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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 brothers and dear sisters in this third Jum'ah if Ramadhan…
Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/apps/podcast/podcast/345301 (07-18-2014)
FASTING IS MEANT FOR SOCIETY NOT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
The last ayah in the sequence of ayaat in Surah Al Baqarah that some individuals of some knowledge try to detach from the previous ayaat says
Don't consume your wealth, moneys, investments, financial transactions in an illegitimate way and then you bring this type of illegitimate financial transactions to rulers so that you may obtain a portion of people's wealth wrongfully while you should know better or while you know better or while you should have gained the knowledge of this or eventually while you know this to be the case. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
The ayaat before that strictly speak about fasting and the month of Ramadhan. They begin with
You who are divinely committed, fasting has been assigned to you as it was assigned to those who preceded you so that you are able to avoid Allah's corrective power. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 183)
Then the traditionalists whose minds have been dormant for centuries say that these stretch of ayaat end with
… in such a manner Allah makes apparent the traces of His power to mankind so that they may be on guard against Allah. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 187)
So these are the ayaat that speak about Ramadhan and about as sawm but if they were only to put their minds to work they would realise that the following ayah immediately after these ayaat is related to fasting and Ramadhan which is the ayah that was quoted
And do not illegitimately consume wealth among yourselves… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
That is one way of delivering the meaning. Another way is
Do not gain illegitimate wealth or don't have the circulation of money in your society go through illegitimate channels… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
It doesn't stop here
… and then you have this type of illegitimate wealth approaching those who are in power… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
This is one of the major maladies of human societies and civilisations throughout history, (i.e.), the combination of illegitimate wealth with usurped power. This is what cause the destruction of establishments and orders in the world. There's another ayah in Surah Bani Isra'eel or Surah Al Isra' (where) Allah says
If it is Our will to bring down a social order… (Surah Al Isra' verse 16)
There is two qira'as for this. To get to the point, the wording of the ayah means that
… its wealthy people, whatever society it is, becomes its rulers… (Surah Al Isra' verse 16)
We can sense how in today's world, (just open your mind and look around and see), how the combination of government and corporations are bringing down what are supposed to be the most advanced societies in the world. So the result of this is
… the systematic encroachment on a proportion of wealth that belongs to the people… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
There's wealth and resources that by Allah's words and by Allah's directive belong to people; they don't belong to kings, they don't belong to chief executives- they belong to the average person out there but this is not to be encountered in societies we are familiar with in our world. So what do we understand from this? We understand that many people, even some who are supposed to be "in the know", think that we are fasting and there are personal health and dietary and medicinal and nutritional benefits to our fast and then they weave khutbahs and speeches about how fasting is healthy for your body and your soul and your mind and then they get into the details of the gastro-intestinal system and the nervous systems in the human body or anatomy and Allah is saying in these clear verses of the Qur'an that fasting is meant for the health of society. We want healthy communities. We want healthy civilisations. The way we make these communities and civilisations or any aggregates of people healthy is we try our best to see to it that we eliminate poverty and need. This is what is meant by fasting Ramadhan if only we can raise our consciousness to the Qur'anic level and understand this is what is meant by me fasting.
