for the Muslims in this age to literally
to disengage and to start reflecting
deeply about how we got here
where we are and some serious strategies
for getting out of this morass in this
horrific condition that we found
ourselves in and if I think if we do
that something positive can happen
but once you say been along to some
ideological rally and you've managed to
persuade Sandra young 18 year old to
leave them listened to you for a little
bit would you tell him that it is an
obligation upon him to study Islam and
try and learn a little bit of that great
alone to pass on Anna expounded is that
an obligation for him
or are there other legitimate things
that he can be doing with this life well
I we have far buying and fucking liar
they hasn't become a fun time nowadays
because I personally believe I'm this is
my and I think a lot of our mo would
would agree with this but I do believe
that Arabic language is now and I mean
because there are so few people that
actually know it that there's not a key
fire because it's 45 means Keith ayah
means enough if there's enough people
doing it then it's no longer obligatory
and everybody else so I personally do
believe hadith Sciences are obligatory
on all of us
memorizing the Quran is obligatory on
all of us learning because there's not
enough people to do it we don't have
enough people how father for unknown to
teach the children and the prophets of
hey document ID number Quran demo the
best of you are those who teach the
learning of Quran and teach it so this
is the best and highest thing somebody
can do so I think personally I think
what what we need to do is as
individuals is make a commitment and and
this is something that I've been giving
a lot of thought to and formulating in
my own mind and understanding we need to
make a commitment to a methodology of
the revival of Islam and I believe that
that this has taken place several times
historically and every time it has been
directly linked to the revival of the
sciences of the Deen Imam al-ghazali in
his age he's considered the majid did of
his time by the consensus of them I
don't know any I mean it's all it's like
almost much money a man was really when
he talks about this study which is a
study without the image at the beginning
of every century
he lists all of the all of that up to
his own time and the only one he says
there's no difference in opinion of our
family members only that that's that's
my understanding that he was by
consensus is imagine difficult 11 a lot
alike about
you
PART 3
that's extraordinary what at dinner with
the auto butter and my mama doesn't
agree on air yeah that he what he did
was literally write a book called
vecchia over the limit Dean I mean you
you know I'm talking to a man who's
translating it in a beautiful language
which is wonderful that you've done that
that you've learned Arabic to such a
high level and much on that you've also
got the gifts of English that because I
think you mentioned these appalling
translations I think one of the in
justices of our age is people who are
not qualified to translate translating
books I mean I have struggled personally
in my own self in trance should I
translate our shouldn't I just out of
kind of awareness of my own limitations
not only with Arabic but with English as
well because I think to take works of
such majestic language I mean you know
the language that these books have been
written in and certainly the the Quran
and the hadith of the Prophet Elias and
which are in some of the most exalt and
language that human beings have ever
used to take that and put it into this
pathetic English it's blasphemous as
well I think it is a blasphemy because
what what you're doing is it is a
Western person that reads that and this
thing it's reported that the prophets
allies that I'm sad and then you have
this this English that doesn't even make
sense it's making our prophet look like
he was he was not comprehensible did he
that he couldn't he couldn't put
sentences to get really I mean this is
the effect of it and I think that this
is just I mean this is a crime it really
is and I think people like Mataji in
Lebanon and I'll say the name this this
woman I
you know just translating these works
issues they need to fear all along they
really do they need to fear Allah I mean
I know that mahjong that you have a very
strong guys from the Arabic but I know
you've had to go to scholars and have
them explain to you passages from that
yeah which is written in a reasonably I
mean he's not one of the more abstruse
writers he was watching for for the
al-amin right I mean and Mustafa his
book in osoon is extremely abstruse and
complicated language but but his idea
was literally written for for general
educated Muslims and I know that you you
know you've had to I mean isn't that
true you know yeah
so this idea you getting the dictionary
out and people using hans there too
which is a wonderful dictionary
personally and i mean i feel it was a
useful job but it's not a scholastic it
is not a scholastic tool for translating
um you know it's a it's a dictionary you
use for the newspaper it's a small now
