Shia Strength: May 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Muslim Unite Sunni and Shia KHUTBAHS : OVERCOMING A CRIPPLED PSYCHOLOGY PART 5

THE STREET MIMBAR

JUM'AH KHUTBAH (2 June 2012)

webpage: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=182501078290&ref=ts

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.

Dear committed brothers and sisters in Islam…

Before I begin, I know this is a very hot day I'll try my best to abbreviate this khutbah.

Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/apps/podcast/podcast/229988 (05-25-2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3oDBAn6GmY

OVERCOMING A CRIPPLED PSYCHOLOGY PART 5

As you are aware there is a heightened and a saturated body of words out there pertaining to the Islamic political process. There are elections taking place, there are movement, i.e.Islamic movements that are moving into positions of responsibility i.e. political responsibilities and state offices and all of this that you are very well familiar with; and in this context, there's nothing wrong in looking at ourselves. We do this from time-to-time. There's nothing wrong in taking a very objective and very accurate look at our own selves in one area at least and that area is the ability to speak truth to power. This is an area that we have not been very adapt at therefore we are in need of direction and light from Allah and His Prophet. In probably the first instance in which this is demonstrated in a striking way in the Qur'an is when Ibrahim (alayhi as salaam) comes into contact with one of these, (what we would call in today's words), kings or sovereigns or potentates or presidents. This is not one of these occasions that the average Muslim dwells on simply because the type of information and speakers that are out there deliberately do not want us to take a closer look at this encounter. The ayah is 258 of Surah Al Baqarah.

Have you not considered (or) have you not taken notice of the person who argued with Ibrahim… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 258)

What gave him that position to argue with Ibrahim? That fact that

… this person now has power, has control, has finances, and all of these other stuff… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 258)

Then he sees himself in a position "yeah I can deal with this person. What does he have to say?" (It's) just like the leaders we have in this world. What is he arguing with Ibrahimabout?

… (he is arguing) about Ibrahim's Sustainer… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 258)

What gives him the status to enter into this type of argument? The fact that

… Allah gave him al mulk... (Surah Al Baqarah verse 258)

This argument is summarised in Ibrahim's statement to this political big shot

… Allah gives life and He gives death and this political big shot says well I do the same thing… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 258)

This is what they claim to do. Ibrahim didn't want him to prove that; obviously there would have been an argument of sorts between the two and this political big shot would have said"look, I'm in charge of the birth laws in this country them, I'm in charge of the hospital care, medicine, all of these others and if it wasn't for this do you think these newborns would be born into existence? They would die in infancy. So who is responsible for their life? (It is) the health services that I provide? And if I want to deal death to someone, I could very easily do that. (I could) throw the person in prison, lock him up for some time and then sign a piece of paper and then he is on his way to the gallows." The courtesy and the mannerisms of Ibrahim wasn't in such a way to say "OK- prove yourself" because what he will do is he will bring this argument and then if he wants to kill someone he will kill someone and say "look I did it." So Ibrahim shifted this exchange of words.

… he said, OK- so Allah causes the sun to rise from an eastward direction therefore would you cause it to rise from a westward direction? This person in position of power and authority was dumb founded and Allah does not guide people who do injustices to themselves. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 258)

Notice, (with us here), that the ending of this ayah didn't end in the singular because here,Ibrahim is speaking to a king of sorts. Why is Allah ending this ayah and saying

… Allah doesn't guide people who do injustice to themselves. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 258)

Because this is not an argument between just two individuals, it is a position between two blocs of people and for those people who agree with this position that was expressed by this king, then Allah is not going to guide them. As far as we are concerned- look, obviously we are not Prophets but we are responsible for having the character of these Prophets. When do we have Muslims (as the) inheritors of this history, this guidance, of this Qur'an (and) of this Prophethood? Where do we have Muslims who have the nerves and who have the courage to stand up to these types of people who have mass power, the wherewithal and finances and all of these? Why do we have psychologically crippled Muslims who can't even stand for the truth (and) express that truth and principle? Why are they an endangered species? Once again, we have to remind you- brothers and sisters- we're the ones expressing these God-given words in the context of today's world; we are not saying this in a vacuum. What's wrong with all of these Islamic parties, Islamic organisations and Islamicmovements, Islamic orientations, Islamic outfits, Islamic groupings, Islamic communities,Islamic leadership, Islamic spoke-persons? Why can't they adopt this character of truth? What happened? An ayah in the Qur'an says

… He, (meaning Allah), is not to be asked for what He does… (Surah Al Anbiya' verse 23)

We can't bring Allah and put Him in a position to ask Him "why did you do this and why did you do that and hold Him accountable and responsible for creation and social life and all we can't do that?" He is Allah and we are humans

… but we, the people, are the ones who are going to be held responsible… (Surah Al Anbiya' verse 23)

But right now this same ayah can be applied to the little gods on Earth (but) no one dare hold them responsible for their policies! What is wrong? What happened to this moral courage in the Islamic historical and Prophetic character? What happened to it? Where did it go? Then they are the excuses; of course Muslims don't lack the excuses and the talk- they can talk the talk "Oh- but if we stand up to someone and say the truth then what is going to happen to us, our lives, our families? What's going to happen?" Whatever is going to happen has been calculated by Allah. If you are expressing Allah's meanings and if you are willing to do Allah's work, (so to speak), then what is going to happen? It's what Allah decreed to happen- nothing else; and the ultimate thing, the ultimate threat (or) the ultimate danger is you just pass from this world to the next or the coming one. That's the biggest thing that could happen. Are you afraid of that? We all are moving in that direction. We are all approaching that moment (so if it) came a year earlier or date earlier what are you afraid off? Well, what happened to you? (Is) something wrong?

Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave… (Surah Aal Imran verse 145)

This ayah should be enough to put a gag on those who try to finagle their way out of this.

Then there is another issue- parallel to this one is, (you know), "we should be quite."Remember, we're saying this in the context of today's political Islamic movements wherever you want to look for them in the Islamic geography. There are these who say"but look brother let's be quite. We know what the truth is but let's be quiet about it because the consequences are beyond us. Besides, what's this? You express the truth with sharp words?! This also irritates them." If a person who is under so much pressure surfaces and uses words that are sharp, straight forward, to the point (and) expressive (in) exposing this façade of injustice they say"no brother- don't do this." Let's go back in the shades of theQur'an. Allah in Surah An Nisa' ayah 148 says

Allah doesn't favour (or) Allah doesn't like a person expressing his or her victimhood with what is tantamount to offensive words- Allah doesn't like that- except for a person who has been oppressed; Allah doesn't like people to us sharp words and what may amount to offensive language except for a person who's been offended (or) a person whose rights have been taken away or a society that has been offended or a society that has been denied its rights. (Surah An Nisa' verse 148)

This is an ayah, it's not some scholar telling you this. You have your mind- think of what Allah is saying to you. This doesn't just apply to an individual (i.e.) if you as one person or me as one person are subjected to the denial to our rights or some type of offense or aggression (or) some form of dhulm- this applies to one person but it also applies to communities and societies and populations and peoples. This is the area that the Muslim mind has not advanced into. Many times when we read these ayaat of the Qur'an we think about them individually; we don't think about them at the aggregate level. Illa Man dhulimhere could be male or female, it could be in the singular it could be in the plural- to every condition of dhulm. So Allah is giving us a permit. This is a permit. We can express ourselves. We've been injured, we've been harmed, we've been victims of warfare, we've been victims of civil rights violations, we've been victims of official paranoia, we've been victims of spying, we've become victims of eavesdropping, we've been victims of informers in our midst- so many things and then we have someone who comes and says "hey brother- please don't express these things in public." Why? What's wrong with that? How do you understand thisayah? Please, if we're not understanding this ayah right, tell these midget psychological Muslims "OK- express to us what the ayah means. Tell us what does that mean." Up, until now we haven't had anyone to tell us what that means. So let's take these two conditions- we have people who think that expressing this truth publicly, forcefully, with sharp words and sharp statements is going to harm us?! We have people who think like that and we have other people who think that remaining silent, looking the other way, being passive (and) withdrawing from these issues is what is going to harm us. OK- this is the gambit of opinions. Harm is coming our way however way. If we look at these two mindsets harm is coming our way. If we speak up we're going to be harmed and if we remain silent we're going to be harmed. Let us take a look at record- those who remained silent. (Take a) look- there's been much of that around, how much harm has befallen them? They still now are bleeding, literally bleeding, from their silence and there are others who have spoken the truth to power and they emerged with a better position than the one they were in. So if we have to choose between them, we choose to be harmed because we speak out and we speak up.

If we speak out against the resources of the Muslims because of bad decisions- there's hundreds of billions of dollars that some people in power spend on buying obsolete weapons, i.e. weapons that are outdated, weapons that malfunction, weapons that depend on then enemy to function and all of this?! This is supposed to be the function of the press. The press is supposed to speak out against this but does the press do anything about this? No! We have a tamed, domesticated, inferior press just like we have tamed, domesticated, inferiorMasajid. It is only obvious and it is only expected that we have a press that is like minded. They're afraid to speak truth to power. What's wrong? Some people say we express ourselves with a tinge of anger. How are we supposed to express ourselves? Like machines? (Do) you want to deny us our human content? We're supposed to speak like machines or is there a spirit in what we are saying?! OK- some people will argue that back and forth, let us take them to the Qur'an. Musa (alayhi as salaam) was angry just like we are angry. You know, some Muslims have been dumbed down. There is an establishment of Masajid all over the world to dumb down the Muslims so the Muslims can't speak truth to power. This generates some anger in those who are true to themselves, true to Allah and true to the issues of justice. Can we find some justification for feeling angry- not angry in the way that makes us crazy, not angry in the way that imbalances us, not angry in the way that leads us to entrapment, not angry in the way that some of us become mercenaries of the other side- all of these are different forms of anger and they're all wrong. There's a legitimate way and there's a moral way of being angry. (They say "how do you say that?" OK- let's take them to the ayaat of the Qur'an, Surah Al A'raf ayah 150

… and when Musa returned to his people in a state of anger and sorrow… (Surah Al A'raf verse 150)

Musa (alayhi as salaam), Allah's Prophet, was angry. Oh- these holier-than-thou-Muslims can't expect that a Prophet of Allah, a Messenger of Allah, one of the five main ones is angry?! Yes- if you read your Qur'an and understand what you're reading, meaning if you read your Qur'an with your mind not with traditions and not through a third person. Read your Qur'an!

