Umm Jamaal ud-Din – Reviving The Confident Islamic Identity

			Now yes the Hila who fella
		

			what may you build Fela howdy Allah wa shadow La Ilaha Illa la who wants to who lasha de cada y
shadow, Mohammed Abdullah who are pseudo pseudo la who alayhi wa sallam all praises it for law. We
praise Him, we thank Him, we asked him for his help, and we asked him for his forgiveness, we seek
refuge Allahu taala from the evil of ourselves, and the evil directions, whoever is guided by law,
that no one can misguide them, and whoever is misguided then no one can guide them except for LA
hota. Allah, I bear witness it there is no god worthy of worship except Allah. And I bear witness
that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is his final messenger and But first of all, my dearest
		

			sisters and brothers as salaam wa Alaykum wa warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
		

			My dear sisters and brothers, those with an agenda against Al Islam, they want to break your spirit
as a believer. And they want you to see going to the masjid. And they want you to see openly showing
your Islam and wearing your hijab with pride. So each of us has two choices, you can give in to
those with that agenda and allow your fi to paralyze you and shrink back down into your comfort
zone. Or you can rise up and use the pain that you feel in your heart to fuel you into becoming an
even stronger believer in Sharla than you ever were before. And you can use the pain that you feel
in your heart to become even more determined than ever to show the world what it truly means to be
		

			amongst those who say La la la la, Warhammer, Dora Slovak.
		

			But in order to do that, you first need to have a strong sense of who you are as a Muslim, and to
know what your Islamic identity is as a believer. So what I'm gonna inshallah speak about today is
first of all, how do we define our authentic identity and why it's so important for us to uphold it.
And then secondly, I'm going to go into talking about some of the practical ways for us to revise
the confident Islamic identity in sha Allah. So first of all my dear sisters and brothers, if you
think about how every single day, at least 17 times every day, we read certain Fatiha and what do we
say in the sera
		

			sera Siva by Latina and nom de la him, we say your Allah Guide us to the straight path, guide us to
the path of those whom you favorite, and who are those who are lost David, Allahu Allah. He tells us
in any stat,
		

			Ola, Latina Anima La la la mina Nabina we'll see Divina was shuhada. He was solid he in that very
early. The ones who Allah favorite are from the Prophets, and the sincere believers and the martyrs
and the righteous believers. So that's why each time you read sort of Fatiha, you're actually asking
Allah to guide you to walk in the path of the legends and heroes who came before us from amongst the
prophets and the CDP and the Shahada and the Salim so you asked your loads bachata Allah, to guide
you to walk in the path of the likes of Ibrahim and Moosa and nor an ISA and Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, and Miriam and Asya and Khadija Adi Allahu anhu. On geneon. And sisters and
		

			brothers, this path is the path of udia it's the path of having true servitude to Allah, Jen, both
today and outwardly. How do you have obaldia tala in what they by having true tawheed and one and
singling out Allah alone in your worship, and submission and servitude to Allah in your hearts? And
how do you have a law? How do you have obedient to Allah outwardly, by showing that towhee that you
have in your heart, and that submission and servitude that you have in your heart, in all of your
outward deeds and actions, even in your manners and your character, and the way you dress? And the
prophets of Allah when he was sent him was the embodiment of this identity. And that's why, whenever
		

			I'm asked by non Muslims, you know, why do we dress like that? Or why do we pray like that? I tell
them because we as Muslims are following in the footsteps of the prophets and the messengers who
came before us.
		

			If you look around the Earth, ask yourself this question Who are the ones who pray most like Jesus
Alayhi Salaam, when he went and prostrated in the garden to Allah, here are the ones who their
lifestyle and their value and appearance is most resembling that of the prophets and messengers, and
who are the ones who they women dress in a similar way to the women folk folk of the prophets with
their bales of hay and modesty. So it's only the ones who say la ilaha illAllah, Muhammad Rasul
Allah,
		

			and to Panama, we need to realize that Allah, Allah, He wants us to embrace this unique identity
that he's given us. And he wants us to stand up and be proud of it.
		

