[SPEAKER_00]: In my observation, and I completely convinced of this, I think that the worst misconceptions about Islam are not held by non-Muslims, as a matter of fact, it's by Muslims.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have a skewed view of what religion really is, what this book really is, what Islam really is, and we carry a lot of those misnotions our entire life.
[SPEAKER_00]: and it shapes our view of our religion.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that, unfortunately, this skewed view and a twisted version of what you might think the religion is what Islam is, can affect somebody so much, it might take them away from their deen.
[SPEAKER_00]: It can just literally take them away.
[SPEAKER_00]: So here we are, interested in introducing Islam to those that know nothing about Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: And at the same time,
[SPEAKER_00]: In large numbers, even though people don't say I'm no longer Muslim anymore, they don't say they don't come out and say that But in their head, they're in their hearts, they're distancing and furthering themselves from the light that Allah has revealed And it's happening in our own families, among friends, and we're not dealing with it
[SPEAKER_00]: We're not addressing that problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I wanted to start by saying that this problem didn't just come out of a vacuum.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why does somebody start doubting their religion or start feeling a lack of commitment to their religion?
[SPEAKER_00]: Where did that come from?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's unfortunately because we, as an Ombain, I don't blame anyone person or anyone group or anyone school of thought or anything like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We collectively, we even fortunately given a biased message of Islam,
[SPEAKER_00]: through the pulpit, meaning the way we communicate the message of Islam, the way we teach the message of Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: When a young child or a teenager came to the masjid and sat and listened to a hotba, or listened to whatever lecture or whatever else, overwhelmingly there were some messages that were there, unfortunately for a long time, that
[SPEAKER_00]: should have been balanced, but they've been imbalanced and I want to start with those impressions that a young person gets and these are not something I collected, I came up with myself, this is based on a lot of conversations with a lot of young people from very many different parts of the world and this is not just Muslim youth living in the West, this is young people have met in Malaysia or in the Gulf States or people that have met in Europe or have people that have met in Australia or here in the United States, so it's a mix of places in the Muslim world
[SPEAKER_00]: and also Muslims living here and actually surprisingly the impressions aren't very different between the two.
[SPEAKER_00]: The misconceptions that our umma has about Islam itself aren't very different.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when I say youth, you might think I'm talking about a small segment of the population.
[SPEAKER_00]: The statistics are on the world are staggering.
[SPEAKER_00]: The vast majority of the umma, maybe over two thirds, is under the age of 35.
[SPEAKER_00]: So when I say the youth of the umma, I'm actually referring to the majority of us.
[SPEAKER_00]: referring to the majority of people.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if this is a crisis, this is a crisis that doesn't just affect a small group.
[SPEAKER_00]: It almost affects the entire entity of Islam, the entire entity of the Omaq.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the first impression is that the religion is really, really harsh.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like Allah is really out to punish.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like no matter what the chances are, what you're doing is going to land you in Jahanam.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if not Jahanam, at least something should get chopped off in this dunya.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like it's either, you're going to get some really harsh punishment here, or if not, you're definitely going to burn in hell because you were late for funger, or because, you know, you ate this thing, or you said this thing, or you did this, or you did the other, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: So for every little thing, and unfortunately, sometimes this happens through parenting, sometimes this happens through other, other means the way we correct somebody is by instilling the fear of a lion then.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's very traumatic to do that to a child.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't eat that ice cream.
[SPEAKER_00]: Allah is going to be very angry at you.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, Allah is not.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to be angry and now you've made this child scared that Allah is constantly angry and you better not step in the wrong place because Allah is going to just ruin you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this impression, you know, when you say these things, these things, they're like a piece of dirt that gets lodged in the mind.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it grows and grows and grows.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this child grows.
[SPEAKER_00]: And their assumption about Allah is Allah's default position is to punish humanity.
[SPEAKER_00]: While Allah Himself says, My Allah, Allah, will be Arabic.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's Allah gonna get out of punishing you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why do you think Allah wants to punish you?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the question Allah Himself asks.
[SPEAKER_00]: So when I'm trying to get it is, Allah the way He speaks about Himself has become very different from the way we speak about Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that impression that we give about Allah that He's angry all the time or He wants to punish all the time or the laws of Islam are extremely harsh and rigid and if you can't follow them, you're going to be in serious, serious trouble.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the first impression a lot of young people have.