… he said what a terrible outcome that has emerged after my absence; are you more anxious concerning your Lord's affair (or) your Sustainer's affair than He? And he threw down the tablets he had were with him… (Surah Al A'raf verse 150)

He went up on to the mountain he came back with tablets of instruction but because of his anger he threw them down. This wasn't an anger that was going to capitulate to the status quo, it wasn't an anger that was going to make him imbalanced, it wasn't an anger that was going to make him regret being a Prophet (and) a committed Muslim

… he took his brother, he pulled his brother by his head dragging him towards him… (Surah Al A'raf verse 150)

Brothers and sisters, we know many of you read these ayaat and just don't take the time- you are in the fast lane; please, when you are with Allah bring down your speed. Think for a while what is being said to you. Musa is a Prophet, Harun (alayhi as salaam) is a Prophet- two brothers that are Prophets; one of them comes back and he's upset with what happens in his absence. His own people now have gone off on an anti Allah tangent and he takes his brother, his Prophet brother, (let's be specific about this), he pulls him by the hair and by the head and he drags him in front of everyone. How demeaning is that, (and) that's fine of course if you look at it out of context; this is a humiliating scene but it's not in context with all the ingredients. This is the only thing left to do. If you are sincere to Allah and sincere to yourself what else can you do?

… He said my mother's son… (Surah Al A'raf verse 150)

He didn't say my father's son. Both of these are brothers from the same father and mother. He didn't say son of my father, he said son of my mother which here is to induce the feelings of passion and love and affection

… these people saw that I am all by myself so they took over, they took the affairs into their own hands and they came so close to killing me; so don't let the enemies take advantage of this scenery and don't cause me to be identified with al qawm adh Dhaalimeen. (Surah Al A'raf verse 150)

What we're trying to say here is- human nature being what it is- if you are sincere to Allah, sincere to His Prophet, sincere to yourself (and) you're a person of principle; because of that you may feel at times angry. This is not limited to Musa and his brother.

Brothers and sisters- we know this is a hot day, please bear with us a few more minutes. After that, when this transient feeling left Musa said

Oh my Sustainer forgive me and forgive my brother and cause us to enter your mercy for you are the Most Merciful. (Surah Al A'raf verse 151)

Then, in another ayah, Surah Al A'raf 154, Allah says

When this anger had settled away from Musa or when this state of anger had left Musa alone… (Surah Al A'raf verse 154)

In Surah Ta-Ha ayah 86

Musa returned to his people angry, regretting things… (Surah Ta-Ha verse 86)

There are other ayaat but that's enough. We think the point is made as far as Musa is concerned. No one came and said "Musa was behaving our of character" because they understood Musa stood for principle. In today's world, especially among these moralising Muslims who are holier-than-thou, they understand these issues in a vacuum?!

