2015-02-20 - The Individual's Response to Crisis - Imam Yaseen Sheikh

Opening & Community Context

We begin by praising Allah and we ask Allah to send his blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.

It's always good to return and be back at this beautiful masjid amongst this beautiful community. And when Baran Nasiruddin was mentioning South Fork Ranch, it brought me back to January 2006 when we performed the first ever Eid Salah at South Fork Ranch. And we had the honour and the pleasure to perform Salatul Eid there and Alhamdulillah the relationship with this community started from that point onwards. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala continue to strengthen that relationship.

My dear respected brothers and sisters, I want to discuss a few issues here today and I'm going to jump from one subject to another and they are all intertwined and connected. However, it's in regards to the current situation that we find Muslims in today.

The Global Situation & Speaking Against Injustice

Today there are different things happening and you're all aware of it Alhamdulillah because you're all well tuned. And with the phenomenon of social media, the whole world has become this global village and anything that happens in any part of the world, everyone knows about it. You can't even go to the toilet without anybody knowing about it. That's how the situation has become today. Everybody's private life is online. Everybody's always tweeting about what they're doing or what they're eating or Facebooking about it, updating their statuses every couple of minutes. So this is how the world has become today. Everybody's very well connected and in tune.

So we're all aware of what's happening around the world and we have to be very clear in our condemnation of what's happening. We have to have a strong stance in standing up for what is right and speaking out against injustice — whether the perpetrators are Muslims or non-Muslims. It's very important that we do that because right now we know about the situation in Syria and Iraq and we know what is being perpetrated and what's being committed in the name of Islam. The brutality and the murder of innocent individuals. Just recently 21 Coptic Christians were slaughtered and killed in the name of Islam. This was not an Islamic act. It was not in the name of Islam. They do not represent us. They do not stand for us. These are barbaric acts.

Muslims are killing Muslims today and that's what's happening and we know the situation in Syria where thousands and thousands of people have been killed and may Allah give the families relief.

Issues Closer to Home

But I want to speak about some issues that are closer to home. Issues that are at our own doorstep. Issues that concern each one of us. We saw a very ugly face and representation of that issue last month when a very peaceful event was hosted and held here in Berlin. And outside the event we found so many people protesting and shouting and spouting some hateful things against Muslims and regarding Islam. And it was very hateful.

The Three Winners — The Chapel Hill Martyrs

And then most recently we have heard about the three young Muslims that were killed in North Carolina. And we want to be positive because we don't believe that they are dead. We believe that they are alive just like all the martyrs are alive. So we want to spin this incident into something positive in a sense. This is what the family did. The family of the victims have called their deceased sons and daughters the three winners. They are our three winners. Because they died for truth, they died for Islam, they died for their identity. So they are positive. Calling them our three winners. Those who were victorious.

Allah told us that whoever dies for Allah's cause, he is not dead:

Do not assume for a moment that those who were killed in the path of Allah are dead. Rather they are alive and they are being sustained by their Lord. They are living a beautiful life.

And if you look at the names — beautiful names, meaning light. And when you see his beautiful face, it reminds you of the verses of the Quran. It reminds you about the faces on the Day of Judgement of individuals that were righteous in this life — they would have bright and beautiful faces, smiling. This is what I am reminded of when I see the beautiful faces of these young people.

But we have to also remember what they embodied and the spirit that they embodied. At the age of 23, this young man, Deah Barakat, had accomplished a lot. At the age of 23, he had set up an organization to fund poor and underprivileged refugees that are staying in camps in Turkey. And he would go and provide relief to them. And also in his local city, this young man, Deah, was helping homeless people and handing out dental kits to them. And he was a person who embodied peace. And he embodied security. He embodied justice. And these are all prophetic values. Values that the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam himself stood up for. Values that the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam himself established.