			And that's why he praised the one who stood strong upon Islam, and was openly proud to call to the
path of the law and proclaim that he or she is a Muslim. A lot of time in the Quran says one and
seven men de la huami, la salida. Allah, in any minute, Nina muslimeen, who is better than the one
called to the path of the Lord, and does righteous deeds, were Paula in any minute Muslim, and they
say I am from the Muslims. So we need to realize that our role in this world, my dearest sisters and
brothers, is for each of us to stand up strong upon our Islam, and to be like a guiding light that
lights the way for others to find their way to the Serato, Mr. team to the straight path that leads
		

			to agenda. But if we start to hide our exam, if we allow ourselves to feel embarrassed for people to
know that we're Muslims, then how are people going to find their way to this path? You know, so many
reverts that I know, the main reason that they found Islam was due to them coming into contact with
Muslims who took pride in their Islamic identity. You know, very many Muslims that I know who were
ones who saw, for example, Muslims praying somewhere in a park somewhere outside, and that's what
made them first look into Islam. Even if you look at and you know, there's a lady by the name of it
by the name of Arusha. Limor, you know, she was in Nigeria, she recently passed away, you know, how
		

			she became Muslim, she, you know, it's kind of like, she lived as a Muslim for 58 years. You know,
she's a revert to Islam. And she lived for 58 years after that, but how did she become Muslim, she
was at university, and some students came up to her, gave her a book, and said, We'd love you to
just have a read of this book about, you know, it's, we would like you read this book, please go
away, read it, and come back in a week and give us your opinion, just assume a small book about
Islam. And so she went away, and she read it, and she realized that this is exactly what she'd been
looking for all her life. But you know, it's because of they had that, you know, they had the
		

			courage to approach her and to give her that book. And then Subhanallah Look at her legacy, she went
on to become a great female educator, of women and children. And what many books about Islam,
actually, lemoore, you might have heard of her. So, you know, even with myself panel, or the first
person who first you know, who initially taught me about Islam, he had even had the least bit of
knowledge about Islam, it was a cousin of one of my friends. But you know, what, he was still proud
enough of his identity, to say that his name was Muhammad, because unfortunately, sadly, we find a
lot of there are a lot of Muslims who, because of their shyness, or their identity, they change
		

			their names to another name, so people can't identify them as being Muslim. But you know, at least
he had enough pride in his identity to say to me, you know, my name is Mohammed, I was named after a
prophet called Mohammed. And, you know, we, you know, he came after Jesus, and we don't worship
Jesus, we believe he is a prophet. And what he said to me, was enough for me to go home to my
Christian lay preacher, Father, and question about whether they could have actually been a prophet
after prophet after Jesus, whose name was Muhammad Sallallahu, alayhi wasallam. You understand? So
it's just that sometimes it is not about how much knowledge that you may have in passing on the
		

			message of Islam, but at least you had the pride of your identity, to at least share, share that
message. So we need to realize that every single one of us has an important mission in this world,
and we can't afford to be hiding ourselves away from the world, just because we might feel a little
bit uncomfortable, or even a little bit scared. And that's why you know, it is said that one of the
things we uncovered
		

			They see often happens is that, you know, some people will go to great lengths to try to prove how
much they are like others, you know, you even find them, you know, they tried to go to such lengths
to prove how much they are like others, to the level that they will end up compromising well known
Islamic values and beliefs, just in order to please those people and try to fit in with them. But
what we don't realize is that, you know, if you're, if the brand of Islam that you're calling to, is
so watered down to the level, that seems as though what you're calling to is almost identical to the
way of life that everybody's already upon, then why would anybody consider changing himself to
		

			become a Muslim? If what you're calling truth is almost exactly as, as what everyone else is already
doing? Okay, so one of the reasons I looked into Islam personally, was because for me it Sam had a
backbone. You know, to me, Christianity had basically sold itself to the opinions, opinions of
people, and become so watered down, they no longer stood, you know, for anything. And, you know,
because what happened over the years, as you probably know, the church was continuously changing
their morals and values, to try to please the opinions of people. So that's why, you know, when I
looked around the world, the only ones who I could see that were truly representing the path of the
		

			prophets and messengers that I had read about in the Bible, or from those who call themselves
Muslims. So that's why it's important for us to realize, you know, your path and your purpose as a
Muslim in this world.
		

