Yasir Qadhi – The Situation in Ukraine A Muslim’s Perspective

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			just when things were beginning to be somewhat normal, and we thought that COVID is about to end and
masks are coming off, and we're trying to settle into a new phase of our lives Subhanallah a
political incident captures the imagination of the world. And one of the great superpowers of our
times Russia invades Ukraine. And for the last week, this news has been riveting us throughout the
entire days and nights we've heard nothing except about this reality. So in today's Hakuba, I want
to share some Islamic reflections and some theological benefits from this reality. And my hotbar
will center around five points. The first issue, why talk about politics during a hotbar I want to
		

			emphasize this whole debate is not a secular political analysis. Neither is this the place nor am I
qualified to do that. I am not discussing the whys, analyzing the house, pontificate pontificating
about the what ifs. Rather, this is an attempt to benefit from an Islamic paradigm and extract
lessons and morals based upon our Quran and our sunnah. That is because the mind of a Muslim should
always analyze every single fact through the lens of Eman and the Quran commands us to ponder over
the creation and to ponder over the past history and to analyze current events. All of it through
the lens of Eman and Taqwa Allah says in the Quran that the pious are those who yet affect Karuna if
		

			you have a semi Watty when they think about the creation and they ponder over the miracles of
creation, there's pondering over science, Allah tells us in the Quran, our musc ruville are the
founder okay for Ghana, Africa to legitimate carbon, don't they wander in the lands and travel and
see the fates of the civilizations before them? This is past history. Allah says in the Quran, our
Amuro Anna, Jana haram and Armenian don't they see we have made MK a peaceful sanctuary, don't they
see that they have been provided from food and protected against civil war? This is the now analysis
of current politics. Throughout the Quran. Allah wants us to analyze the creation and the past and
		

			the present through the eyes of the Muslim and the movement. And that is what today's attempt is. So
please understand this point. It is not political analysis. It has theological benefits as every one
of us should be doing. The second point.
		

			Why should we even care about what is happening in two faraway lands? Should we even care that one
nation has invaded another? And I was in fact surprised to hear some people remark with complete
callousness that this war is of no concern to us, one of them said, to cover countries fighting, who
cares?
		

			This really surprised me, because it betrays an ignorance of both history and of basic Islamic
theology. As for ignorance of history, just go back 100 years, World War One was the result of
conflicts in that very region, Serbia and Germany and Russia and other lands 100 years ago, and
World War One when it began, it had nothing to do with the Middle East. And it had nothing to do
with the Arabs and it had nothing to do with the Muslim civilization. But by the time World War One
ended, all lands of the world, including our Muslim lands had been dragged in and directly as a
result of World War One, the caliphate collapsed and the Sykes pico agreement that divided the
		

			Muslim ummah into many dozens of nation states was enacted, and Palestine was handed over to the
British. And the rest, as they say, is history. Imagine if somebody said 100 years ago, who cares
what's happening in France and Serbia and Belgium and Russia? Who cares? Do you not learn from
history? When superpowers get involved? The world gets involved, but also not just from history.
What type of heart is it that doesn't care about the plight of other human beings? What type of Eman
are we teaching?
		

			When one of our own and one of our own members says this that who cares to cofre countries fighting
has nothing to do with us. Where is the basic humanity and compassion? SubhanAllah? Do we not learn
from the Sierra? Do we not learn from the Sunnah, that a lady entered the fire of how? Because she
showed callousness to a cat and another prostitute lady and to Jana, because she showed compassion
to a dog, if Allah will punish people for being hard hearted towards animals, and Allah will reward
people for being compassionate towards animals, including dogs, then what do you think about
compassion and mercy towards your fellow human beings? And what do you think about callousness
		

			towards fellow human beings? What type of Eman does such a person have that this person believes
that only a Muslim we care about? And anybody else we don't care about? Yes, it is true. And I'll be
the first to say that we have stronger ties with our blood and our fellow Muslims, people, no doubt
about that, that when we like somebody, when we're familiar with somebody, when we're related with
somebody, yes, the level of connection will be stronger. But this does not mean that just because
the person is not of our faith, or not of our background, that we have no compassion, not at all,
the indiscriminate killings of civilians, and the creation of massive refugees, and the suffering
		

			and pain that any war inflicts. It should bring about in us a genuine sense of compassion, a genuine
sense of caring for humanity. And I say this as bluntly as possible that any Muslim who doesn't care
about the mass suffering of any large group of innocent people, something is wrong with that
person's Eman. This is not the Eman that Allah and His Messenger have taught us. And we should be
having we care about everybody, the orphan, the team, the faqeer, the miskeen. We care about the
refugee and the women and the widows we care about all of them, regardless of faith. And yes, we say
this very clearly my blood brother, no doubt I'll care more about him. My Muslim Brother, no doubt
		

