7-31-81

Jumah Khutbah

Imam W. Deen Muhammad
Oakland, CA

Dear beloved Muslims Allah the Most High has revealed the Quran to a mortal being Muhammad the Prophet upon him be peace, as guidance and as explanation explaining that which has been revealed before the Quran and as the Criterion for judging what Is revelation and what is not Revelation for the believers for Muslims and also He has revealed the Quran to the mortal being Prophet Muhammad the last as a mercy to all human beings, to all the people. In this world we call the western world we are tested dally and every hour of the day and it is very much necessary that we remain constantly devoted to the practices of our religion in order to survive in this non Islamic environment. 

It is a blessing this month, the month of Ramadhan a great blessing because It sharpens our wits and heightens our sensitivity for obedience to Allah and makes us more conscious of our duty to Allah as Muslims and gives us added protection against the un-Islamic Influences in our environment; it brings out the best in us, it strengthens us morally, spiritually, rationally it strengthens the family and the hone life It strengthens everything because during this month we are giving more attention to our obligations in this religion, this should continue throughout the year, this month that brings back the Islamic consciousness in it's strength should be a reminder to us that we are to be consciously devoted during the whole year; many of us I know have experienced great benefits already from the fast, great benefits in terms of improved health. This month is Indeed a great blessing to us. 

However the talk today is not on the month of Ramadan, this Khutbah at least the first part of it is to address the tendencies in us to stray, to stray from the disciplines of our religion.  There is a saying reported In the Hadlth of the man crying the blues complaining that he was in a miserable way, that he was not blessed, this man is reported to have been a Muslim man and He was wondering how come he didn't receive a reply from Allah since he had been so urgently pleading to Allah for answers. Now it is reported that the Prophet said to the man, that his clothes were not Islamic not Halal, the food that he ate was not Halal, this particular man had Just given himself to things that were not Halal, and the Prophet is reported to have said, How can he expect and answer from Allah when he has been drowned in things that were not of our own thoughts and mind and behavior to be sure that we are at least In the form of a Muslim before we start questioning the power of our religion to bring about reform in our lives. 

The medicine is only good if we take it and religion can only benefit us if we believe in it and act out that belief in our daily practices and behavior. In this western society we are blessed to have great noble concepts but few of us have the intelligence to live those noble concepts, the precious concept of human dignity Is a concept that most of us at least know how to vocalize, we can express it in words, all of us have some idea of ourselves as being respectable creatures, or having equal respect in the eyes of the Creator, all of us have some idea of the dignity of the person from the western side or some knowledge, it is established that the human being is a sacred vessel he has been endowed by His Creator with rights that can't be taken from him, he is a free spirit, his mind is sacred, he is entitled to think for himself, I think all of us know these things. 

All of us have these Ideas about the human being about the human Individual person but few of us show in our behavior that we understand what we are talking about; few of us live out what is implicit in that kind of a definition of the human being, what is the answer, the answer is teaching, the people need to be taught; this religion has been revealed as a teaching, it is taught, the Khutbah is a teaching and when a man delivers his Khutbah he is teaching. Do we teach those who throw away the precious Jewels of Al Islam? No, we teach those who have an ear for what Allah has revealed, (Arabic) if you should happen to engage the (Jahil) the pagans the Ignorant people who reject this way say to them peace and keep going, yes.  

But to the believers we report what we have received in the Guidance of Allah in a way so that the individual is taught, teaching has two movements: One is the imparting of something, the two other movement is the receiving of something, so teaching suggest learning, the purpose of the Khutbah then is to increase the learning of the believers, if the learning of the believers is not increased by Khutbah then it is not really an Islamic Khutbah or the people are dead. We are to call the people to the way of Allah with Wisdom (imal hikama hasarah) and with excellence, exaltations, with excellent speech that gives warning, that warns but in an excellent way, admonish but in a noble excellent respectable way, Deliver with beautiful attractive speech, and at the same time be firmly committed to the Guidance of God, what cuts has to cut, what burns has to burn, but the object is to educate, the object is to educate and to save souls by the guidance of Allah, with the help of Allah. 

