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Reminders from Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference 2014

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
This is a version condensed from dozens of pages of notes-to try to analyze an experience like
the Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference 2014 is to do shallow paraphrasing at best. Because
awe was abundant, the majority of the program was spent absorbing. You may very well find
write ups missing or lacking coverage. To supplement, and substitute in cases where notes are
nonexistent, I am attaching program descriptions for all segments. Anything distant from this is
from me and anything beyond is from The Most High to whom all praise is due.
Dear Sister Aisha Al- Adawiyya and Shaykh Abdalla Idris opened talking about the need for
sound knowledge in order to be effective in social justice. She stated there is no doubt with
Allah. No sincerity without Iklas. If your heart is attached to Rasullulah (SAW) youll be
elevated. The problem is our hearts are attached to too many things.

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(program) It was a constant Muslim practice to do much prayer on the Prophet (SAW) as well as
more mercy (SAW), especially on Fridays. For the one who does much prayer on the Prophet
(SAW), scholars have educed many benefits, not the least of which were the two that the Prophet
(SAW) himself mentioned (removal of anxiety and forgiveness from sins); in addition are
increased love of the Prophet (SAW) as well as more mercy in one's heart for humanity.
Sheik Nionoway delivered on Loving the Beloved, opening with, Muslims are saturated with
information in the age of informationwith little transformation. In lieu of the copious
amounts of salawat upon the Prophet (SAW) he stated sending salaam on Rasullullah (SAW) is
like spiritual CPR. You will not be complete until we love Rasullulah (SAW) as you love your
parents and children. Instead of asking when is the Day of Judgment ask what have I prepared
for the Day of Judgment? Youll be asked on the day of judgement about those you love. Who
do you love? The Most Loving Allah sent his beloved, to teach you with love how to live with
love. Salah is submissive. Control power dont let it control us. Salah liberates from wrong
doing and prevents excesses. Without salah we become harsh and abusive of power.
(program) Historically Muslims had freethinkers, suc as Abu al-Alaal-Ma'arri an Ibn Rawand,
who espoused their own forms of disbelief. Imam Haifa was known t have debated the
materialists of his tie and defeated them in public debates.
Following an interlude with Dr. Wendly, the Secretary of World Peace, Dr. Sayeed spoke on the
Coming of the end of Time, quoting "There is an Eros present at every meeting, and this is also
sacred...to exist in a state of communion is to be aware of the nature of existence" (Susan Griffin.
Like the example of Foust who sells his soul to the devil to gain the world, worldliness has
become dominant in this society, and progress defined by things. As Muslims, be in this world
but not of it. Yet as Muslims, we cling to the western notion of progress. What good has
come from progresshow many trees etc. have been cut down in its name? People have to
realize theres a limit to growth. Tawhiq is environment, ultimately Allah is in the presence of
the environment. Every phenomenon in nature is a sign of Allah. There is no word for Fact in
Arabic. First we must revive the spirit in usthe ruh.
Imam Siraj, founder of Masid Taqwa in Brooklyn, ICNA, and a past Islamic representative of the
Nation of Islam, began with expressing love for Imam Warith Deen Mohammed for leading him
to Islam. He started learning Islam from conferences like this as a student taking notes. The
best of you are those who learn Quran and teach it, he quips. Getting into his topic on fitnah, he
advises, Always ask what do they want me to do with that information? As an ummah we
have gone from a 90% accuracy of Prophetic action being a fail to Muslims being told if they
follow even a 10th of their religion theyll be saved.

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Dr. Mustafah Ceric commented Imam Wahaj is tough talk to follow yet went on to describe
Illnesses of the Ummah:
Love without respect of EVERY HUMAN
Religion without faith
Faith without morality
State without legitimacy
Community without society
Education without sight
Knowledge without use
Consuming without producing
Hajj without
Fasting without humility
Power without limits
Brotherhood without limits
Words without meaning
Word without
Right without might. His solutions?
1. Recognize
2. Work
One of my favorite presenters (there was no shortage) was Sister Salma Yaqoob on Giving up the
News to Treat the Blues. In her inspiring piece she lays out a clear context of her engagement
with politics as a result of the blues she gets from it. While she says it's easy to keep your head
down, she is involved in the road less traveled that is British politics precisely because she wants
to change what she does not like. Muslims believe in win-win based on a broad eternal view.
She sites intention as very important to this process. The negative focus in the media and what
she called "the process of dehumanization by the political elite that has continued through time,"
is a part of the impetus for her action. As a point of contention, even for family members like her
father, who at one point told her not to speak out, niyyah, or intention has been the emphasis on
all she embarks on. While we have witnessed this disempowerment and been a part of this with
everyone from "Africans to Jews" she says as humans we have access to The Most Powerful
being "nearer than our jugular vein," and reflection of this brings about higher states of our
selves. Ayat 35 of Surah Nisa has consistently been a source of comfort for her, as it states "O
you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against
yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both
(than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort
your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do. If
we do not stick to the boundaries of Allah our own nafs are in fact the ones acting, she explains.
She also introduces the concept of a global ummah, saying, there are two: one of the Muslims,
and one of dawah. The distinction is self-explanatory- we are either sharing the best of living
and written knowledge or receiving it essentially. "May Allah give us guidance in every
situation," she concludes.

