Why I Remain a Muslim
By Yahya Ibrahim | 2026-01-12T21:09:25.230106+00:00 | Topic: Iman
Why I Remain a Muslim
Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim
Peace Conference 2009
Opening Greetings
Introduction
I begin with the greetings of Islam, the greetings of the prophets from the beginning of Noah to the culmination of the life of the prophet Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). I speak them to you in the words of our prophet. These words of peace, I pray them on my behalf and on your behalf as a true genuine offering that I put before Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. These same prayers of peace have been uttered by all of the generations that have come before us as a way of bidding good tidings and peace amongst humanity.
I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the creator of all that exists, in beginning our session today, to spread His mercy, His favor, to spread His peace and love between us. I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who has brought us together from our various countries and cities to bring us all together in Jannatul Firdaus with Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
I wish to begin by praising Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and sending the peace and salutations and greetings upon the messenger Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). I also wish to begin by thanking the organizers of this auspicious conference, beginning with Dr. Zakir Naik and with his team, alhamdulillah, and competent staff at the Islamic Research Foundation. I wish to continue with greetings and congratulations to the people of India and to the government of India for allowing us to have this opportunity and platform to stand before you and speak about issues that are related to humanity in the spread of peace.
I wish to also thank all of those who are working behind the scenes tirelessly to bring together this conference, and finally but not least, I wish to thank our members today who have come to listen to these short discussions, inshallah.
We begin by saying alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulullah (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to increase our taqwa, our belief, our consciousness of him, and to bring us closer to him in our words and our actions and our inner beliefs in our hearts.
The Main Question: Why Do I Remain Muslim?
My dear brothers and sisters, why do I remain Muslim? And it's a very important question.
As a Muslim who grew up in the west, born and raised in a secular country, all of my studies, public school, middle school, high school, tertiary, university, have all been in a western context. Why do I remain Muslim? A question that was asked of me. Recently, just a couple of months ago, I was delivering a seminar on Islam, diversity, multiculturalism, terrorism, and Islamic issues.
And after the conference, which alhamdulillah was very well received, one of the audience members came up and he asked and he said, I loved everything you had to say. Everything was rational, everything you said was very eloquent. But I just want to ask you, how can you remain Muslim? I said, what do you mean? He said, how can you continue to be Muslim after 9-11, after 7-7 in London, after the Bali bombings, after the terrorism experience in the city, may Allah protect it and its citizens in Mumbai.
How can you remain Muslim when there are people in the name of your religion committing these atrocities? How can you substantiate and represent a faith that has people who have committed these atrocities? Why do you remain Muslim?
And my answer to him on that day and my answer to you today, inshallah, is a very simple answer. For many of us who are born into Islam, that choice of making that clear cut decision to leave a life that preceded Islam and to enter into a fold and to enter into a way of life that has been learned and taught through a revealed mode of thought through the Prophet (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ), is not something we all have experienced. For some of our brothers, such as the brother who has introduced us, alhamdulillah, today, they make a conscious choice.
For some of the sisters, they make a conscious choice after study, after sacrifice, after questions, after evaluating. How is this going to impact my family? How is this going to impact my friends? How is this going to change my life at work, at play, at study? How is this going to change everything in my life? And they make that choice to come towards Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. But for you and I who are born into Islam, for many of us, that choice is something that has been given to us as a blessing from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And we really need today, my aim today and my objective is to establish why I continue to choose consciously, willfully, wantingly, intelligently, socially, precisely, choosing that great noble Islam that was delivered to us in its completion and finality by the greatest of the Prophets and the best of teachers and the chosen one of Allah, Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
First Reason: The Qur'an
Why I remain Muslim begins with a study of that revelation given to us. You have to ask yourself as a Muslim, What do you know about the Quran? And how familiar are you with it? And how does it impact your day-to-day life? How has it changed the negatives? How has it increased the positives? How has it helped you socially, in your family, in your business, in your training, in your leisure, in your difficulties, in your ease, in your comforts, in your hardships? How is the Quran a part of your life? Because that is a part of the message of why you remain Muslim.
You're not simply Muslim because (كَمَا كَانَ أَجْدَادُكَ) because of the way your grandparents were, your great-grandparents, your great-great-grandparents. What eventually happens with that lineage is that the faith that is passed down is no longer a faith that is rooted in the heart. It becomes just rituals of practice. And that is one of the greatest things condemned by the Prophet Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). So we seek that familiarity with the Quran.
I remain Muslim because of the Quran. Because it is that great pure revelation from Allah. So I begin to study.
How do I know that this Quran is delivered from above as a final, complete, unadulterated, unchanging testament of Allah to the rest of humanity until the end of time? When you look into the Quran, you find a sense of awe, of reverence. You find that the greatest teaching, the central theme of the Quran is that Allah wishes to give us mercy, and that mercy is belief in Him in tawheed. The central theme of the Quran is Allah's love to us by letting us come to know Him.
