SUNAA AL-HAYATH

- LIFE MAKERS

Phase 2
(The Take off)

Amr Khaled

CONTENTS

1. Introduction to the Second Phase

2. Determination
3. Dream of your Country 20 years from now Part 1
4. Dream of your Country Part 2
5. Our Dreams for Agriculture and Scientific Research
6. Our Dreams for Education and our Countries' Interrelations
7. The Importance of Voting for the Dreams
8. Ending Oppression against Women
9. Our Dreams for Technology and Industry
10. Important aspects in the march of Sunaa al-Hayah
11. Culture, Art, Media and Making Life
12. The Field of Technology
13. The Fruits of Sunaa al-Hayah Part 1
14. The fruits of Sunaa al-Hayah Part 2
15. How to welcome Ramadan

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Episode 18: Introduction to the Second Phase

In the name of Allah (SWT), the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful;
all praise and thanks be to Allah (SWT), the Lord of al-Alameen (the
universe). Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah
(SAWS[1]).
Welcome to you all in the first episode of the second phase of Sunaa alHayah (Life Makers). As you know, the celebration we held marked the
conclusion of the first phase. Actually, before we start the new phase of
our program dear fellows, I would like to remind you that the name of our
program Life Makers implies production process, where a production
phase starts, ends and then is followed by a new one. Thus, in order to
proceed with the second phase, we need to have a look at how we have
progressed. Do you remember how we used to be when the program first
started? We were a group of religious-minded, well-mannered people who
love Allah (SWT) and Islam, yet we were tied down with ten shackles:
passiveness, lack of seriousness, irresponsibility, lack of real distinct
objectives in life and inability to identify priorities.
The product, that is us, has been enormously developed. We started to
experience a great change in our personalities. How? We were able to get
rid of the negative traits that have been accumulating within us for years,
in no more than 3 months. The word positiveness used to sound weird,
and was seldom used by us, but not anymore, for in 3 months only,
thousands of young men started taking thousands of positive actions. The
forum at www.amrkhaled.net demonstrates the number of positive deeds
that took place within that period. We were really excited to see that
hundreds of thousands of young men participating in the projects of Dont
harm us with your smoke and Guardians of the Future. Our efforts were
so effective that the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized them
and awarded us with a prize. In addition, the project of collecting used
clothes enabled us to collect one and a half million bags. Things have
changed, a new spirit prevailed and thousands of people started to
experience a change in their personalities. That was the product of the
first phase.
The process of freeing ourselves from the ten shackles of the first phase
and exiting the dark room resulted in the following three outcomes:
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1. The revival of hope, especially in the souls of young men and

women. We were able to free ourselves from the accumulative
shackles which have been hindering our way for long years, in such
a short period of three months. Dear fellows, at the beginning, I
used to tell you that we can do it but in fact, I was afraid.
Nevertheless, deep inside I had a feeling of individual hope. Now,
we can all see that our accomplishments are tangible and real. This
turned feelings of disappointment and failure into a spirit of hope
spreading among youth of both sexes; men and woman.
2. We started to feel that the revival concept of our nation is within
reach, where it did not seem to be an option before. Even in the
minds of religious people who perform the actions of worship like
praying and fasting but never dreamt of the idea of revival, although
all great civilizations started with an idea in the minds of people.
3. We discovered our abilities, along with the fact that we are not the
type of people who are good for nothing, whereas Western people
are good at everything. We are really able to think and produce
ideas and inventions when we are free from the shackles.
Do not ever underestimate these results; they form the cornerstone of
our revival. Just imagine what could be achieved through them? Dear
fellows, the accomplishments that took place so far were the result of
individual efforts. I am not claiming here that we have changed the
situation in the Arab world; I am only saying that thousands of young
men and women have started to work, on the other hand, others are still
indifferent to what is going on, doing nothing for the countries and
religion. Our target now is to join these efforts and direct them towards
the revival of our nations, which is the core of the second phase of Life
Makers.
In the second phase, we invite those who could free themselves of their
shackles, to join hands to attain to our goal of reviving our nation.
The requirements:

Achieve a giant accomplishment, i.e. the revival of Muslims.

Achieve extraordinary progress and work in full capacity.

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Achieve success in the second phase that is 10 times the

success that had been achieved in the first phase. We need ten
times of production and not ten times of the number of
participants.

We are discussing here a revival of a nation. In the first episode of the

first phase, I mentioned that the target of that phase was to encourage
men, women, youth, children and elderly people to take an effective
part in the progress of their countries, and I was really worried that that
dream might not come true. I swear to Allah (SWT) if that was the case,
we would have stopped broadcasting this program, but as long as we
achieved success, we proceeded in planning for our ultimate goal. Dear
fellows, we will take the word revival as a title for the second phase of
the program, and from a more realistic point of view, we can say that it
represents the beginning of our march towards revival. The word
revival has a very valuable and sweet sense. It pleases Allah (SWT) and
this is the best part of it, but how can Allah (SWT) be pleased while
Muhammads nation is lost. Tell me for Allahs sake, will the Prophet
(SAWS) be pleased then, even if we pray and fast? The Quran was
originally sent to teach us how to progress and develop. The sense of
the word revival is so sweet but so difficult and requires enormous
effort to please Allah (SWT). Let the Prophet (SAWS) be proud of you
on the Day of Judgment, when you stand before Allah (SWT) and tell
Him, O Allah, I have committed sins and mistakes, but I was loyal to
your religion and I worked and exerted efforts to support and elevate
it.
The essence of revival is in the respect we have for ourselves and the
respect that others have for us. We are not a bunch of rebels or a
mentally retarded nation, or terrorists. We are respectable people. We
need revival in all fields (science & economy) so that we can overcome
the unemployment problem and give our young people the chance to
produce, invent, excel and win prizes. We need revival in translation,
science, social institutes and charitable institutes. That is only for your
sake, Allah (SWT), and for the sake of our craving to satisfy you.
Have you ever seen a plane taking off? Can you imagine the enormous
energy needed to achieve the taking off process? This is exactly the
same situation for the second phase.
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The plane needs to acquire a certain speed to fly. In other

words, it can not fly unless it reaches an extraordinary speed to
push it up. The same theory applies to us as well; we need to
acquire a flying speed to push us forward into the second phase.