[SPEAKER_00]: The second impression I'd like to share with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is that Islam asks me to do things that don't solve anything?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, hey, I'm having trouble finding a job.
[SPEAKER_00]: Go make the oil.
[SPEAKER_00]: How's the oil going to help my job?
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you mean go make the oil?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, we don't explain to our young.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's the connection between things?
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, you're getting really angry.
[SPEAKER_00]: Go make the oil.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, what is splashing water going to do, mom?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm still mad.
[SPEAKER_00]: Go recite the Surah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, okay, I made these, I sounded these things out, but I'm still upset.
[SPEAKER_00]: How is this changing anything?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what that impression that develops over time in the young person's mind?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's that my parents believe in the superstitious stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then when I'm getting really out of hand, they take me to the Imam and they say, could you recite something and fall on this face?
[SPEAKER_00]: And all of his problems will go away.
[SPEAKER_00]: So they start thinking, a song is full of superstitions.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, it's not logical.
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't make any sense.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's just like any other religion where people believe in Hocus-Pocus and my parents believe in it too.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm scared to say it because Mama's going to go crazy if I say it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But that's really what it is.
[SPEAKER_00]: And nobody's ever been able to explain to me rationally, reasonably, why am I even Muslim?
[SPEAKER_00]: Other than the fact that my parents are Muslim, why am I even part of this religion, other than the fact that I happen to be born in one of those countries, or my parents happen to be one of those countries where majority of the people are Muslim, if I was born in a different family, I probably would have been different, but other than a sociological reason, or a family background reason, I don't really see why this stuff makes any sense.
[SPEAKER_00]: Islam is just illogical.
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't make any sense to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: to that yet another problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that problem is, every time I hear Islam being talked about they talk about people that lived a really long time ago and were pretty awesome.
[SPEAKER_00]: There were some really, really good people.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, like those are the people that will make it to Jannah.
[SPEAKER_00]: but that leaves the rest of us here, the leftovers of humanity, which are probably fuel for hell.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's a constant comparison about how the people of the past were so, so much better.
[SPEAKER_00]: And by implication, we must be so much worse.
[SPEAKER_00]: And already I know Allah is angry anyway, and I'm pretty bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm failing this thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's a matter of fact, no matter what I do, it's probably not good enough.
[SPEAKER_00]: No matter how much I pray, my salai is not going to be the same as the Salaf,
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not gonna happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: No matter what kind of Hajj I do, I's never gonna compare to the hud of the early scholars of Islam who walked from their home for two years to make it to Hajj.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's never gonna be the same.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I, no matter what efforts I make are probably not good enough, they're probably not acceptable, they're probably not to the standard that Allah wants them to be, because Allah has very high standards clearly.
[SPEAKER_00]: There were people before you've heard stories of people that like,
[SPEAKER_00]: They prayed the Hadjud for forty nights in a row and they prayed, you know, a fajad with the wubu of ashah or, you know, you hear stories even of the companions of the Allah Muhammad, you know, once Ahabi gave the Prophet ﷺ asked to give him the path of Allah, one gave, or one gave half of his wealth.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then that's what's said in the fundraiser, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Or one gave half, and one gave all, what are you going to give?
[SPEAKER_00]: And you were like ten dollars?
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess probably not going to count for much, because he gave half and that one gave full.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we forget that even at the time when we cite those great companions, the vast majority of the companions didn't give half or full.
[SPEAKER_00]: The vast majority of them, who at last pleased with all of them, did not go to the extent that a handful of them went.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those that went that far are not the minimum standard.
[SPEAKER_00]: They are heroes, and they went above and beyond the Call of Duty.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's correct.
[SPEAKER_00]: But to constantly quote that and to give the impression that where are you compared to them?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, that was the case even at that time.
[SPEAKER_00]: There were several Sabah who couldn't do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And who didn't do that?
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand?
[SPEAKER_00]: So, but we give this impression that this, if you can't reach this, then you're probably a lost cause anyway.
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, there's the narrative that most people are going to end up in Jehannam.
[SPEAKER_00]: So chances are, I mean, I mean, look at you seriously.
[SPEAKER_00]: You think you're going to go to Jehanna?