In the course of the Seerah of our Prophet, in the lifetime of our Prophet, let's see if there were conditions of this anger that presented themselves. On the day of Al Hudaybiyah a person by the name of Urwa ibn Mas'ud came to the Prophet from Makkah to try to negotiate some type of middle ground here when the Mushriks of Makkah feel that the Muslims now are in the ascendency and one portion of what he said, (you can review all of this in the books of Seerah), one of the sentences that this man, the Mushrik from Makkah is telling Allah's Prophet is by Allah- I don't find any dignified faces here I see scum bags.(We're giving you the force of the words here). These people around you are faint hearted scumbags. The only thing that behoves them is to runaway and to leave you alone. This was said to Allah's Prophet in the presence of the committed Muslims around him. One of these committed Muslims, (we're not going to say the name because once again we know the Muslim brothers and sisters very well. If we mention a name we know that all of this traditionalism is going to kick in and they're not going to pay attention- neither to the Prophet nor to the context of what happened nor to the validity of the statement, so why should a name jeopardise the lesson?), (let us give you a clue), who is known for his mild character. We're going to quote in Arabic what he said and then we will give you the general English meaning, which represents the state of anger that he was in and which the Prophet of Allah did not repudiate (or) he didn't tell him "why are you angry."If we were to translate this literally it would be a little pornographic but to put it in a sense that you will understand, this gentle person around Allah's Prophet upon hearing this insult was angry and expressed himself in words of anger, he said go suck on Al Lat. That's the best way that can be translated without getting graphical. Go suck on Al Lat. Do you mean we are going to abandon and flee from our Prophet and our Messenger? It was never reported that the Prophet of Allah said wait a minute here, calm down; don't be angry because it was legitimate anger. It was controlled anger and it was disciplined anger. Al Imam Al Husayn (radi Allahu anhu), on the day of Karbala' said a statement that indicates his anger or at least a moment of anger when he quoted his grandfather, the Prophet of Allah. This Shamir who was one of the war criminals of all times, he still hasn't been brought to a court of justice in Islamic history! There's been sectarianism all around this issue, there's been feelings and there's been a lot of things but he still hasn't appeared in a calculated court of justice, in an Islamic court of justice. When Husayn saw what this war criminal, Shamir ibn Dhi Al Jaushad was about to do he said the following, (and he was quoting Rasulullah), as if I can see a chequered dog, a spotted dog, a dog with spots who is wollowing with his tongue in the blood of my bayt. These are the Prophet's words. Now what do we say? The Prophet was angry and he shouldn't have been angry?!Husayn was angry and he shouldn't have been angry?! The Prophet of Allah on a couple of occasions had a person come up to him, (once in his own Masjid), and pull him very violently by his garment until there was a mark on his neck. People were looking. The Prophet asked him so what do you want? He said give me of the resources that you have, give me some money. I'm a poor man. Did the Prophet say "this person is angry, he is insane. Forget about it?" He came out of need and the Prophet could see that. He said give him some resources give him something that will help him. On another occasion the Prophet was in the cemetery of Al Baqiyah after janaza prayer (and) another person comes to the Prophet and does the same thing. This is the Prophet of Allah. He pulls him by his garment (and) shakes him in front of the other Muslims. So what do you want the Prophet asked him. He said I want you to pay me back. Then, one of the companions of the Prophet who is known for his impulsive nature said permit me- I'll lob his head off his body. He said no. It behoves you to tell me to encourage me to give back what belongs to people (and) what belongs to this person and it behoves you also to address to him to tell him to be more patient. Today, if you speak up against these types of rulers, dictators (and) despots they'll shred you to pieces! Where do we find in the Muslim world, where do we find in the whole world for that matter, in these democracies (and) civilised places the opportunity to see the leader of the country, much less to go up to him and express the injustice that has befallen you?

Dear committed brothers, dear committed sisters in Islam…

We know that this type of information doesn't make its rounds in our lectures, in our conversations, in our conferences (and) this information is better kept out in circulation. Better for whom? For those who are in power. No one wants you and me and the average Muslim to wake up and speak out; but the issue of justice is a strong issue. It's a fundamental issue and if we are silent others will speak out. It's just a shame and a pity that we have the guidance so we qualify to speak out but we remain silent; others who don't have this guidance are the ones who are speaking out according to their own limited information that they have. This is the irony of the world that we live. We find that these rulers are beyond approach; they are beyond criticism, they are beyond assessment, beyond evaluation. Why? Where did this come from? Is this a Qur'anic concept? Is this what Allah's Prophet taught us? These people who say "as sunnah as sunnah as sunnah"; (that's) fine, but how come this doesn't this figure into your schematic sunnah? Where's this in yoursunnah i.e. the Prophet's character when it comes to justice in life? Where is speaking truth to power we ask. A Saudi lady who has been working for ARAMCO for many many years- fifteen or more years- wants to attend a conference on human rights in Norway and her employer- this ARAMCO, the Arab American Oil Company- the boss there tells her "well you have a choice. If you want to go for the conference- go ahead and you lose your job; if you forfeit the conference you can continue with your employment with us." You see this is how deep yearning for equality and dignity is in human nature- she says "I'm going and she goes and attends the conference." Then she says "living outside of that cage- the Saudi Arabian cage…" (that is brought into our Masajid around the world), "…she feels like a human being."She wears the full hijab in Europe but now if she wants to rent an apartment she's not told"where is your father or where is your husband" if she goes and rents an apartment. (If) she wants to open a bank account she is not told "where is your father, where is your husband?"What is this? Women have no value in that type of nation state?! Then we have one of the prime contenders for the Presidency in Egypt who is representing the major Islamic party inEgypt who says, (we're paraphrasing here), "Saudi Arabia is a government that there's no objection to following it's example." (Or something along those lines.) What is this, brothers and sisters? This is coming from a person who is supposed to belong to an Islamicbackground, (who) is supposed to know better. He says "something he would like to have in the future- a copy-cat Egypt of Saudi Arabia." What has happened to us? Where is theQur'an? Where is the Prophet? Where is Allah in all of this? Obviously there is much more to be said…

This khutbah was presented by Imam Muhammad Asi on 18 May 2012 on the sidewalk of Embassy Row 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 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.