Not to part very much from the previous khutbahs even though we are living in circumstances and developments that are imposed on us such as the war right now on Muslims who are fasting Ramadhan by the forth or the tenth military power in the world- we're speaking about Ghazzah. There are Muslims just like you- you could have been one of them. We mean these were born in Muslim families just like we were born in Muslim families. It's a difference of geography- you're born here and they're born in that particular geography and now they are subjected to all of this. When you give it a thought (and) when your mind is clear in this month of Ramadhan give it a thought- why do we have Muslims just like you and I who are fasting during this month and right now there are air raids (and) bombing missions on them. "On the average, they say, (these are news items out there in the public), almost every four minutes there is a plane that is dropping bombs or that is firing some type of lethal weaponry or ammunition against these people who are going about their every day life in the circumstances that they are in." Many people of course take a look at the surface of it and they say "the Israeli Zionists are doing this." And that's right, there's no two thoughts about it. This is an assault (and) an attack with malice and with a vicious attitude against basically a civilian population but in this month of Ramadhan, (if we can just collect our deep thoughts), we realise that this Israeli war machine as hostile and as vile as it is, is the symptom of the problem. So where is the problem? If that's a symptom, where is the problem? The problem is in us. Some people don't want to look at the fact of the matter. The fact of the matter is we are the problem. If we are fasting Ramadhan then, with our clear thoughts and minds and souls, we should be able to look at the enemy and say "the enemy is us- that's the problem! And because we have that problem its symptoms is these attacks, the invasions and occupations." In the spirit of Ramadhan what is this problem? Understanding the world through our devotion of fasting in this time period, if Allah is telling us at the end of the month long fast and during this month long fast
And do not illegitimately consume wealth among yourselves… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
There are ayaat in the Qur'an- remember the Qur'an is one book. You don't take the Qur'an in bits and pieces. It's a package and when you approach it you approach it as such. You don't understand one portion of it unrelated to other portions of it. When Allah is speaking about the illegitimate circulation of wealth in society- just like toxins circulate in your body and your body wants to get rid of these toxins- illegitimate wealth is equivalent to toxins that are circulating in society and society has to get rid of this internal filth (and) this build up of toxins. When you have the one percent who are super rich and you have the ninety nine percent that are in need or their necessities to their lives that cannot be met. So there are many ayaat in the Qur'an that deal with the issue of wealth and our speakers, (we're speaking about Muslim speakers), who ascend the mimbar on Friday or who are given the opportunity of have a microphone on another occasion when they are supposed to speak their Islamic conscience (but) they don't address the issue of wealthy people. Have you noticed that? Maybe once in a lifetime you are privy to such a speech or a lecture- may be, but at other times they flood you with ritualistic khutbahs. We're drowning in ritualistic khutbahs! We're dying because of ritualistic khutbahs! Open up your minds.
Don't consume your wealth, moneys, investments, financial transactions in an illegitimate way and then you bring this type of illegitimate financial transactions to rulers so that you may obtain a portion of people's wealth wrongfully… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
Then the ayah ends with
… while you have knowledge of this. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 188)
You're supposed to know this. This is not something impossible to understand. No! Why? It's difficult for you to see the people who are making billions and it's difficult for you to see the people who extend their hand because they are in need?! You can't see this? It's obvious. Now, obviously we can't garner many of these ayaat in the Qur'an in a few minutes. There's an ayah in Surah At Tawbah called the ayah of threat or ultimatum. What does this ayah mean? This ayah says
And those who hoard… (Surah At Tawbah verse 34)
Kanz literally means when you put things together. It could apply to food, it could apply to other material things in life but it gained a specific meaning throughout time when it applies to the different resources of wealth. Allah mentions specifically in this ayah gold and silver. The fact of the matter is currency in that time were two types, (viz.), dinar and dirham, the plural dhananir and daraahim. The dinar was made out of gold and the dirham was made out of silver- that was the currency. If someone wanted to go buy something they'd take a dinar or they'd take a dirham. So the ayah in Allah's mercy to us didn't say dhananir and daraahim because that's the currency that can come and go just like the dollar, the euro, the lira, etc. They come and go but gold and silver don't come and go. They've been there since time immemorial and they'll stay as issues of currency until the end of time. So Allah is saying, bypassing different societies and their peculiar currencies.
And those who hoard… (Surah At Tawbah verse 34)
In today's language those who save- you know, they have savings accounts, they have safe accounts and they pile up wealth, currencies, precious metals, jewels and gems, assets- they put all of that together; these are the ones who are being condemned by this ayah.
… and they don't spend it on a course or for the cause of Allah, pass on to them the news of a painful torment that they are going to suffer. (Surah At Tawbah verse 34)
Per this ayah
All of these assets that they had is going to be brought- eventually on the last day when they will go to their final destiny which is Jahannam- is going to be combustible material that they are going to encounter in Jahannam… (Surah At Tawbah verse 34)
You know when you take an iron and you have some cloth and you want to iron your shirt or your dress- they're going to be ironed with that material that they were hoarding in this world. Where are they going to be ironed with it?
… their foreheads… (Surah At Tawbah verse 35)
This is in reference to their features in this world. They used to feel comfortable. You can see the comfort features on their faces because they used to have all of this wealth.
… their limbs… (Surah At Tawbah verse 35)
Because they used to attribute the gaining of this wealth to their own effort. "Oh this wealth is mine because I'm smart enough or because I worked more than others." Or they have a thousand other explanations for it to make it theirs. Allah is saying this is Allah's, not theirs but they attribute it to themselves- that is going to be ironed also with that combustible material.