			the level is there, yes, more. But just because he's not my blood brother, or just because it's a
stranger of another faith doesn't mean I have no compassion. And anybody who believes this has
really not understood the realities of our own religion. So this is the second point. Yes, we care.
We care both historically. And we care as the compassion of a fellow human and a fellow Muslims will
have and by the way, it's not as if there are no Muslims in that region. Go study your history,
large pockets of Muslims have been there for many hundreds of years for many centuries. Look at all
of the other guitars, the guitar civilization, which is a Muslim based civilization and other
		

			pockets over there as well. So yes, we care we care for many reasons. The third benefit that we will
gain from this, this incident that we are seeing is that it reminds us of the reality of the nature
of man. It reminds us of the reality of the nature of man. We as Muslims should appreciate what the
angel said, when Allah announced that we're creating a new creation. The angels understood the
reality of this creation. And the angel said, Oh Allah, this is a new creation that will cause
nothing but fitna and facade, war and chaos, bloodshed and suffering. The angels understood that
this is a different type of species, a species that will fight each other cause destruction amongst
		

			each other, create havoc and evil amongst each other. And this reality will never change throughout
all of human history. Despite all of our advancements, despite all of the treaties, despite the
powers of the UN, despite all of this notion that we have left those medieval wars, you cannot
change the reality of mankind. And this pseudo presumption that we are not one enlightened race that
mankind has advanced to a higher plateau. This is simply false, you cannot change the nature of
mankind. And it is a sad reality that animals do not break up into imaginary divisions based upon
nation state, and animals do not go to war with one another based upon the the being greedy and
		

			wanting more land and wanting more power. No two groups of animals split up and fight amongst each
other. This is unique to human species. And that's what the angel said, Why would you do this? Oh
Allah and Allah said, there are wisdoms you will not understand. So there is a lesson for us in all
of this, that we should not be deceived by this illusion. That modern man is somehow different and
superior and intellectually better and greater in values than all of the rest of mankind. On the
contrary, mankind remains mankind. And Allah azza wa jal has reminded us of this reality in the
Quran. The fourth benefit and wisdom that we should gain from all of this is one
		

			Once again the reality of war. And this is a very deep topic. Why do these civilizations go to war?
If people are constantly going for war, as they have done throughout all of human history, then we
as well as a Muslim civilization can point to our past, our youngsters, our next generation,
sometimes they become embarrassed at our shared era. They don't understand our history, and they
say, why did the hoarder fall? Why do you do Omiya? To go to these lands? Why did they go to India?
Why did they go to Egypt? And they tried to explain or they're embarrassed about it, there is
nothing to be embarrassed about in our faith in our religion. And the more you study the reality of
		

			human history and the reality of human psychology and the reality of the global situation, the more
you will understand the wisdom of our Shediac. And we're talking about here the past because once
upon a time, yes, our civilizations did engage in offensive warfare these days, of course, and even
for the bulk of Islamic history, there was no offensive warfare, but for pockets of time during the
hotter for Russia during during the early OMA years. It is true that the early OMA years and our
whole of Russia don't, they did engage in offensive war, but why? Why did they go for war? Look at
the reality of Islam. They went in order to spread a theology and the belief that people can hear
		

			that Kenema of la ilaha illAllah Muhammad Rasool Allah, they went in order to save people from
tyranny and injustice. Allah says in the Quran, ooh, the in a little levena You caught her una be
under whom God more those that have been wronged they have the right to fight back. Allah says in
the Quran, while Allah for Allah He NASA Allahu Bowden lefur said that in our were it not for the
fact that groups of people repel the evil of others, evil would spread in all of mankind. Allah says
in the Quran, when Mother Camilla to Catherine Fe sebelah, he well Musa Athena Maiori jolly one
Nisa, it will will done Why aren't you fighting in the way of Allah when innocent civilians,
		

			innocent men and women and children are being killed? And they're saying who is going to help us?
Oh, Allah. Notice all of these verses what is the common theme? The common theme is that when our
States declared war back in the past, they did so for noble reasons. And there are two primary
reasons number one, to spread the message and not the religion Nobody forced, but the message needs
to be spread. And number two, to help innocent people and Subhan Allah these days, western lands,
they go to war to spread their Akita, and their message. And their message is the message of
capitalism. Their message is the message of their version of democracy, their version of government,
		

