Activism For Change

We see that the messengers of Allah mainly spoke about two things, spiritual awakening. And they spoke about social reform. No one is more of worship Allah.

So this was the aim of all the messengers of Allah to come and rejuvenate the depth spirituality of the people who come and redirect humanity to the right path. And this was the message of all the messengers of Allah.

Brother Yasser zaga. He will be speaking on the topic activism for change as far as brother yourselfers Agha is concerned. He's an inspiring multilingual speaker songwriter from USA through Canada to the Middle East and Far East. He has a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies from Islamic Arabic sciences in Virginia, USA, in addition to his master's degree in psychotherapy, from the California State University of Long Beach at present brother Yasser is undertaking his master's in theology at Loyola Marymount University. He serves as the Imam that the religious leader of the orange country Islamic foundation in Mission Viejo, California is involved as a therapist at faces

vary helps families with different challenges in life, which include domestic violence issues, communication problems, marital matters, generation gap, difficulty in some mental and personality disorders, diverse grief and single parenting among others. Joseph wasaga has taught the Arabic language and Islamic sciences for the past eight years and has taught Islamic courses on spiritual exegesis and Islamic financial contracts for American Open University. Brother Yasser has done numerous interviews about Islam, on television news stations and radio stations around the globe. He speaks on Islam and related topics for conferences, churches, high schools, colleges and

universities. He also participates on behalf of his foundation in many outreach and interfaith events.

Brother Yasser has this charismatic ability to instantly connect with audiences through his lucid wit and profound wisdom, his timely humor and the warmth that his presence exudes.

Though married a month back,

he was kind enough to accede to our requests to come to Mumbai, along with his wife, and uplift his activism for Dawa Alhamdulillah. To speak today in a contemporary context on the topic of activism for change, brothers and sisters.

Let's all once again welcome back on stage brother Yasser photogra or we will learn ministry Vanya rajim Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala COVID

mursaleen shaffir. It was in the vino Habib al Ameen. Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa ala alihi wa sahbihi been upon hearing rubbish roughly somebody is Italy emri Costa Rica melissani Cali all praises to to Allah. I made his peace and blessings be upon our beloved prophet muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. I begin by greeting my brothers in Islam. And my brothers and sisters who may not be of the Muslim faith, my brothers and sisters in humanity with the greetings of peace. Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.

Brothers and sisters,

Allah subhanho wa Taala told us many stories in the Quran, related to the messengers that he has sent.

And this is stories that the Quran tells us about these great men are not bedtime stories, they are not for the sake of entertainment, but rather These are stories that we are supposed to learn from. And when we look into the stories of the messengers of Allah, we see that the messengers of Allah mainly spoke about two things.

They spoke about spiritual awakening.

And they spoke about social reform.

Spiritual Awakening, on a Sunday I'm in publica in the region in new Illa him Allah, Allah, Allah, and we have not sent before you Mohammed sallallahu alayhi wa sallam but men who is the man

city of La ilaha illa Allah, no one is worthy of worship, but Allah subhana wa Tada.

So this was the aim of all the messengers of Allah to come and rejuvenate the dead, the spirituality of the people to come and redirect humanity to the right path to come until liberate people from all the nonsense beliefs that they held back then, and bring them into the light of Islam have and show them a proper way to have a proper relationship with their Creator, Allah subhanho wa Taala. And this was the message of all the messengers of Allah, spiritual awakening,

correcting the message that was corrupted, either by clergyman or by the passage of time, or the fact that sometimes people were fooled in truth. But nevertheless, Allah subhanho wa Taala sent these messengers to re awakened people, and to have this spiritual awakening.

However, equally as important, as this spiritual awakening, that the messengers of Allah would bring in to people who is spiritually bankrupt, is this idea of social reform. The messengers of Allah came and they taught,

they came, and they preached, but they're preaching and their talks and their education did not stop only at La ilaha illAllah, they brought something else with it, they did not stop there. To give you few examples, most alehissalaam Moses peace be upon him. When he came to people, he did invite them to La ilaha illAllah. But that was not it. See one thing about the messengers, the messengers are set from the masses of the people to speak on behalf of the masses of the people.

Because most of the time, it is the elites who do the talking. And when the elites talk in the Quran, you better pay attention because they are about to lie.

