Quran Interactive Recitations - Click below

Friday, January 22, 2010

[MahdiUniteMuslims] KHUTBAH : ABU DHARR (R): SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER PART 3

 

THE STREET MIMBAR

JUM'AH KHUTBAH (21 January 2010)

webpage: http://www.facebook.com/The.Street.Mimbar

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_street_mimbar/

PLEASE e-mail Suggestions & Criticisms to khutbahs@yahoo.com

It is in such a manner that We make plain Our signs so that the course of the

Criminals may become clear.

Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

Alhumdulillah. Peace and blessings on Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam), his Noble Companions and Family.

Brothers and sisters, Committed Muslims…

 

Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/khutbassermons.htm (01-01-2010)

ABU DHARR (R): SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER PART 3

We have on the pages of our Holy scripts ayaat, i.e. expressions of Allah's power presence, but we don't have the meanings of these ayaat expressed in our character. These are two different things. You have meanings that are words, sentences and paragraphs in a Holy Writ, but we don't have their meanings as behaviour, character and movement in the holy life that Allah has given us and there-in is the dilemma of today's Muslims. We have been, (in many of these khutbahs, if not in all of them), trying to make the transition from being verbal Muslims to being behavioural Muslims; from being Muslims who express their Islam by words to Muslims who express their Islam by works. The bridge for this transformation is our understanding. If we think of what Allah and His prophet are telling us, we begin to build or construct the building blocks of this transition/transfer from just speaking Islam to acting Islam. There has been, (throughout all of these piled up years of ours), an inability in us to learn- that's all!!! Some of us do not want to have the first years and centuries of Islam as a lesson. Many of the difficulties come from either an expressed impeccability or an impeccability that is assumed without being expressed. With this attitude and approach we'll never be able to learn. We will continue to go in circles. Some of us who hyphenate ourselves as Sunnis- these are the ones who infer al isma to the sahaba (radi Allahu anhum). They don't come out and say it, but you can't come and place a sahabi in the light of Allah's words and His Prophet's teachings and then find out that he made some mistakes here-and-there. To them, that is violating a foundation of Islam. There's no such thing, but that's the way they consider it. Then, to other Muslims there is the out-and-out expressed and verbalised isma of the Imams (radi Allahu anhum wa alaihim as salaam). Then, if someone comes and tells them "there is an Imam who is more correct than another Imam," they become offended. We don't want to go into the sensitivities of these issues with these two types of Muslims who are incapable of repositioning themselves strictly and strongly in the context of Allah and His Prophet. They've substituted Allah and His Prophet with the history of Islam without learning from it. We think (that) Allah has offered us the guiding light to de-hyphenize ourselves i.e. to consider ourselves Muslims before we are Shi'is or Sunnis and not let this Sunni/Shi'i predicate to Islam consume Islam altogether. Only those who are confident in Allah and His Prophet are able to withstand the arrows of accusations that will come from these two areas who turn fanatical when you want to approach this subject. We want to extend a hand of understanding to those who don't have the capability/qualifications/merits to save their own selves from s whirlwind of history that has placed them in their own peculiar types of vicious circles.

 

We have many ayaat in the Qur'an that speak about the issue of money. This is a topic that is not supposed to be presented from the Mimbar. Khutbahs, ayaat, ahadith about money!!! No! If any of the spokespeople who are going to ascend the Mimbar (coming) from the Islam that is sponsored by officialdom, governments and budgets speak about the issue of money, it is at the end of the khutbah i.e. "please give whatever you may to the poor, Mujahideen and other types of Muslims here-and-there around the world." That is the only time they will speak about money. Just to remind ourselves of some of the ayaat that have to do with money

But As Sadaqaat belong/are due to those that are in need, who subsist at a survival level with honor… (Surah At Taubah verse 60)

The ayah that was quoted in the previous khutbah.

Virtue is not in facing the east or the west. Virtue is to be committed to Allah, the final day, the Angels, the Books, the Prophets and to dispense with what you have in wealth despite loving it for relatives, orphans, poor, travelers, those who ask, freeing slaves... (Surah Al-Baqarah verse 177)

How many times in the Qur'an do we encounter the words and ita az zakah.

