Between Reason and Revelation

Between Reason and Revelation

Khutbah by Navaid Aziz

Opening

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا. أَمَّا بَعْدُ

Introduction: A Modern Tragedy

My dear brothers and sisters, I was in the city of Calgary a couple of months back and I was told a very troubling story that there is a Muslim whose car broke down and tyre needed to be fixed. So while they're driving on the highway they pull their car over and park it on the side they're fixing the tyre, everything's normal. It's the middle of the night though so he doesn't know as to what's going on around him because there's not much light. So he's changing the tyre and as he's changing the tyre he notices that there's a car coming along on the highway. He thinks just like the other previous cars that have come by, it's just going to go by him.

However, as this car is now getting closer he notices that it's not driving straight on the road. It's swerving right, it's swerving left, it's going all over the place. So the driver gets a bit worried and he stops changing his tyre and he pulls a bit to the right, he goes a bit to the right just to make sure that he avoids that car that's coming. So he stands behind his trunk and as he's just standing there waiting for the car to go by, the car drives directly into him and he gets crushed between the two cars - the car that was coming and his own car whose tyre he was changing. He died instantly, he did not live much longer after that collision itself.

Now what ended up happening - this individual who was driving the car, he was heavily intoxicated. He was heavily, heavily intoxicated that when they did the measurement as to how much alcohol he had, it was something like 8 or 9 times the quote unquote permissible amount according to Canadian law.

Now this individual went to court and his sentence, his punishment in court was something like 2 and a half to 3 years long. He was intoxicated and he killed someone. But when the judge heard that he was intoxicated he let him off. He said that he did not have his normal faculties, he was unable to think properly and thus he didn't commit premeditated murder. It wasn't a conscious murder that he committed.

Now when I heard this story, subhanallah it made my blood boil. That these people have no sanctity for human life, that in order to preserve human pleasure they allow the consumption of alcohol. But when a life is killed they still continue to consume that alcohol and do not cherish human life. And this was one of the biggest contradictions that I saw in western secular liberal law - that it will give priority to one's desires, it will give

priority to one's wants over those things which are more fundamental and more important like human life, like human safety.

And after I heard the story I wanted to see what would happen in Islamic law. In Islamic law, if this case were to take place what exactly would happen. And I came across a subject that is called Maqasid al-Sharia or the objectives of the Sharia.

Now you guys are going to be bamboozled and I'm going to tell you why. Our brother when he announced my topic he said "the middle path brings about gentleness." There was a change in the schedule from yesterday, they did not update your schedules, but my topic for discussion (بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim) is the middle path between reason and revelation and that is what we are going to be talking about (بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim).

The Five Objectives of Islamic Law

So I started looking into this subject and I came to see that Islamic law preserves five fundamental things. That Islamic law as a whole has come to preserve five fundamental matters:

1. It has come to preserve religion

2. It has come to preserve human life

3. It has come to preserve intellect

4. It has come to preserve our wealth

5. It has come to preserve our honor as well as our progeny

These are five things that Islamic law has come to preserve.

Now how does Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala preserve these five things in Islamic law? It's quite simple. It is through those things that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has commanded and through those things that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has prohibited.

So now when you look at Islamic law you will see that it revolves completely upon benefits and harms. Now where the difference lies is sometimes we will not see those benefits, we may not realize those benefits, and at times we will not see those harms that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is preventing us from or protecting us from.

The Example of Alcohol

So now when it comes to alcohol, when it comes to alcohol we see that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has prohibited it and there is a clear reason why - because it has a very adverse effect on the human mind.

And now if you look at this matter in relation to western law, what does western law tell you? Western law tells you that you are allowed to drink but you are not allowed to drive. So when you start drinking and you start getting drunk, make sure someone else is driving the car.

Now what is the problem with this law? The problem with this law is that once a person starts to get intoxicated he is no longer able to completely reason. You are asking the impossible from an individual at that point in time. When he becomes intoxicated he is unable to comprehend the effects of his actions. That is why a lot of the times people who are drunk, they will go and drive because they think it is completely safe. They do not perceive that they themselves are intoxicated and that their mental capacity is now incapacitated.

