Responding Effectively to Anti-Muslim Propaganda | Ustadh Haseeb Sadat

Brothers and sisters, if you've noticed, there's a slight tension in our nation, especially when it comes to Muslims. Have you guys have probably seen an increase in a lot of the anti-Islam and Muslim hate that's been not only being spread by just random people on social media but by people that are in positions of power. People that have the roles of senator or congressmen and women, even the president signing off in a mocking way. All praise be to Allah after his his post. And it reminds me a lot of the time after 9/11 when there was a lot of propaganda against Muslims. And that kind of similar idea which was used as a tool to help spread American imperialism, whether that was what happened in Iraq, over a million civilians, if not more, died in Iraq or in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of people died or being a afflicted or affected by the war. And that trickled into other parts of the Muslim world as Somalia few years later in Libya and Syria and just a lot of disastrous things that happened using that event as a political tool to say that hey I'm going to paint a broad stroke across all of the Muslims and I'm going to demonize this specific group. And this has historically happened to many people, many different groups throughout history. And that same sentiment is coming back again. You can see it even a few years ago they tried to ban the Sharia outright meaning even the things in the Sharia like praying giving zakat Ramadan of course when it got to a certain level of court it didn't hold any weight and they dismissed it because it's unconstitutional the first amendment freedom of assembly speech and religion but just the fact that you have the audacity and you're brazen enough to even submit that in a very liberal secular country like America, it should serve as a warning to us. And I don't want to scare anybody or make anybody afraid, but it's it's a reminder to always be prepared. And Allah subhana wa ta'ala in his book, he says it as well. Do we think do do the people think that you are going to be left when you just say I believe and that you won't be tested? Allah says he's going to test us. He reminds us this that we're in dunya right this word itself it means the lowest part the lowest part. It's a temporal realm that we're in right now. It's fleeting. It's going to go away. In this realm that we're in, we're going to get tested by Allah subhana wa ta'ala. In the next verse, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says he Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, "I've tested people before you." People meaning the believers before you so that I could ascertain who are the people of truth. Who are the people of Sith? Who are the people when the going gets tough, they don't run away. They hold firm to their values. They don't break under the pressure. This is a litmus test for us, brothers and sisters, this time that we're living in. Are you going to hold strong to your faith or are you going to be amongst those who are liars, deceivers, the kadin? Just like when you, you know, you take an ore, a rock that has metal in it, and you put it through a very difficult heat and pressure. Why? Because you want to extract the precious gems and metals inside of that ore. Similarly, any struggle we go through, we have to remind ourselves that this is a test from Allah subhana wa ta'ala. And it's not even that bad in California, relatively speaking, to other parts of the world. And I do want to mention that there's a lot of Americans, brothers and sisters, that are very ignorant. Even with social media, the internet, all that stuff, they are stuck in their little bubble. You know, there was one survey that mentioned 50% of Americans don't know another Muslim. 50% of Americans don't know another Muslim. Another survey mentioned 40% have never left the United States. And I'm pretty sure most of those who've left the United States probably they probably haven't experienced the hospitality of a Muslim country, the love and warmth and embrace of a Muslim country. Of course, there's, you know, there's also negative things as well, but just the fact that there's a lack of exposure. And then on top of that, the media bombards them with all these negative images of Muslims, whether that's a terrorist in a Hollywood movie or, you know, the negative news they see from the left and from the right. From the left and the right, one is the right's more brazen about it. The left, they do it in a roundabout way. Either way, brothers and sisters, the rhetoric is increasing. So I just want to remind ourselves what state of mind we should be in. And I want to take us back in time inshallah as well. I want to take us back to the time of the Sahabah when Islam was just a seed planted into a fertile soil and it was slowly beginning to sprout. When the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam began to give the message of Islam slowly to people he trusts and eventually when it reached to a level of 38 Muslims and the land of Mecca, a land of paganism, a land of tribal warfare, a land where they would bury their daughters alive, they would treat women like property. When he became 38, Abu Bakr Sadik who we as Muslims believe in the um of he was the second best person. His sick, his generosity, his honesty, his courage. We believe he's the second best person. May Allah subhana wa tala shower his blessings and merc mercy upon Abu Bakr Sadik. He said, "Yeahool Allah, should we not go spread Islam openly?" So they began to have a conversation about it. Abu Bakr Sadik was somebody who the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam would trust. And so the prophet was on the side of let's not. We're too weak in numbers. You know, similarly, we as Muslims are 1 to 2% of this population, right? 