| THE STREET MMBAR JUM'AH KHUTBAH (28 February 2014) 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.
Committed Muslims, brothers and sisters…
Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/apps/podcast/podcast/336456 (02-21-2014)
FALSE RELIGIOUS CONSCIOUSNESS
We, the Muslims, were in the previous khutbah taking a look at we the Muslims. We speak about we and then we speak about the other (i.e.) there are those who are not Muslims. So there is a 'we' and there is an "other." One of the most difficult issues to understand is what is it exactly that distinguishes us from the other and what is it exactly that makes us part of the other. This is an area in some people's minds is confusing and there are plenty of ways to approach this. One of the inputs into this subject matter is basically to take a look at we, the committed Muslims, and the other- in this particular Bani Isra'eel because there multiple others out there. There are many others so we have to take them one step at a time. One of these is we the committed Muslims vis à vis those who in one way (or) in definition or the other describe themselves as Bani Isra'eel- and they have many definitions by the way. We will take a sequence of ayaat, (and we know the weather conditions here are not very favourable (but) all of this is in Allah's good calculations), from Surah Az Zukhruf, we will try to read them with a present mind and try to figure out whether Bani Isra'eel of today belong to these ayaat or whether the Muslims of today belong to these ayaat or whether none of them belong to these ayaat or whether all of them belong to these ayaat. It's not only these ayaat alone that will help us understand this issue. We have to take the many other ayaat in the Qur'an to build on to realise what distinguishes us from Bani Isra'eel and then what is common with some of those who call themselves Bani Isra'eel. These ayaat are around ayah number fifty, (give or take), in Surah Az
Alluring to man is the enjoyment of worldly desires through women and children and heaped up treasures of gold and silver… (Surah Aal Imran verse 14)
So the question for those who read the Qur'an carefully and consciously, becomes why was not this surah called then adh dhahab? Why was it called Az Zukhruf? Which invites you and me to think! That's right- why is this Surah called Az Zukhruf and not adh dhahab? With some effort (and) some investigation adh dhahab is something that appeals to you (or) to human nature. People want to have gold, they want to have silver, they want to have possessions because it is decorative- that is why the ayah says
Alluring to man is the enjoyment of worldly desires through women and children and heaped up treasures of gold and silver… (Surah Aal Imran verse 14)
You see when there is an appeal and when there is luxury the word dhahab is used; that ayah in Surah Aal Imran just quoted demonstrates it but here in this Surah the word that is used is Az Zukhruf and Az Zukhruf speaks about gold when gold has influence not when it has appeal. When it has appeal it is dhahab when it has influence it is zukhruf. That's a very important distinction here. So these ayaat, (in the short time that the weather conditions are permitting us), say (or) Allah is saying
We have sent Musa to Phiraun and his elite, (more precisely), his financial elite… (Surah Az
Now we want to draw your attention to the fact that Allah says
We have sent Musa to Phiraun and his financial elite… (Surah Az
Many people in their mind (understand that) Allah sent Musa (alayhi as salaam) to Bani Isra'eel because they are other ayaat in the Qur'an that say that Allah sent Musa to Bani Isra'eel. So another inconsistency in the contemporary Muslim mind is they don't think about Musa being equally sent to Bani Isra'eel and to Phiraun.
… He said "Indeed I am the Messenger of the Lord of all environments (or) of all the worlds. When Musa came with his demonstration of ayaat, they began to laugh at him (or) they began to make fun of him. (Surah Az
You see- this is a form of false religious consciousness. A person is coming and he has something to say and he demonstrates (or) he proves what he is saying with ayaat from Allah. You are familiar with these nine ayaat that are mentioned in other surahs in the Qur'an which Musa demonstrated (to show) that he is not a fake person (and) this is for real but they laughed at him, they made fun of him (and) they ridiculed him.
And every time we come to them with an ayah it proves to be more significant than the previous one… (Surah Az
Meaning there was an escalation of ayaat to breakthrough their attention and their minds and their hearts. Listen- this is the power and authority of Allah that I come to you with.