The plane usually takes off at 160 nautical miles; the pilot can
not take off at 100 nautical miles. We need to reach these 160
nautical miles through effort + thinking + peoples reaction
through our website, fax and phone + ideas + young active people
who are capable of producing.

The second phase is the take off phase. The engine of the
plane in the take off phase operates in its maximum capacity, and
so should we. We need young men and women to work with us
using their ultimate capacity, especially in summer. I would like
to specially address women here because I know that when they
believe in a certain idea, their pushing power becomes 10 times
stronger than that of men.

When the plane reaches the altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet

above sea level, the power of the engine starts to decrease from
100% to 70%.

During the take off process of the plane, the fuel combustion
reaches its maximum rate. Take for example, during the Jeddah New York flight, the plane flies 7,000 nautical miles in 12 hours
and burns 80 tons of fuel.

The plane has to run over the runway long enough to acquire
the speed which enables it to fly, and we as men and women need
to run for 4 months to show Allah (SWT) that we mean to reform,
help others, wipe peoples illiteracy and solve the unemployment
problem.

In the example of Jeddah - New York, the plane needs to fly at

an altitude of 35,000 feet. If the altitude is low, the plane will run
out of fuel because the adverse winds facing the plane will make
it consume more fuel and thus the fuel will run out quickly. The
higher the plane flies, the less its consumption of fuel will be, as
there is not much wind in the lower layers. As for us, our adverse
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winds are so heavy; we need to fly as high as we can to avoid the

resistance of the adverse winds, to be able to achieve a great
revival and go on without crashing.
We feel very enthusiastic about the coming phase but it is a rational
enthusiasm. We know how to reach the speed that enables us to start off
without causing any accidents or damages to our countries, which we hold
very dear. Our burdens are so heavy. We could have lived at a time where
Islam was stable and prosperous or at a time like ours. Which time seems
more appealing to you? To live at a time of stability or at a time like ours?
Actually, our time is better despite the fact that we feel depressed about it,
but it will grant us enormous rewards. It resembles the time of the
Companions, which was not a time of strength or revival either. Try to
imagine the coming generations referring to us as the people who reaped
what they planted and try to imagine the reward of Allah (SWT) on the
Day of Judgment.
Examples:
Do you know that the burden that you have to carry is just like that
of the believer mentioned at Surat Ya-Seen? Allah (SWT) says what
can be translated as, And (there) came from the remotest part of
the city a man going speedily, he said O my people, closely
follow the Emissaries. (TMQ, 36:20)[2]. At that time, there
were already three emissaries in the city. He could have just prayed
to Allah (SWT) to grant them success but he did not do that; he
decided to take action himself.

The ayah then continues in which Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, Closely follow (the ones) who ask of you no reward
and they are right guided. And for what should I not worship
Him originated me, and to whom you shall be returned. Shall I
take to myself apart from Him, gods whose intercession, in case
The All Merciful wills any adversity to me, shall not avail me
anything, nor shall they rescue me? Lo, surely (in that case) I
should indeed be in evident error. Surely I believe on you Lord,
so hear me! (TMQ, 36:21-25). Can you feel the words? In the
second phase we need people to exert their utmost effort and make
the world hear it. This can be done by a young man who exerts
effort to wipe illiteracy + invent something + excel in his studies and
be the first in his faculty.
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Allah (SWT) says (about the man) what can be translated as, It was
said: Enter the Garden, (TMQ, 36:26) and after he did, he was
still carrying the burden of his people. Allah (SWT) also says (about
the man) what can be translated as, O, would that my people
knew (what I know). With what (Grace) my Lord has forgiven
me and He has made me among the honored. (TMQ, 36:2627). We will all say that we just need to enjoy being in paradise and
that is it.

Dear brothers try to carry the burden like the little weak hoopoe
(type of bird) that flew from Yemen to Palestine to save a nation. He
had weak wings but willpower produces wonders. When he saw
people worshipping the sun in Yemen, he decided to fly to Palestine
to inform Prophet Solaiman (AS) (Solomon) about it. Allah (SWT)
tells the story in what can be translated as, I found her and her
people prostrating (themselves) to the sun, apart from Allah.
(TMQ, 27:24). Then he stood firmly before Prophet Solaiman
(AS). Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, I have
encompassed that which you have not encompassed, and I have
come from Saba to you with a tiding of certitude. Surely I found
a woman ruling over them, and she has been brought (much) of
everything and she has a magnificent throne. I found her and
her people prostrating (themselves) to the sun. (TMQ, 27:2224). At the end, he expressed his sense of agony and responsibility
as Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, So that they do not
prostrate (themselves) to Allah. (TMQ, 27:25). We need young
men and women to be like that hoopoe. In other words, we need
1,000 million hoopoes to work hard in summer.