			they think it is justified to bomb entire lands so that they can get rid of a king and replace it
with their version of democracy. That is why they go to war. As for the Eastern Bloc, they go to war
to prevent capitalism to spread communism, they go to war, because they don't want NATO alliances or
whatever it might be. That's their wisdoms. And as for us, we are Shetty. We're never allowed to go
to war for the sake of greed for the sake of money for the sake of capitalism and imperialism. No,
we went to war to spread the kalam up or to defend innocent people. And the fact of the matter. And
I say this loudly and proudly, as a person whose origin is in the land of India, I say proudly, I
		

			thank Allah for Muhammad Qasim to come to my land so that my ancestors could stop the worship of
pagan gods. And I can say loudly and proudly, a chateau a la ilaha illallah wa shadow under Muhammad
Rasool Allah, if they can go to war for false reasons of Dunia, we have nothing to be ashamed about
of our own Shediac. And our own tradition, when our ancestors and the Holy Father went to war for
far more noble causes. And this is something as I said, of the past, because in order to go for
offensive war, many conditions are needed. And these days, those conditions do not exist. So this is
point number four, point number five, my final point or the longest one, much has been made amongst
		

			our own circles, of the double standards of reporting this incident, and of the blatant racism that
permeates throughout all of Western journalism. And throughout all of this political analysis that
we are hearing. And we in this audience, we are all familiar with this, it should not come as a
surprise to any of us. Of course, they do not view their own as they view us. And of course, they
give excuses for their own race, that they will not give excuses to other races. This is something
we all know. So what I want for us to do as they go over the next few points. And point number five
is so that we are incentivized to educate ourselves, and then to engage with our colleagues, with
		

			our neighbors with those whom we interact with, with wisdom if we feel qualified to do so, to engage
that we can influence the mindset of those who don't see the hypocrisy. Those who don't see the
		

			Double standards are Muslims, we have to be the voice of conscience in this land, we, the Muslim
community has to stand up for truth and justice. And we need to learn how to point out these double
standards and this hypocrisy in a manner that is wise. So please educate yourself first, and then
learn what is the best way to approach if you feel qualified to do so. Now, having said this, I want
to point out, it is only natural to care more about your own kind than others this much is natural,
it is only natural when you see somebody like you, your civilization, your ethnicity, there's a bit
of a stronger relationship, that's not a problem in and of itself. After all, we as Muslims have the
		

			same thing, and I just said it a few minutes ago, we have more of a stronger affinity to our own
faith tradition. That's not the issue. But the issue is that when you judge the actions of the other
based upon their skin color, and you will excuse one skin color, but not another, or you will excuse
one civilization, but not the other one, it does the exact same thing. That is what we are calling
out to be very clear, none of us should be surprised that birds of a feather flock together, none of
us should be surprised that one civilization feels more of an affinity with its own, we do the same.
That's not the issue that we're criticizing, what we are criticizing is that there seems to be two
		

			different set of scales, two different judgments. When the same action is done by two different
people, the one of them becomes positive, and the other becomes negative. That is what we're
pointing out. And that is where our criticism arises. The claim that the Middle East, and Africa are
lands where somehow violence is endemic, it is as if it is in the DNA of people with a darker skin
color. Hence the notion that those who are not like us and white, and those who are coming from non
Christian backgrounds, they are inherently prone to violence. This claim, which at times is
explicit, if you listen to adlis, they actually will sometimes say this without even realizing the
		

			blatant racism that they're saying is very, very convenient. Because what they do is they suffer
from mass historical amnesia. They forget about their own history, and their own internal strife and
their own wars. They forget about their entire middle ages. And they also forget about their own
history of involving themselves in Arab and Middle Eastern and African lands. The history of
colonization is something that is completely absent from the curriculum of most of the western
world, the Middle East, and Africa would not be in the way that it is and the mess that it is, had
it not been for 300 years of colonization. And we as Muslims need to educate ourselves and then
		

			preach and teach to the people around us. One simple example. And so much can be said 400 years ago,
when India was first discovered by Europeans, when the British first landed in this land of India,
more than 400 years ago, India was at that time the collective lands of India, it was the largest
economic superpower in the world, bar none. There was no close second 1/3 of global GDP was based
out of India, think about that one land one people 1/3 of global economy is based out of India. And
when Europe and when England came to India, they were not even in the top 50 nations think about
that. Fast forward 300 years. And at the turn of the last century, India is now impoverished, and
		

