politicians in the leaders and here's
another example I think that there is a
great public outcry for this type of
fairness the Prophet said what destroyed
those before you was that whenever an
aristocrat
install they would let indeed but when
one of the powerless among them stone
they would inflict the legal punishment
on that day for thinking about now I
hear if you feel enough let me give you
a prophetic each other people how to do
it you know okay once when the Prophet
was sending one of the companions to the
Yemen to be the governor he said beware
the plea of the oppressed for his areas
no screen between it and God now let me
turn to business matters I think the
passage from this futures magazine I
quoted and at the outset I think the
point of about the West having enshrined
the market and a religious tenant is
well taken and I think that is the
legitimate criticism and that it really
it leaves out too much of the whole
human being in order to be a
satisfactory guide a standard for what a
human life should be let me begin by
quoting the Quran from chapter women do
not consume your wealth among yourselves
in vain but may their betrayed I have a
mutual consent among you here I think
the expression mutual consent is
important to remember now there's quite
a bit in the things of the Prophet about
business ethics I think this is a
fascinating subject I've just got a
couple year with illustrates fundamental
principles one of which is the idea of
generosity charity the Prophet said may
God be merciful toward someone who is
generous in buying and selling and in
demanding payment the Prophet also said
there was a man who lent money to people
he used to say to his servant when you
give to someone who was poor be
forgiving that God may be forgiving to
us and that man met God and God pardoned
him now it comes to some more technical
things which have to do with the actual
structure of an economy
let me quote the Quran on this one first
whatever you give from excess profit
that it may grow even more invested in
people's wealth does not increase with
God but what you give in charity
speaking the presence in favor of God is
what will be compounded whatever you
give from excess profit that it may grow
even more invested in people's wealth
does not increased with God now you ever
wonder why I'm on the news when they
tell you they're gonna make a report on
the economy they tell you what the Dow
Jones averages today like that of effect
that money is not in the economy
actually anything did you think of that
some years ago there was a controversial
book partially translated here in
America called the Japan that can say no
and one of the offer was a chairman of
the Sony Corporation and this was his
criticism one of the main criticisms of
American business that money was
regarded as a means of making money and
not as a means of fostering production
now the profit for bad people to resell
foodstuffs they had purchased unless
unintel they had received full measure
and had paid the price and fault now I
take it to mean something singular that
arbitrage and speculation I'm not really
an honorable way of making money and are
not really good for the whole body of
the economy I think we've already had
the proof of that this is one reason why
I find the ancient injunctions so
interesting now here are some general
statements about business ethics and
this said by the way is one of the
so-called sacred hadeeth this is saying
not as a prophet but the thing the
Prophet relates as having been revealed
by God but not included in the Quran the
Prophet said God had said I will be the
adversary of three types of people
on the Day of Resurrection those who
offer in my name but then betray their
promise
those who sell a free individual and
consume the price obtaining and those
who hire workers and have work done that
do not give them their wages so I'll
turn to some general things having to do
with society here again that I think
these they're areas where the need that
we have here is quite obvious from our
everyday experience of what we see in
here you read some definitions of
righteousness from the Quran and chapter
on the cow it says it defines the
righteous in these times both we donate
goods and money in spite of their love
for it to relatives and orphans and to
the poor and Wayfarer and to the needy
and for freeing slaves and continues and
those who fulfill their promises when
they make them and who are patient in
suffering adversity and hard times they
are the truthful ones and they are the
conscientious and also it says do not
nullify your charity by reminders of
your generosity or by abusive behavior
and do those who spend their wealth to
be seen by the people I think that's
particularly pertinent package the idea
that charitable deeds whether individual
or collective shouldn't be just rachelle
they should be effective this is why I
think that in rebuilding a society
that's praying really critical to build
it from its real membership which is the
people rather than to imagine that all
we need to do is articulate program and
passed legislation so family of Iran
also has a good definition of the
conscientious they are those who are
generous in good times and bad and to
withhold anger and imparting people
the Chaplin women had said be good to
your parents and relatives and to
orphans and paupers and to neighbors
close by and neighbors removed and to
the companion at your side and to the
traveler and to your ward now there's a
great deal of mention of charity in
Islam I find it quite edifying and that
