Yasir Qadhi – Q&A EPIC Replay

			Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah who are the early he will be here on Willa
Hammerberg. Our question for today is from Brother Sajid from California. And I'm assuming by the
email that you wrote his younger brother may be in high school. And the language is very nice and
simple and beautiful. And he says, What is Islam stance on global warming? What is Islam stance on
global warming? This is the question as it is phrased to me. So we answer this question today, by as
usual, dissecting the question. Firstly, before we get to the quote, unquote, traditional answer,
		

			we need to be very, very careful about assuming Islam always says something specifically. This is a
phrasing that we need to think very carefully about the only time that we can definitively say,
Islam says something is that if the Quran is explicit, and the Omar has agreed, then we can say,
Islam says Allah is the Creator, no problem. Islam says the Quran is the bucola. No problem. So a
brother is asking What is Islam stance on global warming, as if all of Islam has agreed on one
stance, and then as if I am the spokesperson, officially designated by Islam with a capital I, that
whatever I say, and the reason I say this is because what happens is this, this is good, simplistic
		

			assumption that whatever problem I'm facing, there is going to be one answer one definitive answer,
and the person in front of me will answer it and solve it because he has studied the Quran. And we
have to be very, very careful in this regard. Imagine if somebody said, What does Islam say about
the factors that break we'll do and this is something the Quran talks about and the Sunnah talks
about Can anyone definitively answer Islam says these factors break will do or will have to say
what? There's difference of opinion. And by the way, all format hubs have a different list. Can you
believe all format hubs have a different list? So Muslims Hamdulillah, Allah has allowed this to
		

			live there are narrations from the Sahaba the the love within Islam as a mercy. So Muslims have
differed over even things, the Quran and Sunnah is explicit about like the unkind of widow and
Tahara. What do you think about an issue that doesn't even exist when the Quran came down global
warming? And then you want to say What is Islam stance? And I remember last month, somebody asked
me, texted me and I'm not exaggerating, it's exactly what it is. They texted, it was a group of
students of knowledge and Michelle Obama, What is Islam stance on the right to bear arms? The second
amendment as if all of us have to have the exact same opinion. And Islam is going to tell us whether
		

			we should be pro Second Amendment or anti Second Amendment, you understand this question is
problematic. And before I even try to attempt, I need to make sure we understand because and by the
way, this is a joke here. If you really want to effect change in the pro Second Amendment lobby, all
you need to do is wear our traditional Desi garb, Phillips turbans, and big T shirts, Muslims for
the Second Amendment, all of a sudden checks and balances and background checks and everything will
come. That is the most effective way to actually get some gun reform. We should start a group called
Muslims for the Second Amendment. And then we appear like Muslims have other lines appearing and
		

			then we we go and petition with our guns but Muslims are second amendment, we want the Second
Amendment and you will see mashallah Tabata kala the NRA will complain anyway, that's besides the
point. Okay. That was a complete joke. By the way, there was a complete joke, just just just so that
you're aware.
		

			But my point is that we need to remove this understanding that Islam has a concrete answer on any
question that comes to your mind. And it reminds me of something that we find in the books of
history that happened to the hotter giants, the first sect that broke away, they kept on criticizing
it build the Allah one by saying, we want the judgment of the Quran. In Allah, Allah when Allah is
Jewish, we don't want yours. We want Allah's hukum we don't want your hokum we want the Quran is
verdict, not your verdict. And it is narrated in the books of history that once added to the Lord
call their leaders in Kufa and the main masjid and he called for a big copy of the Quran to be
		

			brought out. And in those days, the most half was not this convenient
		

			little booklet, The most half was bigger than this desk because it's written on Campbell parchment,
right? The most half full must have no exaggeration that is almost as large as this desk. 34 foot
high, massive people have to bring it out. They brought it out and they put it in front of it.
Rhodiola one and the leaders of the cottage writes and what was their slogan? We want the Quran? We
want the Quran. So Ali said Quran speak.
		