350 million people. We make about 1 to 2% of that, right? anywhere between 3 to four million Muslims in America. We don't have any, you know, influence in the highest parts of the government. Yeah, there's some representation here and there, a senator or a congressman or woman or a mayor here and there, but overall we are a a very small minority in this country. We don't have any pull as they say. Similarly, the Muslims during that time, they also didn't have any influence or power, but they have the truth on their side. So, said, "Yahoolah, let's openly declare this Islam. People will come to it." And the prophet was hesitant because he knew all of the enmity and the hatred that the pagans had for this new message. It was calling towards one Allah and all of their idols were false. So the prophet gave Abu Bakr the go-ahhead. And so Abu Bakr went to the the town center right in front of the Kaa. And of course the mushri of Qur they didn't like that. Immediately after he declared that they began to pounce on Abu Bakr Sadik led by one of the worst people and they began to jump him tackled him to the ground took off his shoe and began to beat the face of Abu Bakr Sadik and he began to stomp on him and hit him until Abu Bakr's tribe Benuain came and rescued Abu Bakr Sadik. They had to protect one of their own, right? It's a very tribal system. They mentioned in the narration that Abu Bakr Sadik was so damaged and so injured his face was unrecognizable brothers and sisters. His face was unrecognizable. So Benuame they carried him back to his house and he had lost consciousness. So Benutame his tribe of Bakash went to and specifically toba's tribe and said if our man dies we're going to kill one of yours. And that would have caused a huge war in Pures. But then Abu Bakr Sadik he began to awaken from his his uh unconsciousness and the first thing that he said is what happened to so Bename they began to curse him and and rebuke him and say what do you mean what happened to him? because of him you're in this situation because of this Islam you've been beaten to a pope look what happened to you and so Abu Bakr Sadi would be in and out of consciousness and eventually he would ask his mother over and over again what happened to Allah how's and Abu Bakr said or the mother said I don't know how he's doing how am I supposed to know so then he told her go to jam Omar whose sister had secretly converted to Islam go to her and ask her. So Abu Bakr's mother went to and said how is Muhammad? She said I don't know about Muhammad and I don't know about your son. I don't know what you're talking about. Brothers and sisters, this is a sign and is in times of hardship, in times where your life can be on the line, you're allowed to hold the truth. Didn't know if Abu Bakr's mother was come coming with hostility. So she said, you know what, I can go meet your son if that's what you want. So this goes to show you Abu Bakr on one hand is openly declaring Islam and he's has so much fervor and zeal and love and for Allah his messenger that he has just he wants to tell the people about the truth and on the other hand you have very vulnerable in society also a she decides to keep her Islam a secret and just practice personally in her own home in privacy. So she goes to Abu Bakr Sadik and the moment she sees him, she lets out a scream because of how badly he's disfigured. So Abu Bakr says to uh how isallam and then she looks and says your mother is here. He goes, don't worry about her. Just tell me howool Allah is. And she says Allah's health is fine. Don't worry about that. his health is fine. Abu Bakr who said wall I will not eat a morsel of food or drink even a little water until I see him. And so they brought Abu Bakr who was just still beating up and battered to Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam and the prophet got up immediately and embraced Allah and kissed him and he he didn't say you might think oh I sacrificed so much for you I I'm being for you Allah look at me look at the situation look what I did for you he saidoolah I'm not hurt at all it was a minor a minor a minor pain. Look at the attitude. Even though he was being beaten and hurt and a broken nose, he still had that optimism, brothers and sisters. He knew that he was being tested by Allah subhana wa ta'ala. He knew that his love for Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam and his and Allah subhanana wa ta'ala was far greater than any pain that could afflict him. And so these kind of things we have to consider. And sometimes we think we know the best way to propagate this message of Islam. And yes, our job here as Muslims in the minority in the west is yes, we have to spread the truth. But that truth comes with hikma. Just because you have knowledge and the truth on your side, it doesn't mean you just go out without some type of strategy. Doesn't mean that your way is the specific best way to do it. No. Sometimes it's through your character. Sometimes it's letting somebody