Every time the elites open their mouth, they are about to lie. So you pay attention to what it is that they will be saying. And every time they open their mouth, they sound as if they are speaking on behalf of the masses, but they are not speaking on behalf of the masses. They're only speaking on their own behalf. They may sound that they are talking for the benefit of the masses. But that is not the reality. The elites only speak for the benefit of their own selves.

So here comes Musashi Salam. musala salam is calling people to learn in a in the law. But there is something else that is taking place during the time of musalla his center, besides the spiritual bankruptcy that people are going through, there is political tyranny.

A group of people is being marginalized. A group of people is being exploited. A group of people is being downtrodden. Somebody is stepping on them. Somebody is exploiting them. Most Alan Salaam cannot come and say have a proper relationship with your Creator, but he will not say anything about the Iranian condition that that people are going through. People would not listen. Okay, so I believe in your God, what else are you bringing into the table? What else are you saying on my behalf? So once alayhis salaam came, on the one hand, he's teaching people La ilaha illa Allah, but also on the other hand, moose Allah, he said, I'm speaking on behalf of the masses whom they had

their humanity and their human dignity and integrity, jeopardized and compromised.

In the example of drown, what we see here is the epitome

of dictatorship. masala Hassan comes in and he cannot be silent in front of this. He cannot see the wrong in front of him and does not address it. So most alehissalaam goes on toxic around. And by the way, one of the most beautiful debates that take place in the Quran is the debate that takes place between Musa alayhis salam and around. Give you an example. Here Allah commands Harun and Moosa to speak softly to be around, and to speak tenderly to him less that may have a change of heart and become a better person. And if Pharaoh becomes a better person, then you can count on the entire state of Egypt to become better people as well. So here comes Musa alayhis salam, and he speaks very

nice to fit around and he invites him in Arabic. In now we are the messengers both of us, Harun and Moosa, we are the messengers of your Lord. They're making it a very personal invitation. They did not say we have been sent by our Lord. No they saying we have been sent by your Lord.

Iran in a sense, they are confronting him. Also, in a sense, they're saying that Allah is equally interested in you, as Allah subhanaw taala is interested in us, he is still your Lord around. You better heed to this and you better pay attention was Salaam Alaikum, Anita alhuda and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon all those who follow the right guidance around was the shrewd politician around was a very smart man. So how does he reject this invitation? Carla, former rabuka Maja Moosa, instead of inquiring, and who is this Lord of mine, or Moses, he said, and who is your Lord? He is not mine. He is only your Lord.

fair question. This respectful, impolite, but it's a fair question. And here comes the answer from Musa alayhis. Salam, on a boon Allah, he

said, Our Lord is the one who has created everything, gave it its proper form, and gave it guidance. Now this answer to Pharaoh was very puzzling. How does he respond to this? Now? He claims to be God. Yet most alehissalaam is introducing a very different concept of God, the Creator of everything, the one who has shaped everything, the one who has given do measure to everything, how can I compete with this? Listen to what this shrewd, wicked politician does? He completely changes the subject. And what does he say? All of America?

What about the previous generations? You look into the dialogue and you say, wait a minute, this man is not following. We're talking about God, why is he all of a sudden jumping? And asking about previous nations? Why is he bringing this? So many times this is what politicians do? distraction.

They distract, they immediately change the subject. But most Allah is Allah knows what's happening. For our asks, Is that what about the previous generations? Are you going to tell me that our forefathers were lost? Are you going to say that our great grandparents were misguided? Are you going to tell this to the masses? How would the masses feel if they were told that all their great grand parents were misguided? How will they feel masala Salaam was an extremely smart man. He does not go that route. So what does he say on

this, he said, the knowledge of these generations is with my Lord, in a book where my Lord, neither Earth nor does he forget such a change of the subject. But really, let's go back to that previous statement that you said, You are inquiring about Allah, let me give you more information about a law.

But the point is this, Musa alayhis salam sees this oppression taking place, and he was not silent about it. All the messengers of Allah were engaged in the reality of their times, they will head on confronting the challenges and the problems of their times. They did not go back and try to bring up a challenge from 100 years back, no, we're talking about today's challenges, and we are going to confront today's challenges.

Another example would be prophet Alayhi. Salam

Alaikum. Salaam comes to his people. And his message is clear. His message is worship none but Allah. And this is the spiritual awakening aspect of it. But during the time of alayhis, salam, there was also another problem that was taking place.

