Role of Muslim Men and Women in the US * Seif Fateen MAS Columbus * This presentation is based on a lecture by Dr. Salah Soltan given in Columbus in January 2004

People are like metals Diamond and Gold –Increase in purity and strength in face of hardships Iron ( إن هذه القلوب تصدأ كما يصدأ الحديد إذا أصابه الماء، قيل : وما جلاؤها؟ قال : كثرة ذكر الموت وتلاوة القرآن ). –Indeed these hearts rust, like the rusting of the iron when water comes to it. It was said: ‘how can we clean it’. He said: ‘remembering death and reciting the quran’ Dust –Goes with the wind and disappear in water

Five Roles 1.Systematic Acquiring of knowledge of this religion 2.Working with this religion without selection 3.Calling to this religion with all our knowledge 4.Defending this religion with all our abilities 5.Passing this religion to the coming generations

Importance of Knowledge Ummah was good in memorizing and reciting poetry, yet one of the first emphasis was about reading and writing ( ن وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ ) Nun. By the pen and that which they write (therewith) It was not accepted that people remain illiterate and ignorant The prophet makes the ransom of war prisoners in the battle of badr to teach a Muslim

Importance of Knowledge 895 time in the Quran enjoining reading and learning من يرد الله به خيراً يفقه في الدين الناس رجلان : عالم ومتعلم ولا خير فيما سواهما ( ضعيف ) Prophets learn knowledge before they fulfill their mission of prophethood –( ولوطاً آتيناه حكماً وعلماً ) –And Lut, We granted him wisdom and knowledge –( ولما بلغ أشده آتيناه حكماً وعلماً ) –And when he attained his maturity, We granted him wisdom and knowledge –( ولما بلغ أشده واستوى آتيناه حكماً وعلماً ) –And when he attained his maturity and became full grown, We granted him wisdom and knowledge –( وكلاً آتينا حكماً وعلماً ) –And We granted both of them wisdom and knowledge Knowledge is not an option. To have a role in protecting yourself and correcting the society that you live in, you must gain knowledge.

Companions Ibn Masoud was weak, small and dark in color. Umar said about him: ( كنيف ملئ علما ) “A container full of knowledge” ( والله الذي لا إله غيره، ما أنزلت سورة من كتاب الله: إلا أنا أعلم أين أنزلت، ولا أنزلت آية من كتاب الله، إلا أنا أعلم فيما أنزلت، ولو أعلم أحدا أعلم مني بكتاب الله، تبلغه الإبل، لركبت إليه ) Ubay ibn Ka`b loved the Quran –(إن الله يأمرني أن أقرأ عليك: {لم يكن الذين كفروا من أهل الكتاب}). قال: وسماني؟ قال: (نعم). فبكى. –إن الله تعالى يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقواما، ويضع به آخرين. –Indeed Allah elevate certain people with this book and bring down others with it

Problem of Randomness Inherent in our culture We preserve it even in this society Plans, if made, are seldom fulfilled –Reading books –Memorizing Quran Specialization: –Abu Huraira – hadith –Ibn Abbass – Tafsir –Umar ibn Al-khattab – Fiqh [e.g. Kalala and Abba] اللهم إني أسألك علما نافعا، وأعوذ بك من علم لا ينفع قل هذه سبيلي أدعو إلى الله على بصيرة أنا ومن اتبعني –Say: this is my path, I call to Allah with knowledge, me and those who follow me

Systematic learning طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم ومسلمة Acquiring knowledge is an obligation of every Muslim man and woman يا يحيى خذ الكتاب بقوة O Yahia, take this book with strength Reading Books in its entirety –Quran, Riyadh As-Saliheen, Usul Ad-Dawah – Abdel Kareem Zaidan, Fiqh As-Sunnah, Seerah Attend a series of lectures completely Do not fill your mind with nonsense –" إن الله جواد يحب الجود ويحب معالي الأمور ويكره سفاسفها " –Indeed Allah loves the grand matters and hates their nonsense

Being old is not an excuse البخاري : وَقَالَ عُمَرُ تَفَقَّهُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ تُسَوَّدُوا قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد اللَّهِ وَبَعْدَ أَنْ تُسَوَّدُوا وَقَدْ تَعَلَّمَ أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي كِبَرِ سِنِّهِمْ Umar said: acquire understanding in religion before you lead, and after you lead. The companions of the prophet learned during their old age لاَ يَتَعَلَّمُ العِلْمَ مُسْتَحٍ وَلاَ مُتَكَبِّرٍ Knowledge is not acquired by a proud or a shy person We have to put aside time in our life for gaining Islamic Knowledge

Understanding vs. Knowledge نضر الله امرأ سمع منا حديثا فحفظه حتى يبلغه غيره، فرب حامل فقه إلى من هو أفقه منه، ورب حامل فقه ليس بفقيه May Allah illuminate the face of a person who hears a saying from me, then he memorizes it and imparts it to someone else. It happens that a man carries `fiqh ’ to a man who has more ‘ fiqh ’ than him, and it happens that a man carries ‘ fiqh ’ while he is not a man of ‘ fiqh ’ فقيه واحد أشد عَلَى الشيطان من ألف عابد A man endowed with sound understanding is firmer before the Shaytan from one thousand worshipers

Understanding vs. Knowledge “Right understanding and sincere intentions are counted among the greatest gifts given by Allah to man. Other than Islam, man has never been blessed with anything greater than them. They form the cornerstone of Islam’s foundation. Through them, man wards away from himself the way of those whose portion is wrath ( المغضوب عليهم ) because of their ill-intentions as well as those who have gone astray ( الضالين ) out of their misunderstanding. If man wards off such evil, he becomes amongst those upon whom Allah has bestowed His Grace ( الذين أنعمت عليهم ), those who possess sound understanding and good intentions. These are the people of the straight way, whose course we have been commanded to seek at every prayer.” –Ibn Al-Qayyim

Practical Tip: Write what you read or listen to Arabs used to say: We read the best that is written, We write the best that we read, We memorize the best that we wrote, We say the best that we memorized. We work with the best that we said Do not just listen to khutbahs or halaqas. Read in a systematic way. After you understand, write down what you ’ ve learned.

Practical Tips Listen to knowledge during your commute Keep a book with you to read while you’re waiting [airport, doctor’s appointment, etc] Don’t consider that you’ve finished a book before you summarize it in your own words Find a regular halaqa of knowledge [e.g MAS usrah] with a mentor and attend regularly