Jummah Khutbah : The Urgency of Civic Engagement

The Urgency of Civic Engagement

We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide. And whomsoever Allah allows to be led astray, none can guide.

And I bear witness that there's no one worthy of worship except Allah Ta'ala, the Exalted, and that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is his last messenger and servant.

O humanity, fear your Lord and die not except in a state of submission to Him alone as Muslims. O humanity, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul, being Adam, and from that created its mate, being Hawa, and from that scatters many men and women.

O humanity, fear your Lord and do not cut off relations with your next of kin, with your relatives. Indeed, Allah is Ar-Raqib. He is the ultimate monitor over you.

O humanity, fear your Lord and speak the truth — قُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا — in return He will rectify for you your affairs and forgive you of the sins that you may have committed. And whoever obeys Allah and his messenger has indeed achieved the greatest achievement.

As to what follows, indeed the best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is that of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. And of the worst affairs in our doctrinal system of Islam are the newly invented ones. For every newly invented affair in this religion is an innovation, and for every innovation is a form of going astray, and for every form of going astray is in the fire of Hell, and we seek refuge in Allah from that.

The Reality of Helplessness Without Engagement

A man from another country gets married. Alhamdulillah, his mother and father are happy with him. And upon this, he has a degree, and he wants to come to America because he wants to be able to practice what he has obtained his degree in, because the level of advancement in America is much more than in his country. So he takes advantage of the opportunity.

He gets the visa and he comes here. But then when he comes here, he finds a job, alhamdulillah, and he wants to bring his family. But he finds out after dealing with a lawyer — not even knowing that he had to get a lawyer, after being helpless, after being in a situation that he does not know what to do, will he see his family again — he finally brings her after three years.

He realizes that there was a process that had to take place. But he did not know upon his arrival that she would be prohibited because they were watching him. He did not know that he was able to take a pathway or a means to protect a right that he has as a human being, as a person residing in this country.

When a convert is asked the question — why is it that your community, primarily this convert being an African-American male, and he sees that the people, starting with his relatives, asking him: why are you dealing with those foreigners, those Muslims? They don't do anything for the community here. What has the Muslim done for our community? What have they done?

When you see a girl after being bullied, after being told that she's not beautiful, after being suggested that she should take that thing off of her head — it's hot outside — that there's a possibility, as it was in some countries, that the veil will be prohibited by law. This leaves the Muslim to ask the question: what can he or she do? Sometimes it makes you feel helpless. You don't know what to do. You're confused. You're saddened. You're angry. You don't know what to do. You may ask someone that has knowledge, quote unquote, but due to the fact that they're not familiar with their locality, there still may be a trial and proper execution of implementation of your human right.

Do Not Give Up — The Hadith of the Tree

The Prophet ﷺ said in an authentic hadith narrated by Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه:

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 12981; authenticated by al-Albani in Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, Hadith 9)

"If the Hour is established and in the hand of one of you is a small seedling — if he is able to plant it before the Hour is established — فَلْيَغْرِسْهَا — then let him plant it."

The Prophet ﷺ mentioned this to show: do not ever give up. If we look at the beauty of this hadith, we see that the Day of Judgment is here. You know that it's coming, meaning that it's the end, meaning that there may be destruction, meaning that the people will be held accountable. There's no return. In your mind, it's over. You're the second one in the finish line. You see the finish line coming up, so you slow down. The Prophet ﷺ said, no — plant that tree. Don't give up. It's not over yet.

So when seeing this, brothers and sisters, in the state that we are in now, in 2018, with what's going on in the media, with what's going on in politics — what we just saw a couple of days ago, an individual being chosen to have an authoritative position and there's pandemonium on whether he should be chosen or not because someone comes from the past and accuses him of something immoral. This is the state that we are in. Immorality amongst people, amongst leaders — not only of Muslims, but us as Americans — is starting to become commonplace.

When we see this hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, it automatically shows us that the Muslim should always be a person that acts and gets involved.

The Hadith of Abu Dharr — Levels of Action

Firstly, in this hadith: acting. Acting for themselves or acting for other than themselves. Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه says that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ. This hadith is reported by al-Hakim and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani.

(Al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim; authenticated by al-Albani)

He mentions that a man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he asked him the question of what will take him away from the Hellfire. The Prophet ﷺ, upon this question, told him to have iman in Allah, to have the belief in Allah. But then Abu Dharr said, okay, but after this belief — he said, verily with iman, with the belief, there is action. The Prophet ﷺ said, then he should give a little from what he has — to give it in charity, to give to people.

And then he said, what if this man only has a little and he's not able to give? He said, then he should order the good and forbid the evil. He said, then he asked, what if this man is vulnerable and he's not able to command the good and forbid the evil? Then he said, then he should help a person that does not have skills. He should assist that person.

