By Arshad Gamiet
“…Love Allah more than anyone or anything else, be willing to sacrifice anything in Allah’s cause, and strive your whole life to be a primordially upright person. Try to be a loyal friend, a loving wife or husband, an exemplary parent, a loving son or daughter, a helpful neighbour and a good, law abiding citizen…”
“I often read about how Umar ibn Al Khattab RA refused Patriarch Sophronius’ offer to pray in Church of Holy Sepulchre in conquered Jerusalem, so Muslims won’t later convert it into a mosque. I read about how the Sahaba RA (companions of Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h) didn’t harm the Bamiyan Buddha statues in conquered Khorasan…. And then I see those Muslims today. Thumping their chests and proclaiming the victory of Islam by converting churches into mosques and stopping a small mandir from construction (in Islamabad). No wonder Allah has given us Muslims the azaab of zillat (humiliation) and mehkoomi (subjection) in this world.”
By Dr Mustafa Cerić
When Dutch UN peacekeepers failed to do their duty of protection in Bosnia-Hertzegovina 8,000 unarmed Muslim men and boys were massacred by Serbian forces in 1995 near Srebrenica. Dr Mustafa Cerić’s khutbah reminds us that this war crime is still denied by the perpetrators. It is therefore our duty to stand up for justice, as the Holy Quran declares. As long as Muslim lives are considered unworthy of protection, we must continue to remind Christian Europe that their own of humanity is in question.
By Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
In his latest book, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad discusses the awkward relationship between Europe and its Muslim citizens. He suggests a creative response. Instead of taking a defensive attitude, we should trust Allah and work hard to benefit our neighbours and wider society. By understanding that our ‘enemies’ are themselves victims of moral, emotional and spiritual illness, we must become “therapists rather than complainers.” Allah is the “Turner of hearts” (muqallibul quluub) and is quite able to turn our enemies into beloved friends..
By Essam Mahgoub
Allah allows every human being to make their choices in life. With every choice comes the consequences. Our Quran and our Prophetic Sunnah gives us the most comprehensive guidance. We can choose to live a full life that is pleasing to Allah, or we can go the other way. We should choose friends who are a good influence, and we should always pursue goals that will lead us to Allah’s Garden, Al Jannah Firdaws…
By Rabbi Allen Maller
“We are all committed to our beliefs. We see them as truths. But how do we view the beliefs of other communities? Do we see them as allied but not identical truths, or as dangerous threats?
If we are honest, we must admit that there are good people in other communities whose religious beliefs are different from ours. What are we to conclude from this? Do we say they are good despite their false beliefs? They would say that it is their beliefs that make them good. So does any community have a monopoly over true beliefs?
If we study a religion other than our own with fairness, we see its goodness. We see that it orients the hearts of its followers to the presence of God; but from a somewhat different perspective…”
Our regular Friday khutbahs have been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Until this crisis is over, our regular khateebs will be sharing online video”Jumuah Reflections” instead. You will find the full playlist of these videos here:
By Abu Aaliyah
“Racism affects all people of colour. But when it comes to black people, they face a unique anti-black prejudice as the ultimate Other, propagated both by white majorities and even other ethnic minorities. As a marginalised community South Asians, no doubt, have their own prejudices thrown their way. But they are not the same lived experiences as that of Black people. And while it can be easy to lump everyone together and perceive ourselves as having a shared trauma, statistics show that this equivalence is not really true…”