… and Az Zakah is dispensed as a collective effort i.e. institutionalise az zakah… (Surah Al-Baqarah verse 177)

The Prophet of Allah says in the money of those who have it, is a due besides az zakah. The ayah under which this hadith falls

… and in their money there is a known right that belongs to those who ask for it and those who are denied it. (Surah Adh Dhariyaat verse 19)

And asking for something in an Islamic society is not begging.

 

Another ayah that speaks about money- that the court scholars don't want to explain to the public that is in need of these ayaat and meanings especially in today's world-

… and give them of Allah's wealth, resources and money of which He has given you…

To be a little more detailed about this ayah you i.e. the committed Muslims who, (are listening), have the wherewithal/means in other words you rich Muslims from Allah's money which He has given you...

 

Another ayah says

… and spend out of that which He (Allah) has assigned you the position of being responsible for it…

And the ayaat keep on giving/instructing/teaching. We are not the first people who heard these ayaat. We are not the first people who are trying to understand these ayaat. Let us look at the first generation of Muslims. Our detractors i.e. those who point their fingers at us say "that was the best generation of Muslims. That is the generation of as salaf." OK, fine- let us go back to the generation of as salaf i.e. the very same generation that you praise, glorify and raise to the pedestal. That's your generation; that's our generation. No one is running away from it. We don't try to claim it. We don't have any monopoly over it, the same way you are some of you are trying to do. These are the pages of history that are full of lessons which we ourselves decide that we don't want to open. No one wants to learn from. We don't want to learn from our own experience?! We condemn ourselves if we don't learn from our past. We go back to the time when this issue was a public issue among Muslims in Al Madinah, the seat of power and capital of the Islamic State and society. When Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was the ruler of the Muslims, the issue of money became an issue. The same issue that we have all of these ayaat guiding us and shading light on. This issue of money became an issue. Why? Because at that time Muslims began to accumulate wealth. Before that time, when Muslims had money, they would give. There was no accumulation. If there was another person who needs, here it is; that was the behaviour of people who grew up, were educated and struggled with Allah's Prophet. In the time of Uthman, when rich territories became part of the Islamic State, there was a lot of money. Now, Muslims have a lot of money. Brothers and sisters- please let's not get emotional about this. Some of us have the tendency for our emotions to take over. We don't want that to happen. There is nothing wrong with having wealth, but there's something wrong with withholding, hoarding and monopolising wealth. There is where the problem is, and early on in our shared Islamic history, we encountered this problem. We had some Muslims who gained wealth, (even though these ayaat were recited in the Masajid and even though the Prophet of Allah just passed away a couple dozen years or three decades ago), who wanted to hold on to their wealth. You see, if you look at today's world, we have the same problem- it's not new! It's been there all the time. Did we have enough sincerity in our own selves to try and correct this wrong? It is wrong. Whoever hoards and monopolises money and wealth is at fault. This is a hadith of Allah's Prophet. So, we had some Muslims who were making this serious mistake. Then, we had in Al Madinah itself, (that was the springboard of this Islamic prosperity unto the rest of the world), what we would call today suburbs popping about in Al Madinah with mansions, plush domiciles and palaces and we had other Muslims who were looking at this happen in front of their own eyes and then wanting to correct it. One of those Muslims, (and history was not written from his type of prospected), couldn't live with this happening. How can this be? The Ummah of the Prophet is supposed to be concerned with its own self. The rich are supposed to be concerned for the poor. Those who have are supposed to give those who don't have. Isn't that what the Prophet says? A committed Muslim in his relations with another committed Muslim is like a structure; every brick in that structure reinforces the other. Muslims are not counter purpose with themselves. They reinforce each other, but a Muslim cannot reinforce another Muslim when one is piling up wealth and the other is piling up poverty. That's a violation of this meaning. During the time of Uthman, Abu Dharr (radi Allahu anhu) could not live