walk in front of you, opening the door from for somebody, making sure that you deal with your business honestly, making sure people know that you're doing this because you're commanded to as a Muslim. It doesn't have to be open. You have on the one hand quietly, you know, then there's so many Sahaba that were told don't make your Islam apparent because our numbers are weak, right? So it doesn't mean that they compromise. It just means that they had a different way of practicing. They were more to themselves. Then you have people like Abu Bakr Sadik that couldn't hold the truth to himself. You have people like Hamza who when he heard that Abu Jahal had hit the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam and beat him that he immediately on horseback ran to Abu Jahal. He got off of his steed and he knocked him to the ground and said I heard you hit my nephew and I'm here to tell you that I've also accepted Islam and there's only one God and Muhammad is his messenger. And the narration mentions he did it out of anger. That night he went back home and asked and prayed to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Sometimes you will get people from the that will come to your rescue. People that they don't have any skin in the game but they realize that you are being oppressed and they stand with the people of oppression until Allah guides them. And that's what happened to he asked Allah, "Oh Allah, if Islam is the truth, guide me to it." The next morning he says he woke up with im his heart full of iman. And he went to the messenger of Allah, his nephew, and he declared a shahada. So there are ignorant people amongst his brothers and sisters. They've only been told one narrative. They've only been told one thing about Muslims and that's all they know. They say things like creeping shar creeping Sharia that there's Sharia courts all over and that soon uh in Dearborn in other places they're going to take over and they're going to turn everything into Arabic font and they're going to have the call to prayer everywhere. These are just scare tactics. It's fear-mongering, hatemongering. But how do we respond to that brothers and sisters? We have to realize who are the enemies of Islam and who are just the ignorant followers. They don't know any better. We have to be the means of them knowing better. Look at the people who were initially enemies of Islam and became the greatest ambassadors of Islam. Look at look at who opened Egypt. Look at Abu Sufyan. Look at so many people who were once hated Islam, hated the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam and then it turned on their heels. They accepted and embraced Islam. There's so many people like that today. I say you know the simplicity of our religion that our religion calls towards good their idea of Sharia is punitive punishments and they think it's about oppressing women and and cutting off hands. The Sharia that they want you to reject is not the Sharia of Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam is not the Sharia revealed by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. I also reject their version of Sharia but I will never reject the Sharia of Allah subhana wa ta'ala and the messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam as Muslims we should not reject any part of it accept it understand its flexibility understand that it can operate in any context time and culture that the the mercy that the Sharia brings these people don't understand it otherwise they would want it but our Sharia is so beautiful it's so merciful. It takes them to think so many different accounts before it even thinks about giving a punishment. So these people don't know that. All they know is what they've seen in the movies and and on TV and the news and social media, a lot of propaganda, brothers and sisters. And I know I'm I'm I'm running out of time, but inshallah in the next part of my I want to talk about what are the steps that we take in. >> [clears throat] >> So brothers and sisters, we're going to be tested. We need to wake up with the mindset every single day that we're going to be tested. What does Allah say? Allah tells us you're going to be tested with your wealth, your lives, your fruits, meaning your risk. And then he says, "And glad tidings to those who persevere and are patient." This is not our abode, brothers and sisters. We should have the mindset of waking up every day saying that Allah will test me today. How am I going to respond? I'm going to be tested. Whether that's somebody that Allah puts in front of me that is making fun of me, ridiculing me, cutting me off, saying something harmful to me, how am I going to absorb that? How am I going to take that moment? And it doesn't mean to be frail or weak. Don't run away and be a coward. It just means deal with things in in accordance. Deal with things in an appropriate manner. If you see somebody is ignorant, just say salam, you know, peace out, man. I'm not I'm not here to deal with that. If you see somebody is, you know, being aggressive or hurting one of our sisters or then they start being vile, then you have a right to defend yourself. But we have to be smart in how we move about. And that how do we operate in a society, alhamdulillah, California, especially the Bay Area, it's a very liberal, inclusive society for the most part. You don't get the hate that you do in the Midwest or in in the South, the deep south. There's