So you find that greatest chapter in the Quran, the surah that we read each and every time in our prayers. And Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, rahmatullahi alayhi, one of the great scholars of Islam, he said (سِرُّ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ) The secret behind Islam is found in the Quran. (وَسِرُّ الْقُرْآنِ فِي الْفَاتِحَةِ) And the secret behind the whole message of the Quran is found in Al-Fatiha. (وَسِرُّ الْفَاتِحَةِ فِي إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ) And the secret behind Al-Fatiha is in "(إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ)" (Quran 1:5) Only you, Allah, do we worship. Only you, Allah, do we seek in help and assistance.
I begin with the name of Allah, the most merciful, the especially merciful. For He is (الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ) He is the gracious and the merciful.
That is the inner secret behind this great faith of Islam, behind this great document of the Quran, to come to know Allah that none is worthy of worship but He, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has revealed Himself to you, identified Himself to you and made known Himself for you to recognize Him (عز وجل) So you come to that great realization that the Quran does not ask for anything more than for you to come to know of Allah. When you look at some of the greatest passages of the Quran, when you look at the different chapters, different surahs, the arrangement of the Quran itself, you find it marvelous.
You find places in the Quran that are rhythmic and beautiful. As a person who studied poetry in any language of the world, just hearing the rhythm of the Quran lends a person to know that it is not man-made, it is not written. The greatest of the Arabic poets, Labid was one of the greatest Arabic poets in pre-Islamic Arabia.
And his poetry was so revered that the people of Quraysh and the Mushrikeen and the Arabs who elevated poetry and share, they used to take his poetry and put it on the walls of the Kaaba during the pilgrimage season. So that people and tribes from all over the Arabian Peninsula, when they would come, they would read his poetry in the Kaaba because it was the best. And the Kaaba was their place of worship.
And one of the believers, he saw some of the poems written. So he just simply wrote one verse from the Quran and he put it on the wall of the Kaaba secretly at night. And as the people were making their tawaf, someone noticed that there was a different writing that wasn't poetry, that wasn't from Labid.
And they told him, come look, someone's put up a poem. And he came and looked at it and he said, "Wallahi ma hadha bishir." He doesn't know the Quran. He doesn't know the message. He looks up and he sees, "Wallahi ma hadha bishir. By Allah, this is not poetry."
This is not poetry. It's not man-made. No one has excelled in writing such revelation that was brought down from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
You look at places in the Quran and you find marvel in the simplicity of the message and the profoundness, the comprehensiveness of the message. And just to give you one small example, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, He says to us in the introduction of Surah Al-Qasas, which details the life of Musa. In one verse, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says,
In one verse, Allah gives two commands, two prohibitions, and two bushra, two glad tidings. Allah says, and we gave an intuition to the mother of Moses, a command. (أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ) Suckle your baby, feed your baby. (فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ) When you are fearful for his life, put him in the water, put him in the basket, put him away in the river. (وَلَا تَخَافِي) Don't be scared. (وَلَا تَحْزَنِي) Don't be full of sorrow. (إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ) He will be returned to you. (وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ) And we will give him a station and messengership amongst his people. Simple statement is articulating a whole range of emotions for that one mother, the mother of Moses.
And such is the power and the precision of the Quran. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us about this great message that He has avowed to be its protector.
None will be of those who can adulterate it.
And when you look into the message of the Quran, how it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) and how it was brought from him to us today, surviving in its book form, surviving in its oral form, you find it marvelous. Islam is the only faith that has encouraged the people and its practitioners to have that great spread and desire for memorizing each and every verse. So you will find in each and every land where Muslims live, whether in multitudes or in minority amounts, there is this desire and drive and willingness to learn the words of Allah even from amongst people who do not understand the meaning of the language and the grammar that they have come to learn and to practice.
So the Quran becomes a document that is signed, sealed and approved by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Second Reason: The Prophet Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
And you look to the Prophet Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) and you find a need to identify him. You say, this Quran, yes, I look at it, it has marvelous, miraculous statements.
It talks about things that science today is just beginning to discover. It talks about the movement of the mountains that scientists just begin to discover with plate tectonics. It talks about water and how it intermingles the salt and the fresh and how the barrier has been set by Allah, just recently discovered and understood by scientists.
It talks about the place of the stars and the constellations and the usages that we have for it, just recently discovered by scientists. It talks about things that are miraculous and you ask yourself, who was the man who has brought it to us? So my next step in remaining steadfast upon Islam was to learn about Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ).
And when I looked into the life of the Prophet Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) asking myself real questions, serious questions, who is this man (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) who lived so many years ago that today his words and commands bind my life? Are there things that I use to measure my steps? His statements are what I state when I wake up in the morning. They are what I say when I pray to my Lord. His words and his statements are those that I use in every facet of my life. From when I sneeze, to what I say before I eat, to how I greet my brothers and sisters.
