Yasir Qadhi – A Message for the Youth of America

			Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
		

			Alhamdulillah. We began by praising Allah subhana wa Tada and sending Salah 10 Salam upon the
Prophet sallallahu i They he was telling them dear Muslims, one of the most powerful moments in the
Sierra so powerful that ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada sent down Quran to tell us what happened was when our
prophets of Allah Who are they he was salam was fleeing from Mecca to Medina. And the Quraysh were
in hot pursuit. He didn't have any armies. He didn't have a large legion of protectors. He didn't
have even 1020 people to surround him, just him and Abu Bakar
		

			and they went into the hall of throne and the orange were literally outside. And Abu Bakr Radi
Allahu Allah begins trembling. Ya rasool Allah, if they just look down, they will see us and what
did the prophets of salaam say Allah recorded it? It is in the Quran. This episode of the Sierra is
so important. It is recorded in vivid detail in the Quran itself. Is your call Rudy Sahibi. He LA
Times and in Allah hermana when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told his companion, don't
worry, Allah is with us. Don't worry, Allah is with us. Dear Muslims, this is our slogan. This is
our motto. This is the Kelly ama that we say. Whenever we're faced with stress, we say law ties and
		

			in the law minor. We're not gonna get worried. We're not gonna get sad. We're not gonna get scared.
How can we get scared when ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada is with us. And I begin my talk today with this
incident, simply because frankly, we live in times that sometimes are very depressing. We are
witnessing a long list of tragedies internal and external, domestic and international civil war in
so many Muslim lands, refugees here and there, the persecution of the weekers Kashmir and fall
asleep for Allah knows how long Islamophobia within our own ranks. So let us put everything into
perspective. As long as we have Allah subhanho, wa taala, then everything else is secondary. As long
		

			as our connection with Allah is strong, that inshallah Huhtala things are going to turn out for the
best, if not in our lifetimes, eventually, they will turn out. So remember this slogan from this
era, la Tyson in the la hermana. Be optimistic, don't be depressing. Look at the bright side, don't
look at the negative, consider the positives, and know that you can do something. Now I know that
I'm coming at the end of a very long conference Hamdulillah, the largest conference in your city of
Minneapolis with Allah and I know that you're listening to lecture after lecture. So I'm going to
summarize my points in three very different topics. And all of them are pertinent and relevant. Some
		

			of them are somewhat controversial, but it needs to be said, these three things need to be said
bluntly, and I began with my first point brothers and sisters, we have a lot of problems going on
internally in our own communities. And my first point, listen to me carefully, Muslims, my advice to
myself and all of you strive for unity in as many areas as you can with your fellow Muslims, in your
communities, in your misogyny in your organizations, in your families, follow teachers and preachers
that are telling you to come together and marginalize teachers and preachers that make other Muslims
the enemies. One of the problems we have, and I'm gonna be blunt here, brothers and sisters, because
		

			we don't have the luxury of not being blunt, we have to call a spade a spade. One of the problems we
have is that when one of us become somewhat religious, somewhat practicing somewhat interested in
Islam, there is a very easy, slippery slope to hardcore fanaticism. Ultra radicalism, considering
everybody else of the good Muslim community is a sellout, considering the entire Ummah is lost,
except for my small group and my five or 10 people and my share with our hardcore group. And we see
this time and time again the
		

			a slippery slope of radicalism, the slippery slope of fanaticism, the slippery slope of sectarianism
and such talk. It sounds very alluring to the 20 year old mind that 21 year old mind, it's very
comforting. Everybody's lost except me except my gang except our people. But the OMA is broader than
your five people or brothers. The OMA and the good that it has is far broader than this small group.
Our prophets, Allah Allahu Allah, He was telling them said, listen to this hadith in Sahih Muslim,
whoever says the whole Ummah is lost and destroyed. He is the one who is the most lost and
destroyed. This is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim. Whoever says everybody in the OMA is misguided. The one
		