… and their backs… (Surah At Tawbah verse 35)
Because their backs is in reference to the leisure. They used to sit back in comfort (and) relaxation.
… now taste what you have hoarded (or) experience what you have saved. (Surah At Tawbah verse 35)
Brothers and sisters, this is not said like some words (or) a pie in the sky ayah. This speaks to the facts of today's world. When we see the enemy- and the enemy is us! This is what we are doing to ourselves today. Do we not have people in this world who are rich- super rich, filthy rich, extravagantly rich? Don't we have them? Of course we do and this is a time when some Muslims need- they are in need. Where is all of this money when these people are in need? To be specific, don't you think the people who are living in Ghazzah need some assistance? Have any of these rulers, royalties, princes, monarchs, chief executives given the needed assistance- not the reactive assistance? Right now, in the past few days, we heard that the kingdom in Arabia and the miniature kingdoms in the Gulf said "oh we'll pitch in $21million" one of them said. Another one said "I'm going to pitch in $35million." The other one said "Oh, I'll do that- I'll give $52million." What are they doing? Who are they trying to fool? If you wanted to give you don't give because people right now are in need. Then, how are we going to know that they are going to give? They are saying they're going to give do you or I really know that they're going to give what they are saying they're going to give? There's no one there to hold them accountable? Why weren't they giving before that? These people in Ghazzah have been living under siege. They can't leave. The news items tell us "the Israelis were dropping leaflets or calling certain cell phones (saying) get out of a particular area there's going to be military operations." Where they're going to go? Get out- where? Where do you go to? We can't expect to go to them, they're bombing us, but how about the other territories around? Isn't there Jordan Arabia ? Isn't there Egypt North Africa ? Isn't there South West Asia? There's a lot of lands around but why are not we, the Muslims who are outside of Ghazzah caring for the Muslims inside of Ghazzah? Because we have a problem and that problem is our inability to speak truth to power or to speak truth to wealth. We can't do it! We have not been doing it! And the way things are going we will not be able to do it. Most people understand this in the world to come- you know, look- you hoarded all of this wealth (and) now this wealth has become combustible material that you are going to suffer in Jahannam- that is how most people understand it but to take it into today's world? Construct the scenery in what is happening in Ghazzah and what is happening in the affluent parts of the Muslim world, let's say Arabia . These are two adjacent areas, Ghazzah and Arabia . We're not talking about some unknown area in Asia and another unknown place in Africa- we're not speaking about that; we're speaking about two contiguous places, Arabia and Ghazzah. This ayah could speak to the royalty in Arabia-
… this is what you have saved for yourselves, have a taste of what you have been saving. (Surah At Tawbah verse 35)
The taste of this is the bombs that are falling. It's true that the bombs are not falling on the wealthy elites of Arabia; it's falling on Muslims but aren't the Muslims here in Ghazzah and the Muslims in Arabia supposed to be one and together? So if the people in Arabia who have all this wealth are not suffering the consequences here, their brothers and sisters, the orphans, the widows, the babies (and) the children are suffering the consequences here. That means it's going to catch up with these Arabian petrodollar elites and they're going to suffer many times over the sufferings that we are privy to today. This is a very important issue that speakers run away from even though the Qur'an is full of ayaat.
… and those who give out of what He has given them. (Surah Al Baqarah verse 3)
How many times have you come across these words in the Qur'an? Allah speaks highly of those who give out of what He has given them. Where are these people (and) these rulers who have all of this wealth? You see- if we use the word capitalists some people get a little nervous, if we use the word corporatists other people get nervous. What do you want to call them? Whoever they are- these are the people who we need to shed light on. They can't continue to live in the dark. They can't continue to get away with this. This actually was a point of contention early on (and) that's why we said we parted from the previous khutbahs that dealt with sectarianism a little here but we are going to return to a section of it- and a section of it is here. This ayah in Surah At Tawbah was an issue that was argued early on because this love for wealth and possession is in human nature. It was in the nature of the first generation of Muslims like it's in the nature of this generation of Muslims and in other generations of Muslims. There's always going to be people who want to have what they claim to be theirs. "It's ours." One of the companions of Allah's Prophet, Abu Dharr (radi Allahu anhu) said (what) some people would consider a very radical statement- this statement says every accumulation of wealth that exceeds the needs and the necessities, whatever it is, is a kanz (and) therefore falls within the meanings and the purview of this ayah. Anything that exceeds the needs and the necessities! During the Prophet's time this was not a point of contention but after the Prophet passed away Muslims began to have difficulties with this because some Muslims wanted to have more when others had less. This is where all the problems began. Some Muslims wanted to have more when other Muslims had less. So those who wanted to have more, regardless of the others, said oh, this ayah pertains only to clergymen because if you read the ayah before this is pertains only to clergymen.