Not that only the people were spiritually bankrupt, but the people are also now morally bankrupt.

indecency is taking place. sexual immorality is taking place. Luke Ali Salam comes and he sees the social ills of his community and he is not quiet about it.

What does he do? He tells people he invites people to La ilaha illAllah. But he also tells people we need social reform. morality is bringing the entire community down. I preach La ilaha illAllah. But at the same time port of La ilaha illa Allah is that I have to confront the ills of my society as they are happening today.

So he speaks about it. He comes out and he confronts his people and he speaks against their behavior. He speaks against their wicked ways of life.

And we can learn so much about mortality Solomon from Natale Salaam

The days that we are living today where sexual immorality is the norm. If you want to sell anything use sex. You want to sell Tylenol, your advertisement your commercial must be sexually appealing to people. You want to sell soda make it sexually appealing. You want to sell a bed in the hospital make it sexually appealing. Somehow they are able to put sex in every aspect in every place to sell.

And you see this and you say But wait a minute. You are dragging you are making us morally corrupt. You are objectifying women. You are commodifying women. You're using them as a commodity. We will not be quiet about this. We are going to speak against this. As Elisa Lam has done.

We see Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he does come and he preaches to people La ilaha illa Allah and remember this is the spiritual awakening part of it. But the teaching of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam does not stop there. social reform needs to take place. People have been wrongly enslaved. Women are wrongly oppressed, the weak or marginalized. Nobody's speaking on their behalf. Nobody has a say about their destiny. Somebody else is making the decision for them. When they have no say about anything. People can wage war and stop was at will. And the masses have no say. They are asked to fight. They're the first to sacrifice and they are the last to benefit from

anything. Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam comes and he speaks on behalf of these masses. Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam comes and he speaks against alcoholism. Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam comes and he speaks against the exploitation of the poor and the needy. He comes and he speaks against infanticide that was taking place. In fact, in the fourth year of Islam, as his companions are persecuted and tortured and marginalized and all the terrible things that are happening to them. What is the Quran reveal? Or

have you seen the one who belies religion? Who's the one that belies religion? You would think that the one that belies religion is the one that does not pray, does not believe in the day of judgment and goes and takes a totally different route. Who is the person that belies religion? The Quran tells us

it is he or she who repels the orphan whose harshness whether your

skin and he does not encourage the feeding of the poor and the needy, Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

Somebody is considered to be a person that belies religion, because they've been rude to the orphan because they did not encourage the feeding of the poor and the needy. This is a deed from Allah subhanho wa Taala.

This is the teachings of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he comes in, and this is what he teaches. Another example that we want to spend a little time with is the example of Prophet tribe alayhis salaam, and the Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam calls him hottie will ambia the orator of the messengers, because of how compelling his argument is, Dr. Ahn tells us this story, in sort of hood where it says

fiber, and to the people of medion. We sent them their brother and

the people of medion had a very geographically speaking, a very strategic location, where caravans and business and transactions were taking place around their town. And they knew the strategic location of their town. So they used to take advantage of the people. They used to exploit the people. Dr. Allison, like all other messengers, he comes to them and what does he say? Call a coma boo la la comunidad.

He said, Oh, my people, worship Allah, for you have no other True God besides Allah subhanho wa Taala worship Him. Spiritual Awakening, you are spiritually bankrupt, and I am going to awaken this in you. But by the way, you are also becoming morally bankrupt. What are you guilty of dry valleys the lamb speaks to his people and he says, Allah

said do not shortchange people do not lessen in measure or in weight in the Arakan, the higher. I see you in prosperity. You don't need to exploit more you already have enough. Don't take advantage of the poor and the needy. What you have is enough for you. We're in the

desert

biomin Mohave and I feel for you the chastisement of an encompassing day. Dr. Ali Salaam does not stop there.

He goes on with his people and what does he say? Well call me out we'll make your 11 meezan Bilkis while at the NASA Shia home, all my people give in just in do measure and weight that which belongs to people without the personas do not shortchange people do not deprive people of that which belongs to them one of the most serious and do not go around the Earth intending mischief. But you have to know that what you earn in a proper way, a way that Allah subhanho wa Taala approves of is what is best for you in meaning, if you only people believe me, Dr. Alice alarm goes on with his people going back and forth. And then they start mockery of him.

Or they said oh Shall I on your prayers telling you to tell us not to do in our wealth as we please freedom. Dr. Allison m goes on. And he tells them about his ethics about bringing change. To bring change is mandatory.