The Most High whose proper name is Allah said in the Quran "And remember (Wedge tau roo) how He made you inheritors after the Ad people, and gave you habitations in the land, you built for your selves places and castles in open plains and carved out homes in the mountains, so call to mind the benefits you have received from Allah and refrain from evil and mischief in the land." This gift of God is to be responded to in the proper way. (Arabic). So we expect that after the believers receive the Guidance of Allah then they should be examples of the best behavior, they are not supposed to be among those people who work mischief, work deceits and spread corruption and contribute to the corruption of the land. Allah has sent the Revelation and the guidance to do away with that; the purpose of the guidance is to remove deception and do a-way with mischief making, bring an end to corruption and clean up the land. 

This is addressing a land, a people a nation, what we are addressing is the individual person for after all it had to start some where, this is not our nation, this is a Christian nation, our nation is a portable nation, it's the Ummat of Al Islam, this nation is a Christian nation, but nevertheless  political language we belong to it, we belong to this political nation and we have to understand the reality that we live in, we have to recognize that the majority of this country are not Muslims and their attitudes, their concern are not Islamic, they are guided by a different persuasion or discipline, recognizing that we have to live in the world and separate from it at the same time, we have to live in America and separated at the same time.  

I can't confuse my Muslim life with the American life, they are two different lives, being that there is no political order or establishment over this society that is Islamic then I have to recognize a greater amount of responsibility on me as an individual person.  If this was a good sound Islamic society, with rulers over it that were Islamic, good sound Islamic leaders, then there would be less burden on the individual person  because the leadership would be making the environment conducive to the Islamic life, but since the leadership is not committed to make the environment conducive to the Islamic life then everyone of us as individuals must accept great responsibility to carry the world upon our shoulders.  

Yes the individual person must carry the world upon his shoulders, we must be strong enough to hold up America, we should be strong enough to hold up America, what do I mean by hold up America? America has many, many weaknesses in it, many, many temptations, many, many corruptions, I have to be able to stand up under all of this without giving in without compromising, without putting my life as a Muslim in Jeopardy, I have to carry America upon my shoulders, I have to be a better American than any other American, other Americans may fall to the sins and temptations of this society, other Americans may lose their moral vision, their moral sight, they may lose their rational balance, but I as a Muslim I should maintain mine because I don't live in a context that confuses me I live in a context that guides me straight, dear beloved Muslims there is a great obligation on us and this is our business not that out there.  

Dear beloved people there is a great obligation on us as Muslims, this month it helps us, it helps protect us through the Influences that will weaken us, it gives us renewed vigor, renewed sense of commitment, it brings us nearer to our Lord Who is the Creator and Lord of all, this is a good opportunity for Muslims to gird up their loins, in the languages of the western world, to tighten up the reins on your own life for future success In the months to come.(Arabic). Where is the personal dignity for the Muslim? Allah the Most High says "surely the most honorable of you is the most obedient of you to Allah, surely the most honorable of you is the most pious of you, surely the most honorable of you is the most God-fearing of you.  

Is not that what (Arabic) is? It refers to that particular posture in the mental and spiritual makeup that is conscious at all times of its obligation to Its Creator.  Many of us are tempted to forget our obligation to our Creator when we are heavily pressed by the routine kinds of things of this world, the Job will take our minds away, the wife will take our mind away, or the husband will take her mind away, the children may take our mind away, fatigue may take our mine away because we are grinding all the time, what I mean by that is that this world works us to death; and I don't mean physical work because too many of us are out of that kind of work. 

I'm talking about mental work, the things that are happening in our social environment are constantly putting pressure on our minds we are burdened all the day long, with pressures, pressures, we go out in the streets pressures, we cone back home pressures, everywhere we go pressures, pressures, burdening us, burdening us, straining us, we get tired and we say to ourselves " I'm tired", and some of us In that time of great fatigue we lose our senses and we say I'm going to have some fun I'm tired and for some of us fun is adultery, fornication, drinking whiskey, using dope or some kind of narcotics, gambling, doing un Islamic things, for Some of us that is having fun it Js getting a rest, for some of us destructive things is our fun, is our rest, "I'm tired, I'm going to rob so and so and so, I'm going to rob a bank, I'm going to destroy that building across the street. 