We need that kind of people who can act like the ant which what
mentioned in Surat an-Naml (The Ant). It was so tiny and could
have been crushed under the soldiers feet, yet it felt responsible and
stood to warn its fellow ants. Allah (SWT) says (about the ant) what
can be translated as, O you ants, enter your dwellings (lest)
Solaiman and his hosts definitely crush you, (while) they are not
aware. (TMQ, 27:18). This ant was responsible enough and
accepted to scarify itself. It could have been crushed, all for the
nation of ants. Think about it, nation of Muhammad (SAWS).
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The difference between the first phase and the second phase:
What was required in the first phase was to unbind yourself. In the second
phase, you are required to unbind your countries and the Muslims. In the
first phase you have tried yourself, have you been beneficial? Have you
unbound yourself? In the second phase you must start and take off.
It is like a sports team doing warm up exercises, but the game has not
started yet. The exercise ends successfully with the teams physical fitness
becoming more enhanced. All of that happens before the beginning of the
game, so the game is the second phase. Also, it is much like a student
studying well in his secondary phase. He passes, then finds himself in
university; a completely new society. That is the second phase.
All the people who have worked with us in the first phase, dont be
satisfied by just thanking Allah (SWT) and being proud of what you have
done and stop there. That was just the training part, are you be satisfied
with just that? The game will start, so where will you be in the second
phase? Are you going to work or not? Also, people who have not worked
with us in the first phase, you will not be able to work with us because our
program is industry making. That is why, in order to know how to work,
you should go back and listen to the first phase. Not necessarily all of it,
but just understand what we did so that it builds a great power inside of
you. People who have become enthusiastic for a while, then they stopped
and got bored, I say to them, look for people you agree with, we make life
together, there is an association of Sunaa al-Hayah in many countries in
Sudan, Egypt, etc. You will not be able to work alone in the second phase.
A similar idea; taking off cannot take place unless the pilot and his
assistant put their hands together on the handgrip and push it forward. If,
at the moment of take off, anything shakes the pilot's will and another
helping strength will be there. That is why we have to put our hands
together.

Our Master Ibrahim (AS) (Abraham) told his son Isma'il (AS)
(Ishmael), O Isma'il, Allah ordered me to build him a home.
Isma'il (AS) then said, O father, obey your Lord. Ibrahim (AS)
replied, Would you help me? Isma'il (AS) answered, Yes, I will
help you.
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Our Prophet (SAWS) mentioned it and said, Who will help me in

delivering my Lord's message? The rest of people didnt want to
help until al-Ansar (the supporters) came and joined their hands and
said, We will help you, Allah's Messenger. Then the nation was
born.

In the first part of the second phase, we will talk about willpower without
which nothing will take place. The will is something internal.
Sometimes it is dormant, other times it is a huge giant inside of you. You
are the only one able to bring it out; the hidden secret is inside you, so we
want to bring it out. A huge hidden strength, if you decide to bring it out,
you will be able to do unexpected and extraordinary achievements.
Just like Aladdins lantern, when you rub it, the genie comes out and says,
Here I am, at your service. You can ask him for anything and he will
instantly bring it to you. It is not an illusion because the will inside you is
extraordinary. I do not mean that we are going to create fairy tales, Allah
(SWT) forbid. On the contrary, you are going to do things beyond your
imagination. When the will initially steps in and starts penetrating into
your body, your veins, arteries and every cell in your body will be revived
and start creating extraordinary powers and energy within yourself.
Psychologists say that:

Natural people use only 8% of their abilities.

Successful people use 40% of their abilities
Great people use 60% of their abilities.

What about you, what percentage are you using? From where has this
power come from? Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, So when
I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me.
(TMQ, 15:29). You have a huge energy, its origin is from Allah (SWT),
but it is dormant; an extraordinary power that can be released by a single
word.
Examples:
1.

In the Ein Jalout battle between the Muslims and the Tatars, the
Muslims, on their way to the battle, were somewhat worried of fighting
the Tatars. They entered Baghdad and started the battle. Here, Qutoz
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shouted a word that created something unnatural inside the Muslims

and continued to penetrate within their souls until they achieved
victory; the word was Wa Islamah (O our Islam).
2.

The Imam Ahmad Ibn-Hanbal, when the issue of the creation of the
Quran occurred, was imprisoned. He said, Im neither afraid of
killing because it is Shahada (martyrdom) nor of prison because my
home and the prison are one, but Im afraid of being flogged. After
awhile, they entered to take him for flogging and fear started showing
on him. However, Allah (SWT) elevated the will inside of him by
putting a thief in his way. The thief noticed the Imams anxiety and
understood that he was afraid of being flogged. At that moment, he
said a word that changed his bodys chemistry. The thief told him,
You are on the righteous path; if you are to live, you will live
praiseworthy, if you are to die, you will die as a martyr. Do you know
that I was flogged 18,000 times separately and I was steady for Satan so
stay steady for Allah? The jailer said, I flogged him (the Imam) to
the extent that if he was a mountain he would have collapsed, yet he
remained steadfast, unmoving until he fainted. I brought him some
water and asked him to drink but he told me, Im fasting, today is
Thursday. The jailer continued, I flogged him on his back until he
was torn. Every time, I thought that the next time the whip will come
out of his mouth.

Our religion is the strictest order in this world that urges the will inside
us; Fajr (dawn) prayer, fasting, Hajj (pilgrimage) and Qiyam (night
prayer). One of the advantages of all these, is vitalizing the will. I know a
young Spanish man who asked me once, Do you fast in Ramadan from
dawn until sunset for 30 days even in summer? I answered, Yes. He
added, You are supposed to lead the whole world. If we had a law in our
countries to build up the will, we will not be able to put together a law
better than yours.
Listen to the following examples:
In Badr, the Muslims were 313 and the disbelievers were 1,000.
Notice the difference in strength! This is actually the difference in
will.
In Uhud, the Muslims were 700 and the disbelievers were 2,000.
Can you see the difference?
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In Khaibar, the Muslims were 1,400 and the disbelievers were

10,000.
In Mota, the Muslims were 200 and the disbelievers were 20,000.
In al-Yarmouk, the Muslims were 20,000 and the disbelievers were
250,000.
In conquering Iraq, the Muslims were 18,000 and the disbelievers
were 120,000.

You can call this difference a difference in will.