To bring change and to eradicate the evil. You cannot use evil means you cannot eradicate evil was evil. You can only eradicate evil was things that are better than evil. socialize, Allah Islam tells them his plan. How does he plan to bring about this change? What does he say? Allah?

Allah, the unit in Europe, he said to begin with all my people, won't you consider the following? I have been given clear signs from my Lord. I don't say these things to make you look bad. I don't say these things to put you down. I am here I have been sent by Allah. I am just fulfilling an obligation that I was commanded to do by Allah subhanho wa Taala. And so please hear me out. Hear me out.

And then he said, wanna redo and oh, Holly for Camila and Hackman.

And I wish not to do that, which I forbid you from doing. Meaning that I will not tell you to stop doing one, two and three. But yet I myself, I do want to answer three. I'm reminded of a story. One time, said that a brother was watching TV with his wife, and it was news coming from Palestine.

And as they were watching TV, there was this Zionist slug, a soldier with the birth of his rifle. He started beating on the head of an old Palestinian woman. She said that scene was so sad. My husband could not hold his teeth and he started crying. said my husband was moved to tears. He started crying. He

said, I looked into my husband. And I started laughing. I

said, Why were you laughing? She said, Because last week, my husband hit me so hard. He broke my ribs and I needed to be taken to the emergency room.

When he did it, there was nothing wrong with it. Yet when he saw somebody else, he was moved to this and he started crying.

How do you explain this?

How can you be moved to tears? By the same action that you just inflicted on somebody else a week ago? How can that be explained?

Some

people listen to this. Nah.

Man, I wish not to do that which I am forbidding you of doing, you will not find me guilty of double standards. You will not find me guilty of hypocrisy. You will not find me guilty of commanding of one thing or forbidding one thing yet I myself I will be guilty of it. And then Shriver Allah is Salam makes one of the most beautiful statements. What is he saying?

I only wish for your betterment, to the best of my ability

is that my motto is that I am warping. I am working for your betterment to the best of my ability, your betterment spiritually, and your betterment socially. Whether people respond to this or they don't respond, that becomes irrelevant, but you have a moral obligation.

You have a moral obligation that when we see the ills around us, these ills are not for us to curse. These ills are for us to address and to try to fix as much as we can.

As much as we can. She brought us

Nowadays, you cannot help but admire these young European boys and girls, who will be going out marching in the streets, protesting the war in Iraq, protesting the WTO protesting the g8 summit. These are young Europeans who are living a comfortable life. in their own countries, they are living a comfortable life, but they are feeling the pains of other people. And they go out and they march more people marched in Madrid, more people march in London than in many Muslim countries when the war of Iraq was coming up.

You look into this and you say, Why?

Part of our being is that when we look into the role, we address the role

Are we not as Muslims supposed to speak on behalf of those who are marginalized and exploited? Isn't this the Sunnah of the Prophet? sallallahu alayhi wasallam? Isn't this what he taught? He knows how swallow was really interesting. In the farewell, that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam gave the very last time that he was performing hajj, how does he address people? He said, yeah.

I love that statement. He said, all people.

What happens is that he did not say

you're Muslim. He did not say unbelievers. He did not say all Muslims, but rather what does he say? He said, all mankind.

Because the message of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is a universal message.

And he spoke and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in today's terms, we can say that he was the leading activist of his time, because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took the issues that really mattered. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam spoke about it. See in the Quran, we have this concept, that we as an Ummah, a body of Muslims, he said that we have been appointed as people who are constantly,

constantly engaged in the eradication of evil, and in the progressing and in the enjoying of goodness. Throughout the Quran, you will see that this is one of the cardinal, absolute Cardinal stamps on the believers, that they are people who do not only live for themselves, but rather, as they are living, they ensure and they make sure that other people are also being given this proper life that is equal to their human dignity and integrity. This is the message of Islam, that we as Muslims, we have to be activist doesn't the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say, if you see wrong, do something about it, speak against, eradicated physically, or at least do not become

decent, OSI straight in your heart, at least denounce it in your heart. And then he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, this is the weakest level of faith. The point is my brothers and sisters, as we learn from the teachings of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we want to make sure that we become an embodiment. We take these stories not just only to entertain us, but rather to look into these stories and we say, huh, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi. wasallam is really mapping for us a way of life, he is mapping for us a path to take. So here's what we ask for brothers and sisters. Number one, we must be engaged in reality. We have to get engaged, we must get involved. That is not

a suggestion. That is not a recommendation. This is an obligation. We must get engaged and we must get engaged in reality. Here is the attitude sometimes that we use, the problems that we have today were caused by our fathers and they will be fixed by our children.