it's modern arabic so you have to go to
the great you know late lexicon is
certainly a remarkable achievement it's
limited in that after that's what i said
he never got to whore on so yeah i need
to do is we need quality works in
english but but getting the the whole
point we kind of transgressed here but
the point of this was that Azadi wrote a
fiat uno Medine see father Azusa Eddie
brought back knowledge to Algeria both
mend and foe do that I really think that
we need to seriously study um as a
methodology because he was dealing with
the Cologne
impact one of the great Mujahid's of the
Islamic Ummah historically but not only
that he literally established kunafa I
mean he did it yeah in in Sokoto Misano
serie and cleanses Sano see the
beautiful story of imam Sanusi when the
Turkish came and asked to see his
arsenals the the historian he was in
jail boo which is where their manes Ali
was and he took him to the library and
showed him all their manuscripts and he
said this is our arsenal this is the
Muhsin and that is not a kind of
flippant remark I think that the man he
truly meant that because Allah likes a
know Homer said we are not given victory
because of superior munitions or numbers
he says to say no Homer says decide to
been any more class that almost always
these people are over us in in munitions
and but we are given victory because of
our spiritual strength in our moral
uprightness which is based on knowledge
and that any moment I'm acknowledge is
the Imam of action and this is something
if we if we really want a true
renaissance and not just he's kind of
slogan you know Islam is the solution
and Islam lash out P of ever be if we
want to transcend the slogan Islam then
I think we're going we have to revive
the sciences of the Deen and to this end
we need youth that are willing to commit
I think there's there's benefit Omar
Laura
in in Mecca and Medinah University have
adopted Western methodologies completely
and I think that my own experience from
people that have graduated from those
schools by their own admittance had told
me that they actually felt deprived at
the end of the experience that might not
be true for all graduates I can't speak
for all the graduates but I have met a
considerable amount particularly Western
people that have gone there and really
did feel at the end of it that they
actually had not acquired a whole lot of
knowledge and also the actual experience
was very frustrating and difficult
because of the social issues involved I
have not been to Syria myself
I think Mauritania is an incredibly
difficult place to live I mean I
personally got hepatitis I got dysentery
you know I really suffered physically
living there but I did in the Emirates I
lived with great more attending scholars
there and benefited greatly and I think
the Emirates is a place that that
there's potential to study with
traditional shapes there they're
considerable number of them and but I
know Syria has some some very good
mattresses that are still in existence
and you know people have this idea of
the government and I think we need to to
get beyond this what we want is the
knowledge if the government is is you
know if these shield are not speaking
out against the government I think that
we should respect the Basia and the
Philosopher's lanús of these teachers
that they're obviously they're trying to
preserve the Dean and I think if they're
out there shouting against the
tyrannical leadership and end up in
prison they're not a whole lot of
benefit to the Ummah in prison and it's
certainly we know the hadith that that
the greatest Shaheed is the one who
speaks the truth in front of an unjust
tyrant but I think we also have to
understand that historically those who
did
were one of literally tens of thousands
of anima that were present with
institutions functioning we're in an age
that to lose one scholar is it's a
tragedy
it's fun it's it's it's something really
frightening literally - I mean to lose
one scholar in Syria or Egypt now is the
equivalent of maybe losing ten thousand
two hundred years ago and I don't think
I mean would you I don't think that's an
exaggeration I think it's the case in
Syria actually quite frightened when you
hear that some luminaries time has died
up okay we have students but nobody is
anywhere near his and there where his
level is so I think people have to be
aware of the age were living in one of
the things I'm Azurill ends his book out
of collide with the thing Allen money on
your corner are even bizarre many a man
must know the age he is living in and we
have to understand the age where they
may not be so simplistic and and reduce
issues to black and white
I mean Muslims have been aware of fuzzy
logic for centuries right I mean that
the things are not black and white think
that there are many vamoosh to be had
there's me the problems all I said I've
said there's things that are clear
there's things that are unclear and then
there's things that are clearly Haram
clearly hell out and they know I'm not
when water moves that
Layana moving that Cathedral minute
nasty only a few people understand those
things and this is an age where people