[SPEAKER_00]: And this impression is given that you, I mean, you're not really the, the heaven type, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you could try, but you and I both know.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know how I know this impression, people come to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the first thing they say to me is, you know, I'm not a good person.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know that, but I just have a question.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why did you already, Allah hasn't passed judgment on you yet?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why have you passed judgment on yourself?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why did you pass that verdict on yourself?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, you know, I've done a lot of mistakes, or I know Allah's very angry with me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Really, you know, Allah is very angry with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Did you receive an email?
[SPEAKER_00]: Did you receive some kind of communication directly from Allah that Allah is angry with you?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what it is?
[SPEAKER_00]: People keep telling you Allah is angry with you and you start believing people as though they have some direct channel with Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't.
[SPEAKER_00]: they don't.
[SPEAKER_00]: People's opinion of you is not Allah's opinion of you.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a difference between those things but you start accepting that about yourself and you lose hope and become disconnected.
[SPEAKER_00]: That of course, it also seems that these stories that I'm being told or these accounts that I'm being told, they don't seem relevant to my life.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've literally sat in gatherings when people come up and said, well, I was reading the Quran and it was talking about the battle of Ahad or the battle of but what does that have to do with my life?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not going into any battle.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not relevant to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've heard I've had these conversations, not with non-Muslims.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've had these conversations with Muslims, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know what?
[SPEAKER_00]: At some level you could say you're stuck for Allah al-Alyim, Allah al-Alyim, Allah al-Alyim, what kind of question is this?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you can say that, but if you don't engage in a civil conversation with people that genuinely have that question, that problem's only going to get worse.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand that it's not going to get solved by you doing it's the thought of Allah and going into a corner and every time you see them you say I'll little bit let him in a shape on the regime that's not going to solve that problem this this needs a conversation this needs engagement and so
[SPEAKER_00]: It becomes hard, the claim is that it's hard to relate to.
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, the final one among many others is that most things in Islam are forbidden.
[SPEAKER_00]: Chances are what I'm doing is probably Haram.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, laughing, it's Haram, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, speeding, it's Haram, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, getting a nice car, it's Haram, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, even kids, like, at Sunday schools, in Masajid, but they're learning Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, the most common question kids ask their teacher, hey, blank Haram, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Isn't this Haram?
[SPEAKER_00]: Isn't that Haram?
[SPEAKER_00]: He constantly haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram, haram
[SPEAKER_00]: that he only forbade from you the few filthy things, dirty things, disgusting things, impure things.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are the things he made forbidden.
[SPEAKER_00]: But our impression is, chances are anything we're doing is constantly forbidden.
[SPEAKER_00]: This narrative that Islam equals most things are haram.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you have that impression, you know what that means.
[SPEAKER_00]: That means if I become serious about Islam, then if I start taking my religion seriously, then I'm probably not going to live a happy life.
[SPEAKER_00]: because anything that makes me happy is probably forbidden.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not going to have the friends that I have, I'm not going to do the activities that I do, I'm not going to do anything that actually brings any joy in my life, and I'm going to be miserable.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you think, and you start thinking maybe that's not true, maybe because I've heard Islam, if you follow it, it gives you peace, it gives you happy, maybe I should.
[SPEAKER_00]: But then you look at people in your family, friends, that used to not be very religious, and then Allah put something in their hearts, and they became religious.
[SPEAKER_00]: No problem with that is, a lot of times when people find
[SPEAKER_00]: They have a lot of guilty conscience for the life they'll use to live before.
[SPEAKER_00]: So they try to become more Islamic than Islam itself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right?
[SPEAKER_00]: So they also develop this narrative that they have to be constantly angry.
[SPEAKER_00]: They look upset all the time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Every time you see them or they see you, they're giving you a thought to Why they're giving you a thought to why they're telling you how you're going to burden Hell if you don't change your ways and they're just just look miserable.
[SPEAKER_00]: they look miserable.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they look disconnected like they used to have friends, they don't have any more, they used to get along with family, don't get along with them, many more, everybody's fitna, everybody's facade, everybody's corruption.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to protect myself, I don't want to be in their gatherings, et cetera, et cetera.
