The
strength of any community relies on the foundation of the individual
members. And particularly in the community of faith, here too, the success
of the collective body is determined by one crucial factor: strength
of the individual character. In this compelling presentation from December
'98, Imam Dr. Yahia Khairy Abdul Rahman addresses this issue in exploring
the following topics:
- Who is God/Allah (swt)? The One who has created all that exists,
and nourishes it continually. The Wiser of the wise; the Greatest
in justice and mercy; the One who has given us life and the One
to whom we will return. God/Allah (swt), the One who has generously
given mankind prophets by which we may be rightly guided.
- Learning the lessons of patience, described by our beloved Messenger
Muhammad (s) as "half of one's faith" through the example
of Musa (Moses) (a) and his sojourn with Sayyidina Khidr (Moses'
teacher appointed by God/Allah) described in Surah Al-Kahf (Chapter
of the Cave:18).
- Some dimensions of Middle East politics: 1998 U.S. air strikes
against Iraq; the U.S.' 1980's backing of Saddam Hussein war-machine
that culminated in hundreds of thousands of deaths of Iranian and
Iraqi soldiers and civilians; the struggle for the world's richest
oil reserves; and the regions many authoritarian regimes. The net
result: we, the citizens of the world of all faiths and backgrounds,
all lose when we as Muslims turn on one another, and allow a potential
immediate gain (material or territorial), or ideas of cultural supremacy
to undermine our collective belief in "La ilaha il Allah, wa
ashhadua anna Muhammadan rasulullah." "There is no God
but God, and Muhammad (s) is the Messenger of God."
- The answer, now, and in all times: renewal of the ideal Muslim
character as perfected by the living examples of all prophets, including
Moses, Jesus and that of our beloved Prophet (may God's peace be
upon them all): accepting of differences of opinion, avoiding sectarian
allegiances and engaging in honest self-criticism and reflection.
Teaching noble and dignified character through exemplified action,
not mere words. It will take at least a generation, but with patience
and sincerity, God/Allah will be reward those worthy among us.
- The gift of reading, and particularly, the innumerable of blessings
of reading and honoring the Holy Qur'aan- especially in the month
of Ramadan.
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