Enlisting for Action - United For Change - United Against Malaria

Enlisting for Action - United For Change - United Against Malaria

Opening Remarks and Introduction

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. And peace and blessings be upon the Master of the Messengers, our Master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

And peace be upon you. May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. I'd like to tell this little joke about the khateeb, the sermoner who would always read his khutbah from notes.

So one day he wrote out his khutbah, his address, and he put it in his jubbah, his robe, in the pocket. And then he forgot that he failed to make wudu, his ablutions. So he took his jubbah off, he put it down, and he went to make wudu.

His little baby child came and searched his pockets and found the speech and made off with the speech. So he came before the people, said, And say this to me, peace be upon you. All praise is due to Allah.

That didn't happen to me. I'd like to begin, and I didn't know that Sheikh Yasir Al-Qadi was going to mention that a day would come when he would like to see the leaders and thinkers and scholars that can quote Abraham Lincoln and read the Quran. But I'd like to start with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, considered by some to be the greatest American president, from his Gettysburg Address, considered by some, in spite of its brevity, to be his greatest speech.

The Significance of Action Over Words

In that speech he said, The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. So I wouldn't be so pretentious as to compare our gathering here with what transpired on the battlefield at Gettysburg, which many consider the turning point in the Civil War, and we know the momentous consequences of the fact that that war did turn in favor of the Union, for that led directly and indirectly to the liberation of those who had been enslaved here in America. That led to the salvation of the Union, many other which had far, far reaching consequences in history.

But what I would say is that what we are doing here and what we will do after we leave these doors is far more significant than anything in spite of the power, the information, the inspiration, the motivation contained in the words that we heard here. What we do will have far, far deeper and significant consequences which we pray indeed the world will note. We've had many noble scholars, activists, teachers, and preachers putting aside any differences that they might have to come together for a greater cause, and that is a development that will have far-reaching implications for our community in this country.

Unity Beyond Personal Concerns

Brothers and sisters, further, I would say that each and every one of you in attendance during this blessed month, on this Sabbath day, you have spoken with the tongue of your state by being part of this auspicious gathering that Islam and the causes and concerns of the Muslims are greater than me and my immediate concern, are larger than me and the brothers and sisters in my group, are larger than me and the brothers and sisters in my party, are larger than me and the brothers and sisters that I feel most comfortable with.

You have said through your attendance at this program that there is a brotherhood of Islam that is larger and wider than my immediate Muslim brotherhood. You have said further that when I see the blessings that I so freely, so copiously, and so lavishly enjoy contrasted to the deprivation of my brothers and sisters in far-flung and desperate lands, you are saying that indeed I am my brother's keeper, and when I find my brother and my sister in those far-off lands or even in this land suffering the pain of hunger and disease, suffering from inadequate housing, suffering from poor or no sanitation or education, I must do everything in my power to come to the aid of my brother and sister.

Islam: A Religion of Action and Commitment

This, brothers and sisters, is the spirit of Islam. Islam is not a religion of talk. Islam is a religion of action.

As Sister Fatima Jackson punctuated, Islam is not a religion of half-stepping. Islam is a religion of commitment. It's called submission. You cannot half-submit. There are linguists here in the audience. Please tell me if I'm making a mistake, if I'm misunderstanding the English language, let me know.

Can you half-submit? Either you submit or you don't. That is what Islam is about. It's about commitment.

And each and every one of you have said through your attendance here that you're committed to helping end the scourge of malaria both amongst the Muslims that are affected by it and by those suffering in humanity at large. Did you benefit as I benefited from Dr. Fatima Jackson? If you did, say Allahu Akbar. If you did, clap your hands.

The Example of True Commitment

If you did, scream. Allahu Akbar. Did you know that less than two weeks ago she didn't ask me to say this? She wouldn't want me to say this.

But I must say this because I want you to understand what commitment is. She had a kidney transplant less than two weeks ago. She humbly said, I've been sick.

That's the way of the Muslim. But she's committed. And she's worked and dedicated her life towards a cause.

And she came here to enlist you in that cause. And that cause is no different than the cause that Islamic Relief has spent the time, the energy, the money rallying teams of volunteers to enlist you in. And that is not only the cause of eradicating malaria, that is the cause of showing the people in this country that we have a serious religion.

Islam: A Religion That Creates Serious People

And it's serious because it brings people together. It is serious because it infuses people who have no cause.

Who are often times lost in this empire of illusion, as Chris Hedges put it in his most recent book.

Who are consumed by the unending spectacle. Who become caught up, so deeply caught up by those who use and abuse those illusions. That they'll go out into the streets and they'll try to defeat a plan to bring health care to every American in this country by acting like fools.

And they themselves don't even have health care. They themselves don't have health care. They, each and every, every one of those people that were disrupting civil meetings, that were hosted by civilized people to discuss a nagging problem in this country.

Every one of those fools knows someone that had to sell their house to pay their medical bills. Every one of those fools they know someone who has to languish in their homes suffering from this or that malady because they can't afford to go to a hospital. But they're so consumed by those who manipulate images and illusions to line their pockets with the people's money that they will go out and argue against their best interest.