He said, what if this person himself is not a skilled person and cannot help anyone? He said, then he should help the maghlub — he should help the one that is overpowered.

Then he goes on — it says, what if this person himself is overpowered and is not able to help someone, if he is weak, not able to help anyone? The Prophet ﷺ said, do you not want good for your brother? Do you not want good for your brother? Then he comes with the solution. After all of these solutions, he says, he should keep away from harming people. And then he asked him, is it just with that, that this person will enter Jannah? The Prophet ﷺ said, if he was to have one of these characteristics, that action will take him by the hand and permit him into Jannah.

So from this, brothers and sisters, we see the importance of you being an individual that acts and being an individual that helps other individuals, other people — not confined to only Muslims, but helps those that have the common characteristics of being a human being and having human rights. If you are a Muslim that is able to do that, we see the Prophet ﷺ made it very clear here that the Muslim should get engaged with their community. And that's what we want to talk about — the importance of civic engagement, the importance of opening your door and getting to know your neighbors, getting on the internet and meeting people, creating relationships to where you are a citizen and looked at as a citizen rather than a suspect.

The Best of People — Surah Al-Imran, Verse 110

Allah in the Qur'an says:

Allah says in the chapter of Surah Al-Imran, verse number 110: "Verily, you were — and some could understand it as: you are — the best people, raised up for the people." أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ — it is a passive verb showing that something or someone has put you here for the Naas, for the people.

لَيْسَ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ فَقَطْ — أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ — you as Muslims have been placed here for people. How? What does that mean? I have been placed on this earth. Allah has chosen for me to be a Muslim. I have made the choice to continue and to implement this faith to the best of my ability. What do I do now? I'm here. I'm in my neighborhood. I don't know my neighbors. I see some munkar. I see some bad things going on.

تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ — to order the good and to forbid the evil. And this is what is upon you. See, Allah associated the khayriyyah — He associated the good characteristic of this ummah — not just with you staying in your house while you see a lot of people, Muslim or non-Muslim, in your neighborhood being oppressed and you say or do nothing about it. He associated this characteristic of goodness amongst the people if they act accordingly. And what is this action? Ordering the good and forbidding the evil.

Ask yourself the question: are you ordering the good and forbidding the evil outside of your household? And how do you actualize that ordering of the good and forbidding of the evil to where it is conducive not only for you but it's conducive for the people around you?

What Is Civic Engagement?

Brothers and sisters, civic engagement — what does it mean to have civic engagement or to be someone that is engaged with their community? When we say civic, we're talking about the people, starting with your locality: your neighbors, the man at the convenience store, city hall, getting to know the individuals. What is the purpose of city hall? What is the purpose of having a councilman? What does that mean when we see these names propped in the yards of people? What does that even mean? How does our government work? Because if you don't know that, and you are upset with America, but you don't understand the process of how to get things changed — لَا تَلُومَنَّ إِلَّا نَفْسَكَ — do not blame anyone but yourself.

Getting involved in the process to make change is what is urgent for us as Muslims in 2018. Urgent — urgent for us to understand the importance of involvement. Not only just saying to vote, but this is very important. But also in your community: getting involved in a YMCA, going to board meetings and finding out what's going on in your community, helping out with the youth, doing an Islam 101 class in your local library, getting involved with organizations that help building homes for the needy, feeding the needy, having soup kitchens — civic engagement, and this is what is important — grassroots work.

Be Keen on That Which Benefits You

So when we look at this, brothers and sisters, the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2664)

"Be keen on that which benefits you, and seek the help of Allah, and do not give up."

So what benefits you? Is that what benefits your locality? Because there is something called reciprocity. When you're good to someone, that person is good to you.

Principles and Practicalities of Civic Engagement

We see within Islam, subhanAllah, civic engagement is twofold. We see that it has principles and practicalities. You have to be principled. We in Islam have principles. We look at Islam as guidelines with objectives — rules, principles with purpose. Islam is here to make you a principled human being for a purpose, ultimately to worship Allah. Manifested and shown in different ways.

One of those principles is to love for humanity what you love for yourself — sympathy, or some may term it as empathy. Why does the Prophet ﷺ stress the importance of the neighbor? So that they will know you as family. We see within the pillars of Islam, it orders us to have sympathy with each other. And when you love for this individual what you love for yourself, this is how you will be a rahmatan lil-'alamin — this is how you will be someone that is merciful for all of mankind.

So if you love for your brother, you love for humanity what you love for yourself, you will do things that exemplify that. So that is the principle that we're talking about — the first part of civic engagement.

