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Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.
Alhumdulillah. Peace and blessings on Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam), his Noble Companions and Family.
Dear Committed brothers and dear committed sisters …
Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/apps/podcast/podcast/344601 (07-04-2014)
UMAR'S LEADERSHIP VERSUS THE RULERS OF ARABIA PART 5
This month is a month of taqwa- a word that has suffered throughout the centuries and the ages as today it is misunderstood by hither and yon, by those who we know and by those who we don't know. The reason we are fasting is that we are doing whatever we can do at this level to acquire this consciousness of Allah's power presence. When we are aware that Allah is powerful and forceful and Almighty then we acquire a certain behavior. It's not that Allah is absent! Allah is always here and now- always! Many of us say "Allah sees everything. Allah hears everything. Allah is everywhere." Many of us say that but it is only a few of us who say "what is Allah going to do?" There's a difference between confessing or acknowledging that Allah sees everything and hears everything but is He going to do something? This is the gap that exists between where we should be and where we are. Our behavior today (and) our perception today is Allah is all knowing, is all seeing, is all hearing, is all merciful- He is all this and He is all that. None of us argue that. We submit to that fact. The leap that we have to take is… OK, once we settle on these facts what is Allah doing or what is Allah going to do? If we acquire a sense of taqwa we are required to see what Allah is doing because if He is power present (and) if His power is always here what is His power doing? Is His power inferior to the materialistic powers? Many of us (or) some of us drowning in our rituals are absent minded as concerns Allah's here and now power. This month of Ramadhan wants us to regain and to recapture this vital sensory that belongs to us, (i.e.) that Allah is always here. Even if we personally fail Allah is always here. If I fail as a person what does that mean? I'm a Muslim (and) I'm trying to do my best but whatever I do and however much I'm struggling if the results are not to my expectations that
doesn't mean that I should be negligent of Allah's power presence. There's a saying that says Allah acts in mysterious ways. Our failure is that we do not want to detect Allah's presence beyond our sensory perceptions or beyond our human limitations. This month of Ramadhan is meant to harvest this potential in us. The word la'alla means that we are doing what is required; whether the results are going to appear the way we expect them to or not is another matter. So there is a hope, there is an expectation (and) there is a yearning in achieving taqwa once we observe what is mandatory in this month of fasting. We think enough has been said about taqwa. There's an ayah in the Qur'an and there are many ayaat in the Qur'an that you want to concentrate on with your heart and with your mind- this is only one of them. It says
doesn't mean that I should be negligent of Allah's power presence. There's a saying that says Allah acts in mysterious ways. Our failure is that we do not want to detect Allah's presence beyond our sensory perceptions or beyond our human limitations. This month of Ramadhan is meant to harvest this potential in us. The word la'alla means that we are doing what is required; whether the results are going to appear the way we expect them to or not is another matter. So there is a hope, there is an expectation (and) there is a yearning in achieving taqwa once we observe what is mandatory in this month of fasting. We think enough has been said about taqwa. There's an ayah in the Qur'an and there are many ayaat in the Qur'an that you want to concentrate on with your heart and with your mind- this is only one of them. It says
Indeed those who are actively conscious of Allah's power presence therefore they are actually
avoiding His corrective measures… (Surah Al A'raf verse 201)
avoiding His corrective measures… (Surah Al A'raf verse 201)
Allah is Just. If you go off course it doesn't matter what your name is (and) what your rituals are. If you go off course you are going to encounter the consequences. This ayah's saying
Indeed those who are guarding their lives and themselves in an active way, meaning (in) every moment of their lives they are conscious of Allah's power presence (and) if they are to be influenced by a transient presence of Ash Shaytaan… (Surah Al A'raf verse 201)
We're all human beings. Some of us may encounter some evil thoughts but that's humanity out there, some of us may have some inclinations in ourselves to do what is wrong and what is contrary to Allah even in our feelings inside- we may not do it and some of us may even do it- whenever Ash Shaytaan has an influence, and remember this influence is transient- Ash Shaytaan does not have a fixed influence on Alladhina at taqaw, he has a bypassing influence. So what happens? Once I have, (let's say), a bad thought or I'm thinking of doing something wrong whether I do it or I don't do it the result is
… we become conscious… … (Surah Al A'raf verse 201)
Meaning Ash Shaytaan has his effect on us when we are subconscious. When we are unconscious that's when Ash Shaytaan begins to do his work. (And) conscious of who? Of Allah and Allah as a power and a force not a theoretical Allah (and) not an abstract Allah- a here and now Allah which means the attempt of Ash Shaytaan upon al muttaqi is going to result in an elevated consciousness.