have to recognize that debt matters are
not clear things are not clear and we
have to trust the wisdom and guidance
people like chef side that I'm about and
bolted who's criticized as being some
government Lackey and the truth of the
matter is that man is literally
preserving Islam in in Syria he's you
know I mean
I don't I think that spamela it's just
it's really frightening what I've done
what a lot of young people are this
black and white tendency I suppose is
understandable given the fairly
desperate situation a lot of
disenfranchised youth in the West no
it's not just among Muslims I think you
see I mean given that the established
churches and British Christianity are
dying on their feet now precisely
because they can't give clear-cut
answers to the initiatives of the age
for will drain problems of the age you
see young people dining strange sects
and factions and cults like the Moonies
or David Koresh and in your part of the
world
because they can give them clear answers
as he desires as well and if you're with
us you're from the the saved faction but
if you do a little bit of that then
you're not acceptable and all of those
people in there they're 99 percent of
the people who claim to follow our
religion they're completely beyond the
pale right people like that they like
simplify that matters doesn't it I mean
we don't have to think yeah we don't
have a feather afternoon don't you use
your intellect I mean it's certainly
easy just to surrender my mind to an
ideology which I hate that word you know
I really it bothers me that people talk
about the Islamic ideology because I
know where do I find that I mean even in
Arabic ideology
there's not even a translation for the
word you know this idea that Islam is
some kind of ideology I mean as long as
literally it's me it's it's a I like the
idea of ortho praxis you know that it's
literally it's a correct mode of
behavior based on on a clear
understanding you know but it's
certainly not this ideology that we we
learn like a Marxist learns you know the
vocabulary of Marx's own terms and
acronyms and remember Bob would be that
which becomes a kind of Sieg Heil - Sieg
Heil
absolutely now I think there's a lot of
useful comparisons that one can draw
between the same sex and Christianity
like the moon s or the Branch Davidians
whatever and some of the young cups that
are appearing in various alarm situation
it's a good point in the West but also
in the Islamic world at the root of the
same paradox ruling then we need also to
recognize the this something that you
know I mentioned a lot is that we need
to recognize the historical context in
which we live that that Islam I
literally believe that all the vast
majority of these groups now that have
names and I don't really don't want to
go into naming people and you know but
but the groups that adhere to these
names and titles and things like that
they're gonna be historical footnotes
you know in the history of Islam we have
the motor jet year we have the hot area
we have them with yes SEMA we have the
Martez we have the college we have all
these evolving yeah and on and on and on
the some of its and all these sects that
have come and gone but Islam has
remained it has remained Islam is not an
ephemeral temporal contextual idea this
LOM is its Dean on how it is the Dean of
the truth and it will remain it will be
preserved by the promise of Allah and
the promise of his messenger by us or by
other than us when took their one lowest
of their own right Oakland forma de
Oakland tatical if you don't do it I'll
replace you with people that will do it
and they won't be like you and this is
this is it you know it's Islam will
remain and we will all die but Islam
will remain
it will remain by people by human beings
that stand up and preserved it in every
age and teach it and do you think that
preservation is exclusively academic
what if a young person says ok I'm just
not very academically gifted I didn't
have that kind of career path will do it
by such a person I think what would be
more generally your advice to young
people to continuing people yeah I don't
think everybody is academically inclined
and I don't really believe that that is
you know it's like it's like saying in
these books these this wretched
statement that the main purpose of a
woman is to to bear children have you
come across that it needs some books on
women and Islam I mean nowhere in the
Quran does it say that in fact it says
that we make some women barren and what
she's lost her main role a woman's role
is to know Allah and His Messenger and
to act accordingly you know I mean it
certainly is a primary role but we can't
say that this is the main no no the main
role is like you Vanisher says oh what a
legitimate ionamin could be family
making them and nothing in and yadi for
allah what I'm sort of busy Fatima
nestled by D and int the first
obligation of every human being who has
technique is to know Allah and His
Messenger based on how they how they the
knowledge has been preserved so I think
that that people should learn the father
dying but I also think they should be