			Silence. Quran judge between us. Silence Quran We want your verdict. Silence. I didn't say anything
about the Aloha, one of the hostage I said, Oh, Ali Rhodiola Han. The Quran is not going to speak
back to like, what's wrong with you? So Ali said, if the Quran is not going to speak back, how do
you want me to judge by the Quran? What do you mean by the Quran? The Quran has to be interpreted by
men.
		

			I have to interpret No, I'm the leader and I'm giving you the loss. You see the slogan was a
simplistic attempt to negate it to the Allah one. It sounds so good. We want the Quran we want the
Quran. What do you mean? Who's going to decide what is the verdict about whatever issue is taking
place? We want the Quran is a slogan that doesn't translate into actual laws, and it that the law is
saying you are just a bunch of sloganeering people who don't have a comma you're causing fitna and
facade slogan sounds good doesn't mean anything. Anyway, that's a separate tangent here. Point is
that when we say what does the Quran say? What does Islam say? It's a bit of a trick question. And
		

			unless the Quran is explicit, yes, Allah created us, okay, we can say the Quran said no problem. Now
who asked you about global warming? What does the Quran say about this? What does Islam say? We have
to be very careful about this. Rather, the way the question should be phrased is, is there anything
in the Quran and Sunnah that modern scholars can use to discuss this topic that changes the whole
paradigm. Now you're bringing into the heart of human beings? You know, this goes back to a hadith
of the process, and that he sort of told to idea de la Juan, when he was going on Warden expedition,
he said, When you go to this enemy tribe, and they say, they want you to judge them by the judgment
		

			of ALLAH, do not agree to that because you do not know the judgment of Allah. But if they say
they're willing for your judgment, then give them your judgment and seek Allah's help. Notice the
difference between this okay, no human being other than the process, some speaks on behalf of
		

			Allah subhanaw taala, not even the sahaba. That's why the hadith is clear. The process of is saying
to this companion, that if you go to this tribe, and they agree to reconciliation, and they say we
want Allah's verdict, don't say you will give them Allah's verdict, how do you know Allah's verdict?
Rather, say, No, I will try my best to be fair and just and then ask Allah for help is the end
biller? So similarly, when somebody has a modern question about this issue, you know, what does
Islam say about, you know, carrying weapons? What does Islam say about this? And that, then it's a
bit of a broad question, you have to rephrase it. Is there anything in our Quran and Sunnah? Is
		

			there anything classical Roma have said about this issue? And so that needs to be phrased also, by
the way, another point and again, the reason I chose this question, frankly, was not to get to the
answer. But to answer the question, firstly, because we need to get over this simplistic mindset.
Why am I concerned about this? Because once again, I want to teach ourselves tolerance. What happens
is sometimes an island will give you an opinion, and so good opinion, but it's the opinion of an
atom. It's not the Quran, it is not Allah subhana wa taala. And we take that opinion, and we
consider anybody who dares disagree to be upon misguidance evil even worse, all you need to do is
		

			look at sectarianism across the globe. Once we understand that, yes, there's something sometimes the
Quran and Sunnah it's excellent, no problem. Most of the time, in the intra legal disputes,
sometimes even in advanced theological issues. It's not clear cut. And that's why there's a
difference of opinion. It's not clear cut. And I've given examples about this. So another point, you
are asking me and my training is in Islamic sciences, about an issue that deals with modern
sciences, global warming is not a subject that is taught in any madrasa across the globe. So this
also explains another issue we need to think about, as our Prophet system said, Give everyone their
		

			due, right. Do not ask a chef or an alum, a speciality beyond Islamic sciences, or else you will get
into a problem. And usually the sheikh or Adam might not even know he'll give you the response and
he will also fall into a problem. And I've given many examples about this. And when there is an area
of expertise, go to the expert, don't ask me about investment advice. Don't ask me about
		

