studying Arabic in in and I and I wasn't
married at the time so reading this
poetry was actually quite quite racy
really but they were certainly not
prudes that that early community and
when religion becomes prudish it also
becomes dangerous it really does and and
so we really want to see a beautiful
type of Islam emerged in America and and
it will and it is the the Prophet once
asked some people were going to a
wedding and he said is there any
entertainment and they said no it he
said find some entertainment because I
want Jews and Christians to see we've
got room in our religion you know that
we're not uptight that it's not an
uptight faith and and that was important
for him of how his religion was
perceived by others that is not an
insect
significant hadith that the Prophet was
concerned with how people saw the
religion there are unfortunately some
Muslims that could care less how other
people view their faith but I care very
deeply about how other people view my
faith because it's a beautiful faith and
whether they embrace it or not I would
like to at least I would like to see
people recognizing the beauty of the
Islamic tradition of its architecture of
its clothing of its calligraphy of its
food of its music of all the various
expressions and of its devotion of its
simplicity all of those things that make
Islam the stunning faith that it is and
that's nourished me for the last 32
years of my life but this poem is a poem
by one of my favorite poets Robert Frost
and it's called the fear of God and I
say this really too as a reminder to us
at Zaytuna at what we're embarking on
Robert Frost writes if you should go
from somewhere from nowhere just up to
somewhere from being no one up to being
someone be sure to repeat to yourself
you owe it to an arbitrary God whose
mercy to you rather than to others won't
bear to critical examination stay
unassuming if for lack of license to
wear the uniform of who you are you
should be tempted to make up for it in a
subordinating look or tone beware of
coming too much to the surface and using
for apparel what was meant to be the
curtain of the inmost soul humility is
the great quality of our prophet he said
I was commanded to be humble so that no
one would show arrogance over any other
he said be humble for the sake of God
and God will elevate you I really hope
that we set out humbled with the task
that is ahead it's an immense task and
and I'm humbled by the presence of the
people that have come by dr. James and
Rabbi Michael Lerner from from these
great faith traditions that went before
Islam Judaism and Christianity and by
all of you for coming out
thank you and and really thank this
extraordinary group of young people it's
very diverse group and and I'm really
hoping that we can serve them as well as
they're expecting us to may Allah bless
all of you mayor Ramadan be blessed
thank you jessica malahide on with South
America to conclude this evening we have
our last speaker which is one of the
faculty who starred Abdullah bin Hamad
Ali is actually the only Western
graduate of the Sharia Faculty of the
University of al-quran located in Fez
Morocco he specializes in Islamic legal
theory dialectical theology and Malachy
jurisprudence he is currently completing
his graduate study at the Graduate
theological Union in Berkeley he would
lead us in the concluding duaa
supplication for concluding this evening
Allahu Akbar now Maureen our kuia how
many other hero allahumma Barrett being
in amber being a cop are you not a man
to be nelma city with Makarov oh allah
distance us from our sins in the same
way that you have created distance
between east and west
allahu - Erica hide in Maserati go hide
at dois Maharaja were hired at a
medieval hide at the Ohio hilarity were
hidin my man or Allah we ask you the
best of petitions the best of
supplications the best of success the
best of works best the best of rewards
and the best in life and the best after
death allahumma thabbitna mahakal amana
ethical know as Inanna Bharathiraja Tina
well children are Katya Tina Allah we
ask you to realize our faith we ask you
to place to place weight on our scale of
good deeds we ask you to forgive us for
our sins Allah watches clear hajima
watcher wha wha wha wha here about Tina
- ah-choo demeanor Geneva manny resada
he managed energy I mean Aloha callosum
in a nursery mean when a janitor meaning
Allah who - Dina vs marina absurd I know
Fiorina
of your health in our same vehicle
latina a FEMA here now more Martina what
the what the bill has an
Athena Allah we ask you for good health
we ask you for well-being in our persons
and enough in our sight in our vision
and our hearing and in our hearts and in
our souls we ask you to correct our
deeds to give his good conduct -
beautiful beautiful our creation as
unify a beautiful our conduct as
beautiful our creation and we ask you to
accept our good deeds
allahumma zid knowledge and Krishna
Oracle never lie to him
Martyna bottom third of normal saline
water die now or allah we ask you
to give us increase in that decrease we
ask from you honor and not dishonor we
asked you to give to us and not to deny
us we ask you to give us preference and
not to prefer others to us and we ask
for your satisfaction we ask you for
your satisfaction Allah who Mubarak
physically it is a true now allahumma
barik fickle it is a tuna wealthy woman
ah AHA or female SEC ha or female not
Vimy ha or FEMA say yeehaw
Buffy mawa burfi ha or Fillmore talimena
men who were mildly mean we are America
our hamara he mean Allah we ask you to
bless is a tuna College we ask you to
bless its founders the best to bless as
trustees we ask you to bless its
managers we ask you to bless his staff
we ask you to bless his faculty and a
student body
well Jimmy and how the Dean if you have
that you German Mubarak you can be
automatically our camera he mean I mean
all shoots aiming also ask you to bless
all of those present in this noble
gathering gathering we ask you by your
mercy o most merciful of those who show
mercy Allah who - erica bhisma Kapaa
here at by even mobile kilocalorie
either duty to be he adept what if
that's for him to be here a hint worried
the stuff reduced refers to be forged
and to suddenly i were to sell him over
to barakah rasulina muhammad water hit
by irina Tajin Wadena ma whom basically
our camera he mean but hamdu lillahi
lady had an ally heard about my new
nanny Listeria Lauder and had an of Lola
and had an a la solana animal serene al
hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen mean
it's actually we have a very good news
we finished the program about 25 minutes
then planned and for a Muslim gathering
and for a Muslim college this is a good
beginning so alhamdulillah thank you all
for being part of this program and we
invite all of you to be part of the
support give us advice give us counsel
keep us on the straight path as we see
and travel to create this great Muslim
institution America Salam alaikum wa
rahmatullah wa barakato
[Applause]