What do we do?

sit around and watch. They were caused by our parents and they will be fixed by our children. You're saying that you know what, I don't count and that is not acceptable. Number two, as we listen to these stories, there is a sense of care that you can sense as these messengers are talking. And you can feel it as they are talking to the people and what do they say to me?

He said all my people, I one of you, you are my people. You are part of me and I am part of you in need of Polycom I feel for you out of concern. I speak out of love. I speak. You are my people. And I am one of you in the valley. Can you hear this? No. Elisa made that statement? Who made that statement? And here we have Dr. Allison and he made that statement. He calls his people and he said and I do this because I care. So there's got to be this sense for humanity. There's got to be this sense

For the others, if we only think of problems as these are their problems, these are the window problems. These are the capital problems. These are the European problems. It does not work out that way. The world is becoming so small nowadays, that any social ill will creep into any community and not community is immune from this. No community is immune. So do not think that because these are their ills, they will never become part of yours, or they will. It's just a matter of time. So there is this idea of sense and care for humanity.

Number three, and this is an extremely, extremely important point. See, brothers and sisters, when there are so many social ills. We need to get engaged. But we need to choose our battles wisely.

We have got to be mature as to which baton? Do we want to fight? badly? And I'm not talking about battlefield, talking about which social ills Are we going to confront? First? Which social ills Are we going to speak about? So you have got to be wise? About which battles are we going to fight first? See, we Muslims, sometimes we are so easily offended, so easily provoked, so easily instigated and that is not very helpful. Appreciate the passion, but it's not very mature.

It's not very mature. That's why do we say, we need to choose our battles wisely. We need to use them wisely. When I look into some of the things that currently happened, be the people that write about the Prophet sallallahu, alayhi wasallam. They write against or and they write against Islam, and some of them may even be Muslims. Why don't we ignore them?

If they are kicked out? If they're asked to leave, if they stopped writing, our our situations better? Do we have less poverty? Are there less more freedom for the people? Is the situation of the masses? Has it improved? Because we decided to fight this battle? What was the outcome of this battle? What did we win?

What was in it for us? We made somebody more famous. We made them seen as heroes. We definitely made them rich. Their books went on the bestseller overnight, and what did we gain? They're more famous, their ideas are more spread, and more people are coming to support them, and more people are coming out. So we must choose our battles wisely. And when we look into the seed of the Prophet sallallahu, alayhi wasallam. We see that the process of them he addressed issues, but he did not address them immediately. His silence was not an approval of the ill that was taken place. But it's all about timing.

It's all about timing. Now is not the time for this. And I am not saying this because I approve of it. But now is not the time for it. There are greater battles that needs to be taken care of. Even in the being remember this brothers and sisters, the teachings of Islam is not one horizontal line. But rather there is a slope with some things are important. And some things are more important. Where do we get this from? The Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam what he says a man with

Allah ha la ilaha illallah wa ha Mr. Patil.

He said faith is 70 some branches were the highest branch of it is La ilaha illAllah. And the lowest part of it is to remove harm from the path of the people. And listen to this statement, the highest and the lowest there is a highest, and then there is a lowest to be occupied with the lowest at the expense of the highest is not acceptable. We see in the life of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and jihadis generates that.

Amongst the first things that were revealed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam were the segments of La ilaha illAllah calling people to La Ilaha Illa. And then she makes the statement and she said

this, she said had the very first thing be do not consume alcohol, we Arabs would have all revolted. And they would have said we will never abandon the drinking of alcohol. This is too soon.