Saladin achieved all these glorious victories, while his body was
filled with small boils and he could not ride a horse. Nevertheless,
he stepped on these boils with his will until he achieved what he
wanted.
In these days, we have Khaldun as a model of amazing willpower.
When he fell down on his head at the age of twenty, he was
paralyzed yet; he became a great computer programmer using only
his tongue.
A sister of ours came from Egypt particularly and is with us now. I
spoke about her in past episodes. She is a blind young woman who
learned the Braille language and she has converted all Sunaa alHayah lectures into Braille language and gave them to blind people.
She is a model of positiveness, willpower and insistence on success
in life.
This episodes project:
It is a project to test the willpower or a preparation for the take off period.
A surprise, somewhat difficult, I know. It is the Marathon Project.

The marathon is a 42-kilometer walk that came from a warrior

whose tribe was involved in a very big battle. When they
achieved victory, he ran 42 kilometers to his country only to bring
the good news of victory to his country. He said, We achieved
victory, and then he died. That was because he ran all that
distance without being fit enough for it.

We are going to do that marathon by walking since walking is

one of the most essential things in building willpower.

Doctors say that the best sport to build up endurance is walking

long distances because all sports (except the running marathon)
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need either muscular strength or skillfulness. As for running, it

needs endurance.

A great scientist was asked how he thought of his great ideas.

He answered, I walked a lot.

Send us, via our website, the distance you have walked for two
weeks. This week will be for training because doctors say that
walking such a distance requires daily training. Half an hour a
day for ten days until you reach the distance of 42 kilometers.
Examples:

The Prophet (SAWS) and the companions walked more than

that distance.

Our lady Asmaa, the daughter of Abu-Bakr (RA) walked 3

miles both ways while she was 7th months pregnant, to carry
food to the Prophet (SAWS) and her father in Thaor cave.

Our lady Um Salama emigrated from Makkah to al-Madinah

on foot.

Our master Ali Ibn-Abu-Taleb (RA) emigrated from Makkah

to al-Madinah on foot.

In the al-Reqa battle of the 700 kilometers, every seven were

exchanging one camel to an extent where the Companions nails
fell off and their feet became raw and the soles of their shoes
were frayed. They tore their clothes and tied their feet with
them because they were no longer able to walk.

The distance of Hajj is about 40 kilometers from Makkah to

Mina then to Arafat, and then to Mozdalefa and back to Makkah
again. There is a preference between scholars: what is more
beloved to Allah (SWT), performing Hajj, walking or riding?
The Prophet (SAWS) started Hajj by walking but he was told that
people wanted to see him, so he rode.
I started myself and did it; it was useful. Go on, try it and release your
extraordinary willpower. An hour of brisk walking is 6 kilometers, 6 km
7 days = 42 km per week. If you can achieve the distance in less than a
week, it would be better. Finally, the idea of the project is to train the
willpower, take off and fly with your maximum strength. Call on Allah
(SWT) to be your witness while walking, that you are doing this to work
hard in the next phase and that this is the sign of your seriousness .

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Episode 19: Determination

In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, the Ever- Merciful; praise be to
Allah, the Lord of mankind; may His peace and blessings be upon His
Prophet, and our Master, Muhammad (SAWS[1]).
Welcome to the second episode of the second stage of Sunaa al-Hayah
(Life Makers). After we finished the first stage (praise to Allah (SWT)),
and the special celebration that ended it, we began last week with the first
episode, which was an introduction to the revival stage. As I explained
to you, an extraordinary number of achievements is required for this stage.
In the first stage, we broke off our chains. We managed to collect 1.5
million bags of clothes, which are now being distributed. We established
the project called Guardians of the Future and had thousands of young
men and women work with us in a responsible and positive manner. All
these results were great and were achieved in a short period of time during
which we broke off many chains that had shackled us for tens, or even
hundreds of years. We discovered that success is possible and obtainable.
The second stage is very important and its title is huge, that is: the start of
the Ummahs (Islamic Nations) revival. This is a serious task and the
results we achieved in the first stage during a short period of time are the
best proof of our ability to succeed. We want to change our painful reality
from one of humiliation to one of great dignity; from economical
devastation to economical prosperity; from unemployment to work and
production; and from loss of identity to pride in being Muslims. We want
to trigger a new age in success for universities and systems of education,
non-profit organizations, social organisations, and in the field of
translation. We want to turn our culture from a cheap and tasteless one to
a leading, refined, culture.
Revival is an immense word and thus to achieve our goal, Sunaa al-Hayah
must be a very practical project, as you saw in the first stage; it is not just
empty talk or unhelpful lectures. Therefore, this episode and the previous
episode serve as the strong motivation that will make us productive during
this second stage. Just like the massive energy expenditure of the
powerful engines at maximum capacity that are required for a plane to take
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off. It is likely that we would take a rest afterwards and reduce that energy
a little, but we cannot afford to do that now during take off, while the
plane is still on the runway. During this take off, the engines have to work
at full capacity, the fuel has to burn as fast as possible, the plane has to be
at full speed, the passengers have to be attentive and have their seatbelts
tied, the pilot and his assistant must have their hands together on the
throttle steering the plane forward; no one should be allowed to sleep or
relax. This is the second stage and this is what is required of you.
What I tell you needs actual application, and praise be to Allah (SWT) that
the start of this stage has coincided with the start of the summer holidays.
I would like to ask the youth, what will you do during the summer? The
effort that we require of you is extraordinary and we need the utmost effort
from every one of you for our take off, since this is the only way revival
can happen. The young men and women who participated in collecting 1.5
million bags of clothes, the men and women who participated in the
campaign against smoking and drugs, and the youth who have participated
in the Guardians of the Future initiative have to continue to work with us
now, otherwise our project will be of no use. We do not want to stay at the
bottom; we want to move and to take off. I consider todays episode as the
start of the engines, since this stage of moving towards the revival will
take four months and will require highly attentive people. Therefore, in
todays episode, I have to start with talking about something called
determination.
Examples of why this is important:
To achieve this project we need extraordinary determination, similar to
that of the Prophet (SAWS) who, regardless of the obstacles, used to make
unsurpassed efforts. Imitate the Prophet (SAWS). The world turned on
him at fifty years of age, after the death of his uncle Abu-Taleb, and his
wife Khadija, and the disbelievers ever increasing resistance; it went as
far as attempting to murder him after they refused to embrace Islam.
Nevertheless, he walked 100 km from Makkah to al-Taif, which is the
same distance as between Cairo and Tanta or Wadi al-Natroon. Why did
he do that? He did that because he felt that the message of Islam was very
precious; he did not tire or feel any boredom because he knew the message
was of grave importance.