Do you see how the pressures make some of us behave? None of us should get tired. (Arabic). Surely with difficulty comes ease, we are not afraid of the difficulty, no we know that difficulty is going to heighten our sense of what Is right and wrong if we are Muslims, because the Muslim is not going to give up. The race for the marathon makes those who are not committed to it drop out and get tired, but the marathon racer he doesn't get tired because his mind ain't on the sacrifice his mind ain't on the price he has to pay his mind is on the price he's going to be paid, so Muslims are not supposed to get tired, our minds are not supposed to be on the price we are paying in this world, our mind should be on the pleasure of Allah and the reward that we will get from Allah from obeying Him. 

We know how we get into trouble and lose our seeing ability and become blind. Allah has told us, so Satan followed him up and he went astray, those who are conscious of their own sacrifices and are not conscious of the reward at the end of the road that they will receive from Allah, they are the prey for the Shaitan, they are easy prey for the Shaitan. Satan can get them very easily.  The Most High says, and I want to read these verses "(Or less you should say our fathers before us may have taken false gods". What is this referring to? Adam, the first human being as we understand it in this religion was given guidance, and then Allah the Most High taught the children of Adam on the spot by requiring of them a testimony, they had to give a testimony, a testimony to what? 

To the source of their knowledge and understanding, you didn't come into that without the help of Allah, so they had to give testimony that it was Allah the Lord Creator of everything Who gave them all that they had to sustain themselves with. "Thus do we explain the signs in detail, that perchance you may turn to us", these verses are not given in any empty fashion, these verses contain great knowledge. The earliest generations went wrong because they became self centered and becoming self centered they began to pile on themselves too much of the perishable things of this world and in doing so they made themselves worn out creatures depressed and easy prey for the Satan.  "Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent our signs" What is our signs? The Quran is a Book of ayats, it is a Book of signs, relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent our signs. 

But he passed them by he was heedless, he ignored them they weren't of any great consequences to him so Satan followed him up and he went astray. Where is the protection then from going astray, the protection then is keeping ourselves aware of what
Allah asks of us, keeping ourselves aware of what Allah has revealed for us, staying in contact with the message of Al Islam, staying in contact with the message revealed to Prophet Muhammad upon whom be peace, this is life, this is the salvation, this is the protection from the Satan.  Many of us don't know where Satan is: (When Satan has us).  When you feel hopeless Satan has got you; when you feel down in the dumps Satan has got you; the believers they stay constantly devoted to obedience under Allah they are not down in the dumps; they don't ever despair in hopelessness, no, they are a people with a lovely forward looking spirit no matter what the physical circumstances are, they wake up every day with faith and their burden is light. 

They are not depressed. (Arabic) "There will be no fear upon them and will not be grieving, isn't that what Allah promises the Believers? Yes, And Allah the Most High says In the chapter the Protection of the Quraish, their protection is for both summer and winter, the two extremes, severe cold and severe heat, but what is required in order for them to get that protection? (Arabic) Therefore worship the Rabb of this house, the Lord Who establish Abraham and the Khabah at Mecca, the Creator of everything, therefore worship the Lord of this house.  In that chapter revealed to Prophet Muhammad upon him be peace, we see a security being given or guaranteed to those who will remain devoted to Allah.  

You can't survive the extremities of summer and winter unless you remain devoted to Allah, you can't be devoted to your wife or to your children, or to your money or to something else more than you are to Allah and expect success, you won't have that protection unless you remain devoted to Allah and every other obligation falls into it's place under what Allah asks of me.  "Brother will you go so and so with me"? "Just a moment I have to make a phone call, what do you say Quran? What do you say Muhammad peace be on you"? We have to make a phone call; we are not free to carry out our Judgement without making a phone call, we are Muslims. (Arabic) He Who has protected them and saved them from hunger and have saved them from fear. Why? Because they are constantly devoted to Him, their object is His pleasure, not their own selfish pleasures their object and devotion is what He has established as the fundamental life that Is depicted in that symbol Kaabaa built by Abraham and His son Ishmael, yes. 

Do we hunger? Is hunger painful for us in the month of Ramadan? My daughter said to me "It's easy for me to fast in the month of Ramadan" and her face looked like she was going to say more, so I didn't reply I kept quiet, and a minute or so passed and she said because I'm doing it for Allah".  My daughter had been trying to fast outside of the month of Ramadan to lose weight but she didn't do so good at it, but because it's Ramadan and she understood why she is successful she said "I am doing it for Allah, isn't that a proof then or an indication at least an indication that we could be successful In everything if we did everything to please Allah? It requires great strength on the part of the Individual and that strength cannot come except from Allah, as rewards on our faith.