Everything that is in my life seeks him in his life. So who is he? Muhammad (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) was no ordinary man. Yes, he was flesh and blood.
The mushrikeen, they would say, as Allah tells you in Surah Al-Furqan (وَقَالُوا مَالِ هَذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ)" (Qur'an 25:7) What is it with this messenger of Allah that he says he's a messenger, he walks in the markets buying and selling, eats food like us. How come angels didn't come down? How come he doesn't have a garden? How come he doesn't have an abundance of wealth? What has made him so significant? And let us look at this great significance of the Prophet (صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ).
صلى الله عليه وسلم Description of the Prophet
The Prophet was a man of normal height. He wasn't too tall and wasn't too short. When you looked at him, you wanted to continue to see him. And when you turned away from him and went home, you wanted to come back quickly to be with him.
You would be shy to look him directly in the face, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. You would shy away from him out of your modesty for him. But when you entered into a room and there were many people, you wouldn't know who he was because he dressed, ate, acted, stood out the same as everyone else.
He didn't elevate himself with pride or arrogance. He didn't have distinguishing clothes or distinguishing features that distracted you from who he was as a simple human being from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. When he spoke, it was truth.
His words were simple and short. He would speak little and be silent often, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. His scent and smell of his body would remain in a room even though he had left.
A person would walk into his masjid and he would say, "Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was just here. I could smell his fragrance," Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. When he walked, he was quick.
People had to run just to catch up to him. He was a man of purpose, a man of direction. He knew where he was going and how to get there, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Never once did he strike another individual except in the path of Allah in battle and in war. Never once did he curse another. Never once did he yell or raise his voice in anger.
Never once did he, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, be asked for something and not give it to the person who has asked him. Never once, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it is recorded in his seerah, in his whole history of life, did he eat a meal alone. He always invited people to share what he had.
Never once, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, did he forget about you and I as believers who would believe in him many hundreds of years after his life. Listen to the love of the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, for you and I. One day he sits with his companions, with the people who live with him, and he begins to weep, he cries. And they said, "(مَا يُبْكِيكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ؟ - ma yubkeeka ya rasool Allah)" Why are you weeping, O messenger of Allah, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? He said, "(أَحْبَابِي أَحْبَابي - ahbabi ahbabi)." I cry for the ones I love, the ones I love. وَقَالُوا أَوَلَسْنَا أَحْبَابَكَ ؟ Are we not the ones you love, O messenger of Allah? He said "(أَنْتُمْ أَصْحَابِي - antum ash'habi)" I love you, but you are my companions. (أَحْبَابِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِي وَلَمْ يَرَوْنِي - ahbabi alladheena amanoo bi wa lam yarawni) The ones I desire in my heart, the ones I love, are those who will believe in me and my message and have not seen me, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
How can I not love such a man? How can I not revere such a man? How can I not trust such a man? And the issue of why you remain as a Muslim is an issue of iman.
What Does it Mean to Believe?
What does it mean to believe? If I was to tell you a story now, and I would say, Do you believe me? What I mean by asking, Do you believe me? Is, Do you take me as the only authority that you would accept that narration from? No one else is going to inform you of it except me. Do you have belief in this? And as such, when you believe in Allah, and when you believe in Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you make that shahada.
"(أشْهَدُ - ash'hadu)" I bear witness, I testify. You are a witness in front of court, in front of humanity, in front of all that exists. I bear witness. "(أَنْ لا إله إلا الله - an la ilaha illa Allah)" None can be worshipped or should be worshipped but Allah. "وَأَشْهَدُ" And I bear witness and I testify "(أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - anna Muhammadan rasool Allah)" That Muhammad is truly the great messenger of Allah.
Story of Ali رضي الله عنه and the Prophet's Strength
Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was a man of strength. علي رضي الله عنه The great companion and the fourth khalifa of this great ummah. The cousin of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. One of the earliest those to accept the message of Rasulullah was known to be a man of strength, physical strength. No one could wrestle him. No one could throw him to the ground.
And Ali was almost as if, you know, he had a sense of pride about his, you know, his strength. And the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I know one man who can defeat you." And he said, "who is he? I will wrestle him."
یا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم The Prophet told him, "go to this oasis. Under a tree, you're going to find رجل ملثم A man who's covered his face with his amama. He can beat you."
Ali goes out into the desert, finds the oasis, finds a man standing there covering his face with his amama, with his turban. And Ali said, "you are the one that Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said for me to wrestle." And the man nodded his head.
So Ali said, "فالأولى" Let's have the first duel. And he comes and he's thrown to the ground. Ali radiallahu anhu says "الثانية" Give me a second chance. Thrown to the ground. "الثالثة" Third time. Thrown to the ground.