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When he reached al-Taif, he was not welcomed. The situation was so

difficult; it would have overpowered anybody elses determination. One
leader said to him, If I found you hanging to the covers of the Kaba
swearing that you are a Prophet, I would still not believe you. Another
leader told him, Did Allah not find a better person to send (as a Prophet)
than you? A third leader said to him, If you are a true Prophet, you are
so great that I cannot talk to you. However, if you are a liar, you are too
worthless for me to talk to. Try to imagine what was happening to his
determination during all this. Then he said, If you refuse to help me, then
at least do not tell Quraysh (the Prophets tribe in Makkah) that I came
seeking your help against them. They answered, We swear before Allah
to tell them and to send people to inform them that you came seeking our
help against them. The Prophet (SAWS) said, If you accept neither this
nor that, then let me go. They said, No, not until we gather the people to
stone you. The people started throwing stones at him. Your beloved
Prophet (SAWS) had stones thrown at him for you to be a Muslim and for
this revival to start. This is the type of determination that we need today,
not less than that by any means.
At that time, the Prophet (SAWS) was accompanied by Zayd Ibn-Haritha
who held the Prophet (SAWS) tight, so most of the stones would hit him
rather than the Prophet (SAWS), until his head was covered with blood.
The Prophet (SAWS) ran on the ground filled with stones with bleeding
feet until he found a small garden to hide in. As soon as he entered that
garden, before he treated his injuries, he raised his hands to the sky in
extreme determination to continue to deliver the message. He called on
Allah (SWT), saying, Oh, Allah, I appeal to You for the weakness in my
strength, and my limited power and the treatment of contempt and
humiliation from people. To You, the Most Merciful of all the merciful
ones, You are the Lord of the oppressed, and my Lord. Under whose care
are You leaving me to? To an enemy oppressing me or a friend You have
given control of my affair? If there is no anger from You on me, I will
forever be content. However, Your blessing is vastly important to me. I
seek refuge with the Glory of Your Light, which the heavens and earth are
lit with, that Your anger will not befall on me, nor that Your displeasure
descend on me. To You is the supplication until You are pleased, and there
is no control or power except by You. This is the extraordinary
determination that I am talking about. Then, the angel of mountains
approached the Prophet (SAWS) and asked him, If you want, I could
collapse myself onto them. The Prophet (SAWS) answered, No, may
18

Allah bring out from their children some one who might worship him.
He meant some one like you.
I want you to walk with me a distance like that of the Marathon of 42km.
This will be a proof that you will continue with me, and board the plane.
We all have to do it this week, even if you have to divide it over the seven
days and walk 6km per day. Your Prophet (SAWS) walked a longer
distance than this one to al-Taif. We want a determination as strong as that
of the Prophet (SAWS). Say to yourself, I am doing what the Prophet did,
and my intention is to strengthen my determination. While walking, I will
be thinking of my target in life and how I could participate in this Islamic
revival. This is the second main reason for walking: to provoke thought.
The question here is simple: do you intend to release your internal
determination into the world or not?
We want a determination similar to that of Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA) who
was stabbed nine times. The milk, he was given to drink, was pouring out
of his wounds, yet he raised his head minutes before he died to ask, Have
the people prayed? Then he stood up and addressed the Muslims saying,
Who will bear witness before Allah (SWT), on the Day of Judgment, that
I fulfilled my responsibilities towards the Muslims? Ibn-Abbas came to
him and said, I will bear witness to that. Then Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA)
held onto him and asked him, Do you swear that you will bear witness or
are you just saying this now to please me? Ibn-Abbas answered, I swear
that I will bear witness. Omar then said, Only now is Omar relieved.
Do you know who life makers, and anyone that works with us, are similar
to? The answer is a mountain climber. A climbers coach tells him to put
his hands, but not his eyes, on the rock he is climbing; if he puts his eyes
on it, he will fail. His eyes have to be concentrating on the target, the next
rock up, while his hands are on the rock he is on. That way, his hands will
automatically go to the next rock up, since his eyes have already
memorized its location. If you have to climb the mountain with a blind
body, then what is the pleasure of climbing? Is it reaching the end? No, it
is the climbing activity itself. Therefore, he who climbs two rocks is
different than he who climbs a pyramid; different again to he who climbs
Mount Everest; and again different to he who participates in this Islamic
revival. The motto of mountain climbing is: Never look down or you will
fall and I am telling you the same. Do not look at the present reality of
Muslims and say that nothing will work. One expert mountain climber
19

fell, in spite of his extensive training, because he looked down. Therefore,

I repeat, forget the painful present and keep your eyes on the revival, and
how it could be achieved through todays episode.
The Recipe for Determination:
Determination is something inside you that only you can grow, and when
you do, it could turn you into a different person, because an extraordinary
energy would be generated inside of you.
Muslims, in the different battles at the time of the Prophet (SAWS), were
fewer in number than their enemies to a degree that it was not logically
possible for them to triumph over them by numbers. Every person has the
same internal power. However what makes the difference is the ability to
release that power and let it mix with every part and every cell of your
body until your determined soul and your ability to work day and night
shows in your eyes. Therefore, it is one of the miracles Allah (SWT)
bestowed in humans as He says in Surat al-Hijr what can be translated as,
"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into
him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him." (TMQ, 15:29)
[2].
Is there something in particular that could release your internal
determination? Yes. The recipe I am going to tell you about now is the
recipe that was used by the Prophet (SAWS) to encourage his Companions,
and it is the same recipe used by countries as well as individuals.
Whoever follows this recipe is able to be productive. The recipe is as
follows: you have to have a target and the ability to imagine the details of
that target. That is determination: to live your target and draw its most
intricate details. Say, for example, When I become the minister of the
Ministry of Education, I will do such and such in the education system, or
when I become the manager of that certain company, I will do such and
such, or when I win that particular championship, I will prostrate
thanking Allah and I will be an example of the religious well-behaved
Muslim. In that way, the dream starts to penetrate into your imagination,
releasing your determination.
Many people do not have a target to start with or are afraid to dream, to
avoid living in fantasy a world. There is a distinctive line between living
in a fantasy world and dreaming of your target. That line is the ability to
20