			Now, I want to go on and talk about some of the practical ways that we can revive the confident
Islamic identity in sha Allah. So starting off, first of all, we you know, first of all, you need to
know that you know, your outward strength in stern standing firm upon Islam is a reflection of your
inner state, the inner state of your heart and the professor along with your salon he tells us,
Allah was in the field Jessica de mucho el Sala hats, Sala Hello Jessica do cuando what he said that
festival just to do colo, Allah Wa, he opened that barely in the body, there is a clump of flesh.
And if that clump of flesh is sound and correct, then the rest of the body will be sound and
		

			correct. But if there is any corruption in that lump of flesh, then there will be corruption also,
in you know, in the bodies upon a lot. So
		

			the first step
		

			is to work upon strengthening your Eman. All right, because the reality is, the reality is that if
you truly love Allah in your heart, and you truly love Islam enough from your heart, then you're not
going to care about anybody else, you're not going to care about what anybody thinks. And you know,
what we need to realize that a lot Hold on You were going to go through hardships as believers like
he knew there's going to be it's gonna, there's going to come times where it's gonna be very hard
for us to practice our religion. And that's why he gave us everything we need in this life, to help
us to nourish our inner selves, so that we'd be able to find that inner strength. He didn't leave us
		

			alone to try to face he didn't leave us alone facing all these hard times, you know, without giving
us what we need it to keep ourselves strong. But the problem with that is the reality is we don't
actually make enough use of what he gave us. Now this in itself is a whole lesson I'm going to go
quickly through this and one of those things, obviously is the follow. What is Allah say? What's
that? You know, be somebody was fala. You know, seek help and patience through the Salah. And we
know that Salah is our mood, Deen is the foundation of the religion. So if somebody is not, you
know, looking after this, a lot of praying this a lot on time, and praying in a way that Allah wants
		

			us to pray with horseshoe and taking our time with our prayers, then it's going that's you know, if
your foundation is weak, then how is your deen going to be strong? If your foundation like prayers
are the foundation of your deen. If your prayers are not in order, you're the rest of your practice
of Islam will also not be in order. So you have to start with the prayers and then also the Quran,
the Quran, you know, it's upon Allah. Allahu taala tells the prophets that a lot while he was
sending them Cavalli Kelly knew that BTV for adeq that you know, verily, this is how we strengthen
your heart we this is we send this down to you to strengthen your heart if this is the prophets of
		

			Allah has sent him and he you know he was being strange
		

			But these are yet how much more we need in need for to be strengthened in our hearts, especially in
these times, we're facing so many pressures on our self, you know, too weak enough. And so and then
sadly, look, look at the reality, how often do we actually turn to the Quran, maybe just in Ramadan
and the rest of the year, we don't look at it. So we really with no one can afford to be away from
the Quran every day, it needs to be part of your life. And then the car, you know, saying the draws
in the mornings and evenings and be upon the cover lots of pantalla as much as you can. This is what
we know, fortifies the Muslim, it fortifies the Muslim and strengthens the Muslims. So you need to
		

			take the means in order to strengthen yourself internally. Because, you know, unless you're
internally strong, how do you expect your your outer practice to be strong if your internal is weak?
Okay, so that's the first thing. And then the next thing is knowledge, you know, especially
knowledge of your app,
		

			let's be honest, that most of our youth, unless they're brought up in your practicing home, you
know, the reality is that they come into uni, pretty empty with a rudimentary knowledge of Islam.
And what happens is, you know, it's like you come into uni, and you're surrounded by all these
manmade theories. And what often happens is that they end up knowing more about all those manmade
theories than they know about even the basics of the aqeedah. And this is one of the main reasons
that we find that so many values, and are struggling to differentiate between the Huck and the
Barton, what is the truth? And what is the falsehood? And what is the Hillel from the Quran that
		

			they have trouble distinguishing the reality of the differences between these, you know, and what is
the reason because the base they working off is no longer Islam, but the base they're working off of
these manmade theories. And so unfortunately, what happens is, by doing that, you end up with a
warped form of Islam, due to the influence of those theories upon them. So we need to realize, we
need to realize these systems that you know, basically, if you're not right on the inside, then how
do you expect it to be right on the outside, that's the reality.
		