statements of the Prophet about charity
include both self supports and giving to
others at the very at the most basic
level of individual economic
independence the Prophet said charity is
incumbent upon every Muslim people
asking o prophet of God
what about one who had nothing to give
the Prophet said then one works with
one's hands to support oneself and to
give to others they act and if one
cannot find work the Prophet said then
one should be good and refrain from evil
for that in fact is charity for the one
who death though now that's not also
hard once again I do think that perhaps
no verifying thing about this attitude
is the idea that whatever your whatever
that you're doing even if it's working
for your own support already carry for
others and involved as part of here as a
part of your task this is a natural
recognition of a basic kind of the
social nature of the human being the
basic attitude reflecting this
recognition is illustrated in this thing
of the Prophet none of you as a believer
until you like for others would you like
for yourself now of course when we think
about that we need to think about what
we like for ourselves and whether that
is really something worthwhile one thing
in particular I think on the subject of
Western society and the possibility of
learning from Islam we might focus our
attention on this well I might now call
the market niche homo and entitled men's
spirituality
I get it some catalog it just came we
have a day quite felicitous me and let
me just read a couple of the
descriptions of the books under the
subject of men spirituality which I
think will underscore the need for for
the possible use of some of the Islamic
teachings on on living in society here's
one about this subtiles reflections on
becoming a man and it says the author
wrote these ten things because quote it
is increasingly harder to grow up male
in America there are no rites of passage
fathers are at a loss of words
when discussing what it means to be a
man the male child grows up uncertain
who he is
uncertain who he should be we are born
now we must learn to be a man
[Music]
there is nothing inside the men's
movements
this book takes you behind the scenes of
one of the most important and least
understood phenomena on reason time what
is driving men in ever-increasing
numbers into the woods to become and
share grief that they can't articulate
in their everyday lines what are men
discovering that keeps them coming back
to support groups
week after week now I don't know myself
I don't go to these things so I can't
after this what are they discovering but
I do think that there is some relevant
teaching in the Quran about this I quote
there is no good in most of their
private conferences except those who
enjoy charity or justice or
reconciliation among people now the
Prophet said one who looked after the
widowed and the poor is like the warrior
who struggles in the way of God or like
one who prays all night and fastball
there so what I would like to ask is a
lot of times out in the woods beating a
drum what about the widow are they out
there discussing what they can do about
the widows in the poor
- Elka I also hope there are no weekend
workshop widows you know that luck kinds
of widows in this civilization we even
talk about football widows and they
forward opening like that I think we
will find the abject failure of movement
those whose movements whose real aim
should be reconciliation among people
reintegration I think we will find them
to the abject failures if they do
actually create a new type of widowhood
so fellows if you want to be a man it's
not that there's no advice for example
the Prophet said when a man spends money
on his family I have a good deed and for
him it is a sacred act of charity the
Prophet also said you will not spend
anything in seeking the favor of God
without being rewarded for it even what
you provide for your wife and there are
many other opportunities here's another
and a beautiful story a prophet related
while a man was walking he became
extremely thirsty so he went down into a
well and drank from him then he came out
only to find a panting dog eating moist
earth and thirst
the man said the same thing had happened
to this creature has had happened to me
so he filled the shoe climbed out
holding it in the teeth and that gave
the dog water to drink
then God thanked the man and forgave him
people asked o Messenger of God are we
rewarded for our Treatment of Animals
the Prophet said there is a reward for
your treatment of every living thing now
here is that a nice saying which gives
something of a foretaste of what that
reward in the Prophet said God rendered
mercy into a hundred parts keeping 99
parts and ending one part down to that
by virtue of that one portion creatures
are merciful to one another such that
even the mayor if her hooves away from
her whole fearing she may step on it the
Prophet also said whoever is not
merciful will not be shown there
so one thing one can do while exercising
one affinity without one portion of
mercy on earth if cap one's mind up to
that time the ninety-nine were held back
and it surely is coming now let's go to
the home and family briefly I will just
touch upon being shall we say the center
of this unit the husband wife
relationship in the chapter enrollment
sense and among the signs of God is
having created for you mates from
yourselves that you may feel at home
with them and got the love and kindness
between you surely and that is a sign
for a reflective people and in the
chapter on women it says be reverent
toward God