			who's the most misguided is that person, the OMA of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, by and
large is a blessing OMA, this is not me speaking. This is the Quran and the Sunnah. kuntum
hieromartyr collegiately nurse, you are the best OMA that Allah has created for mankind. Our Profit
System said in our own Maty on March and myrrh humor, my own map is a blessing OMA, it is an ummah
that Allah has shown Rama to so any group that comes along and says only we are the right people,
and everybody else is going to jahannam this person has completely lost the plot. The bulk of the
OMA is upon good, the bulk and the majority of this OMA is upon him, and anybody who tells you
		

			otherwise, frankly, they're ignorant and they're wrong. And you have to be careful brothers and
sisters of following such preachers and teachers, we have seen what happens when sectarianism
		

			becomes rampant in our own ranks. We have seen what happens when we start fighting each other. Look
at the Crusades, the only reason they managed to get to philosophy and was because we were fighting
one another look at under loss. The only reason we lost it is because we were fighting one another
look at the Battle of butter and in the Battle of butter, Allah praise the Muslims, you came
together and so you were victorious. And in the Battle of Allah azza wa jal said when you started
disagreeing amongst yourselves had paid for Hilton, what Anna Zara and Phil amor, when you started
fighting and bickering, Allah's drama was lifted up from you, brothers and sisters, again, I'm being
		

			very blunt here. We need to learn to work together in spite of our differences. The OMA is diverse,
you are never ever going to unite the OMA on every aspect of methodology, every aspect of law, every
aspect of theology, it's not going to happen. So we have to deal with the reality as it is. You want
me to be blunt, I'll be even more blunt selfies and Sufis, a one isn't tbilisi's, all of these
mainstream movements, we cannot take each other as the enemy. How can you take somebody as the enemy
who's lowering his head to Allah more than 30 times A J? How can you create division amongst people
who love Allah and love the messenger, we are already a minority in this land, we are already less
		

			than 1% of this land within that 1% less than 10% are actually coming to the conventions coming to
the slider coming to eat. So we are collectively the religious Muslims, probably closer to point 1%
of this country. Now, this point 1%. If we're going to start bickering amongst ourselves, oh, I
don't like that guy. Because his view of something is this, Oh, this guy follows another chef. Oh,
this guy has that Subhanallah when the religious folks start fighting amongst themselves, what do
you expect the non religious folks to do? Muslims, we need to work together in spite of our
differences for the greater good. Figure out a way. Now listen to me carefully. I'm not saying all
		

			the differences are legit. I never said that. I'm not saying all the differences are tolerated. I'm
not saying that. What am I saying? Whatever your views might be on aspects of theology, on aspects
of fic on aspects of methodology, as long as it is within the mainstream. Now what is the mainstream
anybody who loves Allah subhanho wa Taala wants to follow the Messenger of Allah, anybody who
believes in the Quran and the Sunnah anybody who believes in the hadith of Gibreel, the five Arcana
of Islam, the six are kind of Eman. This is mainstream Islam. Within this from the beginning of
time, we've had differences from the time of the sahaba. We've had differences of opinion, they
		

			themselves had differences of opinion. We cannot afford the luxury of it.
		

			Increasing sectarianism given the realities of our ummah. SubhanAllah. I've said this so bluntly at
Islamic conferences, when you students of knowledge when you people who are interested in Islam are
fighting one another about some aspect of theology about whether the molar the sunnah or be that you
guys are fighting about some aspect that is so advanced, your own cousins your own children are
debating is Islam true or not? Why should I be a Muslim? Is the Prophet system a prophet? Have you
lost the plot? You are fighting over such an advanced issue such an abstract issue when our children
are struggling with iman itself? They're flirting with gopher they're thinking of agnosticism and
		

			atheism, Marla concave for that come on. What is the matter with you? How are you judging?
		

			And Nichelle? And Alim who prioritizes hating other Muslims, frankly, I'm telling you started
avoiding these people means they have lost the plot as well. We cannot import the politics of the
Middle East. We cannot import the sectarian of hatred from overseas, we see what's happening over
there, we see the bloodshed that sectarianism has caused, and their Muslim majority, how much more
so when we're a minority, do you want to import that type of understanding over here, the hola will
end up in LA, it's time for the American Muslim community to mature up, to grow up and to learn to
work together in spite of differences. You know, when you have a fight with your cousin with your
		

