9 Farhan Abdul Azeez Islam s Role in Society

Islam's Role in Society

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

The Letter to Hercules

Among the people to whom the Prophet sent letters was the king of the Romans, Hercules. When Hercules received this letter from one of his deputies claiming that this was a letter from a man who claimed to be a prophet from Arabia, before he opened and read the letter, he first wanted to know about who sent the letter himself - who the author of the letter was, this person who claimed to be a prophet.

He knew, of course, that Arabs would come to his land. He was in Ash-Sham, in Palestine at the time when this letter arrived to him. Allah says:

"They would go to Yemen in the winter and they would go to Ash-Sham in the summer. And so Hercules knew there would be Arabs in the community, so he sent word to find whoever was from Arabia and bring him to him. At that time, Abu Sufyan was there along with some other people from Quraysh.

Abu Sufyan's Encounter with Hercules

Abu Sufyan was still a non-Muslim at this point. When he was brought into the presence of Hercules, Abu Sufyan said that when they were brought in, Hercules was sitting in this grand audience of all of his advisers and he had this crown over his head. All around him were the leaders and the influential people of the Roman Empire.

You have to understand that for Abu Sufyan to be brought into this position was a very nerve-wracking experience. That's why he described it as everything being startling - he was overwhelmed by the sight and the scene of what was happening. Then Hercules, using a translator, asked the Arabs: "Who amongst you is closest in relation to the man who claims to be a prophet?"

Abu Sufyan was the first cousin of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and so he said, "I am."

Hercules said, "Bring him close to me, and put all of his companions behind him so he cannot see them." The narration says that Abu Sufyan was placed right in front of Hercules. He had no idea what this was about. He just knew he had been called by arguably the most powerful man on the face of the planet at the time.

Brought in front of him with his people now behind him, Hercules told the translator: "Tell him I am going to be asking this person, Abu Sufyan, about the man who claims to be a prophet. (وَإِنْ كَذَّبَنِي فَكَذَّبُوهُ) (And if he lies to me, I want you to signal to me that he's lying).

The Questioning Begins

The people who were with Abu Sufyan were also non-Muslim and enemies of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

There wouldn't be an expectation that even if he were to lie, they would call him out on the lie because they were all in the same boat, all against the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). But now they realized the questioning was about this man who claimed to be a prophet.

Abu Sufyan himself narrated that he did not speak a lie because he did not want to have the label of someone who lied. He knew they wouldn't discredit him, but he didn't want to have the label of someone who lied. And so the questioning began.

His first question was about the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): (كَيْفَ نَسَبُهُ فِيكُمْ؟) (What is his lineage amongst you?)

Abu Sufyan said, "He is someone who has a good lineage."

Hercules asked, "So did anyone claim what he is claiming before?"

He said, "No."

If you ever have to go to court as a witness, they tell you something: you only answer what you're asked. Only what you're asked, that's the answer you give. Imagine the feelings of Abu Sufyan being questioned in front of this gathering of all the leaders of Rome with Hercules himself questioning him.

He continued the questioning : (هَلْ كَانَ مِنْ آبَائِهِ مِنْ مَلِكٍ؟) (Did any of his forefathers - were they kings, were they rulers?)

He said, "No."

(فَأَشْرَافُ النَّاسِ يَتَّبِعُونَهُ أَمْ ضُعَفَاؤُهُمْ؟) (So who are his followers - the noble from society or the poor in society?)

He said, "No, it's the poor who follow him."

(أَيَزِيدُونَ أَمْ يَنْقُصُونَ؟) (Are the followers increasing or decreasing?)

He said, (بَلْ يَزِيدُونَ) (No, they're increasing).

Abu Sufyan was then asked: (فَهَلْ يَرْتَدُّ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ سَخْطَةً لِدِينِهِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِيهِ؟) (Does anyone leave the religion out of a dislike towards the religion after entering it? Is there anybody who enters Islam and then leaves it?)

He said, "No, there is not."

Then Hercules asked him: (فَهَلْ يَغْدِرُ؟) (Has he ever betrayed you?)

Abu Sufyan said, "No." Now Abu Sufyan was looking for something to say negative about the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) - but he could only answer the questions he was asked. When he was asked this question - has he betrayed you - he said no, but added: "We are now in a treaty with him and we don't know what he will do." He said this was the only thing he could sneak in that was maybe indicative about the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

Then Hercules asked him: (فَهَلْ قَاتَلْتُمُوهُ أَوْ قَاتَلَكُمْ؟) (Have you fought him or has he fought you?)