… at that time they gain insight (or) at that time they can see the issues correctly (and) accurately. (Surah Al A'raf verse 201)
This is the affect of taqwa, not this foggy notion about piety. What is piety, we ask you? What does it mean? The word siyam here also has to be fine tuned. As siyam is usually explained as that general word fasting. Beyond this English language trench as siyam means you withhold following a desire in you. You don't want to be subjected to your whims or your lusts. We have a desire to eat, we have a desire to drink, we have a desire to copulate, we have a desire to gain wealth, we have a desire to gain power- we have other desires, as siyam is meant to stop that desire, not to kill it. To stop it. So when we abstain we don't eat or drink (and) when we don't satisfy the appetites in us- this is as siyam. The rudimentary (or) the beginning of as siyam is to abstain from nutrition, from food and from water, from the appetite of the stomach and the sexual appetite- that's the beginning of it. Then it works its way through the other appetites that mankind has. So if we understand what we are doing (and) if we understand why we are fasting it turns out to be a month of discipline. You discipline yourself. When you put your appetite under control you control your appetite; it's not your appetite that is controlling you and you do this because you are aware of Allah's power presence. All the other forms of devotion to Allah are seen. When we pray, (i.e.) when I pray or you pray, some other person sees you. When you go to the hajj you do it in a manifest way. When you pay the sadaqa and the zakah, that's observable- other people can see but when you fast that's something no one can tell whether you are fasting or not except yourself. This is one of the obligations that is only between you and Allah. The other ones are a type of social obligation. You go to as salah in a Masjid or elsewhere (and) here we are praying in the tens, in hundreds, in the thousands. When we go to the hajj, here we are in the millions. When we pay our zakah the poor person receives it so he knows someone is giving him but in this siyam who knows? Only Allah and it is this consciousness of Allah's knowledge that engenders in us this taqwa. Now that being said- and many of the khutaba' on this day stop here in this area. They don't want to take it a step further and maybe that's why we've been praying in the street for thirty one years because we are extending the meanings of this Qur'an into this life.
One of the most important behaviors emanating from our perception of Allah's here and now power presence is al amr bi al ma'ruf and an nahi an al munkar. Al amr bi al ma'ruf is to have what is self evidently good become the social norm and that requires force. It doesn't happen because someone writes an elaborate thesis or because someone gives a spell-binding speech. No! It happens because there's a determination. An nahi an al munkar is the same way- what is self evident in its evil and has to be deconstructed and disestablished and that doesn't come by words and it doesn't come by daydreaming. It comes by effort and it comes by sweat and it happens by tears and blood. We have a grand munkar in Arabia, a humongous munkar in Makkah and in Al Madinah as rulers- that's a munkar and because of the traditions Ramadhan is supposed to be a month of "piety and God-fearing and devotion" and these things and they tell you "you can't speak about al munkar." Who said? Is there any ayah? Is there any ahadith that says in the month of Ramadhan or any other month any other time we can't speak about al munkar? Everyone knows the answer to that. So we are going to continue to expose the munkar that has become an establishment in Arabia and we will do it using the language of the rulers of Arabia who don't tire when they tell us "they are the custodians of the sahabah- first and foremost among them is Umar." We say to them their munkar comes out of their mouth and exposes them. In this month of Ramadhan we don't care about their worldly power, we care about Allah's power presence. They don't measure up to that so we will speak the truth even if it hurts them, even if it wounds them, even if it injuries them and even if it kills them.