[SPEAKER_00]: The more closer to the dean you become, the more your cousin becomes a fitna, your uncle becomes a fitna, your parents become a fitna, your spouse becomes a fitna and you're you're just sitting in the much jade or you're just on your own cutoff and you then you start getting
[SPEAKER_00]: because if I've come any closer to the religion, I'm gonna become like that, I don't want to be like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, thank you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'd rather live a happy life.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you know what people even have developed, they've developed the impression, hey, are you Islamic, or are you normal?
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, are you like Muslim, or are you like Muslim?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what that means is that if you become closer to a lesbian then somehow you lose your ability to be normal and that did not come from anywhere.
[SPEAKER_00]: It didn't come from a vacuum.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's actual real behavior of people that makes it seem like the closer to religion you get, the more abnormal you become, the more anti-social you become, the anger you become, the more judgmental you become, the more miserable you become.
[SPEAKER_00]: So why would that be something that you would want in your life?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why?
[SPEAKER_00]: When you find the impression that people got of the prophets, Allah Almighty Himself, when they met Him and knew nothing about Him, they knew nothing about Him, and they would meet Him.
[SPEAKER_00]: They would want to stay in His company.
[SPEAKER_00]: His smile was captivating.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like companions described, He was almost always smiling.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, today there's a direct proportion, the longer your beer gets, the tougher your harsh face becomes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like it just gets grumpier and grumpier, it's a direct proportionality between those two things.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a very serious problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: In any case, this is the impression not some non-Muslims have of Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is the impression there are a lot of young people sitting here in the audience that have of Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are young professionals that are now married and are having children of their own.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have this impression of Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you have this impression of Islam, why wouldn't you be scared to even come into a mission?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why would you attend an Islamic program?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why would you come to a hallowed car?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why would you go to a convention?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because when somebody says, hey, there's this national convention happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or there's this speech happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or this program happening, you're not at all.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to those people.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the scary stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: Have you seen those people the way they look at you?
[SPEAKER_00]: No, thank you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would rather have a normal evening.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we've forgets scary non Muslims from Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've scared our own from Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: We've terrified them.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is the problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: I haven't yet discussed any part of the solution.
[SPEAKER_00]: In my mind, Allah Allah, Allah, there are a few things that you and I need to do to engage that solution.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now maybe you're the ones listening to me right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some of you actually have these impressions.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you carry some of these opinions.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm not criticizing you for carrying these opinions.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can relate that they came from somewhere.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll be honest with you, some of these opinions I carried myself at some point in my youth.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had this impression of Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: I certainly did.
[SPEAKER_00]: When I was in college, I saw a guy with a beard, with a flyer for the MSA meeting.
[SPEAKER_00]: I went the other way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, no, no, no, no, no thanks.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not doing that.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, one time there was a family friends, they had a funeral, and that was the one time in high school I went to the mustard.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't go to Juma.
[SPEAKER_00]: They might hire high school.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't go to Juma.
[SPEAKER_00]: I went this one time to the mustard, and the Imam of the mustard drove me back home.
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is the, I'm scared to death, because the guy is like, you know, super Imam guy, and I'm just kid from high school, and he's telling me, you know, if you really want to go to Janna,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, spend time learning Islam and you have to get away from, and I told you what do you do?
[SPEAKER_00]: I told him I like clean basketball.
[SPEAKER_00]: I do this, not either.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you have to leave these things and you have to, and I was like, oh, I need to get out of this car.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can I get out while it's still moving?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, and that's the impression I had, and it was terrifying to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, what do we do about that?
[SPEAKER_00]: What are we supposed to do about that?
[SPEAKER_00]: I would argue, and I said this in a subtle way before, but I'll be more explicit now.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would argue the impression we have given people about Allah, we as an Ummah.
[SPEAKER_00]: The impression we have given people about Allah is not actually the way Allah presents himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Allah speaks himself a certain way of about himself, introduces himself a certain way, but we talk about Allah a certain other way.
[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, our narrative of Islam is very far from the narrative of the Qur'an itself.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's Allah speaking himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know when people that don't know a lot about Islam ask a question, hey, why does it say in the Qur'an?
[SPEAKER_00]: This, this, this.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have heard this question, why does it say in the Qur'an, this, this, think about the language of that question.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why does it say this?
[SPEAKER_00]: Why does he say this?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a lot talking, but the level of disconnect is so powerful that in your mind, this is just a book and it says, it speaks.