He said, "Yes, that has happened."

(فَكَيْفَ كَانَ حَرْبُكُمْ وَحَرْبُهُ؟) (So what happened in those battles?

Abu Sufyan said, "Sometimes we're victorious and sometimes he's victorious."

Then Hercules asked him: (فَمَاذَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ؟) (So what does he command you to do?)

(Sahih al-Bukhari 7)

"He commands us to worship Allah alone and not associate any partners with Him. And he forbids us from worshiping what our fathers used to worship. And he commands us to pray, to give charity, to be chaste, to keep our promises, and to fulfill our trust).

Hercules' Analysis

Now Hercules' questioning had ended. He had heard enough. And he began to explain to Abu Sufyan every question he asked. You can see the intelligence of Hercules - very, very intelligent and well-read.

He said: "I asked you about his family lineage, and you said he's from a good family. (وَكَذَلِكَ الرُّسُلُ تُبْعَثُ فِي أَحْسَابِ قَوْمِهَا) (And this is the sunnah of Allah with the messengers - they are sent from a good lineage from the people).

"And I asked you, did anyone claim this claim before? And you said no. Had you said yes, then we could have said he was trying to regain what somebody else has previously claimed - somebody else already had this idea, he's stealing it from him and trying to get this power this way.

"And I asked you if you ever accused him of lying. And you said no. I understand from that if someone would never lie about people, then he would be more fearful of lying about the creator of the people, Allah.

"And I asked you, were any of his fathers kings? And you said no. Had he had a king from his forefathers, we could have said that he was seeking their kingdom.

"I asked you who are the followers - the poor or the rich? And you said the poor. And such are the followers of the prophets - the poor.

"Then I asked you, are their numbers increasing or decreasing? And you said it's increasing. And such is the faith until it ends. That's the reality of iman until it becomes complete - the number continues to increase and increase.

"And I asked you, does anyone leave the religion after entering it? And you said no. That also is iman. Once it enters the heart, the heart embraces it with such happiness and vigor that it would never leave that taste of iman that it's tasted again.

"Then I asked you if he betrays and breaks his promises. And you said no. And such are the prophets - they never break their promises.

"And I finally asked you, do you fight him? Have you fought him? And you said yes. And I asked you what happened. And you said you win sometimes and you lose sometimes. And such are the messengers - they are tested with victory and defeat, but in the end it will be for them.

"And I asked you, what does he command you? And you said to worship Allah alone and to pray and to give charity and to be chaste and to fulfill promises and fulfill trust - that's what's entrusted to you. And that is the description of a prophet."

Hercules' Remarkable Conclusion

Then he said something very interesting : (إِنْ كَانَ مَا تَقُولُ فِيهِ حَقًّا فَإِنَّهُ نَبِيٌّ) (If everything you said to me is true, then most definitely this man is a prophet).

(وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ خَارِجٌ وَلَمْ أَكُنْ أَظُنُّهُ مِنْكُمْ) (And I knew from our scriptures that a prophet was coming at this time, but I did not think he would come from your people).

(وَلَوْ أَنِّي أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أَخْلُصُ إِلَيْهِ لَأَحْبَبْتُ لِقَاءَهُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ لَغَسَلْتُ قَدَمَيْهِ) (And if I knew that I could guarantee I would meet him, I would have loved to go and meet him. And if I were with him, I would wash his feet). Hercules was saying this!

Then he said: (وَلَيَبْلُغَنَّ مُلْكُهُ مَا تَحْتَ قَدَمَيَّ) (And his kingdom will reach the place I am standing on right here).

It's a very interesting statement to make. The whole narration is powerful. There are so many lessons I wish I could draw from, but I want to just focus on this last statement: (وَلَيَبْلُغَنَّ مُلْكُهُ مَا تَحْتَ قَدَمَيَّ) (His kingdom will reach what is underneath my feet).

Abu Sufyan's Astonishment

Abu Sufyan himself found this very strange. He said: (لَقَدْ أَمِرَ أَمْرُ ابْنِ أَبِي كَبْشَةً) (The affair of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) - they used to call him the son of Ibn Kabsha). Some people say it was one of his grandfathers from his mother's side. Some say it was the husband of Halima who nursed him when he was young.