Hilf al-Fudul — The Prophetic Precedent for Justice

We know about the famous story before the Hijra and before the Nubuwwah. When the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam was called with a group of people to establish a covenant called Hilf al-Fudul. And the Hilf al-Fudul was established to give justice and equality to the underprivileged and the poor people of Mecca who were being mistreated by the rich, arrogant people of Mecca. And traders, merchants that were travelling from distant lands with the intention to trade in Mecca — if they were mistreated, the Hilf al-Fudul was established to give them justice. This is what the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam did before Nubuwwah. Before he was even a prophet.

And that's why Khadijah radiallahu anha says in that beautiful hadith — the first hadith in Bukhari, in the chapter on how the Wahy began — when the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam received the first message from Allah, he returns home, and his wife says to him: Allah will never waste you. Allah will never humiliate you. Allah will never disgrace you. Because you are a good man. She mentions his beautiful attributes and his beautiful qualities. These are the qualities of this young man, Deah, and his wife and his sister-in-law that passed away. They embodied these beautiful virtues and these beautiful characteristics. So we must be positive that they are our three winners. Yes, they paid a price and they were killed. But they are martyrs in the eyes of Allah. And they have also brought about more discussion on the bigotry and the hatred and Islamophobia that is rampant in this country today.

Remembering Malcolm X — Malik Shabazz

But I also want to mention somebody else. Because it's been 50 years since he was assassinated. And I've seen many resemblances and connections between him and Deah Barakat. And the man I am speaking about is Malik Shabazz — Malcolm X. It has been 50 years since he was assassinated. His life was also taken because he stood up for the truth. His life was also taken because he stood up for justice. His life was also taken because he stood up for equality. His life was taken because he stood up for freedom. And we must remember our martyrs. We must remember those who stood up — those who were champions of justice. Champions of equality. Malik Shabazz. And the great work that he did. And the legacy that he left behind.

Building Bridges & Avoiding Marginalisation

And he also brings me to another point. And that point is that the fight for civil rights and the fight for freedom and the fight for equality is not fought by Muslims alone. And we are not the first community in this country to be fighting this fight. Many communities have faced this in the past. And it's important that we consider those communities and build ties with them too. It's extremely important.

In fact, we are guilty of marginalising some of those communities that fought for the rights that we are enjoying today. Some of the communities that gave their blood and sweat for rights that we are enjoying today in the United States of America. We have marginalised those communities. I don't want to go into the subject of how we've done that and in which way we have done it because it's a great discussion and a long one. But it's a fact that we have marginalised the indigenous Muslim community of America — many of whom fought for the rights of each one of us that is sitting here today. So it's important for us to remember that.

The Danger of Sectarianism

And it's also important for us to remember another beautiful point. What I have observed and what many people have observed during this time, during this great fitna, during this trial, during this tribulation that this ummah is facing, is that it has brought many Muslims together. Many Muslims have come together. Muslims of different orientations, Muslims of different backgrounds, Muslims that belong to different sects. This sectarianism is killing us. The sectarianism within the ummah is killing us. The sectarianism within this Muslim community in the world is killing us. Muslims are killing Muslims. Muslims are not willing to hold hands with other Muslims. And until we don't sort our home out, until we don't come together, we will always fall from the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam told us in the hadith:

When my ummah fights each other, when my ummah starts fighting each other, they will fall from Allah's grace.

And this is why we have started to fall. And this is why we keep falling, my dear respected brothers and sisters.

The Trials of the End Times

We have to think about these episodes that are taking place as the fitna and the trials that the Prophet alaihi wa sallam forewarned us about. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam told us that times like this will come:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 213)

The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: Hasten towards righteous deeds. For there will be many trials, many fitna that will come. And they will be like the pieces of a dark night. Just as a dark night keeps increasing in darkness, these fitna will keep increasing in intensity. They will become more and more intense, more and more grave. And we are seeing today, my dear respected brothers and sisters, one fitna is following another. There is no break. Just like the portions of the night consecutively follow one another, the fitna are following one another. One fitna is ending, another one starts. Multiple fitna at multiple times and different times.