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Many are aware of the impossible wealth of wisdom Shaykh Hamza Yusef offers. Points I jotted
down are meek by comparison, bear with me. A huge take away was us as living in a spiritual
reality with a physical manifestation. As the program write up outlines, many focus on the three
dimensions of Islam (Islam, iman, and ihsan) when there is a neglected fourth dimension of
"time and its termination." He says humble people question their experiences while the arrogant
assume about the nature of these signs and in general. The shaykh goes on to talk about the
framework for this fourth dimension as the lesser, middle, and last hour. The lesser hour is the
end of life (exp: the individual). The middle hour is the end of a generation (exp: the holocaust).
The last hour is the end of time (exp: collective). By the same token, we should not pretend to be
weak when we're strong.
Lesser hour
End of life
Exp: individual
In relation to the total group

Middle hour
End of generation
Exp:holocaust

Last hour
End of time
Exp: collective

We were honored to have Shaykh Hamza Yusef return to us with his breakdown of various texts
pertaining to Islam in other religion. A poignant explanation was from a beautifully recited verse
from the bible meaning All together lovely which translates from Hebrew to
Muhammadean. Signs of the times were also dissected. Example: texting as the manifestation
of the hadith, When a person lies it reaches the ends of the earth.
Dr. Yasir was one of many to discuss Islamophobia. He described the epidemic as Not just
about fear of Muslims, but an industrial complex which an elite draw benefits from. The need to
begin to operationalize Islamophobia was stressed in the midst of many cases of Islamophobia
going unreported in our community. What may have come across as shocking to some is his
claim that today we have a reversal of Civil Rights such as the torture going on in the country,
virtual internment (whereabouts, phone conversations, social media, book checkouts being
monitored etc.). We see a reemergence of racism on African Americans and Latinos and using
islamophobia to justify it. He stresses the need to begin speaking about the terrorism industrial
complex, and that many in America are not comfortable with having a Black man in White house
so they use Muslims to antagonize him. It is mentioned that President Obama has been attacked
more than any other president in history. It is also notable that the immigration debate is about
American identity and how to maintain it, i.e. how to preserve whiteness as the paradigm for
America. Meanwhile the Center for American Progress is overspending on Islamophobia, and
we see Cointel pro, and the commodification of fear globally. The subhuman demonization of
Islam is similar to the desentiziation to African Americans dyeing every 28 hours due to police
violence- it doesnt produce sympathy because the mainstream see African Americans (and
Muslims) as subhuman.
Silence does not produce history (political silence, not spiritual) we need to be a community
that speaks up! He concludes. Dont allow anyone to silence you you have done nothing
wrong except be a decent human being. We dont hear paranoias on the nonmuslim terrorists so
as Muslims we have a right to complain. Dont hate me because of my color, get to know me
and then you may have reason to dislike me. In the example of the boycott at Kaba, Abu Taleb,
who was not even Muslim was defended Muhammad PBUH- this is the model for responses to

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9/11. We have to be a community of service, one helping in inner cities, and fighting racism. We
have to build a society of consciousness. A Muslim Compassionate Code. Example notedL
choose a week in Ramadan and invite everyone neighbors classmates etc. to breakfast for Eid.
Shaykh Abdullah Byn Bayyah and Shaykh Hamza Yusef sat in a talk show style conversation,
with Shaykh Hamza working as the translator for Shaykh Bayyah, who spoke in Arabic. The
mushradoon were introduced as the strategic, general, sequitur thinkers. Shaykh Hamza Yusef
described their topic as technical, and more academic, but important to address due to
widespread confusion, stating There will always be injustice and we need to work for justice
within peacewar is wrong. As Shaykh Bayyah fingered his thikr beads humbly he questioned
the jurisprudence of reality and how we arrive to it. We look at past but also look at issues of the
present. There a basis for these thingsare they looking at branches without the rootslooking
at particulars without understanding universals? These issues deal with a craft and deals with
specific terms and technicalities and we benefit from, but we dont understand how he did that
the fiqh has a craft. How do we understand the waq realities we find ourselves in, specifically
in legal rulings? Reality is simply what we see around us so some say it does not existthere
are some scholars who say reality cant be known.