You are addressing this too soon. This is not the time for it. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam lived and he saw that evil that was taking place. He did not address it because there was a greater evil that was taken place. The point is, we must learn to choose our battles wisely. We must mature as to which battle do we want to fight and when do we want to

fight it. And that is why the scholars to speak about the fear of determining priorities. And even the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, they practice this so beautifully. There is an incident that Buhari member had in Iraq in his book, when it comes to the Babel solatube. Amina is in the chapter on the players in minutes. Now when you go to Mina, people shorten their prayers. So they want wizards man. And when they got to minimum, this man decided that he was going to pray irrational for us instead of us. So some people came to him

and said, you know, ameerul momineen I have done Hajj behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And in this particular place, I remember so vividly that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam led us to to Raka. So please pray for us, as man was of a different opinion, and this is not what we're discussing. He was of a different opinion. And he decided that he was going to lead the believers in for us instead of two. So everybody prayed behind him, including himself. So when the Salah was over, people came to open armor and they said, Abraham, did you not say that you saw Mohammed Salah Salem and you prayed behind him in this place? told us you should have waited for us man to finish

his prayers. And then you come and you pray as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed.

And Omar makes a remarkable profound statement. What does he say? He said, Be quiet. He said shortening the prayers is asuna. the unity of the Muslims is an obligation you do not waste an obligation to perform us.

You do not waste an obligation to perform a string. That's what we do every day.

We waste major obligations in order to perform service. We are not saying that the Sooners are not important, but we are saying that they cannot be at the expense of the obligations. You cannot compromise the obligation for Sooners, you cannot jeopardize the obligation for the fullness not acceptable.

So there's got to be this maturity. When we choose our battles, and we look into the messengers of Allah, and we look into Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we have got to do this.

You know people have so much appreciation for values.

My opinion, Allah Subhana Allah knows best. I have great faith in humanity. I believe that humans are generally good people. And when they are shown the way they even become better people.

And many times people were attracted to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam so beautifully, you know, when the verses were revealed

in Allah,

that Allah commands people of what Adam, Justice in the law when Adam justice, will s and righteousness, what it will and that is being good to your life and your kin, treating them with liberality. When an infraction it will move

on a lot for which fascia, you know, open immorality

and injustice and wickedness. as Ron said, When I heard these verses, I said La ilaha illAllah Muhammad Rasulullah even though he was a Muslim, so the process Helen said What happened? He said prophet of Allah, you have previously invited me to Islam, and I said La Ilaha Illa because I was just embarrassed because he kept talking to me talking to me, so I said, Okay, fine, La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad Rasul Allah, but he said, This statement is so beautiful. Now from the very bottom of my heart, I am saying that

what does he do? He run to Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was a Muslim. And he goes to him and he recites these verses to him and he said,

Listen to what has been revealed to your nephew beautiful verses and he read it to him,

hoping that it will have a similar impact on him. Abu Talib heard the verses and he said

Mohammed

Mohammed and for Allah Hello Lamia Khan has been for interview

he said people Fano Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you become prosperous. Follow Mohammed sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for he respects your intellect. He said even if he is telling us lies and he's fabricating this and this is really not a religion. He said these are good principles and values to live by.

that even if you choose to say that he is fake, he said what he teaches is good. Follow Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said and you become prosperous.

What do we want?

We want to be engaged in reality,

many social ills that are out there, by which we can tell people about Islam. And by which we can also aid and help in the betterment of our fellow human brothers and sisters. Why don't we engage ourselves in campaigns, campaigns against drugs, drugs are consuming our children, young boys and girls, V the Muslims or non Muslims, where they're being wasted? Why can't we as a Muslim community say, by the way of the teachings of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he taught that Hamas is almost a virus, that all forms of intoxicants, they are the mother of all evils is that out of this, the Muslim community is here by holding a campaign against drug and alcohol. So

why can't we do this?

Why can we say the teachings of Islam are so good, we want it for you as well. When Islam speaks about, you know, how we feel about alcohol and how we feel about this, and these are great. These are great values. You know, I had a one time assist that she came to the message and she took her Shahada.

And I said, we all like to hear how do people become Muslims? Because it's very inspiring. And sometimes our brothers and sisters who decide to come back to Islam, sometimes they see in Islam, things that we don't see, because we take them for granted. So this is what I said, Well, how would happen? How can you became a Muslim? What happened to you? She said, in my company, there is a Muslim man. During Christmas time in the States, the company sometimes decides to give people gifts. Sometimes they give the money, sometimes they give them all sorts of gifts.

And sometimes the company decides to give everybody champagne.

Or they will have lots of champagne, and they'll just give it to people. So she said this man, he had this look on his face. He was so worried. I came to him because he just did not look very good. And I said, What happened to you? And he said, I am afraid of the champagne.