The Practicalities

Secondly, the practicalities. Okay — how do I exemplify that? How do I show that I love for my brother, I love for my fellow neighbor, what I love for myself? If there are any events in your community that ask for your involvement as a citizen, as a resident, and you say to yourself, it really doesn't matter — you say to yourself, I'm not that interested. But then when there is a change of a community center not being built, because there were votes that were needed. Or if there is a change of a school not being built in a locality. Or there is a change for a mosque not to be built in a locality — and you say, "these non-Muslims" — don't blame anyone but yourself.

What involvement — how are you involving yourself within the community on a grassroots level? And we can say even on a political level. How are you getting involved? And this is what we mean — taking the practical steps of being a person that engages in the community at different levels.

On the Question of Voting

When we see people are running for congressman, for senate, for supreme court — are you a Muslim? Are you an individual that wants to stand up and encourage people to go and vote? Or is this word "vote" a curse word to you? Is it haram? We may find some people that say, I don't like that person, so I'm not going to vote for anyone. I'm going to sit at home and not vote for anyone.

Brothers and sisters, we cannot be idealistic. Everyone — we as human beings all have deficiencies. The individuals amongst those two or four or what have you — they will all have deficiencies. It is not a condition to agree with every position that they hold. You may disagree with them on foreign policy, but on medical insurance you agree with them. You choose the best of the two and you act — you plant your tree. Do not say, I'm not going to vote for anyone. Because it may be your vote that you didn't decide to cast that gave it to the opposing Islamophobe. This is what we have to realize.

If we don't know what a position means, we should ask within the masajid, as many masajid are doing, having town hall meetings. You get to meet the individuals that are running in your communities. You see on television — what are the principles, what are the rules, what is the vision of the person that wants to run in your neighborhood, in your district, in this country?

Or it may be a person that's sincere, but feels that voting is totally haram. We understand that voting is permissible for a Muslim to do. Because the principle in Islam is that we look for the maslaha — that which is beneficial — if it is overwhelmingly more than that which is not as beneficial. And when we look at our current situation — when we see Yusuf, when he asked to be made the minister of agriculture in his place, he got involved in a non-Muslim environment. When we see the Prophet ﷺ ordering his companions to make hijrah to a non-Muslim place — we understand that a Muslim getting involved at this capacity is something that will help healthy integration, pluralism, and the people that don't understand who you are, that don't understand why at Friday there are so many cars in front of that place.

The people that don't understand — when they see someone of that faith come to the meetings that involve them and you, they see that not only do you understand, but you're taking a practical method to help create change, to make the lives of people better. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

When we see, brothers and sisters, the pursuit of happiness, and that is the purpose that laws are made — we understand that if we as Muslims don't integrate, if we don't get to know our neighbor — which is ma'mur, which is ordered for us as Muslims, as human beings — you will always remain "the other." And if you are "the other," you are mubham — if you are someone that is unknown, it is synonymous to being a suspect. Whether you like it or not. Whether you like it or not.

And at the same token, when you are involved, it doesn't mean that you come as someone that has no power. Rather, it is you that has the power — individually and collectively. It is you that has the right to hold the leaders accountable. But going through the process — the process, the process — in order to change it. And that is shown in voting.

The Example of Abu Bakr

When we see Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, when he said:

(Ibn Hisham, al-Sira al-Nabawiyyah; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah)

After the Prophet ﷺ died, he gets on the minbar — humble, رضي الله عنه. He said, "Verily, I have been chosen as the Khalifa upon you. And I'm not the best of you." Truthfulness is a trusted characteristic — أَمَانَةٌ وَالْكَذِبُ خِيَانَةٌ — and lying is deception. He said, "The strong one amongst you is weak before me until I take the Haqq from him, that is owed to others." And then he said — and the weak one amongst you, listen closely: "The weak one amongst you is the strong one before me, until I give him or return to him his right."

Holding himself accountable in front of the Jama'ah. This is what people — politicians, people that want to run for the general public, to serve, because this is what they're supposed to do: to serve — this is what they are supposed to do. And you, as a citizen, are supposed to hold them accountable. You're supposed to.

But if you don't know that, brothers and sisters — if you look from the door and don't open the door and say, "Kuffar. Non-Muslims. Non-Muslim environment. Ma fi fa'idah. There's no benefit." And then there's a change that affects you — as it has affected that individual that wanted to bring his family, as it affects that sister that may be forced to take off her hijab, as it has affected many non-Muslim communities who wonder why Muslims are not involved when it comes to uplifting oppression — do not blame anyone but yourselves, because it can easily happen to you.

Du'a

Remember Allah and He will remember you, and be thankful to Him and He will increase you. And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing. And Allah knows best what you do. And remain in prayer.