by whom you ask of each other and be
reverent toward relationships for God is
watching over you now I'd like to read a
passage from a writing of a
distinguished Spanish Muslim of the 13th
century discussing the inner dimension
of the relationship between a man and a
woman in the context of explaining he's
saying of the Prophet three things in
this world have been made dear to me
women perfume in prayer wearing his
repose the coolness of my eyes now the
author says explaining this statement
about women when man contemplates God
and woman his contemplation rests on
that which is passive if he contemplates
God in himself he contemplates God in
that which is active and when he
contemplates God alone without the
presence of any form and all issued
there from his contemplation corresponds
to a state of passivity
in regard to God without intermediary
consequently his contemplation of God
and woman is most perfect for it is been
God as at once active and passive
that he contemplates whereas in the
purely interior contemplation he
contemplates God only in a passive way
so the profit and addiction and peace be
upon him was to love women because of
the perfect contemplation of God and
then one would never be able to
contemplate God directly in the absence
of all support for God's absolute
essence is independent of worlds but as
divine reality is inaccessible in
respect to absolute essence and there is
contemplation only in a substance the
contemplation of God in women is the
most intense and the most perfect and
the union that is most intense is the
conjugal act he who loves women in this
manner loves them by divine love but he
who loves them only by natural
attraction deprives himself of the
inherent knowledge of this contemplation
well I realize it might take a while to
develop this type of mindfulness and the
manhood of our nation but do we really
have a choice once again can we really
legislate away the kinds of abominations
and practicing us went in here
apparently not we do have laws I think
what we need is the change in heart
maybe people approach all the relations
but particularly especially relation
with one's meat the most intimate
relation in the world now of course
that's rather lofty let me come down to
your level we can perhaps understand
more immediately someone asked the widow
of the Prophet what the Prophet used to
do at home
she said he used to remain occupied
working in Christ
then he would go out when he heard the
call to prayer telling me sum up some
teachings that are I have to do
basically with your individual
conscience in your individual conduct in
the Quran that says in the chapter the
epic humanity is indeed at a loss except
those faiths and do good works and
enjoying truth and justice upon one
another and enjoying patience upon one
another no person be diminutive people
are desk assistant see why one of the
higher and a purgative de people health
care for Americans while arguing with a
pea paradise both it's really matter on
a visual conscious posture for
exhaustion
now just like charity is regarded as
part of a very fundamental and basic
economic responsibility
similarly individual piety it's not only
expressed in terms of social behavior
which is as much a form of worship
actually as a ritual performed
conventionally part as religious this
lemma calls from sayings for the problem
who ever believed in God in the last
days should not wrong his neighbor and
whoever believes in God in the last day
should treat his guests generously and
whoever believes in God in the last day
should speak of good or keep silent the
Prophet also said all that is
objectively recognized as good and fair
the sacred charity and he said the best
of you are the most good-natured so
religion isn't supposed to make you
crabby
and NASA to your neighbors now here's
one I think very very significant for us
two days the Prophet said God disregards
for me
whatever insidious suggestion occurs to
my people as long as they do not act on
it or express it in speech God
disregards for me whatever insidious
suggestion occurs to my people as long
as they do not act on it or express it
in speech I think that's important for
us today because the society we live in
here is not merely simply a permissive
society and as we often hear is the
suggestive Society suggestion is pounded
into us over the waves and even what is
not yet permitted it's already being
suggested so I think that the is it
certain any sort of nonsense can go
through one's head because also knots
actually projected through there even
through the overt media so if we are not
able to analyze it and dismiss it and
understand it's real and from at least
we can refrain from speaking about it
and acting on it and thereby promoting
the actualization of insidious
suggestion so ignoring see consider your
suggestion I think is one over one of
the best suggestions the prophet has for
us today
[Applause]
well let me just conclude with a few
general remarks this has to do with the
place of religion and everyday life and
the melding of religion in everyday life
again going back to the first statement
I read about the the idea of
reintroducing the sense of the holy now
in the Quran it says there isn't a
there's to be no compulsion in religion
there is to be no compulsion in religion
I realized that this is not the image of
Islam that is commonly projected in the
West I think that one reason for this is
because religion in general not just
Islam but but religion in general here
is often associated with compulsion and
compulsiveness hardly I think this might