with this opening gap in the Muslim population. (Remember, we are trying to place all of these in context and within a sequence.) First he left Al Madinah and went to Ash Shaam. Then he was forced out of Ash Shaam back to Al Madinah, and when he came back to Al Madinah and saw, (with his own eyes), what was happening in Al Madinah itself, his understanding of Allah and His Prophet caused him to say in a sarcastic manner give good news to the people/folks of Al Madinah, for they shall suffer an unrelenting strike and a memorable war. These meanings are developed by those who lived Allah's instructions and teachings. They don't come from nowhere. They don't come from a genius. They come from an interaction between what Allah is saying and what society is doing. He could see that if Al Madinah keeps on going in this direction, it is going to self destruct. If you see something that is going to fall apart, you're going to try to do something about it before that happens. This is applicable to Al Madinah when those first mistakes were beginning and it is applicable to the United States today when these mistakes have become institutionalised and irreversible, (as it seems). What do you do? Stand silent? You are silent about this issue? You can't. As a Muslim, when something goes wrong- OK, let's try to correct it. Abu Dharr's approach to this whole issue was interpreted by the powers that be… Listen brothers and sisters: those of you who read contorted history books or who read history with self righteousness, as if you understand everything and no one can speak to you about this. (i.e. those with the attitude "who are you to speak to us about history?" Well- you know, no one is trying to impose anything on you or indoctrinate or anything. These are the ayaat of Allah and the ahadith of His Prophet that we are quoting and then, what we find as reliable and objective as a human being can find in the common history that we have minus the bias, prejudice and discrimination that is built in to many of these history books. If you have got the nerve and the muscle to step forward to this context- you are welcome; but if you're poisoned with your self-righteousness and your ego that you have from reading your own history, then you can step aside- this area doesn't belong to you. Uthman is approached by Abi Dharr, and Abi Dharr tells him if 30 of the descendants of Abi Al Aas, (i.e. in reference to the grandfather of the Umawis), are going to take over and become the decision makers, then they are going to make people their servants or bondmen under them. Khawala means khadama. If you are listening closely and if you are free from the built-in bias, then you'll recognise that we never ever condemned Uthman or Aba Dharr, but we looked at it in light of the Qur'an and Sunnah and what is right, (or approximately right), or wrong, (or approximately wrong). No one is asking more or less. This approach by Abi Dharr was considered by those in power at that time i.e. the inner circle of Uthman to be a form of agitation and an attitude of insubordination. Brothers and sisters, this is very important because people who begin to have power begin to show that they are incapable of listening to the other side. Today, we have Islamic Movements, Organisations and Parties, but how many of them have learnt their Islamic history lesson and are able to listen to the other side? Remember, Uthman, who disagreed with Abi Dharr didn't call in the guards or say "bring in the National guard." No. He was there and they were speaking to each other. This was a serious issue; it was not a simple issue. They were not arguing whether you wash or wipe your feet for salah! Today, that becomes a big issue! Muslims are judged by do you say something in your adhan or do you leave it out?! Where do you place your hands in your salah? People want to judge other people because of the physical salah,  but they don't want to judge other Muslims because of the content/behaviour that comes out of that salah. With this difference, they tolerated and spoke to each other. This is what Uthman said to Aba Dharr, (and we quote), O Aba Dharr, I have to do the obligation that is placed upon me and I have to advise the citizenry of affairs pertaining to ijtihad and I have to have them think about matters that are related to their mental opinion and economic life, but it's not upon me to force them Muslim citizens/public to become austere or to say/legislate that "instead of eating a full meal, you eat half a meal." I can't legislate that or make that a law. Today, these are issues that are argued by people who are experience enough; they have nothing to do with Islam, but they argue to what extent can a government become involved in family/personal/private issues. This is the same argument that was bounced back-and-forth between Aba Dharr and