Let's take the Arabian peninsula during the time of what they refer to as as salaf as salih, (i.e.) the first generation of Muslims. Let us look at Arabia very quickly during that time. Arabia was something like no man's land. There were few oasis (or) few sources of water- we're talking about a whole peninsula here and very quaint (or) very weak types of commercialism going on. The hub of it was Makkah besides that every other place was virtually non commercial. This was the case during that generation (and) before that generation until the time of Umar (radi Allahu anhu) when all of a sudden the Islamic domain stretched out and now there were the revenues of very fertile valleys around the Arabian Peninsula . The valleys in Iraq , the Euphrates and the Tigris; the valleys of the Levant with their water resources, the Nile valley- this was land of agriculture. It was a land of skills, it was a land of what you make call industry of the time and all of a sudden all of this revenue began coming in to the capital of the Islamic state. This type of prosperity happened during the time of Umar. The time period in which this happened was shorter than the time period in which prosperity occurred in the Arabian Peninsula in our time. Right now there's a lot of wealth in Arabia . In the time of Umar a lot of wealth was beginning to accumulate in Arabia . This is what happened when all of this wealth began to come in… We're not talking about a super rich administration or society or government but compared to what it was it was just about to become affluent. So when much of this treasure came and where did it come to? Was there a ministry of finances in Al Madinah when Umar was ruling? No. All of this wealth came to the Masjid of the Prophet and when Umar looked at this he teared. Other people were looking at this with their appetites- the appetite for money, to make money, to gain wealth (and) to become prosperous. They began salivating at the opportunities that this wealth can generate
and Umar was in tears because he was afraid of the consequences of what this wealth will do to human nature and to these who have become Muslims and are becoming Muslims. Do these people inArabia fit this description? Has anyone seen a tear from any of the rulers in Arabia because of the riches that they've been seduced with? Has anyone saw a tear- one tear? None! So how do they claim "they belong to that generation and to those personalities"? Where does this come from? Oh- granted they have a lot of money, they have a media empire in the world; OK, fine. They can lie for years and for decades- are we to believe them? They're tricking us. They want to fool us to think that they fit into that description.
and Umar was in tears because he was afraid of the consequences of what this wealth will do to human nature and to these who have become Muslims and are becoming Muslims. Do these people in
Umar ruled for ten years, eight months and four days and how did he rule? Did he rule like these rulers in Arabia who represent the munkar in our time? There was a period called the year of famine. This wasn't exactly one year, (it was) something like nine to ten months but because it stretched so long it is referred to as a full year. What happened during this year? When Umar was ruling, unlike the rulers of Arabia today- besides lifting the penalty for theft… You know in Islamic jurisprudence (or) Islamic law a person who steals, (and there are many details to this), is punished by losing his hand. So during this particular time and only in Arabia where this terrible atmospheric and social condition combined when people had to steal to live (or) to survive- when have you ever heard in the Arabian Peninsula where they apply this law? Where did you hear that this law cannot be applied to a person who steals because he wants his family to survive? Has anyone ever heard of this? No! Because they have no spirit in the laws that they say they are responsible for. So are they Umaris? They brag about Umar, they speak with platitudes about Umar but do they meet his character? No, absolutely not! They are contrary to that character. In those harsh social and economic and agricultural conditions there was a policy that was applied and it could be summarized in a few words. The policy that was applied by Umar- and we dare any of these Arabian rulers to even think of such a policy- says if one Muslim goes hungry money doesn't belong to anyone. We are fasting, we are experiencing hunger and thirst- we are supposed to experience it, how many Muslims in this world are hungry? How many Muslims in this world are dying of hunger as we are fasting and then on the other hand how many of these others, especially those in the Arabian Peninsula who accumulate untold amounts of wealth, care for those who are dying of thirst and hunger and malnutrition and poverty? And they are in the hundreds of millions. When this famine hit the Arabian Peninsula it was simply because there was no water, no rainfall (or) no precipitation for nine months and water is very precious in desert life. Umar sent to his governors in Egypt , in Iraq , in Ash Shaam saying bring the surplus revenue that you have to the Arabian Peninsula because people are starving, people are living conditions of famine. This is his words to the governor of Egypt Arabian Peninsula . They can write many books and they can give many speeches and they can pay many mercenary writers but it will never happen and don't be fooled by their media pens and there media mouth pieces- when this relief, the food and sustenance came to Al Madinah Umar himself went out with those who were assisting him and began to distribute this nourishment (and) this food to those who were hungry. Have you ever seen any prince, any decision maker (or) any king in the Arabian Peninsula deliver with his own self (and) with his own tie what is needed to those in need and who are living at the survival level? This is Ramadhan when they are supposed to have a behavior and a mannerism of taqwa .Do you detect it? Do you see it? During these months- look at the difference between rulers then in Arabia and now in Arabia- Umar did not eat any butter, any fat or any dairy products. He made with only oil until, (what some history books tell us), the pigmentation of his skin changed because he wanted to live just like the people with him are living. If these rulers in Arabia claim that they are "the Custodians of the Haramayn" and they are looking out for the Muslims? Are they living the conditions (and) the circumstances of Muslims in today's world who are in need? Are they living like that? If they are not- and they are not- then how can they claim "they are following Umar and that they are pro-Sahaba and they are the maintainers of as salaf as salih"? How can this be? If they want to lie, they can lie to themselves but not to the rest of us.