			So that's why in order to maintain a strong academic identity, it's very important to focus on
learning your a pita, and D, especially if you know you're going to be at uni, that's the time to be
really strengthening your faith and strengthening, you know, through learning, you're spending some
time each week to actively seek out knowledge and strengthen your knowledge. And especially in these
times, you're surrounded by so many negative forces, constantly weakening you. All right. And then
the third point is
		

			to work on strengthening your self esteem. Because the reality is, when you're so confident within
yourself, you won't even notice or care if people are staring or even laughing at you. That's the
reality. And this is particularly important for us as sisters, because, you know, we were the ones
who wear the hijab, and were the ones who are basically in the front line of this oma. So we need to
be very confident in wearing it. That's why I say to my dear sisters, you know, especially without,
you know, with you, you know, it's important that you do, you know, work on strengthen your self
esteem, make yourself confident, from within, because truly, when you're very competent, you don't
		

			worry about anyone looking at you, you know, you don't even care. And I know it's like to struggle
on your own in wearing the hijab. Because when I first wore the hijab, I was only a very new revert
to Islam. And I was living with my Christian parents, in an area of Sydney, that's known as the
Bible Belt, but I didn't know any Muslims living in my area. And I was working full time, in an
office completely surrounded by non Muslims. And I was also studying part time at uni as well. And
in all of those environments, I had absolutely basically no support around me. But what you know,
helps me after reading about the hijab, for example, what helps me in making that final decision to
		

			go and put it on was that one day I saw this guy at uni, turn up with a mohawk, which was pink and
purple. And so I said to myself, if this guy can feel so proud to walk around this earth, looking
like that, you know, shouldn't I feel proud to wear my hijab for Allah? That's what I basically said
to myself. And I said, you know, that's it, I'm gonna go and put it on, you know. Um, so one of the
things that I've found in my 30 years of practicing Islam
		

			Alhamdulillah is that when you hold fast to your values and principles as a Muslim, you'll find the
majority of people here in Australia will actually respect you for that. Even if they don't
necessarily
		

			I agree with you. That's what I have found over all these years, even with not wearing the niqab.
Now, same thing. And the reality is, those who hate you, for your Islam are never going to be
pleased with you anyway.
		

			You know, not unless you're basically ready to sell them your dignity, and give up your whole day.
		

			And completely followed their way of life. Like a lot of Thailand, the karate tells us well and tow
bar and tell you who do well, and NASA has
		

			a lot of them that Verily, those who don't believe will never be pleased with you,
		

			until you follow their religion until you find their way of life. And basically assimilate yourself
completely into, into what they're upon. So that's why even when you make, you know, basically when
you make compromises, like missing prayers, at work, or at uni, because, for example, you're too
embarrassed to show your Islam to others, or you make compromises, like, you know, you go to the pub
or club, because you know, you're in Australia now, so you need to fit in.
		

			So what you're actually doing is you're giving away part of your honor, and your dignity and Isa as
the Muslim by doing that. So that's why it's so important to know your place here in Australia, it
is actually very important for you to know your place here in Australia, so that you don't let
anyone dictate to you how you should be or shouldn't be as a Muslim here in Australia. And that's
why that also shows us you know, the importance of what, um, you know, check we send, you might have
seen that short film that they produced, about how you know, about, you know, before 1700s, you
know, about how there's a relationship of Muslims with you know, and you know, that the indigenous
		

			of Australia. So we need to realize that what we need to, we need to start to internalize within
ourselves that just like when you go to Fiji, and you find Fiji and Muslims, right? Or you go to the
Philippines, you find the Filipino Muslims. When you go to South Africa, you find the South African
Muslims. Okay, so we need to realize
		