Uthman. Uthman said I can't go that far. The response of Aba Dharr was the following, (and we quote), the way I see it is you should not leave the wealthy class of these Muslims until they give of what they have and until they are forthcoming and provide a relief to their neighbours and fraternity and they spend of the wealth, riches and money that will bring them closer to Allah. Now, in other words, if we are trying to understand Aba Dharr correctly, he is not saying that those who are in-charge of making Islamic decisions and formulating the details of Islamic laws have to put a sword over a person who has wealth and force him to spend of that, but to have the social atmosphere/norms/behaviour influenced, because there is an Islamic society and this Islamic society should have enough moral pressure to place on those individuals who are beginning to turn rich. Remember, the Islamic society of those times was a closed one, it's not like today, when people go to Masajid and they don't know each other and when Muslims used to stand with each other in the Masjid and everyone knew who the other person was. What Abu Dharr was saying was they were marginalising their knowledge of these other Muslims and building their financial empires. This should not happen in an Islamic society and state. In one of these encounters, when Abu Dharr returned from Ash Shaam to Al Medinah, they way he did, he reached Al Madinah physically exhausted and harmed with the way he was put on the means of transportation at that time, and Uthman had him accommodated. He didn't say "this is my political enemy here. I know that he disagrees with me and he knows that he disagrees with me, so he can go and live in a shack for all that I care." No. That attitude wasn't there. Even though these attitudes persisted, he said come live with me. Can't you see- we have to bring these examples into today's world, with these serious differences. Abu Dharr went, only to seek more correction and to seek further on this corruption while he was recuperating in the house of Uthman. He saw this wealth come in. In one of the sessions, bags of coins, (read gold and silver), were brought in and placed in front of Uthman. They were stacked so high that Abu Dharr couldn't see Uthman any longer. Was Abu Dharr silent? Was he the type of Muslim that could be bought over. Remember, if someone takes them to the palace of the king or President, they turn soft and lose touch with their principles and ideology. They are Islamic softies. Abu Dharr wasn't an Islamic softy! He stood on principle, lived by principle and he died a principled man and he listened. While he was there, he saw all of this happening. They didn't tell him "you can't see any of this." Obviously, IF at that time, Uthman was a conspirator, he would have sais "what is Abu Dharr doing around here, get him away." That doesn't mean conspiracy wasn't around, but let us be honest. Once again, we notice, (in these mainstream history books, away from the prejudice and reactionism that is set in), that Kaab Al Ahbaar, this Yahudi is present again. What is he doing in the highest office in the land? That is a valid question that every Muslim should ask and every other Muslim should feel initially qualified to attempt to answer without falling into this Shi'i/Sunni nonsense. This wealth has come from Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, and Kaab Al Ahbaar says may Allah bless him for Allah has given him the best of this world and the best of the world to come. Abu Dharr was listening to this and he goes up to him and he confronts him and he says how do you say something like this? Then he quotes for Uthman, Kaab ibn Al Ahbaar, every Muslim who was there and for the rest of us to hear, these are his words, (no one is going to mention this hadith from the Mimbar). Did you not listen to the Prophet say I will not be happy if I die and I have, (we're bringing this into today's language so that everyone can understand it), or leave as much as an ounce of silver. Here's a man who just died and he left bundles/bags/stashes of coins that we stockpiled in front of Uthman. It's not an ounce; the Prophet said he is going to be distressed/unhappy if he dies with just one ounce/coin of this stuff and here you have loads of it in front of Uthman. It's the issue of money! This is a hadith of Allah's Prophet. Who's quoting this hadith? Who is understanding these meanings? Very few- indeed- and the reason is because we have cast versions of this history as their own religion, and so they become Sunnis before they are Muslims and others become Shi'is before they are Muslims. None of them can re-originate those days and times to look and find the truth, and then to dispense it to the rest of us without, (besides the issue that we're speaking about of monopolising wealth), monopolising the truth.