			uncle with your brother is painful, but in the end of the day, it stays within the family. In the
end of the day, they're your family, and you have to deal with it as if their family. This is the
example of within the OMA, I am not saying all interpretations are the same. Nobody misquote me. As
you know, there's one of my problems. Everybody's misquoting everything alone was done. I'm saying
explicitly, they're not all the same, but deal with it. What are you going to do if somebody prays
different than you? What are you going to do if somebody has slightly different practices, slightly
different theology? Do they love Allah? Yes or no? Are they prostrating in front of Allah towards
		

			the Gabba? Yes or no? Do they read the Quran? Yes or no? Why don't you look at what is in common?
Before you jump to the differences? How can you ignore the 99%? That is the same, and you only worry
about the 1% that is different, mature of brothers and sisters. Point number one, every one of you
now start working actively in your organizations, in your communities in your massage, to start
cooperating with other Muslims. Look at the reality of what is happening. Look at the agendas that
are being forced upon us upon our children, sexuality, immorality, all of these things. And here we
are the Muslim community bickering over abstract issues that have no tangible value to ourselves and
		

			our children. Wallahi these are plots of shaytaan shaytaan is the one benefiting, not us. And I will
tell you bluntly, in every strand of Islam, in every movement of Islam, in every ideology, you will
find open minded leaders and clerics who understand yes, this is my way. But I need to come together
for the greater good. Those are your teachers. Those are your mentors. And in every strand, you will
find the hardliners the far right the fanatics and the bigots, those who think my way or the
highway. Those who think it is more important to spread hatred of other Muslims, then to preserve
Eman of the Muslims of the next generation. And I'm telling you bluntly, marginalize them, don't
		

			give them platforms. Don't listen to such preachers of hate, because it's only going to make things
worse for us. We don't need hatred. We need love amongst ourselves. We need to unite under the
Kadima of la ilaha illallah, Muhammad Rasool Allah, we need to learn to work together in spite of
our differences for the greater good. And this means every single person who says the Kalama has
some relationship with us, every single mosque, every single organization, we need to come together
for the greater good. And then you know what, sometimes for some events will have two different
things, no problem. There are groups out there, they're going to do things I don't agree with, okay,
		

			you do it on this day. We'll do it on this day. But don't we can't we come together to fight
Islamophobia? Can't we come together to fight the drug problem in our own communities? Can't we come
together to make sure we don't elect a politician that wants to shut down or misogyny harm our 60
schools? How can we possibly not come together for the greater good? So point number one, brothers
and sisters enough of sectarianism, enough of partisanship enough of bigotry and hatred, look at the
broader picture and you know where it begins from from you yourself?
		

			How so find the people that are like minded. Find the people that are the similar like you, and
build bridges in your own associations in your own massages in your own communities. And when people
come along, trying to break those bridges trying to divide, tell them you're not that type of
thought is not welcome here, go preach that hatred somewhere else. Love begins from the home. And
building bridges begins at the microcosm level. That's you and all of the communities that you're
doing. So that's my first point, we need to literally battle against fanaticism and sectarianism.
The second point that we have is
		

			more difficult. And it's something that again, a conference is not the time or the place to fully go
into it. But still, it needs to be said. And that is,
		

			the problems that we have, as an American Muslim community, frankly, are very different than the
problems that one finds in our classical books. The problems of battling atheism, agnosticism,
Darwinism, and morality, incorrect sexuality, the problems of people leaving our faith, and why are
they leaving the faith? What are the causes for them to doubt their Islam. Therefore, the solutions
to these problems are not things that are easily manageable by people like myself who have trained
in traditional seminaries, we might have to think of new ideas to solve these problems. The problems
of modernity, the problems of our generation, are very unique, unprecedented. We don't have easy
		

			solutions when our college kids, our youth come to us, and they say, Why should I be a Muslim? And
they bring some very, very difficult issues that are common in our times. I don't need to go into
them on stage, but you get my point. Frankly, my training in Medina did not prepare me for the
questions of this generation, the conversations they're having about modernity, humanism,
secularism, feminism, gender, gender roles, LGBT, all of these things, how we navigate through this
is not easy.
		

			And all of us are in the same boat. So my point is,
		

			what is my point? Let me phrase this in a manner that is not going to get into more trouble. We are
all attempting to find the solution. We haven't found an easy one.
		