[SPEAKER_00]: In your mind, it's no longer clear that it's in fact the one who made you and loves you more than anyone ever will.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the one who takes care of every breath you take in and every breath you take out.
[SPEAKER_00]: And every beat of your heart is the one speaking to you here.
[SPEAKER_00]: That thought is gone.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just an it that says something.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now you have questions about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a disconnect from Allah speaking himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are lots of people that even if they don't consider themselves religious, when they're in times of trouble, they turn to prayer.
[SPEAKER_00]: they make daughter to Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ya Allah just show me away.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Give me some guidance.
[SPEAKER_00]: I need a way out of this mess.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they come in, they say they'll say maybe even say to be say to others, I keep praying for a solution.
[SPEAKER_00]: I keep praying for some direction.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't get it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Allah is an Allah giving me help.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why is he guiding me?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I'm here to tell you something.
[SPEAKER_00]: For all of those of you that have had those instances where you're praying to Allah, you're asking for an answer and you seem to not be able to find that answer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Allah, you keep asking
[SPEAKER_00]: He already did.
[SPEAKER_00]: He spoke to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Risailati Rabbi, the Quran is called messages or letters from my master.
[SPEAKER_00]: He wrote these letters to you, to you and me, for what we go through.
[SPEAKER_00]: For the problems you and I have, why do you think in the fact that we recite Eddin Asilat and Mr. Kim, guide us?
[SPEAKER_00]: tell me what to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you are at a loss, you're in trouble.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't know who to turn to.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't know what the answer could be.
[SPEAKER_00]: That you personally, how many times have you ask yourself this question.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't answer it for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can only answer it for myself.
[SPEAKER_00]: How many times when you're at a loss, you're in trouble.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't know what to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've just opened a last book and said, yeah, I'll just tell me what to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me find the answer in your words.
[SPEAKER_00]: in your words.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know what's so sad about that?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's that for a huge majority of Muslims, we've even made that difficult.
[SPEAKER_00]: This book came for you to connect to Allah directly.
[SPEAKER_00]: We know that for a fact because when you stand in Sala, you're supposed to recite, when you're standing, you're supposed to recite Quran and you're supposed to pay attention to the Quran you're reciting, that in and of itself is explicit proof that there's no scholar between you and Allah,
[SPEAKER_00]: There's no fussed between you and Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is no someone more knowledgeable between you and Allah interpreting it for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just you, the words of Allah and Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's it.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the connection between you and Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's the rope that connects you to Allah directly, the Quran.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what has become your relationship and my relationship with the Quran?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do we actually open it to find what Allah is saying to me personally?
[SPEAKER_00]: And you could say, I don't know Arabic, I only have a translation fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, you only have a translation.
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe you should seek the answer even in that translation.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you don't understand what Allah is saying.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, if you don't get what He is saying, come over and ask after Juma.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, I was reading this, I didn't get it.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's that about?
[SPEAKER_00]: Just ask somebody who's studying more than I do.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm not saying I have the answers, but I'm saying you will find a level gift you people in your life that might know the answer better than you can figure it out.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you don't open a less book, and you don't seek to ask those questions, and you don't come to it with one attitude.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're not opening the Quran to,
[SPEAKER_00]: Figure everything out, you're not opening the Quran to criticize it, you're not opening the Quran to become a scholar or to quoted it somebody else or to win an argument, you're opening a love book because you want a direct connection with him and you let rather he speak for himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: You would rather he speak for himself and somebody else speak for him, you understand?
[SPEAKER_00]: And you don't tell yourself, well, I'm not a scholar.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not at this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not at that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Listen, I've said this a thousand times, I'll say it again.
[SPEAKER_00]: There were plenty of occasions in which you know, for the vast majority of the Sahaba, they were not students.
[SPEAKER_00]: The vast majority of them, the Kairido Kwan, were not students.
[SPEAKER_00]: A handful of them were students.
[SPEAKER_00]: Most of them just knew the word of Allah and they contemplated it.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's it.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was their connection with Allah's book.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the early history of Islam.
[SPEAKER_00]: One of the most remarkable places in the Qur'an is Sur-Tadakhqaf.
[SPEAKER_00]: The prophet was leaving Bif.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was reciting Sam Qur'an, Qur'an came to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he was reciting Sam Qur'an.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that, you know that the jins are invisible, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: The jins are invisible.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some jins were passing by.
