Role of Muslim Men and Women in the US*

1
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

2
People are like metals

• Diamond and Gold
• Increase in purity and strength in face of
  hardships
• Iron
• (?? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?????
  ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ?????
  ?????? ??????).
• 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

3
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

4
Importance of Knowledge

• Ummah was good in memorizing and reciting poetry,
  yet one of the first emphasis was about reading
  and writing
• (? ??????????? ????? ???????????)
• 68.1. 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

5
Importance of Knowledge

• 895 time in the Quran enjoining reading and
  learning
• ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?????
• ????? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ??????
  (????)
• Prophets learn knowledge before they fulfill
  their mission of prophethood
• (?????? ?????? ????? ??????)
• And Lut, We granted him wisdom and knowledge
• (???? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ??????)
• And when he attained his maturity, We granted him
  wisdom and knowledge
• (???? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????)
• And when he attained his maturity and became full
  grown, We granted him wisdom and knowledge
• (????? ????? ????? ??????)
• 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.

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Companions

• Ibn Masoud was weak, small and dark in color.
  Umar said about him (???? ??? ????) A container
  full of knowledge
• ( ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????
  ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ??
  ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????
  ???? ??? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? )
• Ubay ibn Kab loved the Quran
• (?? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?????
  ?? ??? ??????). ??? ???????
  ??? (???). ????.
• ?? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??
  ?????.
• Indeed Allah elevate certain people with this
  book and bring down others with it

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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
• ????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??
  ????
• ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???
  ??????
• Say this is my path, I call to Allah with
  knowledge, me and those who follow me

8
Systematic learning

• ??? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??????
• Acquiring knowledge is an obligation of every
  Muslim man and woman
• ?? ???? ?? ?????? ????
• 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
• "?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????
  ???????"
• Indeed Allah loves the grand matters and hates
  their nonsense

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Being old is not an excuse

• ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ?????? ????
  ??????????? ????? ????? ????? ??????? ????????
  ???? ??????????? ?????? ????????? ?????????
  ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ????????? ???
  ?????? ?????????
• Umar said acquire understanding in religion
  before you lead, and after you lead. The
  companions of the prophet learned during their
  old age
• ??? ??????????? ???????? ???????? ?????
  ???????????
• Knowledge is not acquired by a proud or a shy
  person
• We have to put aside time in our life for gaining
  Islamic Knowledge

10
Understanding vs. Knowledge

• ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ????? ?????
  ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???
  ?????
• 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
• ???? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ????
• A man endowed with sound understanding is firmer
  before the Shaytan from one thousand worshipers

11
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 Islams foundation.
  Through them, man wards away from himself the way
  of those whose portion is wrath (??????? ?????)
  because of their ill-intentions as well as those
  who have gone astray (???????) out of their
  misunderstanding. If man wards off such evil, he
  becomes amongst those upon whom Allah has
  bestowed His Grace (????? ????? ?????), 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

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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 youve learned.

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Practical Tips

• Listen to knowledge during your commute
• Keep a book with you to read while youre waiting
  airport, doctors appointment, etc
• Dont consider that youve 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