Some philosophers such as Cant say theres no reality and we cant understand it with clarity.
How we conceptualize and how we articulate, orally, written, and beyond so humans may
imagine things with no existence as a result sometimes our actions are misguided. We have
historical conceptualization no longer existing acting as if historical is still there but its
not. Reality is like a ship which all of humanity is on, the one that doesnt understand reality
makes mistakes. The reality of the world is the reality of one bodyhas impact on legal rulings.

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Sheik Mocater on Sacred space was noted to have said Allah wants me to lose the little I have
so I can have the infinity that He is. He is amazed at the seeker of purity who when time for
polishing comes complains of harshness, he likens them to when one beats the rug: the beating is
not intended for the rug. Its intended for the dust, same with carpet.
Why do people love Rumi? Dr. Yasir Fagaza answers he spoke in the language of humanity.
Im supposed to be convincing you to unfriend Facebook, he says ironically. According to his

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statistics, people spend 2 billion hours on social media, the average person checks their phone
600 times a day, and like a refrigerator theres nothing new but we open it anyways.
Dr. Yasir makes it clear, this is not to bash on social mediaits beautiful because its given us
the ability to connect with people. He does go into certain negative aspects of social media
though. People who use social media are becoming more obese. There is Cyberbullying.
Compromise and at times loss of privacy. It deprives us of deep thoughts. It deprives us of
meaningful interaction (he gives moving example this with the parable of the pastor who had 200
empty seats at his funeral and lots of Facebook friends). People with face to face interaction are
the happiest, those with social media lonely, and easily offended. Were not communicating,
were updating- only exchanging information. Facebook doesnt do personal, serious issues,
only in person can. Musas prayer was done why? To be understood. People strive for
understanding. Clich questions like how are you doing dont replace our thoughts, hearts are
places people can only come to by invitation.
Shaykh Baya returned to the stage with an urgent declaration. Perhaps the sun might rise from
the west instead of the east so people might take example, hoping you wont take the example of
the eastern troubles but rather maintain ethical principles our religion gave us. In an initiative
calling to peace for the first time, he and other speakers announced the Peace Declaration, four
months of no bloodshed. We must be patient with peace but elevate ourselves to a higher level.
Sound Mind in a Sound Body: The Sunnah of Exercise- Imam Zaid Shakir/Sister Mubarakah
Ibrahim echoed many of the sentiments of the Muslims being people of action- exercise
included. There is a reason 3 out of the 5 pillars are physical actions, she states, explaining the
we cannot get down to pray if we dont exercise and practice holistic health everyday.
The Creative Expressions portion is beyond description. Lucky us, Amir Suleimans segment
was recorded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hq37HG4m6U&feature=youtu.be
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad discusses somes decision that the safest fatwa is the narrowest and
as a result the whole structure is torn down but then we have something called sound
reasoning. Whatever you do not turn people away from their Lord which is Tawhid.
Interpretations which make Islam repugnant should not be used. To use these fatwas deliberately
because theyre narrower or stricter is to reject the entire fabric of our principle, he emphasizes.
Sheik Abdullah Murad had two notes in my book: Some people drink at the fountain of
knowledge and others only gargle. I dont have time to translate this learn Arabic if you dont
know it. That would be lovely.
In a powerfully presented talk Imam Khalid Latif says Muhammad (SAW) never asked why but
rather...why not? When we think, we too want to move beyond ritual for the sake of ritual to
being an individual, asking within, not being self-depreciated. Its not about whats good for us
but whats good for the society around us. His community would say we need you here. The
challenge with many of us is we dont think we have to givewe dont have the confidence.
Confidence is different than arrogance: when I am arrogant I only see weakness around me.
An affirming atmosphere is something our communities seem to be devoid of. When the world
is trying to find out who Allah isdo we understand he is Al- Raheem. Do you take that