So thus Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala prohibited alcohol. Now if you were to look at every commandment and prohibition you will see that it revolves around preserving these five matters.

So life is preserved by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala prohibiting alcohol. Life is preserved by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala making haram the killing of another individual. Life is preserved through many other things as well. Likewise our religion is preserved by us praying salah everyday and teaching it to our children. By us building masajid our deen is preserved.

The Intellect: Commands from Allah

Now the question arises, how does Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala preserve the intellect? We have given you one example already, that one example is that of alcohol, it is prohibited. But how about in terms of what we are commanded to do with our intellects?

When it comes to our intellects you will see that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives us various commandments in the Quran. In the Quran Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us several commandments, some famous commandments there are those that are very similar to one another:

• At-Tadabbur )التَّدَبُّر(( and At-Tafakkur )التَّفَكُّر( - Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us to contemplate and to • reason

أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ - Will you not use your intellects

• أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ - Will they then not remember

So all of these terms are actions that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commands us with that are related to our intellects and related to our minds.

Two Commands for Non-Believers

Now if you were to break down these commandments in terms of the commandments that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave to the non-believers and the commandments that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave to the believers, you would see that they were each given two commandments.

As for the non-believers, when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave them commandments in terms of their intellect, he told them to use their intellects and challenges their intellects with two things:

First Commandment to Non-Believers: Reflect upon the creation of the earth, reflect upon the creation of everything around you and you will see that the sound intellect necessitates that there is only one creator. So

someone who does not believe in God, someone who believes in many Gods, when he looks at the perfect creation of the heavens and the earth, this necessitates that there is only one God. And this was the first commandment that the non-believers were given in terms of using their intellects.

Second Commandment to Non-Believers:

The second commandment that disbelievers were given in terms of their intellects - use your intellects and you will see that this man, Muhammad, is indeed the messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam.

If you look in Surah Al-A'raf verse 184, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

(7:184 Quran) أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا مَا بِصَاحِبِهِم مِّن جِنَّةٍ

Will you not think and reflect that this man that is amongst you is not possessed nor is he a magician? So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells the Quraysh of that time, that if you look at this man Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam, reflect over his life and reflect over what he is doing, you recognize the fact that he is not a magician, you recognize the fact that he is not possessed. So why would an individual be striving so hard, why would he be striving so hard and sacrificing everything that he has? He must then have a very important message to give, and that message being the message of Islam.

So the second commandment that disbelievers were given - that after they recognize one lord through their intellects, now use that same intellect to recognize that this man Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam is indeed the messenger of Allah.

Two Commands for Believers

Now when it comes to the Muslims, the Muslims likewise are given commandments. And the commandments that Muslims are given in terms of their intellect:

First Commandment to Muslims:

The first one that they are given is reflection upon the heavens and the earth. But this reflection upon the heavens and the earth is not like the reflection that the kuffar were told about.

The reflection of the heavens and the earth that the kuffar were told about is: reflect on the heavens and the earth and it will necessitate that there is only one god.

But when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commanded the believers, he commanded them with:

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ - الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقٍ (3:190-191 Quran) السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا

In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those who have intellect, who remember Allah standing and sitting and on their sides and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth. Our Lord, you did not create this false.

The conclusion that they arrive at - from human beings that will reflect the day and the night 24 hours a day and then they come to a conclusion that says: our Lord, O Allah, you did not create this in vain, that all of this was created for a purpose and that purpose is for your worship.

So the Muslim, he comes to the conclusion that all of this that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has created is not for the sake of recognizing that there is one god alone, but it is for the sake that this one god alone is the one who solely deserves to be worshipped. So this is what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commands the believers with in terms of their intellects.

Second Commandment to Muslims:

Now the second commandment that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives the believers in terms of their intellects is upon contemplating the Quran.

A favorite surah for the vast majority of us is Surah Yusuf. Every time there is a class on Surah Yusuf, everyone loves to attend just because of the beautiful stories that are in it. Now if you were to look at just the second verse in Surah Yusuf, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

(12:2 Quran) إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

That we have sent down to you and revealed to you, O Muhammad, an Arabic Quran so that you may reflect and that you may ponder over it.

Likewise Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Quran:

(54:17 Quran) وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

That indeed we have facilitated the Quran as a reminder, so is there not anyone that will ponder on it?