… so when they don't respond Allah punishes them (or) He brings forms of sufferings to their society. (Surah Az
These could be natural types and these could be social types. See- now a person comes to them with ayaat from Allah and they think
Aah, this is a sorcerer (or) this is some type of person who is trying to trick our minds or senses- a type of illusionist; call your Sustainer… (Surah Az
Notice here, (which unfortunately many Muslim minds do not notice), that these people (i.e.) Phiraun and his elites are speaking to Musa.
… call your Sustainer… (Surah Az
Remember other ayaat in the Qur'an that Bani Isra'eel themselves said to Musa the same words (and) the same form of speech from those who were supposed to belong to him or they said they did and those who were his public enemies; both of them seem to be speaking to him with the same words exactly these are the words in the Qur'an.
… you have a covenant with him he has a covenant with you… (Surah Az
OK.
… then plead our case with Him; by that we will indeed be guided. (Surah Az
So this is what they say to him when they are in the adhaab. They are pleading now because they are under pressure. When people are under pressure then they begin to open up (and) say "OK- Surah Az
… then beseech Him (and) pray to Him… (Surah Az
Then He says
When all of this social or natural upheaval is dismissed now… (Surah Az
Allah causes it to go away
… they break their word. (Surah Az
They told Musa just call upon your God (or) your Sustainer and when He responds we will be guided but when Allah responds to them they don't respond to Him.
Now Phiraun has the public word… (Surah Az
He's out there. Just like today's media, Phiraun had his media. Today's establishmentarians powers have their media. So this media speaks to the crowds. What did he say?
… He said: "my people, don't I have the dominion over Egypt Surah Az
Remember the word here is not milku Misr, the word here is mulku Misr. He is not saying I'm in possession of Egypt Egypt
… and look at the flowing waters beneath us, can't you see. … (Surah Az
What Phiraun and these establishments are trying to says is can't you see who is the authority here? Don't be fooled by Musa. Look what I have. Look who I am.
Am I better or this, referring to Musa here, creature of humiliation who can barely express himself? … (Surah Az
Remember when Musa asked Allah to help him out in his communication with Harun (alayhi as salaam).
He is more communicative (or) he is more elaborate in expressing himself than I am. (Surah Al Qassas verse 34)
Phiraun takes this little point here and amplifies it.
… he barely can express himself. … (Surah Az
Musa is not a person whom you would say is the articulate speech giver. So here Phiraun takes this little, (what you may call), personality gap and he plays on it in public opinion. He says who do you think is better? He said people, look (and) judge for yourselves- this is who I am and this is who he is. Right now this mentality and psychology is at work today. Money speaks. This is Surah Az Zukhruf. Az Zukhruf is gold that speaks, it is money that speaks. This is what we have in today's world. A simple person comes and wants to express Allah's words (and) Allah's will and because he's a simple person- even when the Prophet of Allah, the last Prophet, came to the Mushrikin how did they refer to him? They said oh, he's the orphan of Abu Talib. That's the orphan of Abu Talib, that's the orphan or Abdul Muttalib. That's the way they wanted to put him down. (It's the) same psychology. The psychology of Quraysh, the psychology of Phiraun, the psychology of today's power structure all speak the same language. Who's going to pay attention? "Who are you? Who is Musa? Who's this guy? Some sorcerer? Illusionist?" They have other words because they come at it from different angles. Don't think that the establishment and the media and the establishments out there are dumb people. No! They are very very precise and calculated in how they express themselves.
If only there were golden armlets that were presented to him from heaven or even some angels accompanying him. … (Surah Az
Look how they want people to meet their standards. "Oh you want us to pay attention to you, why can't we see decoration of gold on your body," meaning you don't appear to be a person of status and if you're not why should we pay attention to you? "Then there's no angels around you. You say you're speaking to the heavens and the God up there- where are the angels? If you are the man of God at least have some angels around so you can prove yourself."