Many of us don't understand how come faith Is so Important; you know, you who have been exposed to Christianity or the church message, you know that faith is the power that they stress; they didn't say willpower, they said faith.  Do you think it is different over here? Did Allah tell us "exert willpower? I'm speaking to those who buy wool at ten cents a pound.  He didn't say exert willpower, He said you cannot will except as He Wills, so you have no will, His Will dominates and overrides everything, you don't even have the power to Will except as He Wills. Allah has not created us to be creatures of positive
suggestion, people carrying out our own will by merely being determined to do so. No, He has made us creatures respecting His Will, yielding to His Will, obeying His Will and saying what (Arabic) "No strength, no power except it is by Allah the Almighty The Powerful". 

This should be our attitude we are not to think that we can come up with some self will.  "I'm going to be successful because I believe in myself".  I'm going to be successful because I believe in Allah and I know that I am nothing but dirt, I'm nothing but earth, matter, that He has animated, for a purpose. I've got no say of my own, my say comes in the light of what Allah has prescribed or ordered for me, this is the Muslim life, we must be conscious of that, and don't be deceived by those who buy wool and camel hair by the pound.  The Most High says in the (Arabic) Quran, if it had been our Will We would have elevated him by it, by it referring to what? Our signs the Quran, the Revelation, if it had been the Will of Allah, then the Revelation, the signs of God that came to that person would have been received by him he would have accepted the signs an revelation and would have been raised up, but it wasn't Allah's Will, why wasn't it Allah Will? 

Because Allah knows everything and there are some of us who have become would become good Muslims, who would follow revelation and become a good Muslims if we knew the great benefits would actually come to us, but we lack that faith.  So would Allah give us something that we do not earn? We earn by faith, so you don't get it, it is not the will of Allah to give the creature something that gives Him nothing, He won't give you something and you give Him nothing; it has to be a fair exchange; "if you want the better life sell me the one you've got". Don't say I'm going to keep this filthy life and I want the better one too, no, Make a fair exchange, in fact it's more than fair, it's grace and mercy.

His similitude or his parable is that of a dog, if you attack him he sticks out his tongue, or if you leave him alone he still sticks out his tongue.  That is the similitude or the parable of those who reject our signs so relate the story perchance they may reflect. Haven't you seen that kind of a person, that if you try to call them to proper behavior, to proper conduct they get enraged, they get all excited, see when a dog gets all excited he sticks out his tongue, you've seen them.  

The dog gets excited he sticks out his tongue because he cools by his tongues contact with air that is how he cools so if he should get excited he sticks out his tongue to cool his body, and that's just like the ignorance of the people, we call them to right light and they stick out their tongues...Ha ha ha ha ha...and his tongue is going fast too, the hotter he gets the faster his tongue goes-dog talk, and if you leave him alone and you pass him by with dignity he still gets excited, he doesn't like that either, I've had them call me back, Hey wait a minute I want to say something to you "and I pass them by just as kindly and respectfully and they say "Hey wait a minute I want to say something to you". I didn't bother him I left him alone.  The Most High says again "evil is the example of the people who reject our signs and wrong their own souls. He who forsakes the religion of Abraham but makes himself a fool." So those who ignore

Don't Reject The Religion Of Abraham; and show no sensitivity, and show no interest in this guidance, this revelation, this Quran, they are those who are oppressing themselves; they may be oppressed by other things but the biggest oppressor in their lives of themselves is themselves because they refuse to allow the inborn decency, the Inborn goodness, the inborn righteousness to have free say In their lives, they oppress the urge of Righteousness in their lives so they can go on following their own selfish ways. This society requires great strength on the part of the individual in order for us to survive, I'm talking about America and all of the western world that believe in so-called democracy and freedom wherein every individual is free to do his own thing, free to wreck his life or build it up and is not even given understanding of his own life, not even given the knowledge to understand his own life.  In such societies there is a great burden on every person to be responsible for himself, but you can't do that dear people until you are first responsible to Allah, then you can be responsible to yourself.  