turn your dreams into hard work. The recipe for determination starts with
a dream that dominates the mind, for example, when the players in a
football team say, We will win the championship. This results in the
release of an extraordinary force.
What was the seed the Prophet (SAWS) planted in his Companions to make
them able to produce these extraordinary deeds? It was the ability to
imagine Jannah (paradise). The subconscious mind does not recognize the
difference between fantasy and reality. Therefore, if you convince it with
an idea, it perceives it as a reality.
The Prophet (SAWS) once called a companion named Abdullah Ibn-Anis
and asked him to carry out a very difficult task that required walking an
immense distance. Abdullah did it and returned to the Prophet (SAWS),
who asked him, What did you do? Abdullah answered, Oh, Messenger
of Allah, I did it. The Prophet (SAWS) then said, Wait for me to reward
you. The Prophet (SAWS) went to his house, came out with a stick and
gave it to Abdullah, who asked, What is this, O Messenger of Allah? The
Prophet (SAWS) answered, Take this and give it back to me on the Day of
Judgment and I will let you enter Jannah. Abdullah narrated that he took
the stick and never parted with it all his life, day or night, and he requested
for it to be buried with him in his grave so he would meet the Prophet
(SAWS) with it on the Day of Judgment.
Another time, the Prophet (SAWS) met a companion named Haritha and
asked him, Haritha, how did you wake up? Haritha answered, Oh,
Messenger of Allah, I woke up a true believer. Notice this pleasant start
and compare it to yourself when you wake up in the morning upset and
bored. The Prophet (SAWS) asked, There is a certain reality behind
everything, so what is the reality behind your faith? Haritha said, I woke
up as if I could see the throne of Allah; as if I could see the righteous
enjoying Jannah and the wicked screaming in hellfire, so I rose above this
worldly life; I stay up at night (praying) and I stay thirsty in the morning
(fasting). This is how his determination was released.
One more example is that of a companion named Samra Ibnul-Akwa,
who was a great runner but did not own a horse. He was sitting once with
the Prophet (SAWS), while he was discussing military tactics with some
Companions, when they noticed a spy leaving after he had overheard
them. The Prophet (SAWS) said, Who will bring me this man and enter
21

Jannah? Notice how as soon as the Jannah is mentioned, their

determination is released. Three men rose, the first one on his camel, the
second one on his donkey and the third one was Samra who did not have
anything to ride, yet he said to himself, But it is the Jannah! The three
men started following the spy. Samra narrated that he ran until he passed
the man on the donkey, and continued to run until he passed the man on
the camel, then his strength started to fail him and he was about to fall but
he told himself, but it is the Jannah! He ran and ran but could not get to
the spy. He told himself again, but it is the Jannah, and ran and ran
some more even after the spy had disappeared from his sight.
Nevertheless, he continued to run until he saw the spy stopping for a rest.
He caught him and told him, Come with me, for you are my Jannah!
This is the meaning and this is what I would like you to have, a very strong
determination. Imagine paradise when you look at your ambition. Then
ask yourself, what would you want to be after you achieve it? Would you
want to be the owner of the biggest international company in a particular
domain? Remember that you would be competing against international
companies while you would be proud to be a Muslim. It would be a good
thing for our country and for all Muslims. Everyone in the West and the
Arab world would know about your products. You would employ
thousands of people. Live through every detail of your ambition; make it
feel real as opposed to a dream. When you do that you will be encouraged
to strive to achieve your dream.
The Prophet (SAWS) used the image of paradise as the reinforcer of
determination for the believers. It was on the day of the Battle of Badr.
The Muslims were few and the disbelievers were many. The Muslims
were weak and disbelievers were strong. The Muslims determination was
the only force that the Prophet (SAWS) could use to counteract the
disbelievers force. Therefore, the Prophet (SAWS) said, Go to paradise
which is as big as all the heavens and the Earth! The believers
determination quickly began to appear. Amer Ibnul-Hamam then asked,
O Messenger of Allah, paradise is as big as all the heavens and the
Earth? Yes, replied the Prophet (SAWS). Splash, splash! said Amer.
Why do you say splash? asked the Prophet (SAWS). I hope to be one of
the people of paradise, replied Amer. Then the Messenger (SAWS) said,
You are one of its residents. The Muslims were victorious and Amer
Ibnul-Hamam died.
22

