Islam & Different Spheres of Life

Islam & Different Spheres of Life

Dr. Abdullah H Quick

Opening and Introduction

I begin with the greeting words of the righteous. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.

Divine Warning: Trials and Patience

In Surah Ali Imran verse 186, Allah has revealed:

"You shall certainly be tried and tested in your wealth and properties and in your personal selves. And you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the scriptures before you and from those who associate partners with Allah. But if you persevere patiently and have the consciousness of Allah, fear Allah and hope in the mercy of Allah, then verily that will be a determining factor in all affairs."

And so we seek refuge in the words of the creator of the heavens and the earth.

The Reality in South Africa: Living on the Front Lines

In South Africa, we have been living also on the front lines. Disease is ravaging our lands. Poverty is still taking a tremendous toll on the people. And recently, I was surprised to read in a BBC article, BBC Africa, the July to September edition, the article was called God, Gospel and the Dollar. And I was surprised to see how straightforward they were in dealing with the African continent.

The article stated, Africa is being colonized and Christianized all over again. It showed that thousands of missionaries who are even affecting foreign policy in major Western countries are pouring into the African continent. A Ghanaian born head of the New York based African Development Institute, Kwame Okono, he stated, this is not so much a colonizing of land as it is a colonizing of the mind. It is a mental attack.

Sharon Pompele of the Southern Baptist Convention, she spoke straightforward and they put it in the article. The evangelicals greatest opponent in Africa is not tradition, it is Islam. Africa, she says, is a spiritual battlefield.

The Global Spiritual Battle

And so the focus shows us that what is happening around us, and I dare to take this a step further, not only in Africa but all over the planet, it is a spiritual battle, a battle for the souls. It is a mental battle that has different forms, different manifestations in different parts of the planet.

Why would they consider Islam the enemy? When we look on the African continent and much of the world, we find spiritually people are confused. Man worship is on the rise. Magic, the Sahara, magicians are rising up in all countries in different forms. There is a spiritual vacuum, but Allah has given us:

"You alone Allah do we worship, and from you alone do we seek help."

Islam is not an attack, it is life-giving. And for us in the southern region and many parts of the world, we see clearly people transforming in front of our eyes. It is a life-giving wave.

Islam in the Economic Sphere

In the economic sphere, the system of usury and interest is killing us. The domination of the bankers, the inequalities of the rich and the poor, this poverty is stripping human beings of dignity. And we see it, harsh poverty. And we are hearing now about Niger and Mali, millions of Muslims starving to death. And you have to realize that for many people, the bottom line is not the fact that I'm wearing a turban. The bottom line is that Islam is life-giving, an interest-free system that would liberate this planet.

Islam in the Social Sphere

In the social sphere, alcohol, gambling, it's killing us. Drugs are ravaging all of our communities. Go to the younger generation, see what the problem is that they are facing. And people who cannot take the pressure are resorting to drugs. Islam is a life-giving way to take a person out of a drug habit, to take a person out of addiction to gambling, to purify their life. This is not the enemy. This is the savior of humanity.

Islam and Health: The Shield Against Disease

In areas of health, we have seen with our eyes the life-giving virtues of Islam. In some parts of the southern region, one in every three people is HIV positive. One in three. But when a person takes tahara, purification into their life, purifies their belief, purifies their body, purifies their home, purifies their sexual relationships, they have a shield against the scourge of HIV-AIDS.

Islam is life-giving, and we have seen in Uganda that at one point had the highest percentage of people who were HIV positive. The Muslims took the lead, implemented Islam, and they were able to lower the percentage of HIV faster than anybody else on the face of the planet Earth.

Islam and the Family: The Last Hope

Islam in the family. It is the last hope for the family. In Canada, I just returned, and the people in all the religious communities are reeling with the passing of a bill called C38. This is the same sex bill that is passed,

where two men or two women in a relationship would get all of the protection, all of the rights of a married couple. And people are in a state of confusion. But Islam is life-giving in that it clearly shows that a man is a man, and a woman is a woman. It is life-giving, and it is the only hope for the savior of the family.

Islam and Politics: Trustworthy Leadership

On a political sphere, we have the potential to bring to people a system where the politician is the most trustworthy person in the community. Today, it's the opposite. If you said John or Ali has become a politician, in most parts of the world, it means he's a crook. He'll say one thing before the election and do something after the election. But the Islamic system is the rule of Allah and not the rule of man-made systems. It is the rule that frees us from the limitations of our thinking and the weaknesses inside of ourselves.