			that when you come to Australia,
		

			that Islam is now also part of the cultural identity of what makes an Australian for those of us who
identify with it. And so that's what you know, you know, so, you know, we are the Muslims of
Australia. Now, we are the Muslims of Australia, like those other countries. So that's why I say,
you know, somebody wants to give you a racist comment, and tell you, you know, this is Australia,
you know, why you dress like that? I'll say, yes, this is Australia. And this is how the Muslims of
Australia dress, the Muslims, the Muslims of Australia, we just like this. And if you don't like it,
well, you can go somewhere else yourself, you know. So the next, the next point that I want to come
		

			to is, we need to stop allowing, allowing ourselves to constantly listen to the estimate phobic
rhetoric, of media, and politicians, especially if you can see, it's affecting you too much. Right,
and making you feel too self conscious of practicing your Islam. Now, one of the reasons I believe
that my kids have never had any major identity crisis growing up here in Australia, is that my
husband and I were determined not to allow those toxic narratives to enter their minds and shape
their view of themselves. And so that ends up with a complex of how people think about them. Okay.
So, you know, you think about every day if you're turning on the news, and they listen to people
		

			like Pauline's opinion, or endings opinion of Muslims, what is that doing over time to your child's
look at themselves as a Muslim? Okay, so instead, what we did is we tried our best to expose them to
positive role models. So for example, my kids grew up basically watching Islamic Arabic cartoons
that were all about great Muslim, you know, heroes, men and women, and which gave them positive
messages about what it means to be a Muslim.
		

			positive messages like the honor of a Muslim, the noble character of the Muslim bravery and
resilience of a Muslim. Okay, so for those of you who don't understand Arabic, like we've got 101
path now that's a wonderful Mashallah, like, may Allah bless it, you know, it's so tentative media
source for us as Muslims and it does give us pride as Muslims to listen to it. And you know, a lot
of you I know watching the series, I'm
		

			saying the word but you know, that does give on our back that why people love it so much, because
it's returning back to honor a bit you know, a positive image of what is a Muslim, you know, the
honest series and paint is another series about Mr. Mohammed Rama law. So, but you've got to look
for those positive images because that's, that's what's giving the image you know, it's getting that
		

			it's that's what's effect affecting your
		

			Child over time.
		

			I can't go on to my last point, which is
		

			advice when you're really struggling to hold yourself together. Okay, so, the first of these last
point is always remember that first, the first and most important goal of the Sharia is preserved
preservation of your deen before anything else before preserving your life before preserving your
money. The first and most important objective of Sharia is to preserve your deen. So why I'm saying
that is, is because if you find yourself in a workplace, or an environment where you can't pray your
prayers, you can't go to Juma. You can't wear hijab or you're forced to do something haram then you
have to find a way out of that to a better environment where you can practice your deen. Okay, so
		

			that's the first thing. Secondly, friends are everything good companions are everything and that's
why the prophets that a lot of them said and model Allah Dini holy, a person will be upon the deen
of their friends. And if you look at us, you know, there's a reason why Allah, Allah mentioned what
is to say, what's a while so be happy. What's the last of the sub? There's a reason why Allah tala
mentioned about advising each other in truth and advising each other in patience. Why? Because it's
very hard to say Pumbaa Huck alone, it's very hard to say upon the hug alone, you need to be
together. And that's why conferences like this and going to lessons. It's very essential to keep on
		

			preserving your strong face. And you know, handing out we've got this conference, may Allah bless
the organizers. In another month, you've got twins of faith, you should keep going to those kind of
conferences because that's what that's what maintains your faith over time. Thirdly, always remember
the reward that the Prophet said a lot of them told us about you He told us that there's gonna be
those hard times, which can be difficult for you to practice your religion and stand firm. And he
told us yet when Allah Almighty Allah, to Allah de rbv, Allah Gemma t Mina, Na, that kind of time,
when a person holding on to the deen will be like a person trying to hold on to a call. But what is
		

			the reward for those who hold on to the religion in that time, like 50 of the Sahaba you're
practicing your day now is like the reward 50 that's a harbor like you're rewarding Charlotte, for
wearing Hijab in this hard time is like the reward of 50 of the Sahaba in Allahu Allah. So always
hold on to that reward. You know, Allah does not waste the reward of the believers.
		