			to modern theories of science, even though me personally, I actually have a degree in engineering, I
have a minor in Chemistry, I am Alhamdulillah trained in sciences still, it's not my area that I'm
reading on. I'm not a professor of science. I'm a professor of Islamic studies. So also give give
everybody their due, and learn from the mistakes of what happened in the western world when their
preachers and theologians became their scientists. Let's not in our OMA Alhamdulillah we never had
what happened in medieval Europe. Why? Because our older man knew their place and our eternal Hey,
thumbs and roses knew their places. Well, the scientists knew their place they didn't give full
		

			comfort was and our full Kahan aroma did not tell us what to believe of ology and medicine. We never
had the inquisitions of medieval Europe, we never had, you know, the pope tell Galileo, the sun is
stationary and the Earth goes around. Sorry, the, the sun is stationary, sorry, the earth
destruction sorry, and the sun goes around the Earth. That's what the Pope said to Galileo. The
Christian clerics said to Galileo, the Galileo was saying the opposite, right, Galileo saying the
Earth goes around the sun. And the Christian church is saying no, we believe theologically, that the
earth is stationary. And if you say otherwise, we're going to burn you at the stake. And they
		

			literally had a stake and they were going to burn him over there. And so Galileo, obviously, we
don't want to do that. Do we? So don't go too much if and Rolla MA and ask them questions. We just
gave a lecture a few months ago about what the process some said and to
		

			be Ohmori doing dunya come he said this, you know, your dunya better than I do. And this is about
what happened in his time. Now, what if there was a clash? In this case, hula ma of the Sharia, and
modern scientists need to come together and discuss amongst themselves. And the biggest example is a
theory of evolution, which maybe one day I'll discuss. But if you listen to my talks online, you
know, it's it is something that needs to be discussed. It is a clash. You know what some Muslims
believe and what some scientists believe there seems to be a clash. There's no real clash. By the
way, there is no real clash. The clash is in our understanding, there cannot be an actual
		

			contradiction between what is provable by science, and what the Quran explicitly says We firmly
believe this, but there might be a clash because we haven't either understood science or understood
the Quran. So in this case, we need to get the experts in the in, in evolutionary biology, we need
to get the experts to understand what the Quran and Sunnah might imply with this wordings, and then
come together, which believe it or not, still hasn't happened, you would think it would have
happened by now, it still hasn't happened, you know. So, each side needs to discuss with each other
so that they can formulate what can and cannot be said. Now, when it comes to this issue. Now, after
		

			all of these disclaimers, which was more important than the actual response, actually, that's why I
chose this question. Now, we say, in my humble opinion, we can find some generic verses and Hadith
that can be applied for topics in this regard. This is my opinion and opinion of some of the realm
of our times and as an educated person in this world as well. Me personally, I'm not speaking as a
person of knowledge or speaking as a person who studied science. I think it is quite convincing that
global warming is something that is proven by modern science, it's something that is pretty much the
standard understanding of what is going on. And I don't find anything in the Quran and Sunnah that
		

			would be problematic for that. There's nothing in the Quran and Sunnah that problematizes the
perception or the theory or even the fact that what we are doing is causing an ecological disaster
of the highest magnitude. And that having been said, it is very easy to make a case don't say the
Quran says, say it is possible for our modern aroma to say, which is what I'm doing okay. It's
possible for modern aroma to make a claim to be ecologically conscious to tell Muslims that a part
of their worship of Allah is to take care of the environment. This is something that we can make a
case for from the Quran and the Sunnah, why and how the Quran describes a general role of
		

			stewardship, of taking care of other creatures and species to mankind. And this is explicit in the
Quran. Allah subhanaw taala mentions in the Quran was Sahara calm math is similar to a lot of the
Jimmy I mean, Allah has put you in charge Allah has given you authority over that which is in the
heavens and earth whatever you have power over to do. Allah subhanho wa Taala has put you in charge
of it. And Allah mentions in the Quran that we are Mustafa love, and we're stuck love one of the
primary meanings of Mustafa love, you are the Guardian and you will be asked about what you are in
charge of, and the term Khalifa in Niger and for all the Khalifa there are two main interpretations
		