The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: These fitna will come, these trials will come, these tests will come. A Muslim will wake up as a Muslim and he will go to sleep as a kafir. And a Muslim will go to sleep as a Muslim and he will wake up as a kafir in the morning. Such trials and such tribulations the people will face.

The Quranic Response to Trials

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala revealed regarding these trials and tribulations in Surah al-Tawbah:

This verse was revealed about the munafiqeen. But I think that this verse is also applicable today. Do they not see that every year they will be tested and trialed once or twice? Then they don't repent, then they don't take heed, then they don't turn to Allah.

What is our reaction to these trials? What is our reaction to these tribulations? How do we respond? We must respond by turning to Allah stronger than before. For our strength and our stamina is dependent on our relationship with Allah and our connection with Him. If the fitna come and we run the other way, if the fitna come and we forsake our religion, if the fitna come and we turn away, Allah's help and His nasr will never be with us.

If Allah helps you, nobody can overpower you. If Allah's help is there, nobody can overpower you. But when will Allah's nasr come?

Do not be aggrieved, do not become weak. You are on top. You are the leaders if you are righteous and you are true in your faith. If you are true believers in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Prophetic Model of Optimism in Trials

So if these fitna came, if these trials came, and we became negative — Nabi Kareem sallallahu alaihi wa sallam was never negative. He was always positive. I'll give you an example.

When Sumayyah radiallahu anha, the first martyr of Islam, was going through trials and tribulations, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam comforted her and said: Be patient, for Jannah is waiting for you.

Even at the time of Khandaq, when the Muslims were suffering because confederates and different tribes and allies had come together to attack Madinah Munawwarah and the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam dug trenches around the city with his Sahaba radiallahu anhum — at that time, he was still optimistic. Despite thousands and thousands of people marching upon Madinah, he was still optimistic.

When the Sahaba radiallahu anhum were struggling to break one of the big rocks, the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam himself came and he took a pick and he smashed the rock and broke one third. And then he said, "I have been given the keys of Syria." The beautiful palaces of Syria are coming to Muslim hands. Optimism. That was optimism. Then the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam strikes again and hits another portion of the stone and it breaks and he says, "I have been given the keys of Persia." Then the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam hits it again and he says, "I have been given the keys of Yemen."

And the Sahaba radiallahu anhum are happy. They are happy. They are facing trials and tribulations but they are still happy. They are lifting their shirts and showing the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam — I have one stone because I am hungry. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam says, I have two stones. You have one stone holding your belly. I have two stones holding my belly. And they were singing beautiful songs.

This was the situation, my dear respected brothers and sisters. They were optimistic. They never gave up their faith.

Turning to Allah and Quran in Difficulty

The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, at the time of fitna — when his wife Aisha radiallahu anha was accused of committing adultery — how did he respond? When she came to his house due to this devastating allegation against her integrity and her morality, the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is seen reading more Quran. He is connecting with Allah stronger. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, when faced with any difficulty, he would resort towards Salah.

When Uthman ibn Affan radiallahu anhu's house was surrounded — before he was martyred, before he was killed — what was he doing? Reciting Quran. He was reading Quran when he was martyred, to the extent that blood splatters went onto the Mushaf, the copy of the Quran that he was reciting from.

My dear respected brothers and sisters, it is the time for us to turn to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, to connect with Allah stronger than before.

The Resilience of the Companions

When the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam faced trials and tribulations against their identity, against their very existence, against their adherence to the Kalimah لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله, what did they show? They showed strength and perseverance.

Bilal ibn Abi Rabah radiallahu ta'ala anhu — we saw his solidarity and his strength when he was being beaten by Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and he was being told: leave Islam, renounce Islam, or swear to the idols. And he responds: Ahad, Ahad — the One Allah, the One Allah.