			If people make mistakes in this process, cut them some slack, if their track record clearly shows
that they're trying to help the community. Another problem we have is the canceled culture that is
rampant not only in our midst, but in the broader culture that we live in. One mistake, one slip up
one word that somebody doesn't like and have lost you destroy an entire preacher and entire teacher
an entire lifetime of good. We Muslims do not believe in the canceled culture.
		

			Imagine if Allah azza wa jal use the canceled culture on you when you're entering Jannah. Imagine if
Allah found one fault, and said How was the rest of your deeds are in vain? Be respectful of your
elders, and of your preachers and teachers, and understand that we live in a time and place where
frankly, I don't have all the solutions. What do we do with the rise of immorality, the rise of
alternative sexualities? How do we protect our children? To what level? Do we argue for freedoms for
all versus restrictions? For all? I don't have the answers, nobody does. But what's going to take
trial and error is going to take a few runs, cut us some slack, and understand that in order to get
		

			to the right solution, maybe some mistakes are going to have to be made in the process. And if there
is a difference of opinion amongst the scholarly community, respected, and don't get involved, don't
make the situation worse. Going back to my first point of sectarianism, especially when it comes to
politics, especially when it comes to how we deal with these topics of a political nature. Wallahi
it's not easy. What do we do when some of the Muslims in Congress are saying and doing things we
don't like? Again, I'm being honest here. What do we do to what level do we boycott them? To what
level do we not support them when they are helping us in some causes and not helping us than other
		

			causes? I'm not gonna give you an answer right now, but I will tell you one thing.
		

			Do not demonize somebody who disagrees with your analysis. Let
		

			there'll be some diversity of thought here. Understand the Shetty eye does not dictate political
alliances. The Shetty eye does not force you to undertake only one path. This is a very, very tricky
issue. Even in the time of the companions, there were differences of opinions so much. So they even
went to war over politics, you don't think we're gonna have some disagreement amongst ourselves, let
there be that disagreement, choose your opinion, choose your side, and then don't demonize the other
side, as long as that person is within the mainstream, live and let live. So the second point, might
have a complex issue, but still,
		

			to solve the problems of modernity, and to navigate our way as an American Muslim community. I mean,
guys, let's be honest here. 30 years ago, the default was voting is haram, I grew up in that era
back in the 80s, and 90s. We were told you shouldn't even vote in the elections. 30 years ago, this
was the norm 911 happened. And we all understood the foolishness of that ideology. If you don't
exercise your constitutional right to be heard, you're going to be eaten up and devoured by the
politicians. If you don't stand up and fight for your political rights, like every single minority
fought for his political rights, you're not going to get any political rights. And we saw this post
		

			911. Those of you that are too young to remember, speak to your elders 911 Frost, as the American
Muslim community was a huge wake up call it galvanized us, it made us understand that we don't have
the luxury to be a political, our massages were being shut down. Our scholars were being kicked out.
Our preachers were being locked up and jailed on false charges. All of you are above the age of 30.
You remember that era, and the only way we got some of our rights back is we kept on taking them to
court. And we kept on holding our politicians liable, according to our own constitution, if we cut
off from reality, and if we lived in our little bubble, none of this would have happened.
		

			Unfortunately, we see a new generation. And again, we don't have the luxury to mince my words, a new
generation born post 911 have forgotten the realities of what happened in 911. And we see them
gravitate towards a type of political isolation, we see the same type of rhetoric, the same type of
canceled culture, anybody who tries to get involved with politics is immediately shut down,
immediately demonized, immediately cut off. And we need to teach these youngsters that the world is
not idealistic. The world is not simplistic and black and white, in order to effect change.
Sometimes you have to enter a gray area. I'm not advocating entering that area. I'm not a
		

			politician, politician would Allah Hill ham, and I don't want to be a Politician, but those who are
or those who are involved in it, it is what it is. And we need to be wise enough and politically
savvy enough to understand that there is a function and a tool and to not make this the end all and
be all. So that is my second point, political maturity, understanding that the world is a complex
place, we don't have all the answers, people might make mistakes. But in the end of the day, if the
goal is to carve out space for us as Muslims and to protect our freedoms as Muslims, well then cut
them some slack and learn from their mistakes. That's my second point. My third and final point,
		

			brothers and sisters, is that in light of all that is happening. And in light of all of the changes
taking place, in sexuality, in in morality, in light of all of these changes, I remind you of one
very, very important fundamental issue of our faith, and that is the importance of the family. The
importance of the family unit, the importance of the mother and father, all Muslims, we live at a
time when everything is being rethought. Forget sexuality, forget gender roles, even gender itself,
which was uncontested for 10,000 years of human history for all the entire globe and the entirety of
mankind. A man was a man and a woman was a woman.
		