"Whom Allah doth guide, he is on the right path, whom He rejects from His Guidance, such are the persons who perish". Nothing but one way to keep life and to progress, we must have faith in Allah, real faith that earns us the guidance of God, then we will be kept on a right path. The Most High says "many are the Jinns and men We have made for hell, keep in mind the kind of person that the verses proceeding this verse have described. The person that Is so wrapped up in his own selfish desires that he can't heed the signs of God that are intended for Him as well as others to improve his life, to make his life richer and more excellent but he can't heed them, he can't see them, he can't hear them because he's blinded by self motives and selfish aspirations, and Allah says many among the Jinn and among men have been made for the hell. Why? 

Are we to believe that God when He started creating said "I'm going to create these Jinn for Hell, I'm going to create these men for Heaven, I'll create these for heaven and these for hell of the men or Jinn, with no preplan? No indeed it didn't go like that, this is not the story of a random religion where some mystic deity starts planning things randomly or haphazardly, these are for hell, these are for heaven men and jinn" No, Not like that. What Allah is doing is revealing I have set a Law, I have created the human being the world and everything and I set a law, those who ignore this law they will get the consequences, this law is not only going to fall on Jinn but also on men.  Those who are fasting will have an easy time during this

Allah says of them who will be given to the hell, they have hearts wherewith they understand not, that is there is no intelligent sensitivity in their hearts, there is only selfish sensitivity in their hearts, no intelligent sensitivity in their hearts so how can they hear their hearts? They are blinded with selfish appetites.  Eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not, they are heedless in the face of warning.  Cattle will be blind until they meet danger and then cattle sober up.  But the human being Who Allah is describing here along with the Jinn, even in the face of danger he's still crazy, still blind, still inclined to go on against the law of decency and righteousness, yes more astray than cattle.  I'm coming now to the verse l8l the Most High says "Oh those who We have created are those who direct others with truth and dispense Justice therewith.  

Who is this talking about? Muslims, The Muslim should direct others with truth, now if it has already told me who is favored and who is not, who is decided to go to hell and who's not, and who is decided to get the better blessing who is decided to get the punishment, we have seen it and now it says, of those who are created Allah has created both men and Jinn and Jinn and men will go to the hell, but also among Jinn and men We have created there are those who will be inclined towards the Truth. There is the one who will follow truth, that is the man He has created and breathed into him of his spirit. Prophet Muhammad (PUH) he is the one who was given the truth, and he called others to the way that the truth has disclosed, truth has disclosed a way.  

Appetites discloses a way, doesn't it? Yes, you say I want so and so and so and so and appetites discloses a way but that way is not always honorable, not always truthful, but Allah has shown us a way by the route of truth and those of His servants that He has created who call the people to direction, to the route of truth, they are the right ones.  Should I now knowing this pick up the rod of lies and say this is Just temporary, this is Just temporary, I'm only using this to achieve an end I'm a Muslim too, I'm not using these lies because I love lies, I'm using these lies because I want to achieve an objective, I want to bring the people close to the truth with this rod of lies.  

Is there any verse in the Quran, is there any thing in the life of Prophet Muhammad that supports that? No, the verse here says they direct others with truth, don't mis-direct nobody, don't set my feet walking in a direction unless you set it in that direction with truth.  Not tricks, so there are those who have been prepared for the Janna and others have been prepared for the Hell, it is our obligation as Muslims to uphold truth and Justice under all circumstances, never are we permitted to compromise truth or to sell Justice for a price. No, the Muslim must never do that, that's un-Islamic, that's corruption and great sin, No, we are to uphold truth at all times, and we are to dispense Justice at all times though it be against ourselves, or against near relatives, this is the Quran, though it be against self, though it be against a near relative we don't care who it is against, give the truth and support what is Just, this is the Muslim. 

Muslim is not a people who can live a double standard; we are not people who can put on one dress and take it off, we have one dress that's permanent, we can't change it, that's the dress of righteousness. Allah says in the Quran" be careful that you don't slip into the pit that your mothers and fathers slipped into when Satan seduced them and made them take off their dress.  Allah created us with a dress and what does Allah say to Prophet Muhammad In the Quran? "The best of dress is righteousness". So we know that the dress in Al Islam is righteousness.  Those who can't see no farther than their noses they think the dress is the long dress and the head piece and everything, they think that's the dress, wearing a long dress down to the ankles and a head piece covering up everything, nothing out but the eyes for some of them, and some of them have got the eyes covered behind a screen, yes.  