This is what they would call him. That the leader of the Romans is fearful of him! Abu Sufyan was saying this, and just two years ago, they were besieging Medina, and the Muslims couldn't even leave their homes to use the bathroom in safety and security during the Battle of Ahzab. And now he's hearing the leader of the Romans say his kingdom will reach my feet, all the way in Palestine, in Ash-Sham.

From Weakness to World Leadership

Now the question is: How could the Arabs go from that? From being a people that were warring, tribal, burying their daughters alive, to being a people that within a span of a few years, the Roman and Persian Empires were falling at their feet - the superpowers of the time?

It's an interesting question because many of the narratives that are said about the people of Arabia claim they were backwards people, a Bedouin people, uneducated, illiterate. How many of them could read and write? They were engaged in warring and tribal conflict.

You look at the narratives around the Muslim community of today, and they say: look around the world, from the east to the west, the Muslims have no political power. They're under oppressive regimes, whether they be Muslim or non-Muslim. And people say the one common denominating factor amongst all these people, from

China to Africa to the Middle East, to Europe to America - it's all the same - is that they all are Muslim. And so the problem is the religion. Islam is what's holding them back.

Islam is what's holding them back - and it's the same thing that was said about the Arab people. But look what Islam brought to them and what they accomplished when they became the leaders of the world! And so, this narrative couldn't be further from the truth, and our history testifies to that. This narrative couldn't be further from the truth.

Allah's Promise of Establishment

The first thing we find is a statement of Allah Himself, where Allah says in Surah An-Nur:

Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds يَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ - most certainly most definitely, Allah will establish them in the land. كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ - just like He did for those before them. And He will also establish them in their religion which He has preferred for them. And He will replace their fear with security. For they worship Me, not associate anything with Me. And whoever disbelieves after that, they are the فَاسِقُونَ (fasiqun) - they are the rebellious and disobedient.

Allah has promised those who do two things - الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ - good deeds and belief - that they will be established in the land. But it doesn't just occur in a vacuum. It's not just a vacuum that happens.

How did Islam reach its heights from the time of the Sahaba where they spread Islam and it went to the corners of the globe? And we became - our history shows we were the leaders of every single science while we were leading in spirituality as well.

Three Philosophies of Islamic Success

There are three philosophies that I want to share with you today - three philosophies that Islam implemented.

First Philosophy: Islam Merges Deen and Dunya

The first is that Islam merges between deen and dunya in a way that no other religion or way of life ever has. Islam has merged between deen and dunya, between worldly life and spiritual life, in a way that no other religion or way of life ever has.

Allah says in the Quran:

Seek from what We have given you, your home in the hereafter. So we're being told to be a spiritual people. The dunya is a means to get your place in Jannah. But then Allah says, وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا (And don't forget your portion of this world). What does that mean? That you have a portion of this world - you have to take care of that as well.

I want to share with you an interesting hadith that kind of expounds on this idea. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was once with a companion - and it's an authentic hadith, by the way. A man walked by, and he was doing some work. It doesn't say what he was doing. But the companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw this man, and they said:

They saw this man very skilled in what he was doing, he had so much skill and talent there that they said: if only whatever he was doing, if he put that in the path of Allah instead!

Have you ever seen someone so talented - they could accomplish so much - and you're like, "Man, if this guy just came into the masjid and brought those talents that he has in corporate America to our community, how much goodness could come?" This is what they're saying. They're seeing this man so amazing. And they say, كَانَ هَذَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ - "Why are you wasting away, slaving away at a 9-5 job? If you only put this in the way of Allah!"

You know what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said? He said:

If this man came out of his home and he's doing his job, he's earning a living to support his children, then he in fact is in the path of Allah.

And if he came out to earn a living to support his elderly parents, then he is also فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ

And he said:

And if he came out - doesn't have a wife, doesn't have kids, doesn't have parents - but he's supporting himself to earn a living فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ )then he is in the path of Allah). (Authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib 1690)

Now what does that mean in the path of Allah? لَهُ أَجْرٌ - he's getting rewarded. Meaning every time, when you woke up this morning and you went to your job, or you clocked in at home, you're working from home, or you're at the hospital, whatever - all that time, the moment you get up to leave for work, all the time you're working, you're a mechanic, it's cold outside, you're struggling to get a bolt off, your hands are cold, your ears are cold, your nose is dripping from the cold - every second of that, you're actually being rewarded if your intention is one of these three: support yourself, or support your family.

And who doesn't work except for these reasons? The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says: if this man came out to show off and to be boastful فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ الشَّيْطَانِ )then he is in the path of Shaytan(.