Facing Our Reality: The Need for Self-Examination

But we have to deal with our reality. Somebody has to practice Islam. And I say this to the younger generation after traveling for years in the Muslim communities and feeling the frustration of people entering in Islam and young people. Our numbers are so great. Our wealth is so great. We have standing armies. We have intellectuals. So why are we still feeling degradation and humiliation? Why are we still suffering in the way that we suffer?

We cry for change, but we have to look inside of ourselves. We are facing not only anti-Islam, the anti-Islam propaganda, but what we call counter-Islam. And that is where Muslims practice something else in the name of Islam. And sometimes they're the biggest obstacle in the spread of this message. And so we cry for change. We cry for an Islamic state. We cry for economics. We cry for leadership.

But Allah has told us:

"Allah will not change the condition of a people till they change that which is in themselves."

No change. We need to make tawbah collectively.

The Disease of Tribalism and Racism

Up until now, we still have amongst us those who judge another person based on their color or based on their tribe. He wants to get married. He comes to the family and they say, which village did you come from? Or they may even say, which part of the village did you come from? Did you come from the hill or down by the river? She wants to get married and they say, oh, is she pretty? Is she light and bright?

I'm telling you the truth. Tribalism is filth and it's corruption. The Prophet ﷺ spoke about it as a filthy corruption. And if we want to be successful, take it out of your heart. Don't judge another person based on their

color. Don't judge based on a tribe or a language. It is the deen. It is the taqwa. That is what separates us one from another.

Neglecting New Muslims: A Critical Failure

We need to make tawbah. Up until now, we don't treat the new Muslims properly. People accept Islam and we embrace that person. MashaAllah, we embrace them. Everybody hugs them. The masjid lines up and then they're finished. They're standing alone. I'll see you next Friday. He's alone, man. She's alone. They gave up, in some cases, their families, their traditions. They were supposed to be coming into Dar al-Islam, into the abode of peace. It is our duty.

If there are new Muslims who don't understand the faith, we are accountable for this. If there are problems, economic problems, social problems, psychological problems, we need to set up institutions to prepare people to deal with the new Muslims. After all, why are we here in the UK? Do you think it is by chance? Are you here because you're slaves of the colonial system? And now you're trying to get hot and cold water. Are you here because of the shopping mall? We are here to stand up for this faith.

Disconnection from the Youth

We need to make repentance. We're not relating to the younger generation. How many people understand about drugs? Do you understand why a person takes drugs? Do you know what gang banging is? Do you know why a person joins a gang? Do you know the collective group feeling? Do you know the feeling of courage that many young people are looking for in our masjids?

The young people want action and we need to have action-oriented programs and to make our masjids relevant to the youth, to put youth in leadership positions. Alhamdulillah for this conference. Alhamdulillah for the age of the people who are here. May Allah bless you and make you the leaders of this world.

The Crisis of Divorce and Women's Rights

We have to make repentance to Allah. Figures came to us about the marriage situation. One in 15 families are divorced. It's not only the non-Muslims. It's hitting our community. What happens to a woman who is divorced? Who is to take care of her? What happens to her children? Is there a stigma that is put onto the woman?

We still oppress the sisters. We talk about liberation. We bring the ayat and the ahadith. But we need to empower Muslim women. Alhamdulillah for the sisters who spoke out. Alhamdulillah. We need to empower Muslim women within the framework that Allah has given us.

Seven Points for Moving Forward

How do we go about this? I leave you with seven points.

1. Collective Tawbah and Drawing Close to Allah

Number one, collective tawbah. Under this pressure, we need to come close to Allah. When you feel the heat of evil around you, turn to Allah. Increase your ibadah. Increase your sadaqah. Increase your remembrance of Allah. Put the name of Allah on your lips all during the day. Come closer in the sunnah. Put Islam into your life. Come closer to Allah because Allah has power over all things.

And if the crowd gets big, if they put fear in our hearts, we say what Allah said:

"Allah is the one who will take account of us. And ultimately Allah is the best to protect." (Quran 3:173)

So we need to come close to Allah and repent.