So the second commandment that Muslims are given in terms of their intellect is to use that intellect to contemplate and reflect over the Quran.

Reflection vs. Challenge

Now the interesting thing over here is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us to contemplate and to reflect but he does not tell us to challenge the Quran. So when we come to analyzing the text of the Quran and the Sunnah, it's a reflection, it is an analysis, but it is not a challenge.

However, when it came to the Quraysh, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala challenges them that: use your intellects and challenge your intellects and the way of your predecessors and the way of your people. Challenge what they believe in and you will come to see that they are upon falsehood and the true reality is that there is only one God and that Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam is his messenger.

The Nature of the Intellect

Now talking about the intellect, the intellect is a faculty just like all other faculties. We see, we smell, we hear - these are all faculties that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given us. Now the intellect likewise is a faculty as such and it is a faculty that makes mankind unique over the rest of the creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says that indeed we have made noble the children of Adam. Now what was it that made them noble? It was the very fact that they are able to understand, they are able to analyze, they are able to

The Limits of the Intellect

Now just like all of our faculties they are limited:

• Our eyesight - we cannot see beyond a certain distance
• Our hearing - when there is a lot of noise in the room we will not be able to hear anything

These are the limits of those faculties. But likewise our mind has a limitation as well - that there are a limited amount of things that it will understand and that is the boundary that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has created for mankind.

That Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the things that he told us to reflect upon, we should reflect upon them and try to understand them. But one should not use this intellect as a challenge for the commandments of Allah. One should not use them as a challenge for the revelation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And this becomes quite problematic. This becomes quite problematic because as Muslims we will sometimes come across texts of the Quran and the Sunnah and they will not make sense to us. How can this possibly make sense?

As Muslims, the very fact that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala created our intellect as something limited, this necessitates that the latter part that is missing in terms of its limitation, then we need to submit to it, then we need to submit to it. And this is what Islam is all about.

Islam is not about peace as many people like to translate it. Yes, Islam brings about peace, but Islam is not peace within of itself. But rather Islam is submission.

Understanding Hadith: The Sun's Prostration

Just to give you an example of one of those narrations, there is a narration reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and in Sahih Muslim:

(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

That every day when the sun sets it goes and makes sajda to the Arsh of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. It goes and makes sajda at the Arsh of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and it seeks permission to rise for the next day.

So according to this, if you were to look at it purely literally, this would mean that the sun is the one that does the revolving and it is not the earth that is revolving around the sun. This is what one would understand.

And then you see that Muslims, when they read this hadith, even though it is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim - the same people who narrated the Quran to us, the same chain of narrators - somehow they will reject this hadith from the Prophet ﷺ but they will not reject the Quran.

And you can see the door that it is about to open: that if you reject this hadith it necessitates that you reject the Quran. If you reject this hadith it necessitates that the other hadith that these narrators came with about salah, about zakah, about all of the other acts of worship, you will have to reject it as well. So you can see that the door of rejecting even one hadith due to human intellect has great ramifications.

How to Understand This Hadith

Now with that having being said, how do we understand the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ that the sun makes sajdah at the Arsh of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? And the answer to this is quite simple: that we need to understand our intellects are limited. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given us a limited capacity to understand things.

What is the proof of this in the Quran? If you were to look in Surah Al-Isra, Surah number 17, Ayah number 44, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about all of his creation and how all of his creation makes tasbih of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. All of his creation makes tasbih of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So this stage in some way is making tasbih of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The trees outside are making tasbih of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The sun and the moon are making tasbih of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

But my dear brothers and sisters, do we hear this tasbih? Has any of you heard the tree making tasbih? Has any of you heard the oceans making tasbih? No we have not.

And this is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions in that very verse:

And this is why you are mankind yet you do not perceive nor do you hear nor do you understand their tasbih.

So the way they do tasbih is not the way we do tasbih. The way that they do sajdah to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is not the way that we do sajdah to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And if you can come to understand and accept this, then you can come and understand that when the sun makes sajdah at the Arsh of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it is in a way that your mind does not perceive, it is in a way that your mind does not understand.