			of this term. The one of the one that we will mention now there's another one that maybe one day
will mention, the one that we will mention it is it is found in early Islamic
		

			tafsir Khalifa means Allah has put us in charge, just like the term khalifa to rasool Allah, that he
has been put in charge. So we will be asked about our environment. And this is something that is
very explicit that taking care of the environment, taking care of the plants and animals around us.
This is something that is an act of worship. Our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned that
whoever plants a tree, this hadith in Bukhari, whoever plants a tree, and the tree that grows up any
human or creature or animal that eats of that tree, it will be an act of sadaqa for this person. So
this hadith clearly shows us that being green or taking care of the environment, as well, the famous
		

			Hadith of the man or some version is the lady, an evil lady who lived a lifetime of sin, and she saw
a dog that was thirsty and she went down she gave the water dog and the problem said beak she
entered Janna, the Sahaba said, O Messenger of Allah, Allah will reward us for taking care of an
animal. This is a Hadith and Behati Allah will reward us for taking care of an animal and our
Prophet solo, Selim said, in every living creature, there is reward in every living creature,
whether it's bird, whether it's animal, whether it's human being, taking care of any living
creature, there is a reward. This is Hadith in Behati, and the famous Hadith and Muslim Imam
		

			Muhammad that our Prophet SAW, I said, I'm said, if one of you has a sapling, a small little plant,
in what you buy in Home Depot with the saplings that when you put it in your backyard, that's called
a sapling. If any of you had a sapling, and the trumpet is blown, if you're able to plant the
sapling, before the trumpet reaches you go ahead and do that meaning, think of the future try even
though there is no future after judgment day but the concept here, think of the future. Make sure
you are doing you no good in this earth. And Allah criticizes, destroying nature. This is explicit
in the Quran. Allah criticizes for example, way that Allah will already have set aside for all the
		

			UFC the fee here while you Holika al how to tell when Nestle Allahu Allah, your herbal facade, when
he turns away from the Quran, he then his main effort is to cause facade in the cultivation and the
animals he wants to destroy. Nature, we will call it right, Allah is calling an evil person as if
he's destroying nature. And Allah subhanho wa Taala mentions in the Quran law to sue Phil out of the
bad there is law here do not cause facade in the earth after everything is in good order. Now, of
course, the primary meaning of facade is to you know, corn people kill people. But destroying nature
is a type of facade. It's very explicit in the Quran harming nature is a type of facade. Also we
		

			have in the spirit of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the famous incident of the Battle of
her name, when our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had had surrounded the people of thought if,
and they were being stubborn, and the people of thought have lived in a walled fortress, and their
cultivation was outside the fortress, all of the crops was outside the fortress, the date palms was
outside the fortress, one of the Muslims got the idea. Let's burn their crops, which is outside the
fortress. And so one tree was burned, or maybe more than one was burnt. But when you burn a tree,
will it only affect the people inside? Who else will it affect?
		

			Animals? Who else will that affect?
		

			Nature, who else?
		

			Think about it when you destroy the whole plantation
		

			environment, but also future generations, other people that are eating from that tree, destroying
nature, is very different. And is the beauty here SubhanAllah. And it will let me finish the
narration. And we come back to this beautiful point here. When the people have thought if we're saw
that some Muslims are destroying the trees, they began begging, that don't destroy the trees. I
mean, we're having war, we're killing one another, don't destroy the trees, we beg you for our blood
and kinship for our common cause. We are all human beings here. We beg you Don't destroy the trees.
And our profit system gave a commandment to not destroy the trees. Interestingly enough, in this
		

			case, nature was more important than human life. Because destroying the trees would have meant for
two generations, they don't have food. It's not just this group that's trapped there. When you're
gonna burn the trees down, you're gonna it takes 40 years for the tree to grow. For that whole crop
that you're gonna ruin the ground you're gonna have we see what's happening in Australia is these
people cannot plant now for another. Allah knows how long that forest tree is gone, that soil is
gone. So it's not just harming the living people. You're going to harm other people.
		

