They're very good.

Mufson says focus on ourselves first only advisor someone asks, Kelly says, it's got to be same time thing. You don't have to be perfect, but you least at least have to be on the path.

Shake family says that you don't have to

be that far. It's just that you can know what you're talking about. And someone should be able to accept admonition and advice even if they are struggling with themselves. All very good answers.

There is a distinction. Okay, we can answer the question.

You're all right. Okay. But there's another answer that I can kind of came up with that inshallah maybe has something to it.

If we ask another question, I think we can get to an answer to this question. Which is that?

whose duty is it?

To?

Command the good and forbid the evil?

is commanding the good and forbidding the evil something that's just for the elite? Or is it something for everybody?

Yep, shakes family says it's everybody's duty. Good. Very good.

corollary, if it's everyone's duty,

are we talking about a really difficult stuff?

Maybe like stuff that there's special like knowledge and qualification? Or are we talking about things that everybody knows things that are obvious?

Be good. Do your parents

be good to your spouse? You know, take care of your duties Be good to your neighbors?

Not necessarily. Yes, could Yes. Could be simple, like removing stones from the path. Excellent answer. So the fact that, and this is actually a problem, I think in the way that we translate a little bit about off, we translated as commanding the good. But not off doesn't mean just good. It also means what is known. Right? Which jives with what the fake the assuming the shake family is saying, because they're saying that it's everybody's responsibility. If it's everybody's responsibility, then it has to be fairly basic level stuff, it doesn't have to be very, you know, stuff that requires qualification.

So when it comes to things that everybody knows, not differences of opinion, and FIPS, not where to place my hands in the prayer, not where whether the wag my finger or not, not how long maybe my pants should be or how exactly long my beard should be all these sorts of 50 issues. But things that are mad roof, things that are yes, remove harm, don't harm your neighbor, don't hold a grudge against that person. Treat your parents will visit them, call your sister, pray,

give charity, the all these sorts of things like be kind that don't follow up a charity with kind of rubbing it in someone's face. All these things that are mad, woof that are not only good, but known good, uncontroversial, good.

That is the domain of everyone. And that is how we actually have accountability towards each other in the Muslim community, by knowing each other, at a level that's familiar and intimate enough, that we can actually fulfill this obligation of communal kind of,

you know, communal accountability, at this level at this basic level that nobody really needs any qualifications for. So what are all the bells for Hanny's talking about is something more specific than that. He's not talking about a little bit about oath, he's not talking about

telling people to do these basic things that are uncontroversial that everyone knows, he's talking about becoming a guide for somebody, he's talking about putting yourself in a position of authority or leadership where you are responsible for other people's spiritual paths. You're the teacher, you're the chef, you're the Imam, you are the, you know,

whatever. You're a leader, that people look up to, don't take on this responsibility

to reform other people in this complete way

that he's talking about unless you've gone through that process yourself.

Because if you're trying to advise people in that specific, total, kind of advanced way, that takes qualification that takes having done the work yourself, not commanding the known, good and forbidding the evil, which is something that's open to everybody, something that's basic, something that is an activity for the whole Muslim community to join, to join in with.

And this rule is good, because it stops us from falling into two extremes, right. So we have one extreme, which is like the kind of stereotype of the Haram police, right? People who imagine that they are doing the work of commanding the known good and forbidding the evil, when they're actually inadvertently, unintentionally weighing in on giving differences of opinion and felt and they're

inadvertently passing fatawa because they're speaking without knowledge about things that are legitimate differences of opinion, or things that are actually quite complicated and take some sort of level of study and qualification to understand people who are weighing in on these issues, without any qualifications. They're overstepping their bounds. And this is what people have come to loathe as the quote unquote, haram police. Right. And then there's the other extreme over here, which is just the kind of American attitude of mind your business, right? I could be doing

something publicly horribly wrong, that every Muslim, you know, a man woman and child knows is wrong. And I'm not going to let anybody even say anything to me because I feel like this is my life and you don't have any sort of say in it. Right? So talking about this issue, the rug, but also he's talking about kind of puts us right here in the middle, it shows us the two extremes. And it shows us the proper balance where we have the Muslim community at large, has intimate knowledge of each other. And they have mutual accountability, with things that are basic things that are mouthed off things that are known, good. Everybody knows, nobody needs qualification, or an ijazah to be able to

talk about. And then there's this upper level, where people who are really trying to go into advanced stuff, they're trying to crack through the ceiling of level two, and go into level three and become a representative of Allah upon Earth. develop all these qualities of wisdom and forbearance and patience and all these sorts of things. That specific type of training, if you're going to be studying with someone or you want someone's advice, that type of person needs to have already gone through that thing themselves, or else you're probably just going to end up with the same problems as the other guy.

So that takes us to the end of the chapter.

We've got less than two minutes left. Does anybody have any questions? Before we conclude for today,

announcement

next week, we will be moving the class to 7pm 7pm all classes Thursday,

Saturday, Sunday are going to be at 7pm because the prayer times are moving

and as always, they will be on YouTube inshallah if anyone misses but any questions before we dismiss the class?

Okay, thank you very much everybody for your attention and participation. As always, I'd humbly love salt, some sort of law. I'll see you next time in sha Allah, just like my kindness and I'm like them off to law.