Islam does not allow us to be fools. Islam is a serious religion and it creates serious people who can see through the illusion. We call the thing that we try to attain to in this religion al-haqiqah, the reality and truth of things.

That's what Islam is all about and that's why we're here today. We're trying to get at the truth of this issue and then solve it once we understand it. That's why we're here.

The Power of Small Groups with Strong Faith

We're here to put our resources together to address this problem. And don't think because this hall isn't filled that the goals of the organizers cannot be met.

Brothers and sisters, this is the spirit of Islam. And this is the spirit Shaykh Yasir al-Qadi earlier was mentioning the foundations of greatness for this community. He mentioned the things, some of the things that we must do.

This is the spirit that we must have. This is the spirit that will make us a great community. This is the spirit of the messenger of Allah, a spirit of mercy, commitment, caring and a spirit of generosity.

The Prophet's Generosity: A Model for Us

A spirit of generosity. It's related from one of his companions as brought to us in the compilations of both Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, The Prophet, peace be upon him, was the best of people. And he was the best in Ramadan when he was met by Jibreel and the Quran taught him. And Jibreel, peace be upon him, used to meet him in Ramadan every night of Ramadan and the Quran taught him. And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, when he was met by Jibreel, he was the best of the messengers.

Ibn Abbas relates that the Prophet, may the mercy and peace of Allah be upon him, was the most generous of people. And the time that he was especially generous was Ramadan when Jibreel would come to him. The angel Gabriel would come to him to review the Quran with him.

And Jibreel would come to him every night during Ramadan and review the Quran with him. And the Messenger of Allah, when Jibreel came to him was more generous in goodness than the free-blowing wind.

(Sahih al-Bukhari 6 and Sahih Muslim 2308)

He was more generous in goodness than the free-blowing wind.

Universal Generosity Without Discrimination

Brothers and sisters, the free-blowing wind carries the seeds, the rain, the good far and wide. It doesn't discriminate. It doesn't fall. The rain doesn't fall on my yard because I'm Muslim and then denies my non-Muslim neighbor rain. The rain doesn't fall on the lands of the whites to the exclusion of the blacks to use those terms. I've never seen a person this color yet.

But we'll excuse the architects of the English language. It doesn't discriminate. It gives freely to all.

This is how the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was. There are those who say that when it comes to Africa, we discriminate. I know that's not the case.

I was recently in a gathering that maybe was one of these sections undertaken to raise money for three projects in Mali. And that gathering produced the goals of the organizers, $131,000. One of the main organizers of that event is here today with me.

So if you need a witness, I can bring you a witness. So I know that when we are informed, when we know where the money is going, when we know that it's in the safe hands of a four-star charity like Islamic Relief, we will give. This is something pleasing to Allah جل جلاله and it's something pleasing to our Prophet.

A Call to Give Freely During Ramadan

So brothers and sisters, during this blessed month of Ramadan, during this blessed season of prayer and fasting, Qur'an, devotion, introspection, let us also remind ourselves that it is a season for giving. And let us give freely. Let us give like the free blowing wind gives.

Let the free blowing wind of our generosity rain the gifts of our concern down on our brothers and sisters in Mali and indeed throughout Africa, indeed throughout the world. Brothers and sisters, let the free blowing winds of our generosity disperse the clouds of parasite-laden mosquitoes ridding that land or lands affected by the scourge of malaria, of that scourge. Let the free blowing winds of our generosity be harbingers of change for the majestic, dignified, but long-suffering people of Africa.

Brothers and sisters, let the free blowing winds of our generosity drive the dross from our own hearts, ushering in a new day of unity, of love, of generosity, of concern, and of serious commitment for the betterment of our community and for the betterment of this world. Brothers and sisters, it is within our power if we are committed and if we rely on our generous, noble, and most gracious Lord to rid the world of this scourge and to be, as it

was mentioned, to be in the forefront of that struggle. And there is no reason why we should not be in the forefront.

We Have Everything We Need

We have the organizational basis. We have the financial basis. We have the basis in terms of the human resources at our disposal.

We have the scientific basis, as was mentioned. We have not only the know-how in terms of medicines and bed nets, but we have now a biodegradable, organic insecticide to bring to bear on this problem developed by our Muslim sister. Brothers and sisters, we have everything that we need.

It is up to us now to translate that potential into reality. We can do it. We must do it.

And inshallah ta'ala, we will do it. In conclusion, as we look at the problems besieging this world, and many of them this country represents as a microcosm, if we look at the problems of hunger, of disease, if we look at the challenges and threats of resurgent racism, if we look at the efforts to keep us trapped into these mindless cycles of militaristic violence, and that's a problem specifically germane to this country. As we look at those problems, our prayer has to be for all of the people of this world.

Conclusion: May God Bless This World

So I cannot conclude, as many conclude, by saying, God bless America. I can only conclude by saying, may God bless this world and may we, through our action, initiate a process of real change that the world indeed will never forget. As-salamu alaykum.