have to do with the history of this
country and the reason why lots of the
people originally came here had to do
with religious persecution which
unfortunately and continue at once may
not onto these shores but I think that
[Applause]
fanaticism compulsiveness in religion as
in anything actually tend to alienate
and alienate an individual from other
people and of course the group from the
larger body society and you can
contaminate the individual from his own
real nature I believe so it says in the
Quran 2x tests in your religion the
Prophet said to his companion Abdullah
have I not been informed that you fast
all day and stand in prayer online
Abdullah replied yes o Messenger of God
the Prophet said don't do that fast then
eat and drink stand in prayer then sleep
for your body has a right over you and
your wife has a right over you and your
guest has a right over you
and I can't think of any better way to
end and by quoting them from the ending
of the my second chapter of the Quran
which again illustrates I think this
attitude that religion is supposed to
uplift us not intimidate us and
terrorizes the Quran says God does not
compel a soul to do what is beyond its
capacity it gets what it has earned and
is responsible for what it deserves our
Lord please do not punish us if we
forget or we errant and please our Lord
do not place on us a burden like that
you put on those before us and please
our Lord and do not make us carry that
for which we lack the strength and
please grant us pardon give us every on
us you know Peter helps against time
great now if from the audience
this will be the time and bring them up
please come to the mic if you will
oh well I guess we all have enough to
think about tonight
that's good we don't really have to do
this ritual
oh please step up to the mark what I
would like to hear you talk about own
bit well the relationship of women in
the society I understand that when
they're not allowing them all that true
and it's not do they have any formal
formal place or rituals and all that to
worship or whatever and then
particularly what is their relationship
in society women okay well the first I
can quote the proper thing if your wife
wants to go to the mosque don't prevent
her so it's any wives are prevented from
going to the mosques that's on their off
their husbands have to answer the proper
for that and it is going record also the
positive set aside time special times
for the women to talk with him I didn't
talk a lot about the issue of women in
society we're staying for a couple of
reasons it's one of those actually it's
one of the areas that is clouded with
lots of prejudice in Western society and
some of these prejudices are actually
quite ugly one thing is that this fire
if I do think about that but women
attended here on that evening precisely
able to evolve every get 7 million new
opener on this is it among it's about
within 4 or 3 also says in the words of
God I certainly do not overlook the work
of any worker among a male or female it
seems to suggest right of women to work
in society
I read in a interesting book by a
contemporary young writer on this
particular subject who said that the
there are a minority a song from women
who have objections to traditional role
in society his estimation of this is
that it's because the men are I'm going
to be men so I'd rather I'd like to
conclude this with this by saying that I
can be I think that in song talk to
learn from this long just to start with
on this one is that can't even really
see all of the place with one gender
delay because that isn't the way society
really is mmm how can talk about the
place of anybody in society and as we
talk about it relates that people those
other people in society so I think are
the real thing for us to ask ourselves
is how we normal to each other and if
there's any weekend or how can we event
so to me that is what you were there's a
lot about a lot of things written on
this specific issue issue in so called
women's issue but I think really if the
real issue is a couple vision actually
how many when you get along with each
other I thought of that I don't see
where where there is any discussion
frankly speaking no place for men and
women in society well sorry that I know
that was not terribly no what was that -
mother you got too harsh
anyone else you talk about the
historical interpretation of jihad and
then maybe what the practical value of
it is it's an islamic spirituality and
maybe how we could apply it out here
and understand the Islam better okay so
has me struggle okay oh this actually
brings up an interesting answer to the
soma question for women that's actually
saying for women's you have this taken
care of her husband I think that's
really true that's the prophetic general
statement yeah
now I think there's quite a lot to that
station let's think about that a little
bit um but I won't go further for me
I'll let y'all meditate on that one yeah
one of my favorite sayings of the
Prophet on this subject is we've
returned from the lesser struggle to the
greatest struggle and the left the
struggle is the struggle against an
enemies of truth
you know when over it attempts to
destroy the innocence and truthfulness
struggling against that is yeah that's
the lesser struggle the greatest
struggle is struggling against one's own
egotism so now I know what we certainly
yeah we have discussions about this in
our civilization here and I think we
definitely do need a more extensive
jihad against our own ignorance and
willfulness or any well okay very good
thank you very much