So all of us, our work, our job, is actually getting you أَجْر )ajr - reward) so long as you have the right intention. It's getting you أجر, every moment of it.

The Comprehensive Meaning of Worship

And so that's why Ibn Taymiyyah, when he describes عِبَادَة )worship), he says:

He says that this concept of worship isn't just praying and fasting and Ramadan and reading Quran. Rather عِبَادَة is a comprehensive term that encompasses all things, of speech and action, that are pleasing to Allah جل جلاله.

So you hold the door open for a lady at Walmart - you're getting good deeds. You go on the way home, you stop by, you get a gift for your daughter. You come home, and she opens the door, and she comes running, "Baba, Mama, you're home!" And she gives you a hug. And you give her this gift that she's looking forward to. Well, you know what? Not only the emotion that you're feeling and the happiness that you're feeling that you brought happiness to your daughter and your son, but that whole trip, every part of it is worship. Every part of it is rewarded by Allah جل جلاله.

And so, that first idea we have to understand: that Islam has merged deen and dunya. Our understanding of deen is that if we want akhira, we have to use the dunya to get there.

Second Philosophy: The Obligation of Seeking Knowledge

The second thing Islam has done is that it's established a very important concept, and it starts from the first revelation:

Recite in the name of your Lord who created. Created the human being from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught with the pen.

Why does اقْرَأْ (iqra - recite) come twice? The scholars say: when you say "in the name of your Lord," this refers to the Islamic knowledge, the religious knowledge, that every one of us is required to have - the basic and minimum. How to pray, and how to fast, and the rules of zakah, the things that we will be responsible for in front of Allah جل جلاله and we can't say, "I wasn't asked to be a shaykh." No, you have to have a bare minimum.

But then Allah جل جلاله says اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ )And) recite, and your Lord is most generous, the one who taught with the pen). And what does the pen write? It writes knowledge of man. And so they say, this second اقْرَأْ refers to worldly knowledge.

So learn - whatever it is your specialty is. If you're a chemistry professor, or you're a mechanic, or you're an engineer, or you're a teacher, or you're a life coach, whatever it is that you're doing, you're a physician - you learn and you excel in that. And you don't just stay stagnant.

It's incumbent upon us to expand our knowledge base. (Ibn Majah 224)

Third Philosophy: Excellence in Everything

And then the third concept is not just merging deen and dunya, and not just that everybody in this congregation, every Muslim has this instilled in them from an early age that we should seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. The third concept that's important that we've understood and internalized is what?

Allah has decreed for you that in everything that you do, you do it with ihsan - you do it with excellence. (Sahih Muslim 1955)

So you're a farmer, you're a teacher, you're a physician? Well, Allah wants you to be the absolute best physician you can be, to be the best teacher you can be. And if you're gonna be the best physician, the best teacher, you're gonna have to research more and more and learn more and more about physiology and learn more about agriculture and learn more about engineering and mathematics. Whatever it is that is your specialty, Allah doesn't want you to be average - He wants you to excel.

The Result: Islamic Civilization's Golden Age

And if you were to excel, then what happens? You see exactly what happened in our history. The Muslims were the leaders in engineering and mathematics and astronomy and geometry and algebra and agriculture - in every field. You saw that while the Western world, the enlightened world, was in the dark ages, Muslims were the leaders in every field imaginable.

And it was only when they got rid of religion that the reformation happened, the renaissance happened. After they got rid of the religion - why? Because in Islam, we merged the two. And so if you go to Spain, if you have a chance - and I encourage you to take your children to Spain and to let them see the history - because SubhanAllah, Qurtuba and all of Muslim Spain was a remarkable example and it's still left till today to learn what the Muslims accomplished and did.

But the point being: if we're required to excel in whatever we do, whatever dunya thing we do, we know that this dunya thing, if we have the right intention, is worship. And we excel in it. By necessity, it will lead to advancement. It will lead to progress in society. And so Islam is a beautiful religion. It's very unique in that way.

The Balanced Approach

And it doesn't mean, by the way - I'm not sitting here saying that, okay, you just get into your deen and you forget your dunya. I'll just share with you one hadith before I end the first khutbah. And it's a very, again, interesting hadith, but it's just perspective.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says in a hadith:

Allah, your Lord, is impressed by, is happy with, a shepherd who's on the mountain with his flock. And the time for salah comes in, so he makes the adhan, and then he prays. Allah جل جلاله says, "Look at My slave. He calls

the adhan, he prays. He fears Me. So I have forgiven him all of his sins, and I have granted him Jannah." (Sunan Abu Dawud 1203)

But let's just pause for a second. What did the man do? He was working. He was earning a living. But when the time for salah came, he did exactly what you guys are doing right now. You left your work, and you came to the masjid, and you prayed. Or when it's Asr time, and you're back at work, and you're going to go and make wudu.