Khabbab ibn al-Aratt radiallahu ta'ala anhu is dragged into the sands, the heat of Arabia, and his back is burning, and a rock is placed on his chest, burning coals placed on his back. Umar radiallahu anhu, when he was Khalifah, said to Khabbab, "Show me your back, I want to see your back." And he showed him his back. He said, "I have never seen a back like that." And his back had become like that for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's sake.

And we see the same sacrifices given by Abu Dharr al-Ghifari radiallahu ta'ala anhu, when he came at the beginning of Islam and was beaten by the people because he accepted the message of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.

And we see Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radiallahu ta'ala anhu, when he was beaten for the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam near the Ka'bah, and he fell unconscious. When he wakes up, the first thing he says is: "Where is Rasulullah? Where is Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam?" This is sacrifice. This is strength. This is steadfastness — firmness, thabat, istiqamah — standing for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's sake.

The Poem of Khubayb ibn Adi

We see the Sahaba — Khubayb ibn Adi radiallahu ta'ala anhu. When the tribes of Raji' had invited the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, or they asked the Prophet, to send some people to teach them Islam. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam sent six Sahaba, one of them was Khubayb ibn Adi radiallahu ta'ala anhu. Five of them were all martyred. And Khubayb, before he was martyred, he said, "Let me pray two rak'at before I am martyred." And they said, "Go ahead, pray two rak'at." And he prayed two beautiful rak'at. After he finished his two rak'at, he said to the killers that were about to kill him: "I was going to prolong my two rak'at, but you might think that I am afraid of death. That is why I am not going to prolong my two rak'at."

And then he says a very beautiful poem:

I have no care in the world as long as I die a Muslim. I have no care in the world as long as I die a Muslim. It doesn't matter how I die, what situation I die in, what side I fall on, as long as my death is for the cause of Allah. And this is all for the sake of Allah. And if He wishes, He will bless me on every single joint and every single limb that has been severed and broken into pieces — He will bless me on each one of them.

This was the resilience of the Sahaba.

The Right Way to Respond to Fitna

My dear respected brothers and sisters, there are many ways to respond to fitna. There are some ways that are misguided — like individuals in France and individuals in Denmark who have taken actions into their own hands. These are not Islamic ways of responding. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam did not respond like this. We know the prophetic way of responding to hate. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam responded with love and kindness. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam responded with integrity and morality. He was upright. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam responded with compassion. That's why he changed the hearts of the people. He was a mercy for the world.

And if we embody the characteristics of the Sunnah, we become compassionate and loving, and we become kind, and we represent the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam properly in our lives, we can make a huge change in the country that we're living in.

The Importance of Community Engagement & Dawah

Just a few years back, when a poll was taken regarding American views on Muslims — what were the American public views regarding Muslims? One of the most interesting things that was noted in that study was that the people who had met Muslims, who had interacted with Muslims, had the best and most favorable opinion about Muslims. And those people who had never interacted with Muslims had the less favorable opinion about Muslims.

What does this mean? This means that we have to become more active in our communities. It means that we have to embody the Sunnah. We have to reach out to people. We have to continue in our efforts of outreach so we can present the true message of Islam to people. Yes, we help people, but we also have another motive — which is to present the Kalimah لا إله إلا الله, and to give dawah, and to show a positive image of Islam. Because this is what Islam stands for. Tell the people this is what Islam stands for. What you are seeing in other parts of the world is all political, has nothing to do with the faith, has nothing to do with the religion — whether it's in Nigeria and the Boko Haram, whether it's ISIS, whether it's any other group. They are not doing anything in the name of Islam. It's all politics. They are not standing for Islam.

But show them what true Muslims do, how true Muslims behave, what true Muslims are like. And we can definitely change the opinions of people by building our relationships with them. May Allah give us all the tawfiq.