[SPEAKER_00]: They heard the Qur'an.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they just stopped.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they're tracks.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they kept listening.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now we don't know any of this because we don't see the jinn, the Prophet doesn't see the jinn.
[SPEAKER_00]: And they listened and then they spoke about the Quran.
[SPEAKER_00]: They had this impression of what they just heard.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that impression was so powerful, Allah made it part of the Quran.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's in Sultah-Lakhka.
[SPEAKER_00]: What Ejaza did those jinn receive?
[SPEAKER_00]: What's university did they study from?
[SPEAKER_00]: What grammar did they learn?
[SPEAKER_00]: They just heard the message of Allah, and they said,
[SPEAKER_00]: We heard a book so long after the book that was given to Musah, it seems to be guiding to the truth, to a straight path.
[SPEAKER_00]: And those words themselves in the Quran, in the Quran itself.
[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, don't let some people tell you that unless you have degrees and Islamic studies, you should not be opening this book.
[SPEAKER_00]: This book allows us all of humanity to open it, all of humanity, Muslims and non-Muslims.
[SPEAKER_00]: How are Muslims saying they can't open it?
[SPEAKER_00]: How in the world?
[SPEAKER_00]: And then if they do open it, just open it to recite it for every letter will give you ten good deeds.
[SPEAKER_00]: But don't look at the meaning.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't look at the meaning because you'll get confused.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're told, don't look at the meaning, you'll get confused.
[SPEAKER_00]: Seriously?
[SPEAKER_00]: This one became to get rid of all confusion.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now you say, don't look at this book because you'll get confused.
[SPEAKER_00]: The irony of these attitudes that we have been fed, unfortunately, we've been fed, and I don't dismiss the value of scholarship.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't dismiss the value of studying the seed.
[SPEAKER_00]: But first and foremost, your relationship with Allah is not an academic relationship.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not a mental exercise.
[SPEAKER_00]: First and foremost, Mo' or Elatum Mirrabiqum.
[SPEAKER_00]: It counseled I came to you from your master, Advice.
[SPEAKER_00]: Allah calls the entire Quran just Advice.
[SPEAKER_00]: All of it is just advice.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you know what you do.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever you're reading, maybe you don't see the advice directly.
[SPEAKER_00]: I live flat meme.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what that means, but I know one thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's some advice in it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know one thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's some advice in this.
[SPEAKER_00]: How could this be advice?
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me ask.
[SPEAKER_00]: If I can't figure it out, let me find out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever your reading is going to be, in one way or the other, advice for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you and I are constantly in need of advice.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's no better advice than someone who truly, truly loves you.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, when you need advice, you don't go to people, you know they have something against you.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you need advice, you don't go to people you can't trust.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you need advice, you go to someone who know they've got your back, no matter what, they're not going to judge you.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can tell them anything and you can be open with them and they'll give you the best advice.
[SPEAKER_00]: You trust their wisdom, you trust their counsel, you trust their confidentiality, you trust that they're looking out for you, you trust that they don't have anything against you.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are your prerequisites before you ask somebody advice.
[SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes you ask the wrong person advice and you say I'm never going to ask that person advice again.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nobody will give you better advice than Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that will never happen if you don't personally make that journey.
[SPEAKER_00]: Personally make the effort to open this book.
[SPEAKER_00]: The month of Ramadan is coming and the reason I iterated this is that you personally have to now open this book.
[SPEAKER_00]: Personally, with nobody else around.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you have to just read a little bit of it every day.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not saying, recite it just every day or recite two pages every day.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't put those criteria on you.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're too far from those standards for me to impose that on you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even if you're going to read one eye a day, half a page a day, two minutes of reading it, whatever.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can even put it up on your phone.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever you might want to do, but do that, engage in it, engage in it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I encourage you, I know, these hold us, they go up on Facebook live.
[SPEAKER_00]: As you read it and you come up with questions, post them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me collect the questions.
[SPEAKER_00]: When we can get together and start discussing some of those questions for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why not?
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe somebody else had that question too.
[SPEAKER_00]: So just you personally engaging the Book of Allah is one of the best preparations you can have for the coming of the month of Ramadan.