Todays episode tells you to look at every detail of your ambition and to
focus similarly on paradise. Our final aim is to have a revival not just for
the sake of having one but also for pleasing Allah (SWT), our Lord. Your
ambition may be to be the owner of the biggest company in the world but
your final aim is Allahs satisfaction with you, a revival for the Muslims,
and for Islam.
What will happen is that two images will be made in your mind. These
two images will generate your strong determination. The Prophet (SAWS)
is not the only one who used this tool but also others like the United
States, for example. Once, the United States ambition was to land on the
moon. Naturally whoever suggested it first was thought to be mad.
However, all the efforts continued to achieve the aim of going to the moon,
landing on it and planting the American flag on its surface. When the
Prophet (SAWS) looked up at the moon every month, he always used to
say, Allah is my Lord and your Lord. Therefore, the revival is part of us
as Muslims!
I would also like to add that your ability to imagine your plan in full is the
first sign of having a strong determination. The Prophet (SAWS) was
serious when he used the idea of paradise as a reinforcer for the strength of
determination of the believers. He knew that there were still some of the
believers who had weak faith, for example, a man like Saraqa wanted to
kill the Prophet (SAWS) but when he approached him, he could not kill
him. Give me something, he ordered the Prophet (SAWS). I promise to
give you the bracelet of Koosari, said the Prophet (SAWS). Who is
Koosari? asked Saraqa. Koosari is the King of the Knights, replied the
Prophet (SAWS) with such confidence that Saraqa believed him. Then he
asked the Prophet (SAWS) to write his promise down. Abu-Bakr, write
down what I said to him, said the Prophet (SAWS). The man was still not
a believer. Years passed, and the Prophet (SAWS) passed away. Finally,
Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA) opened the treasures of Koosari. He held up the
bracelet of Koosari and said, O people, ambitions are made to be
realised. Where is Saraqa Ibn-Malik? Come Saraqa, wear Koosaris
bracelet. Then, everyone in the mosque wept saying, Behold! The
honest and the trustworthy Muhammad (SAWS) has told the truth after 20
years.
The word revival does not come from us but from Allah (SWT), the
Blessed, the One Above All, when he promised the Muslims in his
23

declaration which can be translated as, Allah has promised, to those

among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of
surety, grant them in the Land, inheritance (of power). (TMQ,
24:55).
Therefore the revival exists, but how does one achieve it? Todays episode
is the key to strong determination.
A young man approached the Prophet (SAWS) and said, Permit me to
commit adultery. Listen carefully to what the Prophet (SAWS) told him.
Would you allow it for your mother? The Prophet (SAWS) asked. No,
the young man answered. Would you allow it for your aunt? No,
again answered the man. Would you allow it for your sister? No, he
repeated. Then the Prophet (SAWS) said, People dont like the things,
which you dont like to happen to your mother and sister, to happen to
their daughters. Then the man said, By Allah, from today and onwards,
I will not commit adultery anymore.
Notice how the Prophet (SAWS) changed the thinking of this young man in
half a minute. The man imagined consecutive pictures in his mind and
realized that he did not like what he saw. Therefore, he refused the whole
idea and forever changed his mind about it. Hence, if you were to imagine
a bad picture of yourself smoking in your mind, for example, you would
quit smoking altogether. There are examples that occur among our
people. The idea of having an ambition and imagining its details is not
theoretical. I will prove it. We have here living examples of people who
had an ambition and were successful in achieving it. We will meet them
now.
1. Three days ago I read in a Saudi magazine that the top position in
high school graduation with a mark of 100% in the whole of Saudi
Arabia was Aliya Ghanim. Aliya watched the episode of Having
an Ambition in Life, then she decided to apply it to her own life.
Therefore she put an ambition in her mind and achieved it. Aliya is
with us here. She says, I attained a mark of 100% in high school.
My mother always used to say to me that a true Muslim does not fail
but always succeeds. Then I thought of a way to be successful and
asked that question to some people I was with. One of them told me
that she has never seen a successful Muslim in her whole life. I
wondered if she was saying that about me because I am a Muslim
24

and what she was saying was impossible, since a true Muslim cannot
fail. Then during the showing of the episode Specifying your
Ambition, I wrote down the most realistic ambition that I could
attain and that was to get 100% in the high school certificate and
also to please Allah. I planned how I would achieve my ambition
and I said to myself that I must put a great deal of effort into
studying, in hoping, in being optimistic and counting on Allah for
this matter. When I learned of the news of my results, I could not
believe it. I admit I sometimes passed through some moments when
I felt some weakness in my faith, thinking, how could I get a 100%
when I am among 17 million people in the whole of Saudi Arabia? I
then tried to strengthen my determination and read what I had
written down when I felt that weakness. I wrote that if I did not get
a 100%, I will fail. Any human being can realize his ambition if he
works hard to achieve it.
Aliyas objectives in life were:

To come first in my country with total loyalty and with total faith in
Allah (SWT).
To find a cure for cancer.

If Allah (SWT) wills it, she will achieve her second goal in the same way
she achieved the first one.
2. I have another example here: a young man, who, since he was a
small child, had an objective in life. Now, at 31 years old, he has
achieved it. He is a great example of an Islamic revival. His name
is Ahmad Moharam. He says, I used to always hear the typical
question for a young boy, what do you want to be when you grow
up? I used to love to read about computers. This was in the 80s, and
you know, people used to tell me that all this talk about computers is
worthless. I attended Mansoora University, in the Faculty of
Commerce. However, the Faculty of Engineering used to be just
opposite to the Faculty in which I was enrolled. I used to attend
lectures in the Faculty of Engineering which I thought would be
beneficial for me later on. Then, I started to help engineering
students in plans related to programming. Later, I was asked to fix
some programs that were in textile factories imported from overseas
because I was living close to where they were. Next, I thought about
25

making new and improved programs and of course I faced rejection

because a great deal of money and a large number of people were
needed. However, what I did was stay at home for six months to
come up with a program to replace those imported from abroad. I
made the new program and the factory owner asked me to try it out
in his factory. After numerous errors, the program was successful. It
was one of the most popular imported programs with the
endorsement of international companies who creates such programs.
Then, we won first prize in textiles from the Arabic Industrial
Association from among many candidates, which included
university professors. It also awarded us a second prize for
document security and the 3rd award was an international one for
the best website in private programs to control industrial machines.
My aim now, is to finish my Masters Degree in the field of control
and to employ a research group having their own goals in advances,
for example, to have a common goal that after 10 years we will have
a water purification system in the whole of the Arab World.
3. This video clip tells of another example of how strong determination
and willpower is linked to seeing and planning the details of how to
achieve your goal. It is about a man whose goal in life, since his
youth, had been to build a fort similar in design to a big castle, with
souvenirs for people to come and see, and to be a good source of
income. In art lessons at school he used to draw his plan on paper.
His teacher saw him drawing one then caned him, telling him to
have a realistic ambition. He promised himself that he would build
his fort. It is a similar story to that of Ahmad Moharam and Aliya,
and it is also the same as what the Prophet (SAWS) did. It has the
same principle, which never changes: in order to achieve your goal
in life, its planning must occupy all of your thought. Musas Castle
is now one of the biggest attractions in Lebanon. Even when he was
very poor, the man succeeded. He believed that if a person had a
strong determination, nothing could stop him from getting what he
wanted.
Therefore there are three ideas that must occupy our minds: the revival,
your goal in life (helping to create this revival) and paradise. The Prophet
(SAWS) taught us Duaa (supplicaiton) to recite three times a day. It is one
of the Duaa we should recite every morning and evening. This Duaa is
to keep you on track in your thinking, O Allah, I take refuge in you from
26