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Muslim Unite Sunni and Shia جشن ظھور پرنور

جشن ظھور پرنور آقا و مولا

سرکار‏‌‍‍

امام محمد تقی

عليہ السلام

دل کی گھرايوں سے آپکو

مبارک ھو

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Muslim Unite Sunni and Shia جشن ظھور پرنور

جشن ظھور پرنور آقا و مولا

سرکار‍‌‏‌‍‍

علی اصغر

عليہ السلام

دل کی گھرايوں سے آپکو

مبارک ھو

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Muslim Unite Sunni and Shia KHUTBAH : THE RITUALISTIC MISUNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM PART 12

THE STREET MIMBAR

JUM'AH KHUTBAH (25 May 2012)

webpage: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=182501078290&ref=ts

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.

Dear committed Muslims, brothers and sisters …

Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/apps/podcast/podcast/227984 (05-18-2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcW2IpB2leo

THE RITUALISTIC MISUNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM PART 12

This Jum'ah, this time frame and this place we are in have their own dynamics and developments, their ups and their downs and when we present and explain issues and affairs at this time every week we intend it to be understood with the contents of our time and place and within the context that we find ourselves in. We are not just here expressing a khutbah in abstract and we are not here propounding on meanings that are theoretical only. We are trying as much as is humanly possible to activate the meanings that we obtain from Allah and His Messenger in the real world. With that as an introduction of sorts, (as you and we know or at least should know), there's much talk into today's political and social and cultural spheres that you and we are in and out of at times we find out that there's a lot of talk and much concentration on governance. Muslim want an Islamic government and therefore we have movements of people in different countries; some of them pursuing this objective saying "we want an Islamic government" and others who are basically looking for their definition of justice to be done in their society. We are obviously speaking within the Islamic context. We are not here addressing ourselves to non Muslims and to anti Muslims and to enemies of Islam. No! Obviously this is a khutbah, we are in Jum'ah, we are Muslims and so we have to curtail, (so to speak), our khutbah to the Muslim crowd. In this Muslim numbers of people there are two issues when we speak about Islamic governance, basically. One issue is governance itself. Are we, Muslims, entitled to an Islamic government or not. In this crowd of hundreds of millions of people in the world you will find, (contrary to what you may expect), those who saturate themselves with Islamic rituals who will argue and say "no- Muslims should not be concerned with having an Islamic government." Alhamdulillah, all thanks are due to Allah that these types are on the descending order. Their numbers are decreasing wa lillahi al hamd. Then, once we decide that an Islamic authority is our responsibility and becomes our objective, (i.e.) it's our prerogatory to have our own authority independent of the power blocs in the world and free of relationships and alliances that take it out of its Islamic character, (OK- most of us agree we should have an Islamic authority or an Islamic government or Islamicrulers), then the question becomes who shall be these Islamic rulers? Who qualifies to become the leader or the leaders of the Muslims in the world? Be conscious of this fact and when you speak and interact and dialogue with others don't confuse these two issues and don't overload these two issues or don't unload these two issues on your interlocutor. We hope and we pray that we here, (who at least are tuned into this khutbah, whether they are present or via the internet or other means), have enough information, at least, by now for all of these years to accept the fact that it is our duty- not our marginal duty (but) our central duty- to have un Islamic authority. This comes from our assimilation into Allah and His Prophet- their words, their guidance, their instruction, the jihad of the Prophet. All of that brings this to our attention. There's an ayah that most of us are familiar with. The ayah says, Allah is saying

… I have not created Al Jinn, (which is another form of intelligent life), and Al Ins, (which is we social beings of this world), except of the purpose of, (and the word is), ya'budun. (Surah Adh Dhariyaat verse 56)

Many Muslims misunderstand the word ya'budun or the word ibadah. They think and they say"ya'budun or ibadah means worshiping Allah" and this understanding contributes to the problem that has been weighing down on us heavily for all of these generations and all of these centuries. There is a profound misunderstanding of the word ya'budun. Allah created Al Jinn and Al Ins not to worship Him. That is not what He is saying. He is saying

… He has created Al Jinn and Al Ins to comply with Him (or) to conform to Him. (Surah Adh Dhariyaat verse 56)

We have to get this straight. Brothers and sisters, as long as there is a social mind out there (and) as along as there are public thoughts in the context of the Muslims in this world that understand this word ibadah and abadah to mean worship then before we even attempt to do anything our thoughts are wrong! So when Allah is saying that He created us, He gave us this lifespan (and) the energy that we have, the thinking capacity that we posses, He has given us this lifespan for what?

… to conform to Allah. (Surah Adh Dhariyaat verse 56)

The problem is and this is another area that the Muslim mind is prohibited from entering, and that is if we were to look at human nature without this human nature being influenced by social structures and military structures and educational structures (i.e.) if this human nature was not influenced by these overlapping Taghuti Kafir structures (and) we worked just by our unpolluted human nature (we'd) realise that we should- there would be an urge in us, there would be a trend in our minds that tells us we have to conform to a higher authority. This idea and feeling together are absent from the Muslims. They're not absent from us because we deliberately inflicted this on ourselves; it's absent from us because these structures moved in to fill in the void. We created a void for ourselves and such powers as, (in today's language and in today's words), Imperialism and Zionism moved in with all their substructures to fill this vacuum in ourselves- a vacuum that begins simply by not understanding or misunderstanding or mal-understanding what Allah says to us as well as His Prophet.

