Fajr Reminders - Mahmood Habib Masjid and Islamic Center

History teaches one critical lesson: Only those who contribute are valued. Only they have leverage, are influential, and have power. Their religion or ethnicity doesn’t matter. What matters is their contribution to society on a local or global scale. The world works on one overarching principle: What’s in it for me? WiiFM. That’s how it was and that’s how it is. Our belief and personal acts of worship add value to us individually because if we work for the pleasure of Allahﷻ, He will reward us in the Aakhira and put Baraka in our work in this life. But as far as the world is concerned, it doesn’t matter what you believe. If you contribute to society, you are valued. When you stop contributing, it doesn't matter what you did in the past, you are discarded. Allahﷻ told us about our role in society. He said: كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ A’al Imraan 3: 110 You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah. Allahﷻ is not talking about ethnicity. He is talking about action. We are the best if we do what we were created for. To help us understand, let me ask you to list the top three universities, hospitals, libraries, research laboratories, factories, or things you use daily and without which life would be impossible or terribly inconvenient. You may like to start with your cell phone. Then ask, “Which of these is made by a Muslim company or is in a Muslim country?” My question is, “If the world wakes up tomorrow and all Muslims and signs of Muslims and Islam including all contributions of present-day Muslims have vanished from the earth, what will be lost for the others?’ Who will mourn our passing? Will anyone shout, “Bring back the Muslims?” What is our contribution to the world today? We are net consumers. Not contributors in any field. Contributors are valued. Consumers are used. That is why nobody cares about us. In 1631 the foundation of a building was laid in India. It was completed in 1653. In 1636 the foundation of another building was laid in America. Both buildings exist. The first building was built by a man whose personal wealth was equal to 25% of world GDP of the time. The second building was founded by a Puritan priest. The first one has two occupants. Both dead. The second one continues to contribute leaders to every walk of life in the world and to influence society in profound and lasting ways. It has an endowment of $50.7 and the biggest library in the world. That’s the story of the Taj Mahal and Harvard University. There is a difference between building structures and building people. Impact on society and life comes only from people. Not from structures. That is why I want us to think about the way forward. What must change with us? What must we focus on from today? The Abbasi Khilafa ended in 1258 and the Umayyad Khilafa in Al-Andalus ended in 1492 when Ferdinand and Isabella expelled Muslims from Spain. After that there were three great Muslim empires in India, Iran, and Europe – Mughal, Safavid, and Ottoman. But apart from building magnificent palaces, masajid and forts, and supporting art and music, and fighting wars they left no mark of their passing except ruins. This is why others have the world and we have the tombs. Allahﷻ told us what to do. وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَمَا ٱسْتَخْلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى ٱرْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِى لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِى شَيْـًٔا وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ Noor 24: 55 Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will certainly make them successors in the land, as He did with those before them; and will surely establish for them their faith which He has chosen for them; and will indeed change their fear into security—˹provided that˺ they worship Me, associating nothing with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this ˹promise˺, it is they who will be the rebellious. We understand from this Ayah that success comes from Allahﷻ alone and that is dependent on our obedience to Him. Let’s get that sorted first. Then it means starting out with grassroots social work in our neighborhoods, towns, and cities. It means knowing our neighbors, helping them, and participating in neighborhood and town projects. It means being genuinely concerned about others, not only Muslims, but others who are different from us in every way but are still our neighbors. Why is there a Jewish Family Service, Welcoming Alliance for Refugee Ministry, Catholic Charities, Parish Cupboard but no equivalent Muslim organization? Sure, we support some of these with some annual donations. But that is not the point I am making, is it? If you want to know where we stand as a community on this index, simply se

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Think long term. It is not about winning one conflict. It is about becoming influential and creating a situation where there are no more conflicts. It is about becoming influential where you can initiate and direct local and national policy. It is about being in positions where the decisions you take will positively impact people across the globe and become Sadaqa Jaariya for you. Let me mention for you just two such decisions the effects of which the world is feeling to this day. One was the Sykes–Picot Agreement, of 1916 (Nov 23, 1915 – Jan 3, 1916); a secret treaty between the United Kingdom and France, with assent from the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy, to define their mutually agreed spheres of influence and control in an eventual carving up of the Ottoman Empire. The British and French diplomats, Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot drafted the agreement which was ratified by their respective governments on 9 and 16 May 1916. The second was theBalfour Declaration (1917) which was a letter from the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British Government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, which was an