			You're going to harm innocence you're going to harm future generations when the people have thought
if begged our process and had mercy and He forbade the Muslims don't burn the trees. And you know
what, they weren't successful back then they left the people that went back to Medina. They didn't
harm the trees, think about that. So we can extrapolate from the Quran and Sunnah that we are told
to take care of nature, and think about our ecology and what not. And so, for those who are
interested in this field, it is definitely something that we can say, can be an action of worship,
that we take care of the environment, we are environmentally conscious, we quote unquote, go green,
		

			we advocate causes that will diminish global warming. If we do this with the proper intention insha
Allah Allah, there is no problem in saying the general text of the Quran and Sunnah would facilitate
this before I finish this question, a very important disclaimer, we have to avoid the two extremes.
What are the two extremes? The first extreme, which is common in one segment, is to take these
modern politically correct causes, and to make them the end all and be all of the religion of Islam
		

			to make these causes, the most important, because you see, first thing we got to do is check does
the opponent is gonna forbid this or neutral or encouraging. In my humble opinion I gave you we can
find encouragement, right? Once we find encouragement, the next thing we got to do, okay,
encouragement, where is it on the list? Is it on the most important list? Is it on? Very important
is it on? So where is it on the list, and what we see is that some people prioritize these issues to
the point of it eclipses eemaan in Allah subhanaw taala it eclipses Abadox it becomes more important
than Quran and vicar. And that's a mistake. That is a big mistake. Because you will not enter Jannah
		

			simply by being ecolodge ecologically conscious, and you don't do your homework with Allah subhanho
wa taala. That is more important. I'm not saying it's either or, but I'm simply saying the one who
wants to get involved here should prioritize it. The way that Allah has prioritized make sure they
themselves are prey, make sure they themselves have the connection with Allah. And yes, now that
they have enough energy, they can go and do something else. No problem. This is one extreme. And by
the way, we see this I think most obviously in the issue of meat. You know, I still haven't answered
the meat question. I've gotten like 15 questions, I'm delaying the juicy meat to the even longer.
		

			Okay, still the behind on Zubia I still haven't answered academically one day I'll do that,
inshallah. But we see this in the meat issue where segments of Muslims are more concerned about how
the animal was treated than how the animal was slaughtered.
		

			And halal and haram goes over how the farmer used to treat the animal more so then, the procedure
for the slaughtering of the animal and how the farmer treated the animal is important, but much more
important to pronounce the verdict is what is how the animal was slaughtered. So you see what the
what happens when you don't prioritize properly. So you have this movement that says if the animal
was treated unethically, it is haram, regardless of how it was slaughtered. And if the idol was
slaughtered properly, but it was in a cage that chicken was in a cage, we will pronounce the verdict
of haram regardless of how the animal was slaughtered. So Fick for them changes because of political
		

			correctness. And that's not right. We don't have to have either or we can encourage ethical
treatment of animals, which we should do. And I've done this multiple times. And we can say, but it
is obligatory to slaughter the animal properly, right? You have a whole package deal here. But when
you don't have your priorities straight, then something which is not the most important, it's
important, nobody's denying, it's not important, but it's not the most important the most important
is slaughtering and feeding the animals should be pure. That is more important. If the farmer
mysteries the animal that's wrong, it's a sin, the animal will be able to complain on Judgement Day
		

			Believe it or not, the farmer might be punished for what he has done, but the meat is still halal
for us now you don't want to buy it, that's fine, but don't say It's haram. But we'll get to that
issue. Now. That's one extreme what is the opposite extreme? When it comes to these issues? Who can
tell me?
		

			No, no.
		

			Definitely
		

			not their modern liberalism. Exactly.
		

			Our brothers well aware of these debates, because he's intrinsically involved online
		

			sometimes on both sides I wonder that's why anyway, that's he's my tease to go person you should all
know this.
		