committed to some study I mean I believe
you know it's not the idea of maybe
becoming an academic or becoming a
scholar but we should be maintained to
growth to intellectual growth because I
really don't see any excuse for that we
should all be committed to some people
should commit themselves to learning the
Quran to to reciting it to thinking
about it to listening to what the the
scholars say about it and committed to
going to the Masjid you know and
partaking in circles that are beneficial
right that are imparting knowledge and
other than that I think we need to look
at areas we need people
in media we need we need people
journalists we need artists quite
literally I mean you know art is is an
essential element of civilization and
the Muslims the prophets are licensed
all stood in the light Demeter we are
but Jenna Allah is beautiful and he
loves beauty and one of the beauties of
Islamic civilization is that even the
Bedouin have have these you know they
make beautiful rugs they have beautiful
pillows the you know in Mauritania I
always like to mention you know they
take these Bic pens these plastic pens
they take off the plastic and they they
make their own beautiful metal cases
because they think it's the pen well
none of them is photo and you know a lot
swears by the pen I've never been kind
of that it should be honored and they
just you know they don't think that the
plastic is really befitting and that is
some aesthetic understanding that that
really real automatic the Navy says that
you know one of the essential elements
of civilization is the aesthetic aspects
and he said one of the proofs of the the
extraordinary level of of loss of our of
our civilization is that we you know we
ornament our houses with plastic
calligraphed
plastic cups and things like that that
have been made in some factory in china
by non-muslims or something like that
and and we don't respect the so I think
we need calligraphers you know we need
people to go and learn calligraphy
that's not an academic task but it's a
beautiful and wonderful and as a means
of Dawa it's a path for sometimes I mean
Western I can't argue with the sonic art
you can argue with Ahmed Deedat pamphlet
mr. Brown does that knee other wrong
but if you present him with a carpet
from a little below zero it should
attachment a lot like he has to accept
it on something that accurate but to do
that what I produce that exactly I mean
what you know when I went to Grenada
seeing the alhambra i think this is
barbarians can't do this
you know the heavy barbarians cannot
produce what these people produced and
this is a proof against all their claims
about you know this know that but we we
have to stop living on the glories of
the past you know as an OMA we have to
stop pointing to the past like you know
the and reducing certificate I thought
oh that's a doodle I need a fun little
bandana that's a tea these are our
traces they indicate who we were so look
after we're gone at what we left behind
and this is what we have an only have to
ask ourselves can we say this to the
generations that are gonna follow us
here's what we've left behind look at
our traces and see who we are what what
what are what you know what is it
telling the future generations about who
we want look at our pamphlets we don't
even have academic we've become an Ummah
of pamphleteers you know everybody
writes these pamphlets what is Islam
you know why you shouldn't move your
finger in the prayer why you should hold
your hands here as opposed you know
where the great works where are the
great intellectual achievements where
are the artistic achievements you know
even clothes have become it's true I'm
sure that one of them is damning
indictment one could make of the modern
Islamic revival this ideologists and I'm
not talking about all the individuals
who qualify but the Gen
parameters which they set up for
themselves is the fact that really for
the first time in Islamic history we
have a mass movement with no cultural
riches to it rather look at what the
Sahaba produced within a hundred years
there was the Dome of the rock in
Jerusalem one of the great monuments of
human civilization there are the cellar
more so a part of the Senate the
must-haves that they wrote that
architecture the art extraordinary
poetry that athlete other or easy enough
creativity from the human spirit because
of the human spirit is truly enlightened
by religion it date has to flow up like
light from the Sun it has to make a
really beautiful but where is the calm
feel very nice honor that goes with the
modernist I know you're going to a
mosque now and and Muslims that we've
been transmogrified into just these hot
creatures I mean even our clothes don't
you know one of the things about western
clothes I mean they're they're they're
really kind of ugly clothes in my
perspective I mean I thought that before
I was Muslim Muslim clothes are
beautiful they really they're they're
they're heavy for clothes that's what I
like to call them they're highly for
clothes that they honor many Adam but
one of the things about I mean at least
a lot of Western people know how to wear