Building Institutions to Protect Iman

My dear respected brothers and sisters, it's extremely important for us as a Muslim community in this country to establish institutions that will safeguard and protect the Iman of our children to come. We've, Alhamdulillah, discussed this many times in the past. And it's a very important endeavor that we all participated in. Alhamdulillah, by Allah's favour and His bounty, we were able to establish this beautiful masjid by the hard work of this community and brothers and sisters that put their hearts and their souls into this project. And we're very, Alhamdulillah, proud of this achievement. Anyone that visits this community and sees this masjid is marveled at the beauty of the masjid and also the activeness of the community. How active we are, how engaged we are. Alhamdulillah, may Allah maintain it, preserve it, and give us growth, inshallah.

But, my dear respected brothers and sisters, we also have a responsibility and duty towards our neighbours. We also have a responsibility — 50 years from now — to do something. To do something from now. Otherwise, the situations that we're facing today in Europe — European Muslims are going through a very tough time — and I wouldn't be surprised if Muslims here are going through similar phases and similar challenges in the next few years.

I can talk about the Prevent strategy and the counter-terrorism bill and everything that has been introduced in the UK and what that means for Muslims living in the UK. But I wouldn't be surprised if laws like that were introduced in the United States of America in the next year or two. It is becoming more and more difficult for Muslims to follow their deen. Peace-loving Muslims. Each one of us here, who is sitting here, who goes to the masjid once a week, is treated as a suspect. This is what's happening. This is what the counter-terrorism bill means — non-violent extremism. How do you define non-violent extremism? A person who has a beard is a non-violent extremist? A sister who wears a hijab is a non-violent extremist? A Muslim who prays five times a day is a non-violent extremist? How do you define that? This is what Muslims are going through in Europe today. And I wouldn't be surprised if it happens here in the few years to come.

That's why being engaged is extremely important. Building institutions is very important so we don't lose the spirit of our religion and our children that are born and raised here — our generations to come — don't lose that spirit. And for this reason, it's important to establish masajid. It's important to establish centers to empower our children, to empower our sisters, to empower our women, to bring the community together, to be united, to have a fortress that will protect our iman — a focal point for the community, a home for the community.

A Call to Support the Islamic Association of Allen

That's why I want to invite this whole community to the fundraising dinner for the Islamic Association of Allen. Our neighbors. In fact, I don't even want to call them neighbors because they're like us. Plano and Allen is one community. The same brothers and sisters used to come here. They helped in the establishment of this masjid. Now it's our turn to pay back, inshallah — our turn to help back.

The need is very, very severe. A dire need. They are already building the building and they want to move into it before Ramadan begins so they can enjoy the Ramadan — the first Ramadan in that new building.

None of you is a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 13; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 72)

Alhamdulillah, we have a beautiful masjid here now. Our work doesn't end here. Now we have to spread out. Now we have to share. Now we have to work with our neighboring communities so they also have a beautiful facility for their families and their generations to come. And this is an investment. This is an investment for our future generations. So I want to invite this whole community, inshallah, to the fundraising dinner for the Islamic Association of Allen — tomorrow, inshallah, 6pm at the Marriott on Stacy Road in Allen. Inshallah, hope to see everybody there to help out with this great cause. May Allah give us all the tawfiq.

Du'a

O Allah, forgive all the believing men and women, the Muslims and Muslimahs, the living and the dead. You are the All-Hearer, the All-Receiver of prayers. For Your mercy, O Most Merciful. O Allah, support Islam and Muslims. O Allah, support Muslims everywhere. O Allah, we ask You for the best of what Your Prophet Muhammad asked You for. We seek refuge in You from the evil of what Your Prophet Muhammad sought refuge from. There is no power or strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.

Verily, Allah commands justice, goodness and giving to those near to Him, and forbids immorality, disobedience and unrighteousness. He warns you that you may take heed. Remember Allah — He will remember you. Call on Him — He will respond to you. And the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows what you do.