a whole different level of propaganda there. But my point is, it could have reach us. Only uh within the last 100 years, the Japanese citizens of America were put into internment camps in World War II when America was in a battle and war with Japan. They took the citizens of the Japanese citizens because they thought they had loyalty to Japan and put them in interment camps. And once again, I'm not trying to scare anybody, but I'm saying we have to be prepared. They say hope for the best, but prepare and expect the worst. We hope for the best. We're as Muslims, as believers, we're optimists. We always think that something a good outcome will come. And I mentioned this in a earlier about wondrous is the affair of the believer. Wondrous is the affair of the believer. In every situation, there's good. And it's not the case except for a believer. If something good happens, we say alhamdulillah. If something bad happens, we be patient. We remain steadfast. We know that through all of these trials and tribulations and discrimination and hate mongering and fear. You know, maybe one of our sisters uh our young sisters at school getting their hijab torn off or one of our brothers getting made fun of called a terrorist. We saw these things after 911. Brothers and sisters, we saw these things happening, but we remain patient and steadfast so Allah can understand, so Allah can know and identify who are the truth tellers. But some things that we should take into consideration. Number one, there's not one way to express your Islam. Some of the Sahaba were very open about it. They they would be the ones that would be setting up the da table and inviting people in the worst parts of the city to Islam. And there's others that just wanted to be practicing, come home to their family, go to the masid, pray, have good character. Both ways are good. We shouldn't criticize one or the other. Maybe there's some benefit in either or. And whatever harm comes with it, we put our trust in Allah subhana wa tala that a good outcome will come of it. And our sisters, be mindful of your surrounding. have a little bit more situational awareness. Our elderly have a little bit more situational awareness. If you notice bullies, they go after the most vulnerable of people. I haven't seen many videos online of of the enemies of Allah or the ignorant people attacking strong Muslim men, but you see them attacking after our s the or you see them when somebody from our elderly community. So, just be mindful of where you're going. if you can go with with somebody from with a guardian out outside or just be mindful. Try not to go out at night. That's when a lot of the and jin are out. And then for the men, be ready. Have a plan with your family. Get involved in martial arts. Have some type of physical prowess. That's very important. Don't be weak. Don't get humiliated in front of your family when the time comes to defend yourself. And last, and I think the most important one is our character. Brothers and sisters, this is the time where people are celebrating the mid. But one of the best ways you can follow and earn the love of Allah and the messenger is by following the messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam. Where's your personal internal noted where you behave like the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam and I'm telling myself first and foremost who has hard time with my being patient with my kids being forbearant with you know family issues you know dealing with stress as it comes from work from family life all those things it's difficult but we tell ourselves after we wake up alhamdulill tell yourself Allah is going to test me today how am I going to come out of this test. Am I going to pass? Is the first thing that come out of my mouth alhamdulillah? Subhan Allah. Or is it some vow some foul language? Some vulgar language. Right? Be ready for those tests. This is the land. This is this is the abode of tests of trials and tribulations. Be ready for that. When somebody cut you off, be ready to smile. I don't know how to put it, but this is the best thing we can do, brothers and sisters. Are we being kind to our neighbors on our left and right? How come they haven't accepted Islam? We must be doing something wrong. We must not be sending them enough food or flowers or helping them mow their lawn. I don't know what it is. We have to be doing more, brothers and sisters. I'm telling myself first and foremost, are we What does Allah say? Allah commands justice even if it's against your own Muslim brother or sister. If they're in the wrong, we help our brother or sister get out of the wrong. If they're the oppressor, we help them stop the oppression. He commands good character, beauty in your worship and spending on your family, taking care of your family, having the between your family, making sure you check up on check up on your mom and dad. Call them today after Jamaat. See how they're doing. go visit your brother or sister who you have a grudge against. Allah says and after all this tribulation, Allah says, "May Allah subhana wa ta'ala make us amongst those who have tawa and overcome and and persevere through all these trials and tribulations and make us prepared. Have a plan, brothers and sisters, inshallah. May maybe Allah will test you in a way that you're not expecting, but be ready. Try your best. And at the end of the day, we put our trust in Allah subhana wa ta'ala.