I wanted to start with some passages from the Quran. The Quran is literally means "The Reading" or "Recital". And so they're used to be recited so I'm going to recite a few verses and
then look at after Cleary's translation
of them
<QURANIC Recication>
These were rendered in English by Dr. Cleary:
<Translation removed due to Transcription Errors>
The Quran itself is called a
book of science and the in fact a word
that is used for verses in Arabic
literally means signs and what the Quran
essentially is telling us is that
creation is signing with the whole of
existence
sign and that the Quran itself is fine
for people to in a sense decode the
signs outside of themselves and what the
importance of that is is that we tend to
forget about fines and we tend to most
people go through life really not
reflecting on the sign what I talked
about finding yourself and in the
horizon and another unfortunate matter
and a good example from this passage in
the crown is it says from your tongue in
your complexion
these even tell the sign of God and what
people tend to do is miss read the time
and say for instance because the person
is white they see that as a sign that
they're superior with somebody that is
black for instance and so the result is
is that times becoming when they're
misunderstood have tragic consequences
and the Quran itself reminds us in the
in the chapter called the merciful that
God created man or humankind and talked
them see and this teaching of speech
release Diane which is articulation or a
way of articulating the sign and this is
the gift of language is it is a way of
articulating reality and the I think the
importance of this book in my mind and
dr. Clara's translation in particular or
Western people is that we're living in a
time where people would like to see
confrontation there are a lot of people
that have vested interest in
confrontation I give a recent example in
a an article but outside the foreign
policy journal which is the Journal of
the Council on Foreign Relations
there was an article there that
describes the world as being divided
into three three sections the Confucian
the Islamic and the Christian or the
Western and this man saw the
confrontations of
the future would be between these
different blocks and unfortunately if
things continue as they're going that
scenario is not that unlikely but what I
think mr. Cleary is trying to do is give
us tools right to break down some of
those barriers and that's why I think
his work is so extremely important in
fact I really personally believe that it
is something most important work going
on here you because if if that scenario
is true then we need to learn about the
the peoples of the eat as opposed to
thing with enemies
seeing them as people that they are
trying and that and also the these lot
of people as opposed to seeing the enemy
is saying that they are mindless gods as
well and so that's what he's giving us
because I think the hon describes
something as a book of science but we
need to decode the sign and what he is
in there doing watching people to do is
by putting in a to the symbols that we
understand and he's giving us the tool
of looking at it and being able to
decode for ourselves what is beneficial
for us and there's certainly a great
deal in there and I'm looking forward to
kind of hearing what dr. Cruz has to say
about the benefits of Islam to the West
so with without going on in further
election welcome dr. Cleary and thank
you in school and dr. clear for giving
this opportunity thank you
is it but we all know K I think it's
interesting that my mom then I picked
out some of the same passages to read
tonight without prior discussion say my
dad
now the question can the West last in
this month I think it's pertinent to
point out the West have learned from
this farm already let me read a brief
passage from an article which I think
summarizes this quite well interestingly
this article is from a magazine devoted
to economic issues in time it has a
magazine called future it's published in
the United Kingdom the subject of the
article was the importance of the
cultural aspect of international trade
and diplomatic relations this regards
the relation of Islam of the west and
quote Islamic revival as we can be
interpreted as the second intervention
of Islam in trying to bring Weston
I repeat Western civilization into
balance when Europe of the Middle Ages
preoccupied with a religious supremacy
which even ruled over reason and science
it was Islam which reintroduced Greek
rationalism and science into Europe as
pointed out by Norfolk Islam gave the
West through its Arabian University in
Spain much of the source material and
the Enlightenment which made the West
what it now is today Islam was trying to
reintroduce the idea of the holy into
the Western society which has enshrined
the market as a religious hang I picked
out a number of topics to focus on and
pursue this question the issue of from
what's referred to here at the second
intervention of his mom in trying to
balance Western society reintroducing
the idea of the holy into everyday
society I'd like to focus on mental
culture first and leadership business
society home
and individual conscience and conduct