Ottoman region with a small Jewish population. The big lesson to learn is that what matters even more than who you are, is where you are. Environment dictates effectiveness. A fish can’t even breathe on land but in the water, it is the epitome of speed and grace. Today we have as many capable people as anyone else, but they are not in the right places. That must be our goal, right person in the right place. To change anything, you must own it first. You can’t change what you don’t own. Your country is America. Not Syria or Pakistan or Iraq or Lebanon. It is America. You are a citizen. Not a visitor waiting to go home. The truth is that this is already the case with your children. Not one of them is capable of returning to your country of origin and living there. This is critical because only when you think of America as your own country can you work to make it beneficial for the world. If you read history, you will see that in every age there has always been some empire or nation which dominated. In this post WW2 age, it is America. Given that China or Russia are the other options, I am thankful for this. The citizens of this country have the opportunity to make that a blessing for the world. Only you can do this. Not outsiders. Therefore, you have two choices: to complain about what’s happening or to change it. Allahﷻ encourages us to become powerful and establish justice on earth. إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْأَشْهَـٰدُ Ghafir 40: 51 We certainly help Our messengers and the believers, ˹both˺ in this worldly life and on the Day the witnesses will stand forth وَأُخْرَىٰ تُحِبُّونَهَا نَصْرٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ Saff 61: 13 ˹He will also give you˺ another favor that you long for - help from Allah and imminent victory. ˹So˺ give good news ˹O Prophet˺ to the believers. To create change we need people in four critical areas. Legislature, Judiciary, Executive, and Media. Lawmaking, interpreting the law, administration, and mind-steering. That means we need attorneys, judges, politicians, administrators, journalists and media specialists, professors of political science and sociology, and financial experts. We have enough doctors, engineers, MBAs, and Mom & Pop shops. We need ethical, moral power brokers with a sense of accountability to Allahﷻ. Think of all those people in this community who you think are wealthy. Ask how many of them are in positions of power? How many are on School Boards? How many are City Councilors, Aldermen, Selectmen, Mayors? Ask why not? How many of you are hearing these terms for the first time? So, when you meet someone, don’t ask, ‘What car do you drive?’ Ask, ‘What decisions do you take?’ Personal wealth makes you comfortable but keeps you vulnerable. Power changes that equation. The road to power is totally different from the road to personal wealth. You need to decide what you want for your children. By minding your shop and inheriting it after you or studying medicine, pharmacy, MBA and so on, 20-30 years after they graduate, they may own their house and have a couple of nice cars and be able to take annual holidays. But someone with power can take that away from them with one stroke of a pen. By pursuing influence and power, after 20-30 years they will be in positions where their decisions can change the destinies of entire populations. But the paths are totally different, and they must start on the path they choose, now. Let us consider four

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In Sura Isra Allahﷻ mentioned two historic events. وَقَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ أُولَىٰهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَآ أُو۟لِى بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا۟ خِلَـٰلَ ٱلدِّيَارِ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولًا ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ ٱلْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَـٰكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لِيَسُـۥٓـُٔوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا۟ مَا عَلَوْا۟ تَتْبِيرًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ حَصِيرًا Isra 17: 4- 8 And We warned the Children of Israeel in the Scripture, “You will certainly cause corruption in the land twice, and you will become extremely arrogant. “When the first of the two warnings would come to pass, We would send against you some of Our slaves of great might, who would ravage your homes. This would be a warning fulfilled. Then ˹after your repentance˺ We would give you the upper hand over them and aid you with wealth and offspring, causing you to outnumber them. If you act rightly, it is for your own good, but if you do wrong, it is your own loss. “And when the second warning would come to pass, your enemies would ˹be left to˺ totally disgrace you and enter the Temple ˹of Jerusalem˺ as they entered it the first time, and utterly destroy whatever would fall into their hands. Perhaps your Rabb will have mercy on you ˹if you repent˺, but if you return ˹to sin˺, We will return ˹to punishment˺. And We have made Hell a ˹permanent˺ confinement for the disbelievers.” In the first instance, in 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylonians besieged Jerusalem which fell after a 30-month siege, following which the Babylonians systematically destroyed the city and the First Temple. The Kingdom of Judah was dissolved and many of its inhabitants were taken as slaves to Babylon. The second siege of Jerusalem of 70 CE was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), in which the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, and following a five-month siege, the Romans destroyed the city and the Second Jewish Temple and enslaved and deported the survivors. There were no Jews left in Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was thoroughly sacked by the Romans. Buildings, homes, and walls were torn down, leaving the city in ruins. The level of devastation was such that Josephus claimed that those who visited the city after its destruction could scarcely believe it had ever