Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. Alhumdulillah. Peace and blessings on Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam), his Noble Companions and Family. Brothers and sisters, Muslims of commitment, freedom lovers and justice centered human beings… Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/khutbassermons.htm?blogentryid=4566141 (09-03-2010) Allah tells us in one of the ayaat in the Qur'an in Surah Bani Isra'eel/Isra'- let us concentrate our minds on this one verse from the seventeenth chapter of the Qur'an. He says We meaning, (Allah the All Mighty God), have decreed pertaining to the Children of Israel that they shall cause worldwide corruption twice in history and that they shall reach unprecedented heights… (Surah Bani Isra'eel verse 4) Once again, the last words in this ayah/verse … and you shall reach lofty levels/ascend unto areas never before reached by others… (Surah Bani Isra'eel verse 4) Many times commentators/scholars/those who are learned concentrate on the physical aspects/the material interpretation of uluwan kabira i.e. a level/height that is enormous/tremendous. There is no doubt if we have a thinking human being- regardless of his political/religious background/persuasion- when they look at the Children of We, the followers of scripture, are taught by God Almighty and His Prophets/Apostles/Messengers to be concerned with Al Mustadh'afeen i.e. those who are oppressed/don't have power/powerless people. That's a central asset of our faith/identity. There is a du'a/hadith from Allah's final Prophet in which, (in an extended narrative of du'a one of the sentences/statements in that du'a is), … you are my Sustainer and you are the Sustainer of powerless people. So to whom are my affairs delegated? To an enemy or to a stranger? Another ayah in that in the Qur'an in Surah Al Qasas focuses our hearts/minds on that same meaning. The ayah says And We, (meaning divinity/God Almighty), want to favor those who don't have power on Earth and make of them leaders… (Surah Al Qasas verse 4) So, by definition if we are God's people we identify with powerless people. But take a look at the world as it is- who identifies with powerless people? Do we have/is there a common feeling/shared value that we care for people without power? The blunt answer to that is No! It's not a feature of our social lives. Who cares for people without power? Something has happened in the course of history/human nature that has estranged us from powerless people. This is another understanding of … and you shall reach lofty levels/ascend unto areas never before reached by others… (Surah Bani Isra'eel verse 4) It takes some people who have reached the summits of power to confuse history/society/Scripture to such an extent that it becomes alien for us to locate our thoughts/lives/efforts/works with those who don't have power in this world. It just didn't happen like that. There was something that was planned and that plan was sustained for us to be where we are knowing that we have God's words in our presence yet we care not to be located with Alladheena Istud'ifu fi al ard/Al Mustadh'afeen. That's the larger circle that has taken a hit from these Aaleena fi al ard. Then we come a notch closer to the centre. We look at those who are apparently Jews/Christians- we'll come to the Muslims in a few minutes as the Muslims are going through similar conditions- but we take a look first at those who call themselves Jews. We find that in that circle, (whether it is a historical/contemporary social one), many who proclaim their Jewish faith are concerned with issues of justice except when it comes to Palestinians. They no longer have a sense of justice. What happened? There's an internal dynamic inside that body of people in the world that has caused them by-and-large- there's always exceptions… Today we had Rabbis and people of the Jewish faith stand up for the principle of justice, but we should not confuse a forest for a few trees! In the overall context of what is called Judaism they have lost their compass when it comes to Palestinian justice. It took/takes a position of … and you shall reach lofty levels/ascend unto areas never before reached by others… (Surah Bani Isra'eel verse 4) the very words of scripture/the Qur'an to cause a serious deviation that has occurred in the Judaic context. When Apartheid was the number one issue in the public mind the first people you will see in the front row against Apartheid were those who were of the Jewish faith. Zionism is Apartheid to the power one-thousand. It is a gargantuan expression of racism/Apartheid. What happened? Why are these justice centered Jews absent? It doesn't come naturally. There is a human mind/effort that is involved to derail a justice centered Judaism from looking at the vices/evil/oppression of Zionism. Then we come to the Christian circle of people. As we just heard earlier from one of our respected speakers there is something called Zionist Christianity. That is not something to be found for an average person who is going to Scripture/The New Testament. (If) you open it and