There's a word, (we want you to take these words home with you for the rest of your life; you know when we recite many ayaat in the Qur'an not knowing that we are not understanding some of us are trying our best to understand), there are words that are still like gems. They are buried in our ignorance and still need to be discovered. One of these words is the word aqamah. You've heard that, (we're sure), many times. Aqama and yuqimu andyuqimuna and aqim- you've been exposed to all of these flavours of the same word many times. Some of you have memorised ayaat in the Qur'an that has this word and its derivatives in them. When you take a probing look to the ayaat in the Qur'an you will find this wordaqama and its derivatives preceding four other nouns; those nouns are: as salah, ad deen, ash shahadah and al wazn. Ad deen you know; as salah you know; ash shahada basically means testimony and al wazn means the weight of issues. This word, iqamah, appears in all of the Qur' an before those four nouns- aqama as salah, aqimu ad deen wa la tatafarraqu fi hi, aqimu ash shahadah li Allah, aqimu al wazna bi al qist. You'll not find this word before other words (or) before other nouns. Many of you may have been reading translations (and) when you read this word you find that many times it is translated as establish which catches some of the meaning but it is not satisfactory. Let us take ourselves a step back. There's an ayah in the Qur'an- the same word aqama is used in this ayah. Here there verb is agreeable with the noun. In Surah Al Kahf Allah puts in his word the incident in which Musa (alayhi as salaam) and the man of virtue approached a wall. Allah says

… both of them, (meaning Musa and His companion, the man of experiential knowledge), approached in this one town a wall that was just about to collapse… (Surah Al Kahf verse 77)

And then the word fa aqamahu. What did he do?

… he built the wall (or) he reconstructed the wall… (Surah Al Kahf verse 77)

Here, the word aqamah is in reference to a wall. A wall is something physical, something tangible, something you can touch, you can feel, you can do things with your hands. OK- here the word aqamah,

… he built a wall… (Surah Al Kahf verse 77)

In another qira'ah which is a marginal qira'ah, (but we don't want to get into those details), fa aqamaahu. When the same word aqamah occurs pertaining to nouns they are not physical. You can't put your hand on it, you can't see it with your eye. If we want to go to the original meaning

… you build ash shahada for Allah… (Surah At Talaaq verse 2)

Can someone see wazn? Is wazn a tangible object? It's not, but Allah is using a verb that indicates something physical, so Allah is instructing us (or) ordering us to build this. Now we come to the two familiar words that you are more acquainted with- aqeemu as salah andaqeemu ad deen. Once again we encounter the word ad deen. Is deen something physical you can build like you build a wall? You can't. It is not something physical, but Allah is telling you

… you have to build this deen… (Surah Ash Shura verse 13)

(It's) the same thing with your salah. Allah is not telling you just to render a psychologicalsalah (or) a salah that is only in yourself, He is telling you in so many ayaat, (there are so many ayaat that even to quote the ayaat themselves would take a full hour or more with the translation, but you can go back to the ayaat in the Qur'an), that talk about yuqeemuna as salah, aqamah as salah, yuqeemu as salah. Allah is telling us

… to build this salah (or) to make this salah something material (or) something palpable in society…

He's not telling you to pray a ritualistic, psychological, individualistic, personal salah. He's never saying that. This salah has to become something social. You have to build this salah into a social norm but how are we going to do something like that when we don't understand what Allah is telling us, (which happens to be the case with many Muslims out there, their goodwill aside (and) their good intentions aside)? We are not here to get into judging people's intentions and their internal sincerity- we're not about that.

(In) another ayah that many of you are familiar with and some of you according to your school of thought may repeat this in your salah either before takbir as salat wa al ihraam or after it immediately. OK- that is something almost all of you are familiar with but have you ever given it a thought? This is where we come out empty handed. We haven't given it a thought. To give you a little explanation (or) to give you a little information here

… say: indeed my salah and my nusuk and my mahya and my mamat are for Allah the Sustainer of the worlds. (Surah Al An'aam verse 162)

Now if you just pay close attention you will emerge from the cocoon of traditions and cultures and customs that have nothing to do with the vibrant meanings of the Qur'an. Notice the wording here- the wording here is not qul: inna salati wa nusuki wa hayati wa mawti… No!