There are many clergymen… (Surah At Tawbah verse 34)
This is specific to those who are not Muslims meaning Christians and Jews basically,
… they are want to consume illegitimately people's resources, monies and wealth … (Surah At Tawbah verse 34)
So the counter argument to this was but this only apply to them, (Christians and Jews). Abu Dharr countered that by saying it applies to them and it applies to us. Who do you think you are? Just because you have the word Muslim written in your name (or) because you have a Muslim nomenclature you think you are exempt from these meanings?! No, you're not! We can see these meanings now coming back to bite us, meaning the argument that won over almost fourteen hundred years ago, (i.e.), OK-
They will come to you, (Oh Prophet), and they will ask you what are we to spend? What are we going to spend? What are we going to give out? What are we going to contribute? What are we going to donate? (Surah Al Baqarah verse 219)
And the answer was, (Oh Prophet), whoever comes with this question and this inquiry
… say anything that's extra… (Surah Al Baqarah verse 219)
Which means anything that is beyond your needs and necessities- that's what you give out. Now this is going to force us to fine tune the definition of need and necessity. OK- let's do it. Come on. We invite the minds that are out there and masha'Allah we're not lacking in this area. We have brilliant minds. Come on. These minds are invited- give us a definition of needs and necessities. Once we clear that and we settle on the definition and the meaning and the explanation of needs and necessities whatever goes beyond that (and) whatever is extra goes to those who are in need. This is what the month of Ramadhan is supposed to mean. This is how our fasting is supposed to impact us but you have hundreds of millions of Muslims who fast and are subjected to the brainwashing of institutions, Masajid, Islamic centres, syllabi, universities, academic setups, etc. that report to governments. They don't report to Allah. They report to their sources of finances. They're supposed to expose those sources of finances but they report to them! This is the dilemma that we are living.
Dear fasting, conscientious, enlightened brothers and sisters, committed Muslims…
It is not our conduct to react to problems. We've been throughout these years trying to pre-empt these problems, the very least of which is to understand them. To pre-empt a problem the least effort that can be done is to understand it. Unlike the zombies that are moved by traditions, we stepped out of that crowd or Allah engineered the conditions in which we are exempted or excluded from that crowd, (as you can see over here), so we can speak the truth. There's no conditions, there's no restrictions, there's no inhibitions. So we can look at these people with our God-given minds and our God-given senses especially if they are fined tuned in this month of Ramadhan. Watch. Just look around you at what's happening Allah says
… but indeed committed Muslims are brothers of each other. (Surah Al Hujurat verse 10)
That's what Allah says and we hope everyone understands what that means, but look, watch (and) observe how is that played out. Are we really brothers? If we were brothers would we be divided as we are? If we cared for ourselves as brothers, brothers belong to a family- let's say we are a family; if we were truly a family would this be happening to us? Some of us are now as we speak living under ground. There's no electricity, there's no water in Ghazzah. We're speaking about Ghazzah. Next week Friday is Yawm Al Quds and when we have Muslims who are being cornered in this month of Ramadhan militarily (and) economically for years now and then we have other Muslims in this month of Ramadhan in this month of fasting in this Islamic ambiance of brotherhood and family responsibilities leaving their countries because its too hot there?! They want to go and fast in fair climate, where the days are shorter. They have the money to do that. They can fly around the world (and) they can go to the southern hemisphere. The day there is only nine and a half hours instead of the fifteen hours or fourteen hours in their desert kingdom. They leave! Who cares? Are they thinking about the people in Ghazzah? Do the ayaat of the Qur'an mean anything to them? Do the Prophet's authentic statements and sunnah mean anything to them? Then we have these news items that come our way… There are elections that are approaching in Morocco Egypt has granted an honorary PhD to the king of Saudi Arabia Egypt
This khutbah was presented by Imam Muhammad Asi on the occasion of Jum'ah on 18 July 2014 on the sidewalk of Embassy Row in Washington D.C.
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