			And then, lastly, seek strength through reflecting upon the stories of all those who held on to
their faith despite all odds. You know, when you read the Quran, all the stories of the prophets and
messengers are stories of struggle and sacrifice. Also, if you read the Sierra, and the stories of
the Sahaba, okay, so you think about it when you feel alone. Like a stranger in trying to uphold
your deen Reid should feel his pain in his words, when he says
		

			he needs to call me late. And when you're a law, I call to my own my paypal, night and day, 950
years imagine the pain of failure, a failure learning to uphold your religion. When people mock or
judge you for holding on to Sonic morals or principles, think of not when we could call the
liberalists of his time mocking him for opposing morality and saying in the home on s3,
		

			that there are people that want to be pure. Like it's nothing wrong to want to be pure and not anti
Chase. There's something wrong with that. You know, when you feel afraid to open a practice your
dean, remember how the prophets that a lot of sun would come into the Kaaba and make such a law
while he's surrounded with disbelievers around him and how they were throwing a gesture on his back.
And how Don't even try to choke him and suffocate him. And this was the profit sort of law why they
would sell him. This is the hardships he went through to uphold his Deen in hard times. And when you
go through difficulties and hardships in order to haunt your dean, remember sumiya What do you love?
		

			Allahu anhu the first Shaheed of Al Islam, how she was taken out into the hot sun in the desert and
tied up between two camels and impaled to death. Or because what? Oh, because she said, would not be
a law. My God is a law. Citizen brothers. One of the greatest lessons we take away from all of this
is that legends and heroes are only born out of struggle and sacrifice and before
		

			When, before I finish,
		

			one of the greatest reflections I've had in relation to what happened in Christchurch, which is that
think about this. Imagine that only two weeks ago,
		

			if you had a scene, those same people
		

			who passed away, or who are grieving over their loved ones, you want to just see them as ordinary
people that you found next you praying in the rescue, right? You wouldn't have thought anything
special about them? Yes. So Panama, Allah had another plan for them.
		

			Because not only did he want to elevate their status to the level of Shahada and seek the pain
inshallah inshallah. But he wants to give us a real life modern example of what true bravery and
beautiful patient looks like in the face of such a terrible loss. And that is the greatest lesson to
us,
		

			of what it means to worship Allah with unwavering faith with unwavering Amen. So in conclusion,
		

			the Serato must Hakim the straight path that leads to agenda. This is the path of heroes and legends
from amongst the NBA, understood the pain and the shoe had that under solid him. And that's why my
dear sisters and brothers, if you want Jana, then realize that this is a path of struggle and
sacrifice. And it's a path we're going to have to go through certain types of discomfort and
hardships to uphold God. But we will not give up our Salah. We will not give up going to the masjid
will not give up going, you will not give up going to our gatherings
		

			or you know, or give up our hijab because of our because we might feel the fear in our hearts. Okay,
I asked a lot about Allah to help us all to stand stand firm upon this sort of monster pain and to
make Allahu taala safely in agenda to adults. And I asked a lot to Allah to help us all to live upon
La Ilaha Illa ma to die upon La Ilaha Illa LA and I asked him to make us from those who were into
agenda with Naveen with the Prophet, and with the CDP, and with the Shahada, and the solid he may
Allah who to Allah accept all those who were adjusted killed to be from monster she had that and may
elevate in status all of those who are left behind for the beautiful patients and elevate them to
		

			the level the CDP was Allahu wa Sallim wa barik ala nabina Muhammad Welcome to the header what I
stole from Ollie welcome was Hanukkah llama what the handshake now Chateau La Ilaha Illa and nesto
fuuka winner to boo like salaam aleikum wa