فإذا هو النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم The Prophet then uncovers his face. It is Muhammad, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Ali radiallahu anhu, he also tells us, when battle was in its fiercest mode, during the battles of Badr, the battles of Uhud, the battles of Khandaq, the battles of Khaybar, when the battle was at its thickest, on the day of Hunayn, when everyone was running, the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was the one they stood and hid and covered and sheltered themselves behind, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
He was a man of strength, but he was also a man of love. How he dealt with his wife and his children and his family. How he dealt with his companions and with the believers who lived amongst him. How he elevated and honored the elderly. How he showed mercy to the young. How he taught, how he spread his wealth and his earnings, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
How he showed his dedication and effort and study. All of that was an impression that is left upon your heart and my heart. Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Third Reason: The Constitution of Islam
I remain Muslim because of the Qur'an. I remain Muslim because of the messenger, Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. I remain Muslim because of the constitution of Islam.
Because of the great teachings that are found in the tradition of Islam. There's this great misconception, especially in many countries, where acts of crime, barbarism, terrorism have occurred. Where Muslims have been singled out and the faith, the belief of Muslims has been made to be a root cause of some of these problems.
And it is a fallacy. It is an untruth that is propagated against the way of Allah and the way of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. I want to give you a glimpse of the dealings of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
I want to give you a glimpse of the true spirit of Islam. The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his words were important. But his actions gave you greater example of the meanings of his words.
So you saw how he lived, not just what he said. And this is the first and most important of reasons of this social conscious of Islam that helps me retain my faith in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That as Muslims, it's not just what we say, but equally and at times more importantly, it is what we do.
The Prophet's Dua After Prayer
From our offer of salah and prayer, I want you to hear the dua of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. I want you to hear just this one dua, one mode of invocation that the Prophet would make. And it just shows you the eternal struggle of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in bringing us towards Allah Azzawajal.
The Prophet would complete his prayer and he would say after saying assalamu alaikum, assalamu alaikum, He would say:
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 591)
"Oh Allah, you are As-Salam, the giver of peace. And all peace is derived from you. How honored and elevated are you, oh Allah, O Owner of majesty and honor."
And the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would say:
(Abu Dawud, Hadith 1522)
"Oh Allah, give me strength to worship you more in being ever remembering of you and more thankful of you, and to make my ibadah better than what it is now," Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
That eternal pursuit of excellence keeps me Muslim. That what I am today, I want it to be better tomorrow. And what I am tomorrow, I wish for it to be better the next day. And what I am this week, I want the week after to be greater and better. And for me to be nearer Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And that is how the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam lived and spread this faith of Islam.
The Spread of Islam Through Peace
I want to tell you the story of the largest Muslim population living on earth today. In this one country, not too far from here, Asian country, one country, there are more Muslims in that one country than all of the Arabic world combined.
If you were to add Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, UAE, Libya, put all of them in one country, Indonesia has more Muslims in it than all of the Arab world. How did Islam enter this land where Muslims live in such large numbers? There was a few Yemeni sailors, Aydarous family, Abdat family, they were sailors, fishermen, traders. And they got on their ship and they sailed the seas.
And in a storm, their ship washed on shore in a place and in a land that they did not know, didn't know its people. Islam had not reached it. They didn't speak the language.
A few sailors in a few ships land on shore. And from them marrying into the culture, building their masajid, living a life of Islam, of peace. You today have the largest Muslim population in any country in the world.
Allahu Akbar. Islam was not spread through hatred and violence and warfare. The Muslims, they left that Arabic peninsula.
Some of them went north. Sahaba, companions of the Prophet, they reached places such as Azerbaijan, Bukhara, further up. And they come to countries that they found were bitterly cold.
That the land was snowy and full of ice and cold. And they said "(هَذِهِ بَلَدُ الصبر - hadhihi baladu as-sabr)." This is a land we have to be patient. Today we still call this place Siberia in northern Russia. They went west. They kept going west.
They came by the cliffs of mountains. And they saw in their mountains, you know, oranges. And they said, "(بَلَدُ الْبُرْتُقَالِ - baladu al-burtuqal)." This is a land of many oranges. Today we still call it Portugal. They went south into the depths of Africa.
They came to a land where its king and its people were full of peace. And they said, this city, this country is Darussalam, a place of peace. They went east.
They kept going east until they came to a city that they said, this is "(بَلَدٌ أَمَانِ اللَّهِ - baladun amani Allah)." A country where Allah has given security. Today it's still called Manila.
This is the spread of Islam. This is how people came from that place of Tawheed. From the moment of Allah's revelation to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
It was destined to accept the words of the Prophet that this faith shall enter into every land, into every home, into every place. People shall come to hear of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Islam also calls to a great universality.