			And for this generation, even this is now being rethought.
		

			Subhan, Allah what is left?
		

			As Muslims, we have the obligation in the eyes of Allah, to be preachers of truth, and to be
messengers of reality. The only way to do this is
		

			By demonstrating to the broader people, what it means to be a mother and father, what it means to be
a husband and wife, what it means to be a family unit.
		

			Parents, the number one mechanism of preserving Islam in the next generation is not by building
misogyny.
		

			It's not by throwing your kids in the dark sea thinking is going to be a magical transformation.
These are all secondary. The number one mechanism of preserving Iman in your children is to have
your house, your home, your marriage built upon Islam, show your children what it means to be a
Muslim.
		

			The children need to experience the Rama of Islam from the mother and father, they need to see the
reality of a father figure and a mother figure. And this means Oh parents, that we might have to
rethink parenting techniques. And I say this all the time. hamdulillah ALLAH blessed me with amazing
parents, I thank Allah, I was born in the 70s grew up in the 80s in Texas.
		

			But my parents were old school.
		

			My parents were old school fine. For that generation, it worked for the next generation for my
children. And it handed it I have four young men and women, they're no longer children, three are in
college, and one is in high school. So I have now I don't have a little kids anymore. I have young
adults at home, to raise my own children, I had to carve out my own parenting techniques, trial and
error, I could not replicate the techniques of my parents. Because the times have changed, because
the culture has changed. Now I cannot tell you how to be a parent because that is something that is
unique. And it is also culture based. And it is also something that you're going to have to
		

			experiment with. But I will tell you, dear parents, you need to be active in your children's lives,
fathers, you cannot just disappear for work and then think that's it. You must be a father figure in
your children's lives. Mothers, you must be a mother figure in your children's lives. It is
essential that you demonstrate this reality now if it so happens that you know, for whatever reason
the family is not unit is not together. May Allah make it easy. The community comes together. Well,
I'm not saying that's the only solution. But where the parents exists because I understand sometimes
one of the parents has passed away divorce has happened. Okay, that's a separate issue. But where
		

			the parents exist, then they need to embody and exemplify the prophetic methodology of being
parents. Learn from the Quran and Sunnah. listen to lectures, and most importantly, sincerely try to
be a good father and mother, children will recognize this, you know, anecdotally, I don't have any
statistics. I'm just speaking as somebody born and raised in this country, I'm in my fourth or fifth
decade of life in my for my 40s. Right now, I grew up in the 70s and 80s. And I grew up the first
batch of immigrant children. The first batch my father came 1962. I was born in the 70s here in
Houston, Texas, anecdotally, I'm telling you,
		

			some of my extended friends, left the faith, it is what it is. But I'll tell you one fact,
		

			every single time that I saw a young man or woman stray away, but the parents were upon love and
Taqwa, the parents had an Islamic household. Eventually, those children came back to Islam. And this
is something that I haven't found a single exception for in my own anecdotal life. The only time
that people left Islam was when their parents were not upon Islam in the first place. In my own
anecdotal experience, when the parents tried their best to be good and loving and caring, and
compassionate, and they had a beautiful marriage at home, and they had a home based upon the Quran
and Sunnah. Plenty of times, the young man or woman went far left or far right during college, did
		

			things they should not do stop practicing Islam getting involved in the major sins. And perhaps
during that timeframe, if you asked me, I would have said, There's no way this guy's going to come
back to religion, knowing his lifestyle. No way. I would have sworn back then. But Subhanallah Fast
Forward 510 years. They get married, they have a kid and all of a sudden reality strikes them and
they realize they need to be good parents for the sake of their kids. And because they've had role
model parents 30 years ago because they
		