western clothes one of the things you
find Muslim people they you know they
don't even they look like caricatures
did you take a Sudanese villager out of
his group and tear them and put him into
what Western plates you can find and
it's all suddenly panic sort of yeah
guest workers yes rather than these
noble people with Subhan Allah there's a
hadith and very happy relates that has
some weakness in it but but I think in
historically it's fascinating he said
that I'm not a multi generator
either was i oh ha what Aloha is zoom
that the turbines are the Crown's of the
Arab people and when they take them off
Allah will take away their dignity and
and it's fascinating that you can see
that the 10z mass in the 1850s I ain't
you're much more knowledgeable about
this in iron but when one of the things
that they did was literally get the
turbines off the oume and this is a
really major turning point
in the in the beginning of the decline
and disintegration of the the Muslim
power and dignity in physical change
people's outward form it has an effect
on you well absolutely believe in the
intermingling of rebellion this very
often my father and I I'd do something
to your outward it affect your spirit if
you just details there it will manifest
on the hour
absolutely their survival it's very true
anyway and thank you very much for your
time I hope ten times more than you have
well it's you know I one of the reasons
that I was excited about coming here and
I'm not just you know this isn't just
some weed a minute but I really was
looking forward to seeing you I think
that the work that you're doing is
you're just one of the few scholars
right now that's that's just doing work
of such a high caliber that I think it's
that there's nothing I just hope that
Allah will exceptional times in it I
love it so and I really hope that that
more people begin to take this task upon
themselves of presenting Islam to to the
West I think that you know just to
finish this this off I think
the Europeans and the Americans are at
such a deep crisis right now they really
are they're aware of it they're
intellectuals are aware of it they're
there they're the writings are shouting
it out you know Thoreau said most people
live lives of quiet desperation the
desperation is no longer quiet
it's literally people are shouting it at
the top of their lungs and this long
took the most savage bloody people
people that could bury their daughters
alive people that could eat the livers
of their their enemies you know on the
battlefield a woman that can do that it
took those people and transformed them
into these you know these deeply human
compassionate people that had a thirst
for knowledge for EM and we reviewed
with the love of God that they literally
went and they transformed the world and
and we cannot you know the anglo-saxons
have a horrific history you know of what
they've done to the world the havoc that
they wreaked upon the world but they are
recipients of the mercy of Allah just
like anybody else the French we know
what they did to the Muslims but we also
know what the mushrikeen did to the
prophet sallallaahu so no and he took
this long to them he gave it to them and
they became the people that literally
went out and transformed the world and I
think Allah in his deep and infinite
wisdom has placed the Muslims in the
heart of the Western world and this has
happened historically before the
Christians were thrust into the heart of
the Roman Empire and they transformed it
they really did they transformed it and
that their enemies who had persecuted
them for three centuries adopted their
religion and
and I don't see why it can't happen
again
I mean I just I believe in the power of
Allah and I believe in the
transformative message of Islam and I
and I really believe that this is deenal
Haq that that people will recognize the
truth of it we have massive amount of
work ahead of us you know you're fully
aware of that and I'm aware of it and I
just we don't have time to bicker you
know we don't have time to get in petty
confrontations with each other this is a
time where we really have to unite and
and and and do some serious jihad and HT
HOD and do some thicker thicker and
sugar and take this Deen out to the
people you know I think they're thirsty
for the herbs the earth is thirsty for
it you know this earth wants to be
worshipped on it doesn't want that
and the earth is thirsty for and we need
to heal the earth as well not just the
people on it but the earth is suffering
from our gross injustice is so I hope
inshallah you know the people hearing
this you know we'll just think about
these things and then and I hope and
shallowed there's some benefit money one
of my favorite verses in the Quran and
all of the Quran is really my favorite
verses but and the Dean yes Tamera they
just Amira now called a theater owner a
son of those who listen to what's said
and they follow the best of it so in
Shaba ask allah subhana wa qarna that
this conversation is some benefit and
people can derive some benefit meaning
from it and take what's useful from it
and discard what's not something that is
like alchemy