So what do you mean? He said, I have never touched champagne in my life. I am a Muslim, we are not even allowed to touch champagne. I don't want the company to give me any champagne. She said, What do you mean? He said, we're not allowed. She said You mean you have never had any alcohol in your life? He said never. If they give you the champagne, you're not going to take it. He said never ever she said I want to see this religion. I want to look into it. And she started reading about Islam. But the point is this, people know the ill people know the impact the very negative impact that it is having on our communities, Muslims or non Muslims. What benefit is it into us that no Muslim

drinks alcohol, but somebody drinks alcohol, and they got onto their core, and they become a hazard to everybody else around them.

So we as a Muslim community, we can get engaged in this.

Why not have AIDS awareness days?

Why not we say as Muslim community, you know what we do believe we know why AIDS is spreading the way it's spreading. And we as a Muslim community, we have a strategy, and that is nothing outside of marriage. Nothing outside of marriage, we are going to hold campaign awareness for the people who are infected either who is it or to protect those who are not infected with us. They had a conference in Kenya. And one time they gathered about some clergyman, Muslim Imams and rabbis and priests and they said, you know, we want you to tell us your perspective as to what does your religion say about the people who are already infected with AIDS or HIV.

They said everybody spoke.

And then came the Muslim representative to speak.

And the people commented, and they said, it was the most useless 20 minutes that were ever spoken in that regard.

Because he got up and he started speaking about how fornication is haram in Islam and Islam. We're not supposed to have any of these types of, but that was not the question. The question is, these people are already infected with the disease. What can your religion offer these people?

To tell them what you did is haram is too late? That is not the question. The question is, what are you offering to these people?

If a Muslim comes to our rescue today, and he says, I made a mistake in the past and I have AIDS, do you think that the community will embrace that person? And they will say May Allah give you a speedy recovery in sha Allah some key will be found, but until then, you are our brother, you are our sister. We feel for you. You are still one of us. You think our communities will do this

So we want to be engaged in these things. Why can we be engaged in domestic violence? Why can we allow so much oppression to be taken place against women, and we don't do anything about it? where women are beating left and right, and the Muslim community is silence. And sometimes it may even be that this is something that is happening within our own community, but we do not address it.

But the question is, brothers and sisters, is that we must engage in reality. And we very mature about choosing what it is that we want to be engaged in. Why don't we have complaints about child abuse? Why don't we put our messages into better use? What's going on? In any message between federal

from six in the morning, all the way to noon time? What use? Are we putting our messages to their empty? What is going on there?

Why can't they be clinics?

Why can't they be a university where people come and they are taught? Why can't it be a place of refuge to people? Why is it just a building a skeleton with no soul or no spirit into it? And then we pride ourselves, or we have got so many ministers in the area, but what kind of impact are they making?

See, the beauty of a Masjid is not in just that skeleton that you put together, anyone can do that.

And I am not undermining massage with you, per se, unless we put our massage into better use. They just remain a building. And I don't think Allah subhanaw taala would be interested in just a building.

That won't be acceptable.

I was hoping that insha Allah with this short talk, that I will provoke my brothers and sisters. inshallah to further explore this idea. Look into this, you know, are we really doing what Islam said to be doing or are we just talking about it? A brother tells the story. He said that I was once in France.

And I went to the hotel.

And in the hotel, he said it was my first time there and I asked, I wanted to pray. So I said, Are there any Muslims here? So this young man came to me and he said, I know Muslim,

Sunni Yun, Maliki you. He came through and he said, I am a Muslim.

I am a Sunni. And I am Maliki I belong to the Maliki School of jurisprudence. So I said I looked at him and said, Masha Allah, which way is the Kabbalah? Which was NACA, he looked at me and he said, I don't know I don't pray.

I don't know. I don't pray. yet. He claims and he says about himself. I am a Muslim, I am Sunni, I am Maliki yet I don't pray.

If what you believe in,

does not impact how you behave. Then what you believe in is not important.

We can say all the nice things that we want to say about Islam, but unless we put it into action, it just remains nice waters. Nobody is interested in just nice worse, people want to see and at this time as a Muslim community, we have a lot to show for. But let us begin by this care for humanity. We must care for humanity brothers and sisters. And when we say this, we are not pretending to be anything that we are not. We are not pretending to be like anybody else. We are just trying to be what Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam was to humanity Jazakallah higher Apollo probably harder. Allahu Allah sallallahu ala nabina Muhammad