Unity and Brotherhood
It leads us to accept each other as brothers and sisters. My dear brother, my dear sister, those of you who have the honor and the privilege to go to the Hajj, to go and visit Baytullah, and to visit Mecca, and to visit Masjid An-Nabi, the place of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his mosque, you will find an invigorated sense of iman. You will say to yourself looking at the people around you, that this Islam is not for one people or one community.
We don't have a mosque just for Indians. We don't have a mosque just for Bosnians. We don't have a mosque just for Somalis. We don't have a mosque just for Arabs. You come to pray and you make the takbir, Allahu Akbar, you don't look to your right to see the person next to you, what color is his skin, where he is from, what language does he speak, what ethnicity, or what racial background he is from. And we are as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has said:
"(الْمُؤْمِنُونَ كَأَسْنَانِ الْمُشْطِ - al-mu'minuna ka'asnan al-musht)" [At-Tabarani] - we are as equal to each other as the teeth of a comb.
So you find the great teachings of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam spreading to us that great message of brotherhood and sisterhood and love for our fellow man. We find that great message of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that keeps us attached to him, loving him, wanting him, desiring him, learning about the great teachings of Al-Quran.
Fourth Reason: Love for Allah
Finally, I remain Muslim because of my love for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Here we are, we have spoken about the Quran and the Prophet and the Sunnah and the ethics of Islam. But if you really look at the importance that Allah plays in your life, you will find a great deal of regret and sorrow for not honoring Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala more than you have honored him. And this is something all of us in all of our capacities need to improve upon.
My dear brother, my dear sister, we look at ourselves at times and we see strength. You know, you look at yourself and you say Alhamdulillah, brother Yahya, I have money, Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah, I'm employed, I have a job, I have a car, you know, I have a wife, I have children. Alhamdulillah, I have a little bit of savings. Alhamdulillah, I have family to rely on. I have people to help me. Alhamdulillah, brother Yahya, I have everything I need.
And you forget that the one who provided is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The one who has given you is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And the one who can take from you is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The one who elevates you is Allah. And the one that can bring you down is Allah. The one who gives you health is Allah. The one who gives you illness is Allah. The one who spreads happiness amongst humanity for you is Allah. The one who puts hatred in the hearts of people against you is Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is central to each and everything in your life. And once you forget Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, your life changes from thankfulness and acceptance to turbulence and hardship.
I remain Muslim because I love Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You remain Muslim because you love Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You know, yesterday I arrived at 2 in the morning. Alhamdulillah, from Australia. And there was a line up, a queue because everyone was checking for swine flu. You know, everyone in the airport is being checked.
You have to fill out a declaration. A couple of years ago, there was a chicken flu, right? An animal gets sick. Animal, swine, pig. Chicken flu, a chicken gets sick. The chicken, if it coughs on you, you get sick, you can die. Subhanallah.
You look at yourself and think you're strong. A little bacteria, a little virus, you can't see it. You can't hold it. You can't push it. You can't protect from it. You breathe it in or eat it or ingest it. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala can bring about your death. As strong as you are, wallahi ya akhi ya ufti, you are weak. As mighty as you may think, you have no defense. As wealthy as you may be, you are poor to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. As much as you have, you are in poverty. You have nothing.
In the same way, as weak as you find yourself as a Muslim. As a Muslim, look at all what's happening in the world. You hear of the tragedies that are experienced by Muslims and non-Muslims. And you find a sense of weakness. You say, I have nothing that I can do to help my brothers in Palestine. What can I do? I have nothing. I have no ability to help my brothers and sisters here or there. So you feel that sense of weakness and Allah tells you, you are strong and powerful. If you are with Him subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And being a submitter, a Muslim, someone who has given his life to Allah, you gain that strength. Although you are weak, you are powerful and strong in your faith with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Examples from the Prophet's Life
I want to give you an example in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
When the Prophet left Makkah in the Hijrah, him and Abu Bakr hid in a cave. The Mushrikeen surrounded the cave, looking for the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Abu Bakr says to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam), "Ya Rasulullah, lau nazaru ila aqdamihim." If all they did was look under their feet, "la wajadoona," they would find us. And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to him, "la takhaf wa la tahzan."
And Allah recorded in the Quran
He says to his companion, don't be scared, don't be sorrowful. Allah is protecting us and with us. Here Abu Bakr is fearful and the Prophet in one sentence gives him strength.
On the day of the battle of Badr, the Prophet was in his tent from night till morning with his hands raised to Allah. His hands were put up in dua so high that his shirt fell off his back, (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam). And the Prophet was crying and weeping and crying to Allah, "O Allah, we are the only ones who believe in you. If you let us be defeated, who will help us? Who will worship you, O Allah?" Abu Bakr comes to the Prophet and he says to him, "Ya Rasulullah, inna allaha la yufzeek." Allah will not ever allow harm to happen to you. We will be victorious, we will be strengthened, we will defeat the people of disbelief.