			Our brother correctly points out the other extreme, which is typically from under educated,
overzealous fundamentalist types to be I'm trying I'm sorry to be so stereotypical, but this is what
it really is.
		

			It boils down to people who think they're defending the tradition.
		

			And so any time anybody comes and says yeah okay you can be green in Islam a staffer Allah imam in
no way did he say anything like this even had God talk like this Imam Abu Hanifa did he mentioned
about shutting the light off when you leave the room? This is all you liberal because people, all of
you sold sell yourselves to the progressive modernists. Okay? And these people, they want to defend
the traditional, they've never studied it critically.
		

			They just are so sensitive. And we understand so many changes have gone. Anytime somebody comes in
wants to push the boundary a little bit. They just knee jerk reaction that Oh, that's it. What's
next? Now everything is headed. Okay? You're gonna say LGBT hella, we're talking about being green.
Next step is automatically LGBT halal. Like, that's the way their minds worked. Any change is like,
going to change everything. And so if you dare come and say, You know what, it's not an Islamic to
be green on the contrary, if you do it properly, inshallah you will be rewarded. I mean, I quoted
you 10 evidences from the Quran and Sunnah. Just because there was no global warming at the time of
		

			him on No, we and he didn't talk about it, does it make it wrong to advocate being ecologically
conscious? Well, according to this group, it is because again, they're so they're so cautious about
any change, that they are not willing to have any type of different discourse and we see them all
the time, you know, just as you know, they're they're very well common and whatnot. And this is
another problem point is we don't know more than one certain. So to conclude, and inshallah we'll
finish with one question today because it was a long question, to conclude. The Quran and Sunnah
		

			does not have something explicit about global warming, but we can make an argument from the Quran
and Sunnah, that Allah subhana wa Tada will reward us for being conscious of every living being
around us. That includes animals, and that includes plants. We can also make an argument from the
Quran and Sunnah, that it is nice to be ecologically conscious that we should think about the plants
just like our Prophet system did that he praised people who planting plants we praise people, he
himself took care of the plants outside of her name, even in case of war. It is a very easy argument
to make. And given the fact that science is now pretty much definitive that we have caused damage to
		

			the environment. Then we can say and I'll conclude with Windows verse sudo, room verse 41, Valhalla
first out of the room, Vajrasattva barrier Buhari Bhima Casa de Nasi, they will do combat Ebola they
will do it is not implausible to derive that mankind can cause disasters in nature from a verse in
the Quran. Has anybody in the past done it? Not necessarily, but the wording allows for it. What is
the wording translators? facade has spread facade means any type of chaos, any type of harm and
global warming is a type of facade Vahagn facade Oh, Phil burry will Buhari facade has spread in the
heavens and in the earth. Why how Bhima CASEVAC aiding us because of the results of what men have
		

			done. We have caused the facade we have harmed now obviously the primary meaning is civil war is
because men are stupid to fighting one another. The primary meaning is you're killing one another
because of what you are doing this the but the Quranic wording allows that you can say that one type
of facade is ruining nature. This is a type it's literally in the Quran. Right Way Dr. Wallace if
you see the fee here, will you Likkle herefor oneness and this is explicit facade is destroying the
crops. So one type of facade is global warming, and Allah is saying facade is the result of what you
yourselves have done.
		

			And this is something that we can apply to what we see around us. May Allah Subhana Allah grant us
wisdom grant us this last grant of Sabah, may Allah strengthen and make us stewards of this earth
that we'll be able to answer to Allah subhana wa Tada for the responsibilities He's given us in sha
Allah to Allah will continue tomorrow with our seminar saw Kamala Harris and I'm
		

			in LA Mussolini now almost Lima D one meaning I will move me 91 quantity now look on it the more
slaw the dino slaw the bond the one saw the Rena was saw slob Utah Do you want to for sharing you
know
		

			one voice hearing our voice one downside BP now one downside the party was slow on me now was all
in.
		

			When you have you Lena photo gentleman won half the award. It was good enough.
		

			love you oh what's the guilt or I don't love hula