He took his people lightly and they obeyed him… (Surah Az
This is the crux of the matter. This is what we have today. We have people who are in power (and) we have individuals who are in power who take their people lightly. (It's) true! Look how light Muslims are. They're light-weights. If a person has power and money they listen; just like Phiraun- he had power and money people listened. If you don't have power and money people are not going to listen. They didn't Musa, they didn't listen to Muhammad, they didn't listen to the other Prophets. Why? Because they didn't have power and money! There's a relationship between power and money. One of them begets the other. They sort of go together and then they eventually converge and when they do converge and blend in they destroy societies.
… and if We, (in reference to Divine power and authority), want to destroy a social order, We have two classes- those in power and those in wealth- combined into one… (Surah Al Isra' verse 16)
The Pharaoh and everyone in his position consider their people to be light-weights. They take their people lightly. People don't have any weight, they don't have any solid positions in other words they don't have any principles. When do people begin to show up as people? When they stick to their principles then they register. They are on the radar but without principles any combination of wealth and power can wreak havoc with them. This is what we are supposed to learn and understand from the history in the Qur'an and this is what we are supposed to learn from current affairs if we can just read and understand.
Now we want to make a transition from that time period in this context to today's world and look at we the Muslims. How many rulers do we have that take us lightly? Why do they take us lightly? Why can they almost automatically dismiss us as if we don't exist? Ask yourself why? It is because, as we should have learned from history, we don't have any principles and we listen to those who have the money and have the power. No one is trying to make anything up. All it takes is to look around. Look around in your circle of your friends, look around at these Islamic centres all around (and) the way the communities make their decisions. What speaks is money and the combination of money with those who have power. That's what speaks and so we listen to that combination (and) we don't listen to Allah! We're sorry to be frank. We don't listen to His Prophet because to us they don't have money (and) they don't generate any profit; in other words there's nothing in it for us "so what are you talking about?" So if someone wants to come and express these social laws from Allah- dismiss him (and) forget about it as if no one said anything. So we have a false religious consciousness! This is false all around. It's huge but it's the truth about something so significant that it goes unnoticed, (i.e.) that Muslims are living with a false religious consciousness. It's false because they listen to Phiraun and they don't listen to Musa. They listen to the upper crust of society and they don't listen to Allah. This is what is happening. If what we're saying is wrong please correct it- anyone out there. Take a look at these ayaat and other ayaat in the Qur'an and say "where do we stand in all of this." So we don't say it by our own. Give Banu Isra'eel credit for being blunt. When they spoke to Musa with a distance they said
… ask your Sustainer for us… (Surah Az
We don't say it like that but our behaviour means it like; that this is how we behave and sometimes, if not most of the times, behaviour is more important than words.
… because they were people whose pledge with Allah was broken therefore their social character degenerated. (Surah Az
Now look at their social character in history and look at our social character today and tell us what makes us distinctive? What makes us different from them?
Brothers and sisters, committed Muslims…
In today's world- these are things that have been in the news no one is plucking something out of imagination or theory, it's the real thing- a couple of weeks ago in Davos, in Switzerland one of the royalty of the Saudis had an encounter with the current minister of justice in Occupied Palestine Turki Al Faisal- is the name of that prince who by the way at one time was the ambassador here in Washington DC for a relatively short period of time- met with Tzipi Livni who is the minister of justice. We don't know how those words go together with all of the injustice that is going on in the Occupied Palestine! They had a friendly encounter and they said friendly things towards each other. Now you would ask do these people in the positions that they are in realised that now they have so much in common that they are beginning to set precedents (i.e.) meeting in public, being photographed in public, exchanging statements in public. All of that is going on. Before, much of this has been going on behind the scenes. It was confidential and it was secret. Saudi princes would go to Tel Aviv and Zionist politicians would go to the Arabian Peninsula-
This khutbah was presented by Imam Muhammad Asi on the occasion of Jum'ah on 21 February 2014 on the sidewalk of Embassy Row in Washington D.C.
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