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understanding and interject it into the world and that Allah exists? Disturbing examples of this
surface in examples given, one of which is of a young woman who busts up her face to have the
love from someoneeven if just from healthcare workers. As Muslims we need to give that
love and compassion people need. When you have the ability to do good you do it, not just to do
what you were told, but because its pleasing to Allah. There is no part in revelation where
Muhammad (SAW) said Hold on I need time to myself. To the contrary, Allah had to send a
revelation to say give him space because his house was always crowded. Muhammad (SAW)
would go days without fire, or food to cook strapping a rock to his stomach. In one narration a
stray goat came and he distributed it to other except for the neck. Aisha (ra) said none is there
but its neck. Muhammad (SAW) replied, All is there for us except the neck.
Its not the answer you were told to do but values you reflected on. The missing component in
this dunya is youthink about what youre compassionate and passionate about, in pursuit of
pleasure of the divine. Think of Omarno one thought he could become anythingit is said he
drank alcohol before Muslims, and even once worshipped a makeshift date idol. Umar, who
recalled feeling his daughters hand go limp being buried alive, as was the common practice in
Arab society pre- Nabi (SAW). Omar who beat his wife and would even say Im not done Im
just resting when I get ready Ill come back to you, transformed. Imam Khalid goes into a
salient turning point, He sees his wife Layla looking like shes about to go on a journey. Layla
says youre making it hard for me to practice my religion. To her astonishment he says go.
If there was a prophet after me it would be this man Umar Muhammad (SAW) said after
Umars complete transformation. You have to put the peoples voices behind you, build your
relationship with Allah, and bring your light to the world. For example, a meeting for Brooklyn
Black Lives Matter was requested in the masjid. You all do things like that? They questioned.
He answered yeah why would we not. Its a question we have to ask, and not rhetorically.
There is tension and what is missing is our role, he mentions Linda Sarsour as a prime example
of the voids we fill as active and open Muslims. He mentions overhearing attitudes like If too
many Spanish people become Muslim were going to have to start giving them our zakat, and
Tell the black brothers to get off court before we call the police have no room in our ummah.
Allah is closer to you than your jugular vein and that is not to scare you, only to say hes there
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Let us not forget the struggle of those amongst us right now Imam Zaid Shakir began. There
are people who have lost relatives amongst us now. We feel and acknowledge your pain in the
name of a fatwa. Injustices that bring us to say #blacklivesmatter #brownlivesmatter but some
are suffering disparately for specific religions. Our religion pushes us to be advocates for justice.
Oh you believers be upright for Allah and justicedont allow your hatred of a people to move
you to injustice. Be just, that is closer to God consciousness. Be mindful of the rights he has
over us (stand up with strength and avoid what hes prohibited). With favor and conviction
because winds that will try to knock you off are strong and it takes firmness to stand up for our
Lord in this time. He reminds us of our obligation to fellow creaturesnot just human beings.
We should be people who are champions of justice. There are situations where everyone will not
get their full measure of justice. Some of us are more than familiar of those situations. In the
face of justice we tend to forget about our duty to our Lord. Do we become so obsessed with
justice we forget fairness and we begin blind even fanatical pursuit of justice. Because there are
so many forces pushing against we need to be willing to sacrifice something of the justice that
should be owed to us.
The example of Adams son was provided. One of Adams sons had the chance to defend
himself against his older brother. He said If you extend your hand toward me to murder me I
will not extend my hand to murder you. Verily I fear the lord of all the worlds. He replied this
way because:
1. If he killed bro answerable to brother he would have to then immediately face answering to
Allah, which is a worse issue.
2. The other brother would have the stain of murder on his hand and have to answer to Allah.

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Muhammad PBUH said he wasnt sent to curse and kill but as a mercy to people. We rebel
against authority not with protest but with submission. Be the servant of Allah who is killed but
when the choice to kill is presented, gives up that right. Someone is going to have to surrender
something of their rights so we can all live in tranquility. Good and evil are not equal.
Infinite justice is for God Alone Hamza Yusef continues. God is here. He has not abandoned
usif we believe in Him we know by surrendering our rights we will not be trampled on, as we
never loose wealth from charity We say wealth purchases commodity and divinity.
If Im always pardoning people will think Im weak. Allah says he will increase us in power and
mightmake sense in divine scheme of things. How long will we rely on our strength and
others? When will we begin relying on Allah? We could rightfully seek retribution for those
who have wronged us but were being called to higher path. There are so many on lower paths
some need to go to higher path- why not us? If Allah is for us no one can be truly against us.
Those who between you was great amenity there become as if intimate friends this should be
us. Social justice is social mercy. What is better than the grace and mercy of Allah?
Muhammad (SAW) had enough for those down trodden poor, white, Black etcour world is in
need of it. We must transcend our heartsthere can be room for everyone. Everything we do is
with the name of Allah. We rely on Allah and not on our limited human resources, we
understand everything we enjoy is from Allah, we understand all of us are returning to Allah, and
our trust is completely with Allah. We are enveloped by the mercy and grace of Allah and it
permeates thorough every fiber of our being. Were surrounded by the grace and the mercy and
we feel it. Brothers and sisters when enough of us reach that place this world will be on a
different trajectory. With our creator we havent lost we have gained. Understanding of Allah is
better than anything we can get in this world. Lets get on with our workassalam.
Seeing the Black man and white woman on stage make spontaneous Shahada by Imam Zaid
Shakir in unison was beyond a blessing. Their innocence and sincerity in it was unmistakable.
The woman was crying afterward.

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The closing talk with many leaders together had symbolic power. The Quran recitation prior to
their engagement was a salient reminder of the common thread beneath all perceived separations.
I feel so blessed to be a part of such a beautiful ummah the joy brought me to tears. The talks
sprinkled with Arabic so poetically push you to want to understand naturally. I feel like I came
out of a laketaking a breath of air. Even Nouman Ali Khan described the action-movie like
introduction music for the speakers as making him feel like a transformer. Transformative the
speakers were.