Those two examples are very opposite in the life of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam). In one instance, the Prophet is very strong and self-assured. He says to Abu Bakr, don't be scared, Allah will help us.
On the battle of Badr, the Prophet is crying and weeping and crying and weeping, day after day in dua. What is the difference? When the Prophet was in the cave, no one can help him except who? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And because you're a Muslim, when you know that none is there for you but Allah, you always go back to Allah.
And that's why when you're sick, you're very sincere. You say, oh Allah, cure me, oh Allah, help me, oh Allah, help me. You don't rely upon anyone because you have no one to turn to.
On the day of Badr, the Prophet wanted to teach you and I the same lesson. Not because he had an army, (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Not because they were waiting to defeat the mushrikeen. Not because they were the ones who attack the caravan. Not because Allah had given them permission to defend themselves. That that meant he can simply say, Allah gave us permission, Allah is going to help us.
No. The Prophet continued to make dua and dua and dua and dua and dua. Because when you have health and when you have luxury and when you have money, and when you have strength and when you have numbers, that is actually your weakest point. Because you begin to forget Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the only one who can help you. And as a Muslim, I find great honor and satisfaction in knowing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
is the protector and the aid and the friends of those who have true faith in Allah. That is the great message that is delivered to us by the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
The Final Advice of the Prophet
I'm a Muslim because of my love for Allah. The last moments of the life of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam) are moments of great tragedy, of great sorrow, but they are moments of great joy and love of the Prophet for us. His final advice to the Muslim ummah was really simple, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam.
The last time the Prophet sat on his minbar, sat because he could not stand to deliver his talk. He sat on the minbar and he said to the people, I am about to depart from you, (إِنِّي فَرَطٌ فِيكُمْ - "I am like a lone horse amongst you,") (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam). And people didn't understand what he meant.
I'm about to depart from this ummah, (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam). So what advice does he give us?
(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4607)
"Hold on to my way of life. Hold on to the Qur'an and to my way of life, and the way of life of my companions, the great khulafa, the great leaders who will come after me.
Hold on to it the way you bite on to something that you can never let go of. And then he says to them, (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam),
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3331)
and I admonish you, and I ask you to treat your women well. The Prophet talks to the men of the ummah.
Treat your women well. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam) then says
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 2697)
Your prayers, your prayers. Protect your prayers, guard your prayers.
Protect your prayers, guard your prayers. There is nothing that you will gain from this conference, my dear brothers and sisters, greater than an appreciation for that great ibadah of salah. Those were the last words of advice of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
"الصلاة الصلاة" Your salah, your salah. Your prayers, your prayers. Your salah, your salah.
Why? Because that is the criteria of your Islam. Do you want to know how good you are with Allah? Do you want to know how near you are to Allah? Do you want to know where you will be in Jannah? Do you want to know if your children will live a good life after your death? Do you want to know if you will have a righteous, good, halal existence? Look at your salah. Are you a successful believer? Are you a Muslim? Are you a submitter to Allah? Are you one who prays to Allah truly? I remain Muslim because of salah.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alaihi wasallam) says
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2621)
The distinction and the criteria between us and those who do not believe is our prayer. That separates belief from unbelief.
If I was to ask my dear brothers and sisters in the audience today, how many of us, alhamdulillah, fasted the month of Ramadan? Please put your hands up, inshallah. Allahu Akbar. 99.9% to be statistically
accurate. We don't want to say 100%. Everyone, inshallah. I want to ask a second question, but don't raise your hands. Answer in your heart.
How many of us in the last three or four months have not missed salah? How many of us in the last month have prayed every fajr before the sun has risen? How many of us have been conscious of our ibadah to Allah? How many of us when we prayed, we actually prayed that from the moment we said Allahu Akbar to when we said As-salamu alaykum, that at that time from those minutes that we have devoted to Allah, we were with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in our actions and in our belief and heart. How true are we in our salah? My dear brother, my dear sister, that message of prayer is an integral message in your life. It is what keeps you in belief in Allah.
Once that erodes, once your ibadah begins to dwindle, once your salah becomes incomplete, everything in your life that is elevated is a humiliation upon you. Because it is a proof against you before Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Your comfort and your joy is in that worship of Allah azza wa jal.
The Sweetness of Faith
I want to conclude with a hadith of the messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). He would say to the people
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 16)
A person tastes sweetness of faith. Who is this type of person? One of the types of people is the one who hates to go back to kufr after entering into Islam.
Subhanallah. A person can taste sweetness of iman when he hates to be anything other than a believer in Allah. For many of us who are born into Muslims, that sweetness of faith is something that we are unable to experience. Because all that we have known and all that we have taken for granted is our belief in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. But let us rejuvenate our iman. Let us increase our faith in Allah.
Concluding Dua
Let us make dua in conclusion for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to protect us and to protect our faith. I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the Lord and the creator of all that exists to bring His mercy and barakah upon us. I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make us successful Muslims, great Muslims.
I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless us and our homes with the love of the Qur'an. I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to teach us from the Qur'an that which we do not know and to help us remember that which we have forgotten. And I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to allow us to live a life that is based on the Qur'an.
Question and Answer Session
Moderator: Jazakallah khayra shaykh Yahya Ibrahim for your very wise and beneficial talk. Inshallah now we will have time for question and answers approximately 25 minutes. Just a reminder to go over the process or the format of the question and answer session. We have three mics. One at the front, one at the rear and one for the sisters. As always, we offer the chance to ask questions first to the non-Muslims. So if there is a non-Muslim who wishes to ask a question just contact one of the volunteers and they will put you to the front of the queue Inshallah. Another reminder which I beg you all to listen to this time is to make sure that your questions are relevant and on the topic. Keep your questions short, concise and only one question at a time. Also, please do speak very loudly and clearly because it can be a little bit hard for us to hear you here up on the stage. So make sure it's nice and loud so that we can hear you. And lastly, do not forget to state your name and your profession before you ask the question. So inshallah, we'll begin with the first question from the front mic.
Question 1: How to Spread Islam to Youth
Questioner: He's very impressed with your talk and he just wants to ask a question that how can I spread the word of Islam in today's youth, especially in my country?
Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim: Alhamdulillah wa salatu wa salamu ala rasoolillah (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) wa ba'd. As a person who seeks to spread the message of Islam there are really three steps, three things that we have to do:
First is to have sincerity (ikhlas) to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that our wish to spread the faith of Islam isn't because we want to convert someone or for someone to accept Islam as an honor for us, but it is to be genuine in our treatment of others and to call them to what we firmly and truly believe in. So to have sincerity and to know that it is only Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who we seek. There is no fame or fortune in it. So having that sincerity gives you the ability to work effectively in that cause.
Second is to learn, al-ilm
Learning and knowledge is very very important. What is good about inviting someone when you do not have what it takes to invite them to? And that's why people like Dr. Zakir Naik and the organization of IRF and so on have done a wondrous job, alhamdulillah, in spreading a message of peace and in spreading a message of Islam and bringing people from diverse backgrounds, from different cultures, from different languages, those who were non-Muslim and entered into Islam, those who were born Muslims, those who were raised in the West from various backgrounds who have learned a little bit about Islam to teach it. So al-ilm is a very important prerequisite.
And third is al-amal, to practice what we say
It is no benefit to tell a person about Islam if we in our life are negligent of some of its greatest and more important teachings. Sometimes we come to a person and we say "We want you to do this, oh Islam teaches this, this, this, this" And then you look at an individual and they are negligent with their wife. They are not good with their children. They have not given the dedication to their salah that it deserves. They do not read from the Qur'an for themselves. All of it is based on others and not of introspective look within their life. So al-ikhlas, wal-ilm, wal-amal.
And one of the greatest things my dear brother about the spread of Islam is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the only one who controls the heart. So you can sit with someone and talk, and talk, and talk about Islam and it has no benefit to them. Because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has locked their heart from the faith of Islam. So in having sincerity: If a person accepts Islam, alhamdulillah. If they don't, alhamdulillah. Because you were sincere to Allah. You have learned and you are seeking to practice and to teach. And those are three very important steps, inshallah.
I also finally advise from myself: That if a person is not able to make da'wah himself to others, it is to support others who are able. Sometimes we are not able to travel to Canada or America or here or there to give da'wah. But you know, for example, some of the brothers at IRF or other organizations are. So be volunteers in that organization. Be generous in your donations. Give to the cause of people who are able to perform that obligation that you are not yet able to meet, inshallah. Wa jazakallahu khair.
Question 2: About Evil Eye and Magic
Sister Badrunissa: Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. My name is Badrunissa Bataki. My educational qualification is MA, M.Ed. It is true that one cannot change his or her destiny. Yet we used to blame someone who are not friendly with us. Don't you think this is shirk? And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will not forgive us. Jazakallahu khair.
Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim: Alhamdulillah wa salatu wa salamu ala rasulillah. From what I understood from your question sister is that sometimes we are fearful of a person that we are not friends with. Maybe it could be something of magic or envy or something of this nature. Is this what you mean?
Sister: Yes.
Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim: Yes sister. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) says in the authentic hadith narrated by Imam Al-Bukhari :
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5740)
The evil eye, someone looking at something that is yours with jealousy, is true, it's a reality. Fatima radhiyallahu anha, the daughter of Zahra of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), when she gave birth to Al-Hassan or Al-Hussain, and a woman was coming to visit her in the home. So the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said "don't let her see him. Don't let her see your son. And just point to where he sleeps but don't put him there. Put a rock, put a stone. And hide him, give him to someone to look after him." So this woman she came and she says "where is your son, your newborn?" She said "he's sleeping, he's over there." And later on the rock was broken in half. This is an authentic hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
As for magic, there are evidences from the Quran and from the sunnah that people who disbelieve in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, even though they might claim to be Muslim and have performed acts of shirk, can try to harm a believer. Whether it's to make a husband and wife separate. Whether it's to make children hate their parents. Whether it's to make a person depressed or sorrowful. These are all things that are found in the traditions of the sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
But central to al-'ayn, to the evil eye and to evilness of magic is the order of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala:
They are unable to harm anyone except if Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala permits it. So as a believer, you never have this fear "Who is this? What are they doing? Why are they saying this?" You don't have this level of paranoia. You have reliance on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So how do you protect yourself from these things? One thing to do is the Quran. Read the Quran often, especially surah al-Baqarah. Especially in your home. Especially at times of feeling sad or sorrow or in difficulty. In surah al-Baqarah and in surah al-Imran and in surah Taha. In these three surahs is Allah's greatest name. As the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "Whoever reads these three surahs and makes dua to Allah, Allah will answer their dua and protect him."
Also in terms of the evil eye and in terms of magic: Try to be in wudu as often as possible. When you enter your home, say
When you leave it, say the same. Before you eat, you say
Before you drink, all of the rituals of Islam. Practice as much of them as possible. And finally, be with good company. Be with people who are of righteous company or who lead you towards Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And recognize that there are also Muslims who try to use our fear to make money. Anyone who comes to you and says, "look, someone's done this. I will protect you if you give me this large amount of money." You say, "get away from me." This is not the way of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). If someone is good at helping, reading Quran and making ruqya, Alhamdulillah, you can give them a gift. So this is how you know the true from the untrue in this help. Wallahu ta'ala, a'la wa a'lam. Thank you.
Question 3: About Religious Authority Hierarchy
Taliban Zari from Nagpur: Assalamu alaikum, my question is Quran teaches us
Does the hierarchy stop there or we also have to follow sahaba? Or we also have to follow tabi'in, taba'tabayn? And where this hierarchy ends? Jazakallah khair brother.
Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim: If you completed the verse, you will see where the hierarchy ends:
"And those who are in authority above you." So the authority above you has a wide range of meanings.
For example, the laws and the dictates of the land that are not a direct condemnation of the laws of Islam become part of the laws of 'urf. So for example, in Australia as I'm driving, if I come to a red light, I won't give India as an example because I've been taking around the roads a little bit. Red light, green light, yellow light. From what I understand, I've only been here maybe 24 hours. Seems all the same, right? But in Australia for example, red light, you have to stop. If I'm driving at 3 in the morning and no one is around, I still stop, not because anyone is going to see me or police is going to give me a ticket or out of that, but because it becomes an obligation upon me as a Muslim. So that is a part of the laws and that is part of uli'l amr.
Also uli'l amr are the scholars of Islam. When you come to a mufti, someone who you trust and know is knowledgeable in Islam, you have come to see an answer. And they provide you an answer that maybe you were hoping it would be a little bit less or not as strict as he was or as she was in the answer that they have provided. For you as a person, you are to follow the truth. Even though your heart may lead you and may want you to follow something else. So uli'l amr is the evidence of the truth. Once the truth is evident, it's an obligation for you to follow it. If you have not come to know the truth, then you are not accountable by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala until you are knowledgeable of where the truth lies in that situation. Wallahu ta'ala awla wa a'lam. Thank you.
Question 4: About Vegetarianism in Islam
Sister Nazleen Haider: Assalamualaikum. My name is Nazleen Haider and I'm in a media profession. Actually the thing is we have always known that Islam is a very peace loving religion. And I've never quite understood the concept of non-vegetarianism in Islam. I myself am a vegetarian because I've never understood how we can actually kill somebody who has life and then consume it.
Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim: We come to understand from the life of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that he did eat meat at different moments in his life. And meat was plentiful and it is something that is permissible for us as Muslims. So there is no restriction that is a general prohibition. But there is no harm for a believer to say "Well I don't feel that I want to eat meat" and to take a vegetarian course in their day to day life. It would not be proper though to say to a Muslim "You cannot slaughter on the days of Eid" and those rituals are a part of the faith of Islam. We earn a blessing and a reward from Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala on the day of Eid. And there are rituals that are done in the Hajj that include and necessitate, make it compulsory upon us to give a hady, to make a slaughtering, to feed those who are poor. And it is a blessing from Allah to the rest of humanity. Thank you.
Moderator: Thank you sister. Jazakumallahu khairah. That is all the time that we have for question and answers. So I'd like to give a very big thank you to our dear sheikh Yahya Ibrahim for his beneficial talk and question and answer session. So please do give him a big thank you.