 

Brothers and sisters, committed with a sense of struggle in the company of Allah's Prophet and in the Company of Allah, Himself…

If we were to bring the meanings of these ayaat into today's world, we find that there are laws, conventions and customs. This is what complicates it i.e. when hundreds of years of customs and traditions find common purpose with secular and God-denying laws. So a Muslim, just to present these issues as they are, runs into these two sets of odd circumstances and finds that virtually the world is constructed against presenting these facts. Obviously, those who were/are in power and those who rule today, don't want you to speak about what Allah and his Prophet say about money/finances/wealth. If Allah's Prophet says, (and how many times have we heard this hadith), the Muslims in this world is like one body. If something is wrong with one of the organs of this body, the rest of the body will move in to compensate for that deficient organ. (Take a) look at the body of Muslims today- just take two areas- Ghazzah and Dubai. You can take a look at the argument that began in the time of Uthman, and how it has developed into today's Dubai and then, you can look at the orientation of Abi Dharr and how it has become the plight of those who are in Ghazzah. Here all of us are- this is an Ummah that combines the meanings of this hadith i.e. that if something goes wrong with one part of the body, the other parts is going to respond. Something went wrong in Ghazzah- we are bleeding, dying, starving, (you name it). Either the Prophet is not saying the truth, nastaghfirullah (which we know is not the case), or these people who claim to "they belong to this body of Muslims" have gone out and left this body of Muslims. How can they live with these billions that they have and then make believe that when we speak about Ghazzah, we're just speaking about a miniature example of many other hundreds of millions of Muslims around who are living below the survival level. The Prophet of Allah says a woman is condemned to the fire because of a cat. Why? Because she locked this cat up, didn't give it this cat the opportunity to go and look for food and didn't feed the cat. What do you say of those who have locked up one-and-a-half million Muslims in Ghazzah? These are Muslims just like you and me. It could have been my/your family. They're locked up and can't feed themselves and no one is allowed to give them food. (Take a) look at the Egyptian government that is sinking a wall twenty to thirty meters beneath the ground so that these locked up Muslims cannot even use tunnels to get food to feed their families! And what are the rest of the Muslims in the world? Spectators?! You're watching?! No one does anything?! Why? Who's spirit today runs through the veins of these Muslim spokesmen who say "a person who pays his zakah i.e. two-and-a-half percent a year of the saved wealth that has lapsed in the past year is fine." (Take a) look at where we are today? For those who are satisfied that this is the extent of the responsibility of those Muslims who have wealth… Waleed bin Talal, one of the few Saudis whose numbers have showed up on the screen in 2008 when his wealth was counted/estimated to be between $17/18 billion. They're all around here? Where are the Muslims of Ghazzah?! O Prophet of Allah, what are we supposed to say about these types? And some Muslims who supposedly come from Islamic backgrounds don't want to be reminded of Ghazzah, they want to be reminded of Dubai. These are supposed to be people with Islamic fibre in them! With all of the humiliation that we've seen coming from the Egyptian government, to the credit of it's own people, there is at least some good left. Hundreds of Shuyukh and scholars demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Endowments in Cairo and the Egyptian government sends its informers to take down names and slash two months of their salaries because the Shaykh of the Azhar gave a fatwah endorsing a wall between the Muslim people in Egypt and the Muslim people in Ghazzah. We can't blame the Israelis anymore for building a wall if the Shaykh of the Azhar gives a fatwah and endorses, legalises and blesses this pro-Imperialist/Zionist government to build another wall around besieged and surrendered Muslims in Ghazzah. If you just have a little common sense, (that's all it takes), you can see the history in our present and the present in our history provided you drop your prejudice.

 

This khutbah was presented by Imam Muhammed Asi on the occasion of Jum'ah on 15 January 2009 on the sidewalk of Embassy Road in Washington D.C. The Imam previously led the daily and Jum'ah prayers inside the Masjid. His speeches were revolutionary and thought provoking, and eventually irritated and threatened the Middle-East Ambassadors who control the Masjid. Finally, the Imam, his family, and other Muslims faithful to the course of Islam were forced out, into the streets. This khutbah originates from the sidewalk across the street from the Islamic Center, currently under seige.


__._,_.___
.

__,_._,___

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive