01/10/1997
IWDM Study Library
Jumu’ah Harvey, IL

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
John Ramadan:
The following Khutbah or sermon was delivered during the month of Ramadan, Friday, January the 10th, 1997 in Harvey, Illinois. The lecturer is Imam W. Deen Mohammed, Muslim American Spokesman, and now Imam Mohammed
IWDM:
(Arabic) Dear believers, peace be unto you, as salaamu alaikum, and the blessed Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem Mubarak. We praise G-d. We associate nothing and none in worship with Him. We witness that He is the G-d, the Lord, creator of everything, has no partner, no need for any helper to help Him in His role of keeping, creating and keeping the whole creation, all of it, the universe, everything, including man. And we witness that the Qur'an, the book of the Muslims, all Muslims and that that book was revealed to Muhamad of Arabia about 1,416, 15 or 16 years ago or so. We witness that he is the messenger of G-d and G-d's servant. G-d's servant and G-d's messenger, the (Arabic-Abd) of G-d and the (Arabic-Rasul) of G-d.
(Arabic-Abdu wa rasulu). We witness also that we had no knowledge of Islam until Muhammad received the message from G-d. We witness that we had no knowledge of the Qur'an until it was revealed to Muhammad the Prophet. And we witness that we did not know how to be Muslims until Muhammad became the messenger of G-d and showed us, guided us in the time of the early (Arabic-Ummah), he guided his followers into all matters, disciplines of Islam. It was the prophet who taught us to fast the month of Ramadan. G-d revealed it and the prophet taught us how to fast the month of Ramadan.
We received dates from Saudi Arabia every year. We've received dates. Our dates arrived just one day before Ramadan this time. And I was wondering, kind of worried about the dates, they arrived one day before Ramadan. A gift from the embassy, Saudi Arabian embassy from the custodian of the two holy places. King Fahd, through the prince, the Prince Bandar, the ambassador, pardon me, the ambassador, Saudi ambassador at the embassy of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And we share the gifts given to us and it's more than we can use. So we share them with you and I'm sure that some of you are receiving gifts too. Have dates. We have a couple extra boxes we are going to share with the Imams in this area. One for Imam, Darnell Karim, for him to share with the brothers and sisters here. And we have another one, I think we'll have a third one to share with the masjids around the center, in this area. This is blessed Ramadan. Of this month. G-d says "it is the month in which the Holy Qur'an was revealed", the Qur'an was revealed .(Arabic)
It is the month of Ramadan, the month in which the Qur'an was sent down, revealed on the heart of Muhammad, on the heart of Muhammad. For G-d says, "and we have revealed it upon your heart", on the heart of Muhammad. Praise be to Allah. it says, goes on further to say that this book, the Qur'an revealed in the month of Ramadan is (Arabic)- guidance, (Arabic) guidance. (Arabic) Didn't say (Arabic) for the blacks, (Arabic) for the whites, didn't say (Arabic) for the Arabs. It said (Arabic)"guidance for all people." Guidance for all people. (Arabic)
And it is also clear evidence, clear signs, clear evidence for that that is guidance, and for that, that is the criteria for the discerning or discovering or learning, knowing, what is from G-d and what is not from G-d, what is from G-d and what is not from G-d. So it is the guidance for all people and it comes to complete. It completes the promise of G-d to man, to the people of the Book, from the very early days of the prophets. In fact, I would say from the time of Abraham when G-d, from the time of Adam, even before Abraham, when G-d created man, He created man, G-d says He created man for His worship. This expressly for His worship. They have not created men nor Jinns except for my worship. That's what G-d says in the So when G-d created the man, the human being for his worship, at the same time, G-d was prepared to give man all that he needs in his life for his job on this earth as custodian,(Arabic - Khalifa), custodian for G-d, responsible example and leader for G-d on this earth. Responsible leader and example, put on this earth by G-d to serve G-d in that role of responsible leader.
An example. Adam, the first man was created for that and he did that until the Satan deceived him. Then G-d had mercy on Adam and permitted Adam to come in contact with the signs of G-d. Says the word, he met a word from G-d and he repented and G-d accepted his repentance. Then after Adam, our first father, came many others, then Abraham, our second father, and finally Muhammad
Ibn Abdullah, of the peninsula Arabia, (Arabic) the prayers and the peace be on him. He is established for Muslims all over the world, 1 billion or more of us Muslims, as the leader of all of us. And as the example for not only us but for any people who believe in G-d and fear the Last Day. That's what G-d says in our book, the Qur'an. That he is the best model, model human person for any who believes in G-d and the Last Day. So if they believe in G-d and accountability to G-d, then Muhammad is the best model human for them on this earth. Believe in G-d and accountability to G-d. That's what the Last Day is, accountability to G-d. You who believe, as I do or we do, in the Last Day, that means judgment. We believe that G-d is going to conclude everything and whatever has not been dealt with, dealt with properly or justly, G-d will settle all the questions, all the questions and give the justice. One day.
This is what we believe. We believe that all of us will have to have the justice one day. Some of us may fear that time because we think we have done too much wrong. But I'm happy, ----------- to meet G-d in that day. I'll be happy. I'm happy. I'm happy because I love my G-d. I love my G-d so much. I don't care what my G-d does with me. I just want to meet my G-d. Many of you are the same way all over this earth, even non-Muslims, Christians and others, they are like that too. They don't think about the punishment, they just want to meet their G-d.
All of us have sinned. But G-d says His mercy is bigger than His punishment. His mercy overreaches, extends beyond His wrath. Eventually His mercy out stretches His wrath and the wrath will be gone and the mercy will be there. The punishment is not eternal, but mercy is. The President of the United States, President Bill Clinton, addressing the annual clergy breakfast, and I was invited for the first time on January the eighth, eight o'clock breakfast time, but you know the clergy are slow. So we didn't all arrive there at eight o'clock and it looked like the White House was even slower.
It was almost 10am when we ate, had breakfast, but we had a wonderful time. The President addressed the clergy and all those who were gathered there. First Lady, Hillary Clinton, hosting the gathering with her and also the Vice-President, Al Gore, they were all hosting us with the assistance from the White House staff, one at each one of our tables. So I had one at our table that we could talk to. If any message we wanted to pass on to the President, we could do that through that person. It was very nice. Anyway, the President, I don't, I think he was apologetic, but I guess he was a little concerned about how people are looking at him, seeing him. And he quoted the Bible. I don't recall right now the chapter or the verse, but he quoted the Bible and he said that he read about G-d 's punishment, he said, and His mercy, I read that His mercy covers all things. he said. And that's what I'm counting on.
G-d says to us in the Qur'an, say that "He created us for His mercy." He created man for His mercy. For His mercy. Wonderful G-d. The prophet taught us that no one will be saved, will be blessed to enter paradise, escape hell fire, for any reason other than G-d's mercy. G-d's mercy. In this month of Ramadan, we should be conscious of the fact that Muhammad, to whom the Qur'an was revealed better than 14 centuries ago, brought the revelation from G-d to us, human beings. When I say us, I mean human beings who accept it. And he taught us how to live the Muslim life. He taught us how to greet each other. We didn't know how to greet each other. He taught us how to greet each other. The Jews, the people of the Book, they would say "Shalom alaikum".
Muhammad the Prophet taught us to say "Salaam alaikum", in Arabic, not Hebrew. Salaam alaikum, a wonderful greeting. It is translated very, I would say freely, relaxedly as peace be unto you. But it is saying much more than that. It is saying "the peace obligates you." The peace obliges you. So here is a prophet coming in a time of the world when there was no police forces, there was no police department and the strong ruled. The strong. Things got too difficult for them, the army took over. The army took over. It was only at palaces and certain places where you'd find guards, they weren't called police. There was no such thing as a police to govern every citizen. Now we have police responsible for every citizen. If he catches you out of line, he's to put you in line. If he catches you breaking the law, he is to correct you or take you to jail or whatever.
He's to do what the law says regarding you. That's the recent thing. That came with the new world. So here is Muhammad the Prophet. He's responsible for hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of followers in his time, in his day and no police force. So who became the police force? Every conscious Muslim became a member in the police force and "as salaamu alaikum" expresses that. The peace obligates you. You are responsible to keep the peace, not break the peace. Back then, since there wasn't an established police force to enforce law or enforce obedience to law, to the law, those Muslims, especially the men who witnessed a crime and didn't do anything about it, they were reprimanded for their negligence or for their weakness. A man was drinking. It was reported, Muslim, Al Bukhari and Muslim. It reported a man was drinking at a home, at a location, a residence. They reported it to the prophet, said so and so and so was drinking. Peace be upon the prophet. The prophet said, and what did you all do?
They didn't do anything. He said, you all should have prevented him. You should have prevented him. So we we're responsible for each other. And even though there is an established law in this land, we live under the law of the land. We respect it. We are not to break the law of this land or disregard the law of this land, that is, have another law that overrules the law of the land except where the law permits that. There is, some instances where the religious law overrides the political law or the local, the government law, law of the land.
For example, I registered and I was told that if I wanted to, I could apply for Conscientious Objector classification and that would exempt me from participating in war. I did it, I applied and I got that classification. So the law says every abled body citizens, at that time they were drafting and also inducting. So every abled body citizen was obligated to obey that law. But here I was exempted for one reason, my belief in G-d. So there are instances when the obedience to G-d by a religious person who is accepted, recognized as a true religious person, a faithful, sincere religious person will be exempt from certain obligations of the law of the land or from the law of the land. Getting back to the point here, the point is that Muhammad the Prophet, upon him be the prayers and the peace, he is our leader and our example, our guide, he's our guide. G-d says He made him a guide for us and made him a witness for us. He is the first witness.
He taught us how to be Muslims. He taught us how to say "as salaamu alaikum, and walaikum as salaam" or salaam alaikum. You don't have to say "wa alaikum salaam". Someone, say as salaam alaikum to you, say as salaam alaikum to them, the same, give them the same greeting. That's good. That's good. I think it's even better. Not AND! I think just say as salaam alaikum, you say as salaam alaikum. If you say, and, to me that's saying, well I owe you something now. If someone would say, good morning John or to Yusef and Yusef would say, and good morning. See, it takes something away, doesn't it? You see how we can find signs that tells us why the Islamic world is in the trouble its in? We can find signs that tells us. How come the Muslim world is not united? How come they're not advanced as they should be? How come they don't have the respect in the civilized world that they should have? It's because they have gradually diverged from the purity and from the strength of the religion. It's coming back. There is a re-awakening in the whole Islamic world now, not just here. And this is an awakening
in America. Don't doubt it. This is a great awakening in America. But there is an awakening all over, all over on the continent of Africa, Asia, Europe, everywhere. There are a number of Muslims who are re-thinking Muslim life, Muslim obligations, re-thinking Muslim idea of Islam, Muslim understanding of Qur'an, Muslim perception of Muhammad, the Prophet, et cetera. They're re-thinking all of this. They're re-reading, reading again what the learned said, not just the prophet, but what his learned followers said during the early (Arabic -Ummah) and after, immediately after., until now!. They're doing research, they're studying hard, they're doing a lot of great work, a lot of great work. I'm aware of this. The world of Islam still looks the same to us almost. Almost. I say. It looks better to me than it did 20 years ago. It looks much better to me than it did 20 years ago. So there is improvement. The Muslim world is changing for the better, but there are still a lot of serious problems. Leadership is scarce. The real leaders, very few, but they're coming. And the ones qualified, they're making new ones, they're making more. So in time the Ummah is going to be in good shape, but right now it's in bad shape. It's in bad shape. I can't hardly think of two or three countries of Muslims that are in unity with each other, that are really in unity with each other and helping each other.
There are a few who join each other and support each other. But what is the main reason for them having ties? Military, defense, to strengthen the military and now the new one, the new interest is economics. They're forming ties for economic benefits. Economic benefits. Have you heard of any leader, two leaders of two different Muslim countries saying, let us put our heads together to improve the condition of Muslims in our countries so that we will have better Muslim citizens obeying Allah and following Muhammad and knowing their religion. They need that very badly. That's the biggest need in the Muslim world, that need. But do we hear that? There might be a little of that going on, but we don't hear it. We don't hear it. But (Arabic -in shAllah), one day we will and one day soon, in shaAllah we will hear it.
You know I visited Jerusalem, the land of many prophets, many prophets, the land of prophets, and was a guest of the Palestinians. More correctly, I was a guest of Chairman Yasir Arafat, the president of the Palestinians and reporting to you, we were told that we made great impact on the Palestinian people. We had a chance to speak on radio Palestine, Palestinian Radio, pardon me. and at one occasion I had a chance to speak also on Radio Israel. It was (a)very successful visit and we hope to make many more visits. Getting back to the Prophet Muhammad as our leader and our example, we began last evening, last night, last evening when the sunset looking for the moon. We were told that the new moon, the moon of the fast month was seen in Texas by somebody. So we begin our fast. You don't start your fast like we used to do in the Nation of Islam, in the December, and I'm not criticizing, not to criticize at all.
Starting it when the white thread of the night can be distinguished from the black, white thread of night can be distinguished from the white thread of the dawn, the daybreak. No, the moment the moon is sighted and you know it, you start fasting because fasting is not just fasting from taking food and water, the physical things. Fasting is keeping out of arguments. Prophet Muhammad taught us this. He said, if you are fasting and someone is trying to engage you in an argument, tell them "I'm fasting." That means you're not supposed to argue in the month of Ramadan. You're not supposed to even argue. Now we could say, well we shouldn't argue anytime. Yes we should!
Where we going to get if nobody argues? You have to argue. But there's a whole month where you can't give yourself, give into the tendency to be argumentative. To be argumentative. No. So we do that because Muhammad the Prophet taught us that. When we break, pardon me from the beginning, first in the morning from the dawn, we get up, we take some light food, food called (Arabic- suhur), a light breakfast called suhur, preferably to eat natural things, not hamburger, not Kentucky Fried Chicken. You might feel like that, but don't do that. Preferably to eat natural foods like wheat, pure wheat grain cereal. This was the Prophet's way, he taught us this, with some milk or something and fruit, natural fruits, dates, preferably dates. But you also could eat some hot, something hot, light food, something hot. And if you're going to work, you're going to work hard, after you eat that light food, you can put that steak on the plate and eat it too if you like.
And the potatoes and all to hold you, if you like. But whatever you do, when the dawn comes and there are centers all over America passing out the information to us, when the time for the dawn. When the time for the dawn, no more eating, no more drinking. Don't get that last sexy kiss from the wife, its too late, the dawn has started, et cetera. Now that's for the daylight. That's the eating and the drinking and the sex. But for all the 24 hours, you have to stay out of arguments. You want to be in peace. You want to be at peace because you are reading the Qur'an to finish the whole Qur'an during the month of Ramadan. You want to be at peace because you want to get near and closer to your G-d, (Arabic - Allah, subhana wa ta ala) highly glorified. Is He, the Most High G-d. Yes. That's what you want to do. Be at peace. Sometimes it's very difficult and some of us, I don't know, we have to know that mistakes are forgiven. You may mistakenly put something in your mouth. Don't say, oh, I broke my fast and go sit down at that steak and eat that steak. No, you didn't do it intentionally. You didn't break your fast. As soon as you were aware that if you were fasting and you shouldn't do this and you took it out or you spit it out, you didn't break your fast.
You only break a fast when you do it consciously knowing you're doing it. Accident. No, you didn't break your fast. G-d does not charge us with what we are not responsible for. Now if you've got a habit , now, that's different. If you've got a habit of just taking the fast lightly and you go, oh, I'm sorry. And then about an hour later, oh, I'm sorry. In the grave, you might be chewing on hot coals. You say, why am I forced to bite these hot coals, these burning coals? And they say, you remember you kept putting that food in your mouth. Now it has been manifested as hot burning coals for you to chew on. So let's be careful. Say, oh, what hadith is that, brother Imam? That's Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
And there are a lot of other personal hadiths. Yeah, but please don't write that one down as a hadith, because I'm telling you, it was just me talking. Okay. Now Muhammad the Prophet is our leader. He's our guide. He's our example, how we are to live the religion, how we are to understand and live it, how we are to understand and live it. The obligation is on all of us to try to learn more, to improve our Islamic life, not only for ourselves, but for Muslims. We want to be better Muslims for other Muslims. For our members in our family, firstly, we want to be good Muslims for the members in our family so that we strengthen each other.
Good people strengthen each other. Yes, good people strengthen the weak. The strong will strengthen the weak. The good will prick the conscience, the consciousness or the conscience of the bad and maybe bring the bad around to be good. We don't just do this for ourselves, we do it for each other. The Muslims are community, we are Ummah, we are community. We have to live for the community as well as live for ourselves. We have to live for ourselves and we also have to live for the community, the whole community of Muslims. G-d said that He have made the Ummah of the Muslims a well balanced, just balanced, justly balanced community. He have made us a justly balanced community, (Arabic) and He made us so we will be also a witness to the people of the world. That's what Allah says. So we have also an obligation to do the best we can as Muslims so that we will also be a good witness and a good example to all people of the world. Now, of all the great religious communities, if they would strive to do that, wouldn't this be a beautiful world? If they would live not just for themselves but for their families, not just for their families, but for their religious people, in their community and their religion, and not just for their religion, but for all people on this earth? This would be a wonderful place. And that's what we have to do. We have to strive, we have to work at it, strive to do that.
So I received a phone call today before I came out from two brothers, wonderful Imams, and that's why this (Arabic-Khutbah) is a little different today. They're from Baltimore, Maryland, the El Amin brothers, two Imams. Got a wonderful father, wonderful parents, Christian parents, but wonderful parents. They produced two fine young men that are fine Imams. Both of 'em educated, both of 'em got very good jobs and both of 'em are very devoted to their duty of Imam, to the duty of Imam, the responsibility of that title or that office. Anyway, they called me today and usually even when they call, both of 'em talk to me on the phone and they told me, wished me Ramadan Kareem Mubarak. They said, we heard, brother Imam, that you have been asked to do the Jumuah, lead the prayers in Harvey. I said, yes. (They)said, will you please give the Muslims the greetings from the two El-Amin brothers, Eric and Earl? I said, I sure will. Now I'm giving it to you. They said, give you the greetings. Eric and Earl El-Amin, two Imams in Baltimore.
But we had a conversation and they were sharing with me some dialogue that they had discussion (that) they had with a Catholic leader, leaders in the Catholic religion. They said, you know, it's difficult sometime brother Imam, to present our prophet as he is. Because people have an idea that is incorrect. Say, they think of him as a political leader more than as the leader he is. They think of him as leader of the Ummah, the leader of the international nation, the religious nation of Islam, the international nation or Ummah. So in that connection they think of wars. We shouldn't be perceiving the prophet as a General on the battlefield, although he was that. That was a role forced upon him. He didn't want to go to war with anybody. He came with Islam, which is peace. He came to propagate the peace, the religion of Islam, which the very word is derived from peace. He didn't come to make war on anybody, but he was forced into that position. He had to defend his mission, his work and the Muslims.
He had to stand up for the responsibility that G-d assigned him, to defend it against war makers. But that's not how we're supposed to see him, not as a warrior. How are we to see him? Allah tells us in the Qur'an, Prophet Muhammad was not an ambitious man. Prophet Muhammad was not a man looking to be a leader. Understand that. Prophet Muhammad was a man looking for answers from G-d, wherever G-d is or whoever, whatever G-d is or wherever G-d is. He was looking for answers from G-d. Why are these bad conditions for human beings here? Why are the human beings like this? What can be done to change this way of life? And G-d came to him while he was seeking solitude in the Mountain of the Light, (Arabic) in the little small opening up there called the cave, G-d came to and spoke the words of revelation to Muhammad. He wasn't expecting it. It was strange to him. He had no knowledge of prophets, of scripture. He hadn't been reading in Bible or anything. This was very strange to him. He knew his wife had an uncle who was Christian and understood these things. He came to his wife, Lady Khadija, may G-d be pleased with her., and she said, yes, my uncle Nawfel, I think (was) his name. My uncle will, I think he can help you. So he sought help, something to understand.
G-d was going to keep repeating revelation to him until he understood, until he understood very clearly everything and wouldn't have to go to anybody. G-d says, "He will ease the way into a state of ease." G-d says He's going to teach him. Muhammad, G-d told him, Muhammad that He's going to teach him and lighten the burden on his back. So Muhammad the Prophet, prayers and peace be upon him, he was not looking for office, he was not looking for a big job of leadership. No. G-d says to him, what? "Oh, you wrapped up in your wrappings, your mantle, your cloak, your garment, arise!" G-d had to get him up. He wasn't wanting to go out and be a leader. Arise and warn! There is G-d is saying that you are my prophet, of course warn that's what prophets are told by G-d to go and warn the people.
So there G-d made him the prophet, the last prophet, the seal of the prophets. We have in the Qur'an how we to see Muhammad. Allah says of Muhammad in the Qur'an, say, "and the people that witnessed him and responded to him, they say, we have heard a caller calling to faith." This is Muhammad. He was a caller, a man serving G-d as G-d's serving as messenger or messenger in service, calling the people to faith. Believe in G-d. That's what Allah says in the Qur'an. Believe in G-d and response for the people they said. "and we have believed." Again, G-d speaks of Muhammad, says that he is the one mentioned in the Torah and in the Gospel. The Torah, what is called now generally or loosely, the Old Testament. And in Injil, what is called now generally and loosely, the Gospel, the New Testament. So Allah tells us that he, Muhammad of Arabia, he is the one mentioned in the Book of the Jews and in the Book of the Christians.
And how does G-d present him to us? Say, "He will come breaking the bands of slavery." That's what G-d says. Muhammad comes to break the bands of slavery and to take off the people, the heavy yolks that weighed them down. This is what G-d says. I'm giving you G-d's word. So we are to see Muhammad the Prophet as a liberator. We are to see him as a liberator. One coming to free oppressed people, one coming to liberate oppressed communities of the world. G-d says, "and he's a mercy to all the worlds." How clear is it? How clear this is. Very clear!
G-d says of him, what will this liberator do? Is he going to be carrying a big sword and a big mason hammer and bats and spears and bow arrows and all that? Says "and he shall purify them." He shall purify them. So that tells me that corruption enslaves because this man is a liberator. G-d already established that with His word. Then G-d says that he shall purify them. So that tells me that corruption is oppressive. Corruption is a form of oppression. Right now, we are not wearing chains, (those) who are suffering in these African-American communities. We are not wearing any chains, no yolks, but we're oppressed.
We are kept down. We don't see a way to get up and we need Muhammad the Liberator, to come and purify us, to save us from the slavery of corruption so we can have establishment and good life. And He says, Allah says , (Arabic) of Muhammad the Prophet. Say, "and he will teach them the book", teach them the book. So these immigrant Muslims, check yourself out. If all you're going to do is read what's on the page, then you are not teaching the book. We can read what's on the page. If you are going to do just that, just read what's on the page, give us a tape and go home. We'll listen to it.
Teach the Book. Teach the Book, education! It's going to give them education in the Book, in the Qur'an. And he's going to give them more than just teaching. He's going to give them the understanding of the rules of logic for the Book so that they can be judges over Muslim conduct, over bad behavior so that they can be guides for the scholars, to guide the scholars into new areas of discovery. We should be a people, an intellectual group, constantly going into new horizons, new horizons of intellectual discovery. That's what made the Ummah so great in the time of Muhammad the Prophet, (Arabic - the prayers and the peace be upon him) and immediately after, became the most educated people on the face of the earth, the torch bearers of knowledge to the whole world. That's what they became. So what's missing today? Something very seriously is missing. Praise be to Allah. So this is Muhammad the Prophet. This is the way we should see him. In some of his connecting roles, that's his major role. Now, all the other roles, they connect to that role. They have no meaning at all unless they are seen connected to that role of the prophet. Then you have the General on the battlefield.
You have the husband at home, sharing the chores, the duties in the house with his wife, sweeping the floor. He was seen doing that. Are you seen doing that at home, brother? Going to the market, shopping for his wife. Do you do that? You follow the prophet? Sitting with his friends, talking to them, never insulting them, never making them uncomfortable with a whole lot of negative talk, giving them so much respect. He didn't want them to feel small or weak before him. He would never just look them in the face like we do. Give them the Muhammad Ali or the stare, look at them right dead in the face and square on like that. No, he would kind of turn his countenance to the side like, "yeah", and talk to the people, so that they're not threatened by his powerful countenance.
Wonderful man, wonderful man. Just following him, I find myself doing this automatically. I don't like to stare people in their faces anymore. I look at them kind of like this, or I will hold my gaze or I look at them, but not staring them in the windows of their souls. Some of us want stare person right in the window of the souls. What are you looking for? We make people uncomfortable. Prophet taught us the best manners, taught us the best respect for each other. He is our leader. He is our example till eternity, till this world is finished. Thank Allah for him. Allah says, "and ask prayers for him and do it repeatedly." Do it often. So we say, (Arabic) the prayers and the peace be on him. So I hope that I have helped us to see where the light should be
and to see our prophet as the great man, the seal of the prophets, meaning the last of them, fulfilling what was promised to the people that was to come through the prophet, the line of prophecy, the line of prophets and prophecy. He was the one to complete that, fulfill that. And the Qur'an is the revelation that corrects, completes and fulfills. Allah says of the Qur'an, that if it had been revealed upon a mountain, the mountain would have, in fear trembled and crumbled down into dust. G-d says, Allah , that is, He says in the Qur'an, that it is protected by angels. It will stay as it is and it has stayed. Hasn't been changed, until Allah concludes the matter of the world. Angels go before it and behind it to guard it from any attempt by the devils or the imps of the devil to change it or to corrupt it. It is protected and it is complete. Says "this day, I have perfected for you your religion, (the Qur'an) and completed My favor on you and have preferred for you Islam as the religion." Praise be to Allah. And of Muhammad, G-d says that he is sufficient. He's enough. Nothing else is needed. He is enough for all the people on this earth, (Arabic)
Thank you very much. We praise G-d. We seek Him for forgiveness. When we commit sin or err. We ask His mercy always and we trust His guidance for His guidance is the guidance in truth, Ameen. (Arabic - Bismillah ir Rahman nir Raheem) We praise G-d, (Arabic) the Lord, sustainer of all the worlds. We witness that He is one, has no partner in the rule of the universe, the heavens and the earth, that He needs neither son nor wife. He never had a companion, a female companion, and never gave birth to a son or had a son. That whenever He needs anyone to do any job because of His design or His will for us, for His creation, He creates them. And that's what Allah says. He creates them from among those He have already created.
So we know that as Muslims, we do not accept that any human being is the son of G-d. No human being is the son of G-d. All human beings are the creation of G-d. And all human beings are the dependents of G-d. I wish we would feel that in such a real way that sometime we forget, when the IRS form asks us about dependents, we put ourselve as dependent. I'm G-d's dependent. Yes we are. We are G-d's dependents. G-d's got a lot of dependents. All the creatures of men and all the creatures that are not men. All the things existing living and dead, depending on Allah. He created them and believe me, Allah accepts always that everything He created is His dependent. It's His dependent. You can go on mistreating people for a while, but one day G-d's going to rescue His dependents.
Oh yes. One day He's going to rescue His dependents. He's going to come to the aid of His dependents and judgment will be on you who mistreated His dependents. He's created nothing, according to the teachers of the prophet and the Qur'an too, itself. He created nothing better than the human intellect, than the human intellect. And these African-American colleges, they're raising funds. They say "a mind is a terrible thing to waste." Well, I understand that because G-d says He created nothing better than the human intellect. Praise be to Allah. So let us cherish it because that's our hope in this life. Our intellect. The first hope is the heart. Make the heart right. But after the heart has been made right, then you must educate yourself. Because if you don't, the heart can't take you very far. You might go to paradise, but I guarantee you, you won't have a city there.
Probably just have a mulberry bush or something. Praise be to Allah. Our obligation as Muslims, don't forget it. Our obligation as Muslims is to begin with self and make the jihad against the weaknesses in your own self. And then, to serve your family in the best way you can. Try to be the breadwinner. Try to provide for your family. Try to be a clean and upright Muslim example in your house. Respect your wife. Don't weaken her authority before your children. Don't say things or do things that make her look weak before your children or before witnesses. Children or no children, or not. And sister, you should be the same way by him. Protect each other's interests. G-d says, we are the protectors of one another, and G-d says that He has created us mates, male and female, that we should find in each other, tranquility. Tranquility a beautiful big word that you can look up in the dictionary. Tranquility means I feel good. I feel "D" good.
I feel super good! Yes. So that's what we should be to each other. We're going out there in the world, we're going to meet people that's going to make us feel bad. That's guaranteed. Now, when I come home to my sister, my Muslim sister that I married, and now she's my wife, and I come home to her, I want to feel that I'm in my little haven, my little small paradise. I want to look at her and just light up, without the cigarette, without the reefer, just light up! And I'd like to see her light up too. Yeah, that's what make the light get brighter. You light up, you look at her and she's lighting up too. Oh, the light just gets brighter and brighter.
There's no problem that we have that we can't solve. Allah gives us the solution and His solution is the best and complete. For all problems. No problem. (There's)not a problem I can imagine that can't be solved or handled with Islamic knowledge. The example of Muhammad and the knowledge, it can be solved. So let us remember that, so we'll have happy families. During the month of Ramadan, forgive all that you have done to each other. You should have done that already because we've already started fasting. You should have said, I'm not going to hold, I'm not going to harbor this in my heart anymore.
You don't have to tell him. Make it, say it in your own heart and soul. I'm not going to bring these things up anymore. I'm going to forgive him, all these things. If you can't forgive him, what're you doing with him? And the same thing for you brother. If you can't forgive her, why are you with her? We have these problems. (A) brother, charging his wife with something all the time and can't be happy with his wife, but he's still there. So, that tells me that its more beneficial for you to stay than for you to go.
And that's the good reason to forgive. Start out with a new slate. Start with a new record. Forgive. Don't remember any bad in Ramadan because you'll be arguing and you won't know why. Forgive each other, forgive each other and love each other. For Allah forgives us. So let's forgive each other and love each other. And let's be open with our love. Don't hide your love. Don't be shy. Don't be afraid to show your love to each other. Show love! Allah sent Muhammad, gave Muhammad to us to teach us to show love to each other. We over here in this strange culture, American culture, Western culture, and we're afraid to even embrace a brother. "Look like two homosexuals to me." That's the weird culture we live in. Its weird.
You wouldn't feel that way if you embrace your blood brother or your son. You embrace your son and hug him and give him a kiss on his cheek, even if he's 50 years old. But a brother that's not related to you, you got to be some kind of homosexual or something if you embrace him and give him a kiss on his cheek. In this society its questionable. But we have to show more love, show more love. I remember a long time ago before we had what we have today, we were following the Nation of Islam and the honorable Elijah Muhammad. Brothers would shake each other's hand, embrace each other. Sisters would do the same. They'd shake (with) each other, embrace each other, just show love to each other.
Especially that brother, you're seeing him all the time. You see him all the time, you're friends, you see each other every day almost. So what's wrong with shaking his hand and hugging him sometimes? Oh brother. Oh, that's wonderful, and then grab him and embrace him. Sometimes he wants you to be sad with him. Oh, brother, I heard what happened, brother. Brother, I'm so sorry. Give him, embrace him. Give him, embrace him. Give him your comfort, support from you. Support him. Yes, the Prophet said, "no one will enter paradise until they have faith. And you won't have faith until you practice love." Practice loving each other. You have to practice it. You have to share with each other your feelings, your good feeling. Don't hold back. Don't keep it a secret. Especially from your wife, brother, tell her and sister tell him too. You'd be surprised. A lot of divorce procedures would be stopped if they just come honestly and with their good feelings and just express those good feelings to each other, or they think they're going to look inferior. One, be thinking they're going to look inferior to the other or think they're giving in, think they're submitting. I'm not going to submit to this nigga.
I'm not going to let him know I got this weakness. And the divorce, you had got a divorce and then soon you see him with a sister, look, she probably looked three times worse than you do, but to you, she looks like a movie star. All of a sudden your heart is telling you, "you shouldn't have let that man go!" And now the little booga bear looks like a movie star to you, walking down the street with your man. "You never miss the water till the well runs dry. You never miss your baby until she says Bye-bye!" Now that's what the Blues singer said.
So think about it brother and think about it sister, because we pray Allah to bless our community in this month of Ramadan, with family members that love each other and that are open with each other, honest and straight with each other, and that will tolerate each other. We tolerate strangers. Let's tolerate each other. Let's put up with each other's shortcomings until we can do better, and forgive because none of us are G-ds, or angels or perfect. Let us read the Qur'an everyday in the month of Ramadan with the object of completing the whole book. Reading Surahtul Nas on the last night of the Ramadan. InshaAllah, we will be successful. So we pray to Allah for forgiveness. Pray to Allah for mercy and forgiveness and for guidance, always. (Ararbic)
John Ramadan:
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