They think that's the dress, that dress is symbolic, the real dress is the natural inborn inclination to righteousness that every creature has been given from Allah.  That's the dress we should be more concerned about Praise be to Allah.  In spite of what some of us might believe about the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the man is inclined rightly, maybe he didn't speak rightly, as a Muslim, he was inclined rightly as a human person.  In one of the last annual meetings that we had he said "You all look beautiful in your long clothes, he said I hope you are as beautiful up under those clothes as you are on the outside.  Now this is not for us of this New Day, this Is for those who still claim some rights to something that has gone past.  You have condemned yourselves with an outer show and nothing is Inside.  Praise be to Allah. "To such as Allah as rejects from His Guidance, there can be no guide He will leave them in their trespasses wandering in distraction, wandering without guidance, being distracted by everything that their lusts call for.

"They ask thee about the hour, when will be its appointed time", say: "The knowledge thereof is with My Lord alone none but He can reveal as to when it will occur".  But we know for sure that Judgement is coming upon every creature male and female.  Judgement is coming, we anticipate the meeting with our Lord, and Allah says in the Quran that this is a characteristic of the Muslim who believes in Allah, he also anticipates meeting Allah, he anticipates a day when he has to confront His creator, He has to face Him and give account for all that he has done whether an atoms weight. .Isn't that the Book? We are either Muslims or we are hypocrites, there are no two ways to Judge, we are either Muslims or we are hypocrites, and if we are Muslims we must believe in something beyond this perishable thing that is constantly going away, yes, we must believe in something beyond the perishable life. 

Allah has obligated Muslims with this Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PUH) have obligated us to believe in the meeting with Allah. How some of us will say? Will there be a resurrection? "Well yes brother, that's a mental resurrection, that's a resurrection of your senses, you'll become intelligent again,". That's true but the disbelievers will be denied that resurrection, they'll think they are intelligent while they are nothing but cattle.  But there is even another resurrection, there is a resurrection coming that is going to make things you didn't know knowable, things you didn't understand, understandable, things in your past, bring them to the present, things you failed on you'll have to make up or be punished for it, yes we believe in this.  

We do not believe that there is Just going to come a day of deen, Judgement in that sense, or that there is Just going to be a resurrection, a sending out or a sending forth, no we believe that but we believe in even more, we believe that we are going to meet our creator and He is going to ask us to give an account for everything and our own members of the body will speak out against us.  We will be standing there trying to present our -selves as shining knights and saints and the foot will say "he misguided me", the hand will say " oh he's claiming to be an honorable Kalipha, he's claiming to be an honorable ruler, Allah He mis-guided me, he told me to pull that sisters purse strap off of her shoulder and to run with it, he mis-guided me, even the eye and the ear and all of the members will testify on your behalf or against you on that day. We believe in the meeting with our Lord, we believe whether we live with this physical conscious life or die no, it doesn't matter, one day we will meet our Lord.  

Now those who come up with all of their crazy explanations for what Allah is saying in His clear Book, the Quran, let me tell you this, and please hear it if you can:  If we are going to meet Allah, what about those who are ignorant? In this world and die? They didn't meet their Lord did they? What about those who fail to see and understand or those who remain stubborn resisting the way? They didn't come to understanding, they didn't come to confess to truth, and they die they are buried we take them to the graveyard, we put them in the grave, if there is a resurrection wherein the person will see what he has done, tell me there is something wrong if that one we put in the grave is not going to see something after that point, we know we put him in the ground and he hasn't seen anything, he was still behaving the same way he hasn't seen anything, now If Allah says he is going to see then that means that he is going to see beyond that physical grave.  

Some of us we have taken on these ideas that are passed on to us by atheists, who claim to be religious, pantheists who claim to be religious, materialists who claim to be religious, Jews who claim to be religious, Jews have passed on to us ideas about the resurrection, about the meeting with God, about the Judgement that has made us who are not inclined towards God with the correct and natural dress of righteousness, it has made us use these things to rationalize, to find escape routes from doing what we should do as decent human beings in this life, yes, we rationalize, we say "yes" "But so and so the learned maulana, the learned maulum, the learned scholar he says that this is to be interpreted such, if that's so brother you must, you must understand that your knowledge is weak, your understanding is small, you have to come up to the high level of Shiekh Farby Arbi, to understand what Allah is really saying." We don't follow them who are motivated by atheism, pantheism or materialism or self; we follow Allah and His Guidance In the Quran.  Dear beloved Muslims this is the way that is straight.  