… Mahyaya, the process of me living and, mamati, the process of me dying… (Surah Al An'aam verse 162)

Both of these are happening at the same time in your life, whether you are aware of it or not. This is what happens. We are given a lifespan. Let's say someone lives seventy-five years. Those seventy-five years are a combination of living and dying at the same time. You can take your life and think about this. What is meant by living and dying at the same time? Is it meant that during the day time I am alive and during the night time I am inanimate? That could be a meaning- there's nothing that says that is not one of the meanings of this ayah. Even when you are not sleeping (during) the day time when you are active; even during this time your consciousness disappears. You may be involved in doing something as a routine, there's no conscious effort in it- that could be interpreted as closer to dying than it is living. However way you think about this and it provokes your thought- it should- one is co-contingent upon the other. (It's) the same thing with as salah and an nusuk. When we approach Allah in our communication with Him- as salah is a time period of communicating with Allah- which is supposed to be the concentration of our senses in those minutes on Allah. OK- we leave as salah. Right now we are in jum'ah salah; we are going to perform our salah and then we are going to leave. In life itself, the meanings that were concentrated in our mind and in our feelings during the times of salah are they to continue with that force into life or they experience a cessation? That flux- salah and nusuk- the concentration on Allah in these moments of salah and in however much we go with that into life- fifty percent, eighty percent, twenty percent, one per cent, ninety-nine per cent- however much, that becomes that nusuk. Now, if you understand aqama as salah and you understand an nusuk as just explained, you'll understand that we have a task in life. We're not here simply to be creatures of rituals. These people who attend Masjids that are in a trance are creatures of customs and conventions! These are not vibrant Muslims.

O you who are committed to Allah, respond to Allah and His Messenger if they call upon you for the sake of energizing you and bringing you more meanings of life; and be aware that Allah circulates between a person and his innermost feelings and that you are eventually returning to Him (Surah Al Anfal verse 24)

This is one area that needs to be developed. Many Muslims are behind on this that they come and encounter someone who doesn't know anything about Islam or whose knowledge aboutIslam is framed in a way that he presents an argument that makes some Muslims apologetic or inferior or defensive. Why? There's nothing in the character of Muslims that stands for that. Some Muslims, because of this feeling, begin to say "wait a minute we should remain silent."We don't see any justification for you remaining silent unless you are like as'haab al kahf i.e. a few individuals and the overwhelming society there is resistant and will not accept the truth and justice from Allah? We're not Ahl Al Kahf. Or unless Muslims are the forty to sixty individuals in the first three years of the Prophet's noble struggle? At that time in Makkah, for the circumstances that we all know, Muslims were not out there presenting Islam the way it should be presented or if Muslims become targets of a totalitarian regime. Now there are indications that some places in the world turn totalitarian and genocidal towards Muslims but are we living in a time and a place that is totalitarian and genocidal against us? When we reach that moment, we may choose silence. We haven't reached that moment so why are Muslims scared to speak (or) to express themselves? If you are committed to Allah you can't lose. The struggle may continue for however long Allah wills it to continue but we have been put in a position (and) in a corner that we are not even allowed… You know- as we said at the beginning, there are developments and issues in this world around. Today there's a meeting of the G8 country- here in our area, just a few miles from here, in Maryland and when we, Muslims, read about civilisations and the rise and fall of dictators and monarchies and empires, (all of this is all over the Qur'an) and when something like this happens, we're dislocated?! We can't put the information that Allah presents us with that we recite in our prayers- prayers that are meant only to be caged in a Masjid and we can't carry these meanings into the ups-and-downs of life itself?! So you have a lifespan and the clock is ticking and how are you going to approach this issue when Allah is going to bring you to accountability on the Day of Qiyamah? How are you going to respond to all of this? Empty handed, empty minded, empty hearted! What are you going to do? What are you going to say? What are we going to say? Allah is giving us the type of information that breathes confidence.

I owe it to Al-Mu'mineen, to give them triumph and victory. (Surah Ar Rum verse 47)

Is anyone listening to this? We mean- how come? What brings it to themselves that "we are far from achieving something." It is your psychology which is broken that makes you think you can't achieve anything. If you had a vital and healthy psychology those types of notions would never cross your mind. Remember, the last khutbah we spoke about how themustad'afin can do dhulm to themselves- you can be in that category even though you don't have power in this world. You could be your own worst enemy- you yourself.

On that day these dhalimeen's excuses are going to be of no value to them… (Surah Al Ghaafir verse 52)

They can contrive as many excuses they want but it's not going to do them any good. How can any Muslim reading these ayaat feel "I can't do anything; we can't do anything?" Where did that come from? If you are in the company of Allah and you are saying "I can't do anything" it's your ego that is speaking. If you are in the presence of Allah you can do many things. And when think you've accomplished something you refer it to Allah and failure is not something you can refer to Allah. Allah doesn't fail; but when are Muslims going to have the healthy psychology to understand this simple fact? That becomes the question- when are we going to have that psychology?

Then, on the issue of who's going to lead, just very briefly here.