[SPEAKER_00]: As I wrap this up in Shala Hutahana, more I welcome the rabbikum.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a council from your master.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then what does he say?
[SPEAKER_00]: So beautiful.
[SPEAKER_00]: What she felt only mafis so door.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is a healing for what lies inside the chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: What lies inside the chest?
[SPEAKER_00]: From a spiritual point of view, there's hypocrisy in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's greed in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's the love of worldly things in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lack of the trust of a lie in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are other weaknesses of Eman in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it like heels those things, but that's not the only thing in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's sadness in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's fear in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's anxiety in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a worry about others in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are unanswered questions in my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are so many things going on inside me emotionally, spiritually, all of that is inside my chest.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what's going on in my heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Allah says, I'm giving you these words so they heal what's going on inside your heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you believe Allah, then you have no choice but to open the book.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you truly believe he is healing what you have in your heart, you and I have all of us have something going on in us that is bothering us, every one of us, every one of us, and Allah is promising I have given you something that can solve that, that can help you alleviate it, go find it, that is the invitation from Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then after he is as Shifat ul-Mafi-Sulur then he says, wa-Hudan wa Rahmatun.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then he says it's guidance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Guidance meaning do this, don't do this, take this course of action, don't take this course of action, think this way, don't think this way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those, that's the third step.
[SPEAKER_00]: First, you actually accepted the lies giving you guidance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Second, you actually acknowledge that what he's going to give you is going to heal you.
[SPEAKER_00]: She found Lima, Fisulore.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then comes the guidance.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when you do start taking that guidance after you're feeling the healing from Allah's words, then you truly recognize that Allah is not one to punish.
[SPEAKER_00]: Allah is not full of spite.
[SPEAKER_00]: Allah is not looking to judge you when point his justice on you.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, no, no.
[SPEAKER_00]: Wahodan wa rahmaton.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a mercy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you see Allah's love.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you see how much Allah cares.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you see how much Allah is involved in your personal life and your affairs in your matters by means of his word.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a reason I leave you with this thought.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a reason Allah didn't say Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said, ahrahman wa Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah.
[SPEAKER_00]: The most loving, the most caring, the most merciful.
[SPEAKER_00]: He taught the Quran.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a, you know, because the name of Allah used when He describes this teaching of the Quran is actually the manner in which He taught it.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is why He taught it, because He wanted to give you and me something that will enlighten our lives.
[SPEAKER_00]: May Allah Azza wa Jalla make us of those who have light in their lives by means of Allah's word.
[SPEAKER_00]: And by the way, I know I'm over my time, but just one last thing, what's the point of all of it?
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're heart, if you had trouble in your heart and it's removed, when your troubles are removed,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what happens when your troubles are removed?
[SPEAKER_00]: You get happy.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you had a big problem and it's taken away, it's time for a... Wow.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not gonna laugh.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's over.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the relief you get.
[SPEAKER_00]: And what does Allah say?
[SPEAKER_00]: Fabidalika?
[SPEAKER_00]: Fabidal Frahu?
[SPEAKER_00]: Who will guide him in my life?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because of that, they should be filled with joy.
[SPEAKER_00]: They should be overjoyed.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just solved your problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just cured your disease.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just got rid of your troubles.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why shouldn't you be filled with joy?
[SPEAKER_00]: Thought I, which I talked about before, is actually overwhelmed with joy, overly happy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Celebrating.
[SPEAKER_00]: Who are you?
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't remember my husband.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's better than everything else they gather.
[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, Allah is telling you and me to gather these gems, these treasures from the Quran.
[SPEAKER_00]: Gather them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Gather a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow, a little bit tomorrow, a little bit tomorrow.
[SPEAKER_00]: The day after that, the day after that, just gather this Quran in your heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: Gather its advice in your heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's better than anything else you'll ever collect.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anything else you'll ever collect?
[SPEAKER_00]: May Allah Azza wa Jallaqa's collectors of Allah's guidance in our hearts and bring joy to our lives and the lives of those around us through His immaculate word.
[SPEAKER_00]: May Allah Azza wa Jallaqa's best prepared for the coming of the month of Ramadan Barak al-Lahu Rihwalaqum, Fuhl Quraían Al-Hakim.
[SPEAKER_00]: When Afani wa Iyaqum bin Aiyati wa Dikr Al-Hakim.