Allah says in the Quran (Arabic) It's not guidance it is guidance for the Mustaqim, who is the Mustaqim? Those who keep God on their mind, not the world, those who follow the Revelation of God who are fully conscious of their behavior, that they even though they can't see Allah as the Holy Prophet says, yet they behave as though they see Him because they they know He is seeing them, Isn't that a good description that the Holy Prophet has given of the Taqwa in the Muslims? He behaves, though he can see Allah, he didn't say "I can see Him", he didn't say with the words of farbi arbl or arbi farbi he didn't say it with his words "I see Allah", No he said "I can't see Him", nevertheless I'm going to behave as though I am seeing Him because I know He is seeing me.  May Allah save us from the pitfalls of this world, and guide our feet always in the straight path, and bless us with the deen and bless us with the Iman In our hearts, and make us followers of Prophet Muhammad that attest to the best and avoid those things that are sinful In this religion those things that brings us to the pit of hell..
Ameen.........


All praises due to Allah Al Humdul Liliah Rabbil Alameen.  Dear beloved Muslims, I now call your attention to the need on the part of Muslims to be sensitive not only to the immediate things that are going on around us but to be also sensitive to the distant things that are going on around us; by that I mean that the Muslims are obligated to feel as one in his heart with all Muslims.

Muslims cannot split themselves up into little cliques, they can't split themselves up into sects and different religious camps, no, if that exists it is a wrong that is existing and it should be a burden on every Muslims heart, we as Muslims should want to see all Muslims unified, all Muslims going in the spirit of one religion, in one devotion to one Lord behind the example Prophet Muhammad upon him be peace, that should be the Muslims heart.  The Muslim shouldn't sit in America and say "what is happening in Iran is Happening to the Iranians", he must say that what is happening in Iran is happening to the Muslims because they are not Iranians they are Muslims. 

We can't say what is happening in Pakistan is happening to the Palestinians he must say "What is happening in Pakistan is happening to the Muslims because Allah has united us as Muslims not as Pakistanis and Iranians, and Indonesians and something, no, He has united us. United us as Muslims, so our sensitivity as Muslims is Muslim sensitivity not nationalistic.  We may not buy the nationalism of some Muslim nations but that does not mean we don't love them, that doesn't mean that we are not their brothers and sisters Muslims are one community.  Can we be Muslims in America and say that the Palestinian problem is the Palestinian problem? No,  the Muslim they are Muslims who are suffering, we don't see Palestine on their faces, we see brothers and sisters on their faces.  

This is the Muslim, we must be strong to carry this religion, you can't be a coward and carry this religion.  You can't be an uncle torn and carry this religion, you can't be a Jellyfish and carry this religion.  This religion is for men, grown up people, Right? and a grown up person will.  How can I be prejudiced against Palestinians when I know they are Muslims? How can I be prejudiced against Palestinians and know that they are Muslims? That's not right, my heart won't digest that, no. Dear beloved brothers and sisters, we have to be sensitive to the Muslim concerns.  I don't care where they exist on this earth, the Muslim must be sensitive to the Muslim concerns and if there are people saying "La ill laha ill Allah", and they are being dealt injustice we should feel it on our own backs and on our hearts. ("Oh but that means that my friends might not like me, brother Imam, that means my boss might not like me").  

You don't have to tell your boss, you don't have to talk to your boss, you don't have to go on your Job tomorrow and tell your boss ("Boss, the Palestinians are Muslims and I sympathize with them I'm a Muslim"). He didn't ask you for that, but at least in your heart be right.  In your own heart be right and if necessary, if the right demands that you put your Job In Jeopardy you must put that Job in Jeopardy. Yes.  But Allah is Merciful to us, the more we do, the less He requires of us, the less, the more hardship He heaps upon us, so if we will Just do more in our hearts and do more with our hands in the area of freedom that we have, we are free to do things at home, we are free to do things in this Masjid.  