sorrow and anxiety, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the
burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.
This weeks plan:
It is the same as that of last week, which is to walk 42 km during one
week. That was a rehearsal. If you want to have stronger determination,
walk 42 km in one day only. I have tried it 5 times. On three occasions it
was during Hajj (pilgrimage) from Makkah to Mina, then from Mina to
Arafah, then from Arafah to Mozdalefa, then from Mozdalefa to Mina, and
back to Makkah. This whole distance is about 42 km. Why dont you try
it? Asma managed about the same distance while pregnant. Do it with the
intention to train your determination. Then say, Allah is my witness; I
have participated in Life Makers and in helping the revival of Islam.
Then send us a message on our website or phone us to tell us if you have
walked it all at once or over six or seven days. The important thing is to
tell us about what you did so that the number of people participating with
us can please us.
You can walk alone or with friends, in the heat or at night. It does not
matter, but what matters is that you make a schedule to follow, including
Dhikr (remembering Allah (SWT)), doing your Duaa, and that you are
consistent. Your ambition will occupy your mind, in addition to the
physical changes you will experience on your self. Older people and
women can walk this distance gradually such that one hour of walking 6
km per day over 7 days, will add up to 42 km. It may be difficult for
women and older men to achieve this distance in one attempt.
Children can also walk it with their friends or with their parents.
Physicians discovered that the best sport to build up strength is walking
long distances. We want thousands of people to walk and to send us a
message that they succeeded. We also have with us a very dear person to
me, to the Egyptian people and to the whole Arab world, Captain AbdulAziz Abdul-Shaferi here. Abdul-Aziz has something important to tell us
about strong determination and willpower.
He said that there are different components for success in any work. In a
sport or activity, physical, artistic and educational components determine
success. That is also besides individual talent. However these
components are worthless without those aspects that strengthen your
27

determination. Such aspects create the ability to endure, to be patient and

to control ones nerves when facing the crowd and intense competition.
The intense competition also creates a physical and emotional endurance.
Victory is always achieved after patience. Abdul-Aziz also believes that
faith is another very important aspect in achieving your ambition.
We have reached the end of todays episode. I hope that this weeks plan
will be achieved. Finally, I believe that we need an extraordinary amount
of effort and determination when we are in the process of creating the
beginning of an Islamic revival. I thank you very much. May Allahs
peace and blessings be upon you all .

[1] Sala-llahu Alahi Wa Salam = All Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon
him.
[2] TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for
the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an.
Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it
in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed

28

Episode 20: Dream of your Country 20 years from now

Part 1
In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, the Ever- Merciful; may the peace
and blessings of Allah be on the Prophet (SAWS[1]). We will continue
together with Sunaa al-Hayah (Life Makers) after finishing the first phase
which was about releasing the ties that hold us down and also overcoming
the obstacles. We tested ourselves and found out that we are in fact
capable of changing and working. Hence, we began the second phase and
we called it the revival. This phase is like a plane taking off. During
take off, a plane needs to use all its power and gain speed to be able to take
off. All of its engines need to be pushed to maximum power, burning large
amounts of fuel. It needs to accelerate over a long distance on the runway
in order to be able to take off. Seat belts need to be fastened, and all
passengers should be focused and excited for they are about to embark on
something of great magnitude. Consequently, taking off is in fact the
hardest part of flying.
We do not want an ordinary take off with little improvement from our
current state; we want the plane to soar at a high altitude. A plane from
Jeddah to New York does not fly at a mere 15 thousand feet but instead at
35 thousand feet. If the plane flies at a low altitude, it will run out of fuel
due to strong headwinds. Consequently, we do not want an ordinary
revival, we want a massive one which will ultimately require us to
sacrifice all we have and give it a strong push. This is a revival which we
should all live for and make our lifes dream. Our nation will be revived
and we will meet Allah, the Glorious, and tell Him Oh Allah, we were all
partners in this revival effort.
This is why we seek revival in all fields:
1. We want to get rid of the humiliation to move to prosperity.
2. We want to change from a weak economy and an increasing
unemployment rate to economic revival.
3. We want to change from weakness, cultural ignorance, and cultural
slavery to having our own culture and authority.
4. We want to change from decadent and tasteless art to refined art.
5. We want to move from having bad health and widespread disease to
strong mental and physical health.
29

This does not mean that everything we have is bad, for we have many
good things in our countries. We possess many traits which should be
preserved and developed. The revival we are striving for has a frame,
which is worshipping Allah (SWT). We are embarking on this revival for
the sake of Allah (SWT), the Glorious and Exalted. We are not on this road
for the sake of competing with other nations, our intention and loyalty is
solely to Allah, the Exalted.
Last week we started by discussing what we need the most; determination
and ways to develop it. The marathon project; training for two weeks with
the goal of walking 42 kilometers in one week (or more), originated from
recognizing the need to develop our determination.
What I would like to talk about the most, is the beautiful feedback I got
from people. We heard from thousands of people, who affirmed that the
marathon project was not just exhausting physical exercise, but proof