… Allah says (to Ibrahim): certainly I am rendering you as an Imam for people; then Ibrahim said

from my descendants? Allah responded: My pledge does not apply to adh dhaalimeen. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 124)

So these leaders that we have, especially in Arabia... When Ibrahim couldn't find a place in this world he was offered a desolate area in Arabia, in Al Hejaz- in the area that is to becomeMakkah. Of all the civilisations and of all the places to go and he was in Al Iraq and he was inAsh Shaam and he was in Egypt and in none of these areas did Allah decide to have the seat of Al Imamah except in Makkah. How did this happen? We all know Ibrahim left Hajar andIsma'eel (alayhima as salaam) in Makkah and they were dying. What happened? A miracle happened. You see- we Muslims don't propound on miracles; we don't drum up the issues of miracles. What happened was a miracle. Allah caused, in that area, water to come out of nowhere so that the Imamah of Ibrahim survives. Those people there who claim that they are the descendants of Ibrahim (i.e.) Bani Isra'eel in the broad meaning of the du'a ofIbrahim it would presumably include them but they are excluded

… My pledge of Imamah does not include adh dhaalimeen i.e. Bani Isra'eel (and) Zionism, (and) today's Israel. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 124)

It doesn't apply to them! Any Muslim can see this very clearly. A Muslim has problem seeing that that doesn't apply to those who claim that they belong to Ibrahim who are also ruling inArabia! It doesn't apply to Aal Saud it doesn't apply to Aal Khalifah it doesn't apply these Aalthat are ruling in Arabia on the same par with Bani Isra'eel.

Brothers and sisters, committed Muslims…

Believe us when we say to you that it is a pain in the heart to realise that there is a serious gap between where the Muslims thoughts are, (we're talking about the public mind of the Muslims out there), and where it should be. To some Muslim listeners it appears to be strange for Islam, the information we have in the Qur'an and from our Prophet- to shed light on what is happening today. There is a structural failure in this world. You see- the word structure. Just using that word in the English language corresponds with us not understanding the word ofAqamah in the Qur'anic language. How come they use "an economic structure, a social structure, a political structure"? They all say it but when it comes to us understanding theIqama of salah and the iqamah of ad deen we don't understand it?! So it becomes problematic when we want to galvanise the vocabulary of the Qur'an and the Prophet to speak about the structural failures that right now are preoccupying the minds of strategists, think tanks, intelligence agencies, governments, secret societies. All of them now are preoccupied- what are we going to do? The European economy is showing signs of serious failure; the North American economy is showing signs of serious failure and we the Muslims are supposed to have some sort of solution to all of this (and) we haven't improved our thinking of what Allah his telling us?! We have the type of answer and we should be very proud of this in a very humble sense though. We do have some type of solution to all of this- something that many of us do not know and something that many of them (i.e.) the same type of people who are speaking about structural failures in the Euro-American theatre know that there is a structural success in the Islamic East. They know these two facts very well and they see that structural success in Islamic Iran. Now, what are they going to do? They begin to use their war language, "oh, that country is developing or is going to develop nuclear weapons." They say this so that you and I can tune in. They know in their secret meetings that they are hyping up this issue, (they know that very well), and because the vital information that we need from Allah and His Prophet is taken away from us we fall for their propaganda. We don't mean you personally, we mean the Muslims out there in their majority- they fall for this propaganda; not only do they fall for this propaganda but they twist the issues upside down and inside out! Some of them with Islamic titles come and say "we shouldn't be thinking about Israel any longer at this time, the threat is coming from Persia orIran." These are their words. We're trying as much as possible to relate to you what they are saying. They never thought about a unity. They haven't given unity a serious thought when it comes to Israeli theft of the Holy Land. Where's your unity? Now they're speaking about "a Gulf unity." They want to become united- Saudi Arabia, Al Bahrain, Al Emaraat, Qatar, Kuwaitare thinking about unity. Ask them "why are you thinking about a unity?" They say "we have an enemy here." They don't tell you Israel is the enemy, they tell you "Iran is the enemy."(Do) you see what happens? Going back to the first khutbah- when words no longer have the practical meanings they move in and they fill the practicality with their own definition of things. They never thought of developing nuclear technology. Israel has had nuclear technology since the 1960's. They stole it from the United States and they also acquired it from France and now they have a few hundred warheads. Where's your unity?! No unity! Iran is working on legitimate nuclear technology and now they say "they want to buy (nuclear technology.)"They don't even have the confidence in themselves to say that we want to develop our own nuclear power (and) our own nuclear technology?! They want to purchase it just like they purchased everything else, they want to purchase that. Why didn't they purchase that to liberate Palestine? This source of all this poison (i.e.) that tribal family state called Saudi Arabiado this behind the scenes. They now entered into an arrangement with an Israeli computer company for a program in which the Israelis are training Saudis on how to run a computer system that is controlled by someone who is considered to be a moderate Islamist in Saudi Arabia. Where is this?! Has this made headlines? Has anyone heard this?! They meet inMelbourne, in Australia and they contracted and the Israelis had to check with its own government to see whether it was lawful to enter into an agreement like that with a SaudiArabian entity. We have these Saudis financing (and) throwing their money all around the place. What a waste! Every Jum'ah there is this hour or two of Muslims (and) this can be a time a week when there is true taqwa where we think of Allah's Authority and Power more than anyone else's authority and power. It is wasted because authority and power and not words that are used in the khutbah because they've degraded the meaning; they've demolished the definition of taqwa and why should they speak of authority and government?

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