you're reading it you don't find the current concepts of Christian Zionism there. But in the real world we have scores of millions, just here in the … and you shall reach lofty levels/ascend unto areas never before reached by others… (Surah Bani Isra'eel verse 4) in the words of the Qur'an that has been dealt out to the wide range of people. Now we come to the Muslims. We have the average Muslim in the world who now is waking up from centuries of Colonialism/injustice/misrule. The Muslims in the world today are waking up and beginning to stand up against the powers that be/status quo/despotic rulers/regimes but are we, the Muslims, living? We are living the fact that we have rulers who don't have faith in Allah! They have faith in Imperialism/Zionism. There's another word that is used, (for that for those who know Islamic terminology), it's called shirk. Allah will efface all sins except that someone commits the unforgivable sin of shirk… (Surah An Nisa' verse 48) In todays real world we have decision makers in Muslim countries who pay homage to the Mushrikeen and Kafirin- the Imperialists/Zionists- of the world. We Muslims have lost contact with the language of the Qur'an and this takes a hand/determination/plan that has been working to disconnect us for centuries from Allah and His Prophet. Allah says … Shirk is of a magnitude of oppression without any equal. We're speaking about wholesale/global/colossal oppression. Well- that's the exact definition of Imperialism/Zionism. Why can't the current Muslim understand as a synonym the word shirk with Zionism/Imperialism? Once again we have been dealt a serious blow from those who are in power who have worked on our Holy text so that we have become alienated from them and therefore we have become the victims/preys of Zionism/Imperialism. Then, for those who are here who may come from the Shi'i understating of history- Al Imam Al Hussein (alaihi as salaam wa radi Allahu anhu) stood up against misrule/(what in today's language) would be called a Monarch. He stood for justice and then he gave his life because of that. Today we have issues of injustice but some of these people who considers themselves bona fide Shi'is have difficulty in identifying with issues that concern oppressed peoples/Palestinians. Let's be frank, (it's OK brothers and sisters), because most/the majority of you who we know have in the past years tried to marginalize the issue of …if you are truthful, present the evidence. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 111) The Children of Isra'eel are now reaping centuries of historical penetration into the context of the conscience of the oppressed/Judaic/Christian/Islamic and of the Shi'i world. They're reaping that benefit now and they're beginning to see that Muslims are waking up. We can only repeat the Prophet's words … you are my Sustainer and you are the Sustainer of powerless people. So to whom are my affairs delegated? To an enemy or to a stranger? Brothers and sisters, servants and subjects of Allah… We have been alienated from our God-given book and our God-chosen Prophets (such) that when we want to quote the ayaat and ahadith in context and instead of living the general meanings of the ayaat the attempt to make them more specific becomes suspect because of the status quo and the traditional inheritance of what it means to be a committed Muslim. Some Muslims will think it is odd- "this is a Jum'ah khutbah" and if we begin to mention in this Jum'ah khutbah the forces that are systematically and for generations killing populations of Muslims then this traditional mindset will point fingers of accusation without any basis except that there is some traditions/cultural practices/customs/conventions that they have inherited without mental contact with what Allah and His Prophet are saying. Therefore, if Allah says … Allah has given preference to those who struggle as opposed to those who are static by bounds and degrees. (Surah An Nisa' verse 95) Now, who's the Mujahideen? Are we to continue to live in a general terminology that has n relationship to our world? Is there no Mujahidun in this world and if there is, why can't we say so? Why don't the Muslims in today's real world have the confidence/courage, especially in the context of the Occupied Holy Land, to say that Hizbullah/HAMAS are the Mujahideen that Allah has preferred to those who have remain inactive/stationary/static? What's wrong? Why can't we just make this initial and necessary leap from theory to practice? From words to work? What's wrong? What has become of us? Allah speaks about a category of people who owe their loyalty to worldly powers and do not owe that loyalty to Allah. They have a terminology in the Qur'an and Sunnah. They are called Al Munafiqeen. Are we to stay as general as to lose sight of who these Munafiqeen are? (For) how long are we to stay as general as to be meaningless?! We have people who pay homage and make their Hajj to This khutbah was presented by Imam Mohamed Asi on the occasion of Jum'ah on 3 September 2010 on the sidewalk of |
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