			England has now become globally dominant, by taxing and pillaging and plundering and literally
stealing from the entire lens of India. And our country of America, by the way, has a lot to do with
the history of India and the colonization of India, the East India Trading Company, our Founding
Fathers, most of them got rich through it, and then came to this land. All of you in high school
have studied the Boston Tea Party and the overthrowing of the of the tea in the Boston Harbor. Do
you know that the tea that was gotten rid of was tea that we had on it, the East India Tea Company
straight out of India, it was our wealth that finance this land and the discovery of this land and
		

			the eventual dominance of this land wealth straight out of India and Muslim lands. So now for them
to ignore their own role in carving out the Middle East in literally dictating which group and
country will be where it is, and forget 400 years ago, even in the last few centuries and decades,
even in my own lifetime, how can the West ignore its role in Iraq and in Afghanistan and in Syria,
in creating the crises of those lands in my own lifetime when I was a child in Iraq was and we're
not alone.
		

			About the dictator, what about the people, the people of Iraq were one of the most well off GDP
wise, their education and their health care rivaled some countries in Europe. This is in my own
lifetime when I was a child. Do you think this chaos came out of nowhere? How arrogant for the West
to ignore their own role? 35 years of brutal sanctions, 35 years of bombing 35 years of false
invasions, and not even an apology. And then you have the audacity to say those people are violent,
those people don't deserve any sympathy while you ignore your own role in creating that violence and
creating that Civil War of Adi Stan and who wants to begin about a * Stan even says, before I
		

			was born, the invasions after invasions, the complete decimation of the people, you never gave them
a chance to find peace, such that now you're saying, Oh, it's endemic amongst them, how convenient.
And it's our job or Muslims. It's our job to educate our souls, and then to educate others. That's
what our role is, we have to be beacons and role models of knowledge and education so that the tide
begins to change And subhanAllah after 50 years of brutally invading of understand and completely
decimating as population who are already very impoverished and very poor. Last week, or two weeks
ago, our government unilaterally announces that they're going to confiscate $7 billion of Avanti
		

			wealth found in banks from the people of Afghanistan, just because they have the power to do so.
Then you have the arrogance, and you have the gall to proclaim us as being the backward, you never
gave them a chance. You're the ones who invaded and bombed. And then when the creation when the when
the civil war happens, and what frees you refugees are created, you have the audacity to blame the
religion, we have to point out these double standards, and we need to educate ourselves and then
them of this reality. And it's not just that, it's not just that, let's be brutally honest here,
look at how those Ukrainians who are standing up and fighting Russian oppression are being
		

			portrayed. Look at how those people are being portrayed as freedom fighters. Look at the
valorization of the underground resistance movement. Subhanallah, CNN, on his front page had an in
depth story of the life and bravery of a Ukrainian soldier who blew himself up to prevent Russians
from crossing a particular bridge, he is viewed as a martyr for a noble cause. In any other
circumstance, this would have been a suicide bomber, who is a religious fanatic, but all of a
sudden, the same incident and the same reality is portrayed in a different manner. BBC on its front
page, and I could not believe this. I saw this my own eyes was reporting with glee with happiness,
		

			that British citizens are coming to the Ukrainian embassy wanting to fight and wanting to volunteer,
and the interviewer says, Are you Ukrainian? No, I'm not Ukrainian. Why are you going? I want to
fight for justice. SubhanAllah. So when it is Russia, that is invading. You want your own citizens
to go and defend. But when it is a Western Power, then when your citizens do this, then you go and
you jail them and you call them terrorists, we have to be fair here, we have to be consistent in
what we say is freedom. And what we say is justice, just because the invaders happen to be us, all
of a sudden, everything changes. No, we have to with wisdom, because again, this is a very sensitive
		

			topic. And I have to put this disclaimer, throughout those years of whatever was happening in the
Middle East. I was never an advocate of those religious movements. But at the same time, I never
said that those types of people in those lands are doing anything wrong. I never said this. And
today I'm saying the same thing. When a foreign country comes in invades you, what do you expect the
locals to do? What do you expect? So if you can understand Ukrainians are standing up against
Russia, then why can we not understand when a Western Power invades those locals will also stand up?
Why is there two different methods of judging this is the double standards and hypocrisy that we
		

			need to point out brothers and sisters. One wonders, really, when people make such statements and
write such stories? Are they not even aware of the blatant double standards of the sheer hypocrisy
of these claims? And that's why we Muslims have to be the voice of conscience. We have to be the
educational barometer of society around us, our media, our politicians, they ignore our own
country's role in the creation of problems in our own lands. They concentrate only on the effects of
the problems they created. And instead of taking ownership and responsibility, even if partially
they simplistically and with racism, blame the religion and the skin color or what's their faith
		

			that does this. Oh, those are not those are Africans or Middle Eastern or Arabs, people and
		