			They've seen what it is to be a good mother and father, they go back to the only model they know.
And that is the model of their own mother and father. And so amazingly, you find a lot of young men
and women in their late 20s and 30s. After they've gone far from the religion, you find them coming
back, getting active in massage and becoming Masjid presidents becoming active in the circle, Subhan
Allah, and what was the secret of success, the parents planting the seeds of Eman and Taqwa not
knowing how long it's gonna take for the seed to sprout out. So brothers and sisters, those of you
who are parents, be active in your children's lives, sit down and talk with them. I know this sounds
		

			weird, try to be friends with them. Our parents didn't do that. May Allah bless them. That's a
different generation. But your son or daughter should be able to trust you as a mother or father
when they made a mistake. Because if you're not going to correct their mistake properly, I guarantee
you, nobody else is going to correct it the way you will. If you're not going to be there loving
them supporting them. And parents as well. Let me again, say this bluntly. Don't expect your
children
		

			to be angels.
		

			Don't expect your children to not go left and right. Firstly, frankly, were you as angelic as your
parents thought you were when you were 1920. Did you not go a little bit left? And right now, if you
had the internet, and the iPhone and Twitter and Facebook, if you had the resources your children
do, what do you think you would have done at that stage? So dear parents, cut them some slack. Even
if they fall, I'm not saying it's good that they do that. But understand, a lot of the blame is not
on them. It's on the world that we live in. It's not even their fault. You know what they want the
most from you love and compassion. That's it. Continue to be supportive and loving. And if they make
		

			a mistake, gently tell them to come back, be supportive, allow them allow them to be who they are
within the framework of the Sharia, make lots of dua for them and inshallah to Allah eventually,
even if they go a little bit left and right, they will come back to this Deen with lots of to our
brothers and sisters, time is limited. My time is almost up. The bottom line is as follows.
		

			Every one of us has a very important role to play in the current world. And I'll tell you why. We
are the generation this one sitting right here. This crowd you, you are the primary generation that
will dictate the future of Islam in this country for the next 100 200 years. Think about it. This is
the generation that is building the misogyny, that is creating the infrastructure. This is the
generation that came every one of you by and large except for the converts. Every one of you, you
know your roots, you speak the home language, even if it's half half, but you speak the language you
know where you're from? Well, your children won't have that connection. You are the middle ground,
		

			you are the conduit, you have connections back home and you're building your future over here. The
way you set the stage, the way you lay the foundations that is going to dictate and charter the
course of American Islam for the next 150 200 years. Every one of you how you practice Islam with
your own family is going to be taken down to your grandchildren and great grandchildren. And that
decision is going to be made at this level. So think long and hard and be extra careful and make
lots of dua that Allah blesses you and realize Allah azza wa jal has chosen you for a very, very
magnificent task. Brothers and sisters, my time is up. And it is typically my sunnah whenever I
		

			finish at a large convention
		

			to utilize mashallah Tabata Cola, the large quantity of people that are present over here, and so I
want to ask every single one of us to participate in a tech bill that comes from the heart and that
is meant to truly listen to me carefully, to truly express our belief that Allah is indeed the
greatest and Allah is indeed the most powerful and Allah is indeed the most beautiful and Allah is
in the Most Merciful and he is more beloved to us and more important to us. Because when we say
Allahu Akbar, what are we saying? We are saying nothing is more important to me than Allah. When we
say Allahu Akbar, we are saying the most beloved, and the most precious thing I have is my belief in
		

			Allah subhana wa taala. So I want every one of us to join together
		

			In a tech Ubu that is going to last for generations after us inshallah Tada we're going to make the
halls of this auditorium reverberate and shake because we're going to make sure we preserve the tech
be here for generations to come. You're going to join me in sha Allah
		

			took me it
		

			was a three out of 10 We're gonna do this again, tech
		

			five out of 10 We're gonna do one more time and we're gonna literally have the wall shake
		

			Zack Kamala Harris rahmatullah wa barakato.
		

			Anjali either
		

			me, Ms. Dahiya. Doll Seanie.
		

			Me what to feed
		

			the what?
		

			feels cool. We took my journey
		

			down
		

			down