been inhabited. In this period mentioned in the Qur’an, it was the Bani Israeel who were the Khair Ummah of the time. Allahﷻ said that they were living lives of disobedience and refused to repent, so Allahﷻ allowed His warlike slaves to enter the holy city and destroy it and enslave the Muslims. Allahﷻ didn’t say that this was because of what the people in Jerusalem were doing, but because of what the Bani Israeel where doing generally wherever they lived. That is why many scholars have quoted these Ayaat and said that Jerusalem is a meter to check the health of the Muslim Ummah. This is also what Sayyidina Omar ibn Al-Khattab (R) mentioned in his letter. Today as we see what is happening in Filastine we must reflect on how we may be the reason it is happening. Like excess cholesterol harms the heart, not the mouth or stomach, our actions can cause results elsewhere. To understand this logic let us look at another famous incident, the disobedience of the archers in Uhud. Rasoolullahﷺ put 50 archers on the small hill near Uhud and gave them specific instructions: ‘Protect our backs. If you see us being killed don’t come to our aid. If you see us winning, do not join us. If you see the vultures flying off with us, don’t leave until I send you a message and if you see us trampling the enemy under our feet don’t leave until I send you a message.’ Very clear instructions. The Muslims were winning and when the Quraysh fled, it looked like the battle was over. The Muslim soldiers got into the camp of the Quraysh and started collecting booty. There was great rejoicing and claims of victory. The archers on the hill who Rasoolullahﷺ had placed there for just such an eventuality with clear instructions not to abandon their post no matter what happened, disobeyed him. When they saw the Muslims gathering booty they wanted to go down and join them. Their commander Abdullah bin Jubair (R) reminded them of the orders of Rasoolullahﷺ but 40 out of the 50 mutinied and left. Their claim was that the order of Rasoolullahﷺ applied during the battle and not when the battle was over. Their leader reminded them that Rasoolullahﷺ had stated clearly that they must not leave their post no matter what happened, but they used their faulty logic to cover their real rea

I have a principle in life. “I will not allow what is not in my control to prevent me from doing what is in my control.” That is based on the reality that when we stand before Allahﷻ, we will not be asked, ‘What happened?’ But we will be asked, ‘What did you do?’ That means accepting that the only one in my control is myself. Nobody else. So, that is who I must focus on. Do what is in my control and not allow circumstances, media, people, or even my own feelings, to distract or discourage me from doing whatever I can to make a positive impact. Some of the most common doubts and thoughts that interfere with action are based around the question, ‘What difference can I, as an individual, make?’ Remember and remind others that all great change, all revolutions, all re-writing of history begins with one person. Allahﷻ sent one Nabi, one Rasool, not a committee or team, to create change in an entire nation. So, my first message today to myself and you is, to focus on ourselves. Do what you must and Allahﷻ will create the effect. Today as we look at what is happening to Muslims worldwide, we seem to be without solutions. But Allahﷻ told us the solution to our problems: مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ Nahl 16: 97 Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds. The formula is very simple and straightforward; it’s literally only two things. Faith and righteous deeds. If I, as an individual, return to Allahﷻ, then my dua can change my life, my circumstances, and with the Will of Allahﷻ, my world. I always remind myself of what the famous author, Loren Eiseley wrote about his learning about the power of one person to make an impact. I am paraphrasing as I see it happening in my mind. Eiseley was walking on the beach early one morning. The previous night there had been a huge storm, and the beach was littered with debris. In that were hundreds of starfish. As he walked, Eiseley saw someone in the distance, picking up something from the beach and throwing it into the waves. When he got close to the person, he saw that it was a boy throwing starfish into the sea. Eiseley asked him, ‘What are you doing?’ The boy replied, ‘Throwing the stars into the sea so that they don’t die. If they remain on the sand, they will dry and die.’ Eiseley swept his open palm at the uncountable starfish on the beach and asked, ‘Do you have any idea how many starfish are on this beach alone? Then think of the number of starfish that get thrown up on all the beaches in the world. You are one kid, on this beach. What difference can you make?” The boy looked at Eiseley, then he looked at the starfish that he was holding, threw it far into the waves and said, ‘It made a difference to that one.’ It is a common copout that we use by globalizing a problem and then feeling helpless to solve it, which we feel justifies our inaction. Instead, when we are faced with a problem, if we ask, ‘What can I do about this?’ we will find a solution that we can implement. Take global hunger as an example. Either you can complain about it, or you can feed one person. Ditto with any problem which we see as ‘global’. There is always a solution if we localize it to ourselves and ask, ‘What can I do about this?’ Today when you go to a protest or sit-in or whatever, never forget that you are making a difference. You are not allowing what is not in your power i.e., change the situation in the ME, to prevent you from doing what is in your control i.e., to raise your voice against it. That is the game changer in life. Just do it. In these times when there is so much grief, depression, fear, despair even, it is good to let our brothers and sisters in Palestine know that they are not alone. That not only we but millions of Muslims from all over the world stand with them. Standing with us also are those who are not Muslim, but who share our respect for the sanctity of human life, who have not sold their conscience for a pittance and whose tongues are not sealed against the truth. We have reached such a state of moral collapse that even the gathering of millions of people all over the world is not enough to convince our leaders that killing children is a crime. Remember that there was a time when slavery was legal and helping a slave to free himself was illegal. Remember that those who implemented the holocaust in Germany in 1930s were obeying the law and those who tried to help the victims escape were called lawbreakers. All those and many more acts of oppression owe their demise to one simple truth; that somewhere someone stood up and said, ‘Not in my name. I will not allow you to commit crimes against humanity and God in my name.’ We have smashed our moral compass and totally lost the plot. At this time, it is hugel

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But We see with our eyes, but we understand with our hearts. That's called insight. That's why Allahﷻ said: Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but it is the hearts in the chests that grow blind. Structures of this life don't show what's behind them in the Will of Allahﷻ. Like the story of Musa (AS) and Abdullah bin Zubair (RA). Or like the three stories of Musa and Khidhr (AS) that Allahﷻ told us about in Surah Al-Kahf. All of these as well as many others are apparently negative situations without hope of success but Allahﷻ shows us that His help starts where our minds and material means end. As Muslims therefore, we never lose hope nor despair. The lesson we learn from all these and other such stories in the Qur’an and Sunnah and the history of our Salaf-us-Saliheen is, not to get distracted or frustrated and lose hope because of what we may be seeing. Winners are decided only at the finish line which is the Aakhira. Tawakkul is to trust Allahﷻ even when our experience and everyone around us tells us that there is no hope of success. This is what differentiates us as Muslims. Allahﷻ‎ said والعاقبة للمتقين Lessons from the stories: Allahﷻ’s help comes only when all worldly resources are cut off. Allahﷻ’s help may not always come in the way you want it. Focus on the Ridha of Allahﷻ until it is achieved by obeying Allahﷻ in all things, no matter how attractive the alternative looks. We are seeing what's happening in Gaza daily. So, what must we do?Before I go further, a word about what is of no benefit and so we must stop doing it. Stop watching every WhatsApp forward and continuous news broadcasts. Protect your hearts because the hearts are injured by what our eyes see and what we hear. What we see or listen to either strengthens the heart or weakens and injures it. If you continue to listen to and watch bad news and tragic scenes, at first you get sad, then angry, then frustrated, and then you get immune. After a while they don't move you to tears and you don't lose sleep over them. Instead, they become topics of conversation and debate and argument which strain your relationships. So, focus on what is in your control. Not on what's not in your control. What is in our control is to turn to Allahﷻ and beg Him for His help. What's not in our control are the spiders and their webs. If only we think about what we say and do. What do we call the internet? How does any internet address begin? WWW... Worldwide web. Your place in this web is called your website. What's a web? The house of a spider. Think about what the narrative today is about Filastin and Gaza. Who are we told is powerful and who is helpless? We watch TV all day and take classes from WhatsApp University and believe this false narrative. But what did Allahﷻ say about seeking the protection of spiders? مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا ۖ وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ ٱلْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ۖ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ Ankabut 29: 41 The example of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of a spider spinning a shelter. And the flimsiest of all shelters is certainly that of a spider, if only they knew. Focus on the best speech, the Word of Allahﷻ because only that is the truth. Then focus on petitioning the only one who can do anything because only He has power. Use all material means at your disposal but remember that the only One who can change anything is Allahﷻ. Nobody else. Make our effort for إتمام الحجه to complete the argument that we did our part physically. But don't place your trust and hope on the spiders who built the web in the first place. Open your eyes and realize that the spider builds the web to keep you safe for itself, so that you remain entangled until it is ready to consume you. It does not build the web for your safety. So, when you are stuck in the web and you beg the spider to help you, what do you think the spider will do? So, keep your focus on the owner of the house. Not on the spiders in the house. Focus of the رب البيت who commanded us: فَلۡیَعۡبُدُوا۟ رَبَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡبَیۡتِ - ٱلَّذِیۤ أَطۡعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعࣲ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنۡ خَوۡفِۭ Quraysh: 106: 3-4 So worship the Rabb of this House. The One who fed them when they were hungry and made them safe from fear To reach Him, to get Him to help us, we must repair our connection with Him. We are like people trying to call someone but the battery in our phone is dead. Just think about how concerned we are about charging our phones. Then ask how much effort we make, how concerned we are, about our connection with Allahﷻ‎. What do we do about charging our device to connect with Allahﷻ‎? That device is our heart. We must take care of our hearts and protect them and charge them regularly with the Dhikr of Allahﷻ and with Shukr and fulfilling Fara’aidh while earning and eating Halal. It is that simple. Ask the One who promised to respond and who

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