Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 27. September 2019
Dr. Abou El Fadl reminds that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his persona sums up the entire legacy of the entire line of prophets. He has embodied all of them in his single being as the last and final prophet. All of the prophets came with a singular message to humanity, and it was perfected over a long, protracted educational process about the implications of creation and being God’s creatures. Muslims are told that the Prophet Muhammad perfected the message, and that after the death of the...
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 20. September 2019
Dr. Abou El Fadl reminds that the very idea of a responsibility is a very serious matter. None of us exist simply within the boundaries of the time and space that we occupy. Rather, all of us come to this world and immediately impact everything around us in perceptible and predictable ways, but also in imperceptible and unpredictable ways, although we don't reflect upon all the ways that the reality of responsibility is created. If one is a reflective and moral human being, one will consider...
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 13. September 2019
Khaled Abou El Fadl reminds that every generation of Muslims confronts their own set of challenges. Allah gave us the intellect and the word, and this intellect can either elevate us to the greatest heights, or it can in fact take us to the lowest levels. He reminds that Allah does not change the condition of the people until they first change what is in themselves. This is a very heavy burden and responsibility. He explains that recently, there has been a tendency for Muslims in the West to...
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 06. September 2019
Dr. Abou El Fadl reminds that in the age of information, when we live in a frenzy of data, and claims and counterclaims, the anchor of one’s life is one’s relationship with God. It is often difficult to navigate through the seismic activities of data that come like endless floods. If one’s relationship with God is built on sound foundations, then one has the ability to stand strong in the face of trends, fashions and intellectual pretenses that human beings are prone to engage in. If...
Circles of Learning (Halaqas) · 31. August 2019
Part 1 of 3: In the introduction to the halaqa to conclude Surah 93, Al Duha, Director Grace Song shares personal reflections on various topics, including her embarrassing convert prayer story; her Facebook detox; a roundup of recent khutbahs about slavery, bearing witness, and fitna and the modern day marketplace of the internet; Hajj, the climate crisis and the moral example of 16 year old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; and International Dog Day.
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 30. August 2019
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl reminds that the Qur’an, as the final revelation and the final message given to the final Prophet came as humanity had sufficiently matured to the point that they could preserve the testament of faith in a book rather than rely on miracles. Once humanity reached that point, the prophecy ended, and the responsibility was fully borne by human beings to become God’s representatives on earth. God’s will only materializes through human beings, as fully accountable and...
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 23. August 2019
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl begins by reminding of the anchor of every day and age, the Qur’an, and that those who make it part of their soul will thrive; those who do not will remain in confusion at a minimum. He reminds that the Quran calls upon us to “Strive in the way of your Lord,” and that struggle and striving require time, energy, investment and effort. He cites verses from the Quran that tell us that God has selected Muslims--not based on racial, ethnic, tribal, or linguistic...
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 16. August 2019
Dr. Abou El Fadl begins by reminding of the often recited prayer (du'a) taken directly from the Qur'an that asks God to not allow us to be a source of misguidance (fitna) to others, and especially not to be a source of misguidance to those who do not believe in God. He reflects on the deeper meaning of this Qur'anic verse, and the ways in which Muslims, despite all good intentions, could be a source of misguidance for themselves or for others--especially those who are not Muslim, or do not...
Circles of Learning (Halaqas) · 10. August 2019
In the introduction to the halaqa on Surah 93, Al Duha, Director Grace Song builds upon her last introduction in which she criticizes a group of Muslim female comedians, and presents her own attempt at a comedic monologue. She also shares a number of humorous real-life stories from her experiences as a convert.
Friday Khutbahs (Sermons) · 09. August 2019
In the khutbah before Eid al Adha, Dr. Abou El Fadl reminds us of the beautiful history, theology, philosophy and symbolism of the Islamic pillar of faith known as Hajj, the pilgrimage, to be made at least once in a lifetime by every Muslim on the planet if they are financially and physically able to do so. He reminds us of what the meeting of Muslims from around the world used to mean, long before the age of information and connectedness that we now understand in our current times. Hajj was at...