Now I have a question for you: Who has it more difficult? The one who has to go to his bathroom at work and put his foot in the sink, and his boss walks in and says, "What are you doing?" Or you're at school, and you go to find a corner to pray, and your friends walk by, or some people walk by, and they start making fun of you while you're doing yoga in the middle of the day? Or the shepherd who's in the mountain, alone by himself, who made adhan and he prayed? Who has it more difficult?

And we know the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says:

You'll be rewarded based on the difficulty. (Musnad Ahmad)

I mean if you go through more difficulty, Allah won't let that go to waste. But what was the reward of this man? Who was earning a living, and all he did was when the time came for prayer, he prayed. His sins were forgiven, and he was granted paradise.

So yes, you excel in dunya, you work towards your dunya, but you have the right intention, and you don't forget the requirements Allah has required of you from His deen. You merge the two. You merge the two.

And when you do that, you see how Islam accomplished what it accomplished, and the Muslims accomplished what they accomplished. And so when you see the narrative today that Islam, Muslim society is backwards and the like - well, it couldn't be further from the truth. And our history is testament to that. And our belief, and our philosophy of the world, and how we view deen and dunya, religion and secularism and spirituality is unmatched, and it leads to the best for society.

Second Khutbah: The Transformation of Society

Reflecting on Hercules' Statement

When Hercules made that statement about the letter the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sent to Hercules, the king of Rome - before he read the letter, he had Abu Sufyan brought, and he asked him a series of questions. When Abu Sufyan answered all of what he knew to be the coming of a prophet, Hercules knew the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was truly the prophet sent for his time.

وَلَيَبْلُغَنَّ مُلْكُهُ مَا تَحْتَ قَدَمَيَّ - he said that his kingdom, the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم kingdom will reach the land I'm standing on right here in Palestine, in Ash-Sham. When he made that statement, he spoke the truth. Because Islam - it transformed the companions, and they transformed the world.

The Foundation of Success

What you see as a result of what I just mentioned is all a result of that initial belief in working in righteous deeds.

Those who believe and do righteous deeds, Allah will establish them in the land, right? But they understood the Muslims, as the community grew and they grew - they understood these three principles: that Islam merges deen and dunya. Worship isn't just in the masjid. And that we should seek knowledge and continue to seek knowledge. And that we should excel in whatever it is that we do.

And that's how Islam was a very powerful tool in advancing society.

How Muslim Society Functions

But another question that can be asked is: how does the Muslim society itself function? How does the Muslim society itself function? That's another discussion. Actually, inshallah ta'ala, tomorrow I'll be teaching a class at the University of Washington about the tafsir of Surah Al-Hujurat.

Surah Al-Hujurat is one of the final surahs revealed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم - one of the final surahs. And it gives the Muslim ummah a blueprint of how the community itself should be, how the community should function. What's the relationships that we have with ourselves, with Allah, with the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم with the shariah, with Muslims, with non-Muslims? It's a very powerful surah. And it was, SubhanAllah, revealed as one of the final surahs - almost like a parting gift for this ummah, so we can learn how to function in a way that Allah wants us to function.

I obviously can't cover the topic, but inshallah, if you're able to, come tomorrow inshallah to the program. I have a program tonight as well. But tomorrow is the class, inshallah ta'ala, at the University of Washington.

Closing Reflections

But I just wanted to share with you some of these thoughts, because the narrative is formed around our community, and it couldn't be further from the truth. And the more we learn about our religion and what it teaches us, and we see the clarity of what it is, the more we appreciate the blessing Allah has given us. And we strive towards the ideal that has been left behind by the Sahaba.

Closing Du'a

O Lord of the worlds, Allahumma make us righteous in our religion, which is the safeguard of our affairs. And make us righteous in this world, in which we live. And make our life an increase in every goodness. And make

our death a rest from every evil.

Salah Recitation

First Rak'ah

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

آمِينَ

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ

"You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient."

اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

Second Rak'ah

"He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself. And mentions the name of his Lord and prays. But you prefer the worldly life, While the Hereafter is better and more enduring. Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, The scriptures of Abraham and Moses."

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