2. Working Unity Among Muslims

Two, working unity. We need a collective working unity amongst Muslims. Allah has already united us. We have the same faith. If we focus on the main issues, we're all the same. The minor issue, if there's an issue in furu'ah, a minor issue, then you give nasiha, give advice to your brother and sister. If they disagree, make dua. But don't scandalize another Muslim. Don't attack the honor of another Muslim.

So we've already been united. We've been united in ibadah, in worship. And so we need a broad working base. We have differences in our methodology. But when it comes to Muslims, if Muslims are under attack, all of us need to stand shoulder to shoulder. Drop your differences and come together in the shura. Then you will be fulfilling the message of Allah.

How can I say this? One of the great sahaba, Jariyah ibn Abdillah, he said:

(Sahih Bukhari 57, Sahih Muslim 56)

"I took the bay'ah, I took the pledge to the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to establish prayers, to establish zakah and to give advice and sincerity and support to every Muslim."

He didn't say Muslim Arabi. He didn't say a Qurayshi Muslim, an Arab Muslim, a Meccan Muslim. He said لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ - to every Muslim. So we're already united. So we need to come together in a working coalition.

3. Empowering Muslim Women in Leadership

Number three, we need to empower Muslim women in the leadership. Alhamdulillah for this conference. But I'm tired of conferences where they say there's a special section for the women and you will have a special conference. What is the topic? The topic is Islamic cooking. What is the latest samosa?

Let the sisters study tawhid, study tafsir, study hadith, study everything that the brothers are studying and you will find in many cases they will come with conclusions that are closer to the truth than ours.

4. Focus on the Younger Generation

We need to focus on the younger generation, provide halal alternatives, halal alternatives for 21st century lifestyle, recreation, sports, career development. We need to have a practical program to get the youth involved and to help them to make decisions so they're not caught up by drug dealers or gangsters.

5. Awareness and Support for Global Muslim Crises

Number five, we need to continue to be aware of the crises of the Muslim world and actively involve ourselves in standing up for the Muslims anywhere on this planet. We are all part of one ummah and we need to at least raise our voice, at least stand up wherever we can.

6. Special Emphasis on Dawah and Outreach

Number six, a special emphasis on dawah, outreach. It needs to be part of our program. Now is the time. If the people are confused about Islam, take it out to them. Take the Quran to the people. We have started a program, Discover the Quran. We want 200,000 Qurans. We'll take it out to the people, a translation in the English language or whatever is the language. Take it to the people. Let them understand what Islam is before it is too late. There's no more prophets to come. If you're waiting for a mujaddid or the mahdi, only Allah knows when he will appear.

7. Relevancy: Practical Islamic Solutions

And number seven, relevancy. Relevant solutions to the problems of society. We need Islamic solution to HIV AIDS, racism, drug abuse, polytheism, atheism, sexual perversion. We have the solutions. We are holding gems of wisdom and we cannot allow fear to stop us to go forward.

The Prophetic Example: Facing Fear with Courage

In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, when the battle got hot, when the enemy was close, when fear was there, the Muslims didn't run away, they ran toward the enemy. We need to go forward living Islam. Live Islam. Show the people what this message is about.

Conclusion: Times of Deception and the Final Promise

In conclusion, we are living in times of deception. Our name is being distorted. Our beloved Quran is under attack. And it seems like it's becoming a profession to distort things about Islam. Anything that happens. A plane crashed in Toronto, Canada recently because of the weather. Was it a bomb? Was it a terrorist? Everything is a terrorist. Who's a terrorist? It is a time of deception.

But I say to the liars, I say to the liars, what the Prophet ﷺ said. In his time, a man in the middle of Arabia named Musaylimah. He wrote a letter to the messenger ﷺ and he said, from Musaylimah, the messenger of Allah, to Muhammad, the messenger of Allah. You take one part of Arabia and I'll take the other part.

The Prophet ﷺ wrote back : - "from Muhammad, the messenger of Allah, to Musaylimah, the great liar."

What did the Prophet ﷺ say? And we say it again today, in this world, this is not a political struggle. Allah will decide. And the Prophet ﷺ said:

"This earth belongs to Allah and he will give it to whom he pleases, from his worshippers. And the best reward, the ultimate success, is for those who have taqwa, those who have the consciousness of Allah." (Sahih Bukhari 3160)

I leave you with these words.