Has anyone said that we can't tell In this Masjid what is right? Has anyone said that I can't speak my mind and really speak what I believe is right in this Masjid, regarding the Palestinian situation? No, no one denies me that right, I have that right, I have that right to stand in this Masjid and tell Muslims whatever concerns Muslims, that's my right. Now when I go out there in the other mans house I don't have the right to speak in his house as I speak In my house because this country is not Islamic, it's American, it is American, it's Christian, it has a Christian predominance, so I don't have any right to go outside of this house and speak my mind as I will in here and I shouldn't, Why?  Because those people out there don't even have an ear to hear what my heart wants to say, but when I'm in this Masjid I should be able to speak because you say you are like me; you say you are Muslims like me so I have the right to speak what my heart dictates to you in this house.  

And if we have the right heart, then Allah will bless us with the right mind, yes, and we will be like lining forces in this America for universal Justice.  Yes, after all don't you know the Muslims also have an obligation to the non-Muslims.  I don't think we know this religion as we should.  I'm speaking of many of us, we have an obligation not only to the Muslims, Muslims have an obligation to non-Muslims.  What is our obligation to non-Muslims? Justice, truth and Justice, it never changes whether it is here or outside
with others, I have an obligation with non Muslims to stand upon what is true and to support what is Just, so if any human being is mistreated I'm supposed to be allied with the one who is being wronged whether Muslim or non-Muslim; but my duty goes further with the Muslim than with the non-Muslim; that doesn't mean that I'm supposed to be insensitive to the wrong that's being done to non Muslims, no.  

I'm supposed to also be sensitive to the wrong that's being done to non-Muslims and Muslims know that in the world, and we have those who represent that kind of healthy mind in the world; there is an organization called the congress of Muslims, that organization works along with other national world organizations, not for Muslim rights, but for human rights in the world; that's not the only organization, there are several Muslim world organizations that work with non-Muslims in an effort to promote human respect and Justice for the human person in the international.  If there are Muslim bodies established for that purpose working with world organizations that are non-Muslim, what do you think we are supposed to do in here? Aren't we supposed to be the same? 

As Individual persons, in this community, or in Oakland or in Chicago or any other city in these United States or anywhere we are to be concerned not only for Muslims but also non-Muslims when it comes to those who oppress, who disrespect every decent human principle and mistreat innocent human beings.  All of us are supposed to stand up and say that's an outrage, it's wrong. How can a Muslim stand up before the political eye of the world and say what happened to the Palestinian is wrong and expect the political world to respond, but when a non-Muslim is in the same situation he says that's not my business.  No, Didn't Allah say in this Quran that you are the best people raised up for mankind or from humanity, you are the best community? Why are you the best? Because you stand on what Is right and you resist what is wrong.  

Whether It concerns yourself personally, a relative or a stranger. Isn't that the religion? And didn't Allah say in the Quran that you are a people raised up for humanity? He didn't Just say the Muslims (Al Nas) that means all people, so if the Muslim if he awakens to his responsibility as a decent person to only champion only Muslim causes? No, his first obligation is to the immediate concerns but that sphere goes out to embrace the whole world, this is what we must understand, this religion is the best, this religion is the broadest, the most vibrant, the most successful religion if you live it because it doesn't leave any stone unturned, it does not leave any nook or quarter darkened, light shines In this religion everywhere; this religion satisfies the full measurement of the man, we can never outgrow this religion, but if you put me in some of these narrow bags some of you call Islam, I will outgrow that narrow bag.  

This is a timeless religion, this is a permanent religion, a perpetual doctrine, never going to get old or stale, it is a eternal religion, it era-braces everything, and in the Quran, Allah says, In this book every issue has been addressed.  There are those who think another Book is coming.  If another book is coming, this Book lies; this Book says that this Book has addressed every issue and Allah says, "This day I have completed, didn't say something else is coming "Completed your religion". ("Oh but another Book is due to make this one better, it's going to be better, it's complete but it needs to improve it"). "And I have perfected for you your religion". Alright so we are talking about a Book that is complete and perfect and nothing is coming after it but the Fire. 

I don't want anything after it.  May Allah keep our feet firm and in the right way, and guide us with His Revelations (With the Light of His Revelation and save us from the temptations of selfish motives and bless us to outlive the problems we are faced with remaining steadfast In this Religion devoted sincerely to the worship of Allah, following the dictates of the Quran and following the example set for all Muslims in Prophet Muhammad, on Whom be peace...............Amen.........