The Role of Intellect in Islam

So now what is the role of the intellect in Islam? The role of the intellect in Islam is quite simple:

It is there to facilitate revelation. It is there so that revelation may be understood. But at the end of the day, the revelation takes precedence over our intellect and our intellects never take precedence over revelation.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala granted us the faculty of the intellect so that the message of Islam may be understood and may be facilitated. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala did not give us intellects so that our intellects become a brand new religion for us.

So that is the role of the intellect.

Historical Perspective

Now prior to our times - I would say the first three generations of Islam - this really was not too much of an issue. Generally speaking the vast majority of the predecessors, they understood that this was the role of the intellect and they submitted to the text of the Quran and the Sunnah.

But after that time two major problems occurred:

Problem Number One: There were certain narrations, certain verses of the Quran, certain ahadith that minds did not perceive. So they went on to be rejected purely based upon one's intellect.

Problem Number Two: A second problem that eventually arose is that as Muslims left the line of the Muslims and they went to other lines, then there came about new problems, new tribulations that they were faced with. They came across scenarios and situations that made it difficult to practice the pure religion of Islam.

So at that point the Muslims decided that we will use our intellects to decide what is good and what is bad, even if it goes against a clear and explicit text of the Quran and the Sunnah.

So these are the two problems that happened and you see a strong revival in our times.

Modern Challenges

Right now we live in a time where we are told to challenge, we are told to question, we are told that you are the ultimate authority. In Islam this is not the case.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, going back to Surah Yusuf and that beautiful surah, tells us a great conclusion:

That on top of every knowledgeable person, on top of every scholar, on top of every person who has an intellect and knowledge, there is someone who is more knowledgeable. And that is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So in the religion of Islam the intellect has a role. It is there, it is used to get closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it is used to reflect the text of the Quran and the Sunnah. But it is limited and ultimate knowledge is for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alone.

The Statement of Ali (radiallahu anhu)

And this is why there is this beautiful statement of Ali radiallahu anhu. So understand this one statement and you will have pretty much understood this whole lecture. Understand this one statement and you will have understood this whole lecture.

He said: If this religion was based upon intellect alone, meaning purely our own understanding, then when we as Muslims wipe over our socks and shoes, we would wipe over the bottom and not over the top.

Meaning that if it was purely based upon intellect, we would be wiping the bottom and not the top. Why?

Because it is the bottom of the sock that gets dirty, so in our minds you want to purify the dirty part. You would therefore wipe the bottom of your socks.

However, in Islam we do not wipe the bottom. It is rather the top that we wipe. Why? Because this is what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and his messenger told us to do, that we wipe over the top.

So part of Islam is to use the intellect, for the rest part it is submission to the commandments of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and the commandments of the Prophet ﷺ.

Belief in the Unseen

And this is why it is very interesting that when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala started off the Quran in the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah, the very first description, one of the very first description he gives of the mutaqeen, that it is those individuals who believe in the unseen. It is those individuals who regardless if they have seen it or not, or if they have heard it or not, they believe in it, because they have been told about it from their creator and they have been told about it from their prophet and messenger.

Warning About Changing the Religion

My dear brothers and sisters, a time is now coming where we are going to be told to reassess the religion of Islam. We are going to be told to reassess the jurisprudence of Islam.

There were things that were understood that Muslims did not do. We did not listen to music. Then all of a sudden music became an issue of a difference of opinion.

We did not shake hands with the opposite gender. But then all of a sudden we are told to reassess this ruling and then there it becomes a difference of opinion.

As time goes on, Islam is going to be questioned and it is going to come under scrutiny. And you as Muslims have to know where you stand.

That as Muslims, the religion of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is protected and preserved. That which was considered deen at the time of the messenger of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is that which is considered deen today. That which was halal then is halal today. That which was haram then is haram today.

And we cannot succumb to the pressures of the outside. We cannot succumb to the pressures of the west, of the orientalists, or even of those supposed Muslims that want to question Islam.

The Example of Niqab

The simple issue of niqab. It was understood that the wives of the Prophet ﷺ wore niqab.