			They dehumanize the plight of everybody who is suffering under their role, while they valorize the
plight of those who are suffering under Russia. The Ukrainians are fighting against those who
invaded them. They are freedom fighters, when the Palestinians stand up and fight against oppression
for 70 years, they become the aggressors, they become the violent people. What is going on? This is
the perfect time brothers and sisters, the perfect time for every one of you to become a small
Ambassador amongst your circle of family and friends, amongst your colleagues with wisdom, I keep on
saying because it's a very sensitive topic, we are not justifying terrorism. But who gets to define
		

			terrorism? And why is one not considered terrorism? Not the other? These are the questions we're
asking. These are the questions we want the broader society to begin think about, just because
Russia that is a rival of America invades all of a sudden, anybody who opposes them, we paint them
in a certain way. When we do the same actions, anybody who opposes our land, we treat in a different
manner. And I keep on telling us if we're not going to point out the double standards now. When are
we going to do this? That is why my motivation to give this whole spa This is the perfect
opportunity for us to be as I said, ambassadors of wisdom, actual what Allah says in the Quran,
		

			Kurokawa Amina Bill Christie shahada Lillahi wa ala and forsaken speak with justice and truth even
if it is against yourselves, we are living in these lands and we understand these lands have a lot
of good but these lands have also done some evil overseas and it is our job we appreciate the good
but we point that evil out and that is my fifth and final point. Brothers and sisters much more can
be said and there are many benefits and wisdoms to extract but time is always limited and inshallah
to Allah in these five points. There is enough for us to begin our contemplation for further wisdoms
and success comes from Allah azza wa jal alone, may Allah subhanho wa Taala blessed me a new wisdom
		

			through the Quran, and may make us of those who is versus they understand and applies halal and
haram throughout our lifespan. Ask us forgiveness you as well ask him for his liver food and the
ramen.
		

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			Muslims, we always have to be vigilant against becoming too involved in something at the expense of
another thing. We have to balance ourselves and yes, we educate ourselves about the politics we
educate ourselves about the reality. But let us never forget our spirituality. Ramadan is around the
corner. We have to be careful that the events of Ukraine and Russia do not prevent us from coming
closer to Allah in these next weeks. And especially in the month of Ramadan. We ask Allah to allow
us to be in Ramadan and to worship Ramadan harmony amongst us even if we have that blessing.
Subhanallah and in this month of shadowbanned because Siobhan has begun from Oban is one month away
		

			in this month of Siobhan. It is not a month of trivial nature. It is an important month, it is a
month where we prepare for the coming of Ramadan. It is a month where we spiritually and mentally
prepare. We do what we can for that great month ahead of us who sama in his aid, the one whom the
Prophet says and I'm loved the one who is considered to be almost like a son to the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Osama bin Zayed said O Messenger of Allah. I have never seen you fast
as much in any month except for Ramadan, as I've seen you fast in Siobhan. I have never seen you
fast more in any month except Ramadan. Then Siobhan and our prophets Allah Allahu Allah He was
		

			seldom said that the Akasha Haroon, this is a month year follow NAS Juan who most people are
oblivious to it, they ignore it. Most people ignore it. It is between Raja and Ramadan meaning
chabanne And it is a month that Allah raises good deeds to himself. So I wish that Allah azza wa jal
raises my deeds when I am fasting during this month. The purpose of this hadith which is in the Sati
is that we remind ourselves that Siobhan is the preparation ground for Ramadan, let us start
preparing ourselves spiritually. Let us start preparing ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally,
let us start getting rid of the dunya stuff we need to do. We all have chores that we need to do get
		

			them done now so that Ramadan has some extra time maybe some of us have fast that we have to do from
last year. Make them up now. Maybe we haven't paid zakat of last year make it up now. Make sure you
are spiritually and mentally prepared. Do as many facets as you can start calculating your zip code
from now if you have any shopping to do for IE do it now. Why spend the last 10 nights doing that do
it now and keep it until that day comes prepare yourself for that month that is coming because Allah
knows if any of us were actually going to be there during that month but if and when it comes we
should be the best and the most prepared so take advantage of this month and you shall ban to lay
		

			the foundations for the coming month of Ramadan. May Allah
		

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