not part mental culture is comparing the
Prophet said speaking knowledge is
incumbent on every Muslim he also said
the word of wisdom is astray of the one
who believes who has the better right to
it wherever it may be found and the
fourth successor of the Prophet Ali's
did lay hold of wisdom wherever it is
for wisdom stammers in the heart of the
hypocrite until it leaves and comes to
rest by its link in the heart of a
believer so I think that the idea of
seeking knowledge without preconceived
boundary doing the knowledge belongs for
whom it's appropriate it's something
that we certainly can use here in the
West I think particularly we need today
human understanding on a level to catch
up with the power of his the political
and economic and technological
developments that have already taken
place and at the same time I think that
this human knowledge knowledge of human
nature human understanding needs to be
generalized enough widespread enough so
that understanding of human
psychological weaknesses in particular
cannot be used to manipulate people
quite so much now in particular Quran
recommends knowledge of human history
for example in the chapter on Rome
travel the earth and see how those
before you ended up again I think that
in a democratic society where to some
extent individuals are responsible at
least in theory for the behavior of
their governments and societies it's
rather important to understand what the
prospects of given attitudes and the
policies really are and one way of doing
that is understanding what has already
happened to us already and tries what
taken place on the face of the earth
here I think this is an area that is
especially weak in our educational
system I understand the history of
courses the difficult subjects
because it is inherently impossible to
record all the relevant data and so I
think part of them the study of history
needs to be against study of the kinds
of objectives biases that enter into the
reporting and the understanding of
history I think that particular chord
for us today because our general
knowledge of history is heavily inter
larded with political expediency and
also with a great deal of fantasy i
think the popularity of fantasy in this
culture has gotten a bit out of hand to
point where it invades subjects like
history and unfortunately can influence
attitude in a detrimental way because it
really doesn't equip us to deal with
realities are to be able to have some
sense of foresight in predicting how
particular attitudes and policies will
get such a result they're likely to
produce now we've already heard the
passage from the beginning some roam
among the pines of God is the creation
of the heavens and the earth in the
diversity of your languages in their
complexion surely in that is a sign for
the knowing now saying what later on in
the chapter and the chambers the
apartments the Quran explains the
purpose the meaning of this sign in one
sense of humankind it says we created
you from a male and a female and we made
you a plurality of races and tribes for
you to know each other then goes on to
pain the most noble of you in fact in
God's perspective is the most
conscientious
of you so I take this to mean that
people of different races and tribes are
not superior or inferior to each other
by virtue of their membership in a
particular grace of trying but by virtue
of their individual qualities in a
pluralistic society such as we live in
here I think it's imperative for us to
learn home to
appreciate people and deal with people
on the basis of their their individual
qualities as they really are obviously
stereotypes won't let me do the job now
let me give an example of why I think
this need is so very critical here in
America at this time not only for the
internal peace and harmony of this
society but for the peaceful coexistence
of the society with other societies on
the face of the earth no the Prophet
also is reported to have said seek
knowledge even as far as China now for
the moment I'll take that literally and
quote a recent statement by a scholar a
university professor on the subject of
Chinese thinking perception and
cognition now I'd like to point out that
this was written in 1993 which is
approximately two hundred and eighteen
years after the initiation of commercial
relationships between the United States
and China
I don't know how well-known that fact is
but the first shift from America fell
for China the year after the Revolution
that was one reason why the northeastern
merchants wanted to be free from England
anyway they heard what we've learned and
here's what I confess entertaining after
200 years of acquaintance and I quote
there seems to be little concern this is
about China and Chinese meaning there
seems to be little concern to recover an
intelligible pattern from what seriously
threatens to remain formless and
meaningless jorge luis borges captured
this Western perception in his
well-known citation of quote that
certain Chinese encyclopedia unquote use
the category animal is divided into one
belonging to the Emperor to embalm 318
for suckling pigs five sirens six
fabulous seven stray dogs eight included
in the present classification nine
frenzied ten innumerable eleven drawn
with a very fine camel hairbrush
12 etc 13 having just broken the water
pitcher and 14 that from a long way off
look like flies
now that the distinguished scholar
continues summing up this vast body of
evidence from the perspective of the
more rationalistic Western point of view
the penalty that Chinese must pay for
the absence of that underlying
metaphysical infrastructure necessary to
guarantee a single ordered universe is
what we take to be intelligibility and
predictability now then can you imagine
what international trade and diplomacy
could be like based on this type of idea
now this individual is not anomaly
professor he's director of the Center
for Chinese Studies certain university
was made over there's no no will draw
the curtain a charity described I might
add as one of the leading interpreters
of Chinese philosophy in America today
this book is described in each turn the
author's understanding of the
philosophical and cultural background
make this the most profoundly erudite in
intellectually stimulating translation
and analysis of the great Chinese
military classics
well first of all I what interests me is
that this individual doesn't even
understand the writing of this brazilian
jorge luis borges
so we'll just I repeat there's no
contemporary writer Westerner he looks
for realist and he likes to point out
that there are many different ways of
looking at reality and this is exactly
what he's talking about in this passage
from this mythological should there's no
such Chinese encyclopedia perhaps this
book this scholar and I noticed he
didn't put a footnote on there you know
where where you can find this
encyclopedia anyway so first of all he
doesn't understand his own the forefront
of his own civilization and you know the
idea that the Chinese have sacrificed
intelligibility and predicted
please how can you have a language
without intelligibility or
predictability that language is the
vehicle of intelligibility and
predictability means that people have
one of the most sophisticated written
languages in the world
well let me just conclude this
disgraceful chapter with no an actual
quote from a genuine Chinese proverb
that illustrates I think both the nature
of this type of scholarship and the
danger in society of rejecting this type
of material as though it were and
anything serious or real and that
proverb goes as follows when one dog
barks a thousand dogs howl of course no
conception of predictability in there
all right let me turn the leadership
obviously we can only hope and pray that
the leaders of our nation do not go
through standards of Chinese studies or
investment wind but the Chinese have on
their mind now at work leadership is
concerned this is something that I
really believe in a Democratic Society
is giving imperative for everyone who
studies issues with leadership whether
or not they're formally in position of
leadership and that's not just because
of the responsibilities of being a
member of a Democratic Society but it's
also responsibilities be managing
yourself now here in America
particularly where we don't have much in
the way of extended family for life with
us don't anyway and the the fabric of
society in some senses rather looser
then surely any more traditional
societies the responsibility of managing
oneself and taking care of one's own
business therefore becomes more and more
critical the more ones left to one's own
devices let me begin by quoting
again Ali the fourth success of the
province who said whoever sets himself
up as a leader of other people should
start educating himself before educating
other and let him teach by his conduct
before teaching by his tongue and the
education and refinement of oneself is
more worthy of respect than the
education and culture of other people
and the Quran we have actually many
examples of recommendations for behavior
that could be referred to requisites of
leadership and example ISM the chapter
in love might adopt the middle course in
your walk and lower your voice for the
worse this sounds is the brain of an ass
keep that in mind around election time
flash on the television you get up there
you just sign asking that out a number
of things with the Prophet which I think
are relevant to dealing with the
requirements of leadership in terms of
sincerity truthfulness modesty fairness
and justice the Prophet said anyone whom
God has placed in charge of the citizen
name but he does not take care of them
in theory will not even get a sense of
fairness the Prophet also said god
forbid paradise to any ruler of a Muslim
citizen Enoch who dies all he is
deceiving them in one of the most
interesting things we do not assign our
tea to one who asked for it or to one
who covered it imagine what elections
would be like under those conditions the
catsuit ones we're running away but I
think it is a very cogent point the idea
that in public service to the public
service not for the the privileges and
perk that the individuals who are in
those positions may maintain and I think
among the citizenry of this country
there is a really a great cry for this
kind of authentic morality among the the
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