If you look inside Sahih al-Bukhari, there is the famous story where Aisha radiallahu ta'ala anha forgot her necklace and she was left behind in the caravan. The Prophet ﷺ sent the companion Safwan back to retrieve Aisha radiallahu ta'ala anha. He goes back to that place where the Muslims were staying and he sees Aisha radiallahu ta'ala anha and he recognizes her.

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

Meaning that when the ayah of hijab came down to the mothers of the believers, their hijab, it was understood that it covered their faces. The more days you have people that come and say that Islam oppresses women by forcing them to wear niqab, that Islam does not have this concept of niqab, but rather it is just a cultural practice of the Arabs of old. Here we have a clear example of Aisha radiallahu ta'ala anha.

Take it a step further. During the days of Hajj, Aisha radiallahu ta'ala anha, she used to say that when the riders used to come past us, meaning that the male, non-mahram men, when they used to come by the believing women, we would cover our faces. What is the niqab other than a covering of the face? This is just one example of how the niqab existed during the time of the Prophet.

So it had nothing to do with a cultural practice, but this is something purely from Islam.

So my dear brothers and sisters, time is going to come and everything is going to be questioned. And you have to understand where you stand as a Muslim.

Are you going to let your intellect and your perception of intelligence overcome your understanding of the Qur'an and the sunnah? Or rather, will you limit yourself just like Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells you to limit yourselves when it comes to the Qur'an and the sunnah and submit to his will?

The Linguistic Meaning of 'Aql

Now, what I would like to conclude upon, bismillahi ta'ala, is the linguistic definition of aql. The linguistic definition of intellect.

For those of you who have been to the Middle East, you will see that the men over there, they wear these scarves over their head. These scarves are known as a ghutrah, they are known as a shemagh. Then on top of

that, they wear this circle that keeps it in place. This in the Arabic language is known as the 'aqal (العِقَال).

It is known as the 'aqal. Now if you look as to why these men wear the 'aqal, the history behind this is that the vast majority of these people were shepherds and farmers. And they wanted to make sure that their animals would not run away.

So what they would do is that these round circles that they would have on their head, they would use those round circles to tie up the legs of the animal. So they would take the leg of the camel and it would be joined over here so that it could not put down its leg and run away. So the 'aqal is something that restrains and that is how it is used on the camel.

When it comes to the horses, if you look at the ropes that are around the neck of the horse that make it slow down and then let it go faster, this is the 'aqal of the horse. So it is something that restrains from running away.

Why This Term for Intellect?

Now why would Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala use this term with the same word 'aql as something that is restrained when it comes to the intellect?

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala uses it as such because while it is there to be used for a certain purpose, it is not meant to be used to run wild with. That it is meant to be restrained, that when it comes to our intellects, it is not the dominant factor. But rather the dominant factor is the text of the Quran and the sunnah.

And this is what the believers will always come back to. And part of us being Muslim is submitting to that fact whether we can understand it or not. Muslim means to submit whether you like it or not, whether you understand it or not. You submit because Allah tells you and it is that very submission that will be a cause of you entering paradise.

Conclusion

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given us intellects and this intellect has a high station in Islam. This is what ennobles the children of Adam. And the sharia has come to preserve this intellect.

This is done by prohibiting those things that decapitate our intellects as well as commanding us to reflect and use those intellects so that they may become stronger.

The non-Muslims are encouraged to use their intellects to recognize the oneness of Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

As Muslims we are commanded to use our intellects to reflect over the Quran and to see that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the only one that deserves to be worshipped.

Two problems that arise when it comes to the intellect is not understanding certain texts and it is upon the Muslim that if he does not understand it, he purely submits to that text because it is from Allah and his messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

This leads me to the fact that whatever was part of the religion during the time of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is religion today. That which was halal then is halal today. That which was haram then is haram today.

Final Supplication

My dear brothers and sisters, the very fact that you are here in front of me indicates that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed you with intellects. That rather than being somewhere else and wasting your time, you have chosen to come here today and to benefit.

And that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grants myself and all of you sound intellects to further the religion of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and to clarify the misconceptions, not only that those of the non-Muslims that they have, but rather the misconceptions of the Muslims as well.

And that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grants us the tawfiq to use our intellects in his worship and helping the religion of Islam rather than its destruction.

And that is the end of our da'wah and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. And peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions. And peace and blessings be upon you.

End of Khutbah