At one time Umar saw one member of his extended family during these harsh conditions eating a fruit. We weren't told what this fruit was. It could have been may be grapes, may be figs, may be one of the fruits that was in the Arabian Peninsula . Then Umar sees him and he says to him Wow! Wow! You son of the commander of the committed Muslims! You mean to say (and) to show that you are eating fruits and the ummah of Muhammad is emaciated, is thin and skinny. Meaning how dare you do something like that. Compare that with the rulers of Arabia today. Their hunger and their thirst during this month are superficial and artificial because it doesn't generate an attitude and a behavior and a policy and a strategy to combat hunger and to defeat need. It doesn't generate it! Even their own wealth doesn't belong to them. They stuff themselves! It has become a mockery! Ramadhan in Arabia is a mockery! The only reason they fast during the day- the way they fast (is) they sleep most of the day and then after that they wake up and they stay up most of the night eating! As if fasting was meant to charge their appetite?! Fasting is meant to discipline the appetite not to charge it! In the Arabian Peninsula they are fasting during the day so that they can over eat during the night and to hell with those who are starving and dying of thirst and hunger and malnutrition and they say "they are the custodians of Makkah and Al Madinah." They are liars and this is their munkar and we are not inflicted with a false religiosity and say "oh this is Ramadhan (so) you can't speak like that." It is because this is Ramadhan that we have to speak like this to expose their munkar.
There are some people who lived during that time, Sahaba (radi Allahu anhum) who said we were afraid if this year of famine did not come to an end that Umar was going to die because of his agitated feelings of not being able to feed the subjects that he is ruling. Do these rulers in Arabia care anything for the subjects they are ruling? You can't even speak to them when they do something wrong and tell them "you have done something wrong." They'll throw you in detention! They're doing this periodically. Now the world (and) everyone around doesn't speak about that. Well, we can understand (that) the forces of wealth and the military forces in the world want to defend one of their own.
O you who are committed, don't become allies and inferiors of the Zionists and the Imperialists because they are allies of each other; and, whoever places the Zionists and the Imperialists in this superior position has become part of them; for Allah does not guide those who do injustice in this form. (Surah Al Maa'idah verse 54)
The Arabian rulers are one of their own but how about us? We can speak? We also have to tow the line? We can't speak about this munkar in Arabia in this month of taqwa?
We will conclude by stating what Umar said concerning money and finances and wealth. He said there is no one person from people except that he has a right to this wealth, to this treasury. There is not one who is more rightful or more advantageous or more accessible to this wealth than anyone else. This is the justice and the equality that was burned into the conscience of the committed Muslims of that time. It is their money and they partake of it and I, Umar is speaking, am just like one of them. Does any king, any monarch, any ruler, any prince in Arabia dare say these words? I am just like one of you? They go on jumbo jets with an entourage of hundreds of service individuals. They go shopping (and) in their shopping sprees they spend millions of dollars. This is not an exaggeration and they want us to think that they fit the mould of Umar. Who are they trying to deceive? Who are they trying to mislead? I feel happier to give them of what is theirs then they feel when they receive it. (Take a) look at all the wealth- trillions of dollars out of Arabia and they claim it for their families and the rest of the Muslims can perish. They care not for the rest of the Muslims. This is a munkar. We have to change this munkar. There are persons who are entitled, there are persons who are in need and as far as I am concerned, my ultimate wish is to leave this world not owing this to anyone and not having anyone owing any of this to me. And the Prophet of Allah says observing the meanings of this siyam amounts to half of your patience.
Dear committed Muslims, brothers and sisters…
Because of our withdrawal from our social responsibilities, funny things happen. Take a couple of examples. One of them (is) in Egypt- just in the past few days (or) in the past week in the city of Alexandria there are these signs that went up either on certain buildings or cars that said "have you offered your salah to the Prophet today." Then all of a sudden the government that now is the enemy of its own people began to think with a paranoid mindset. They're thinking "what is this? Some kind of sectarian slogan inside of Egypt Washington DC
This khutbah was presented by Imam Muhammad Asi on the occasion of Jum'ah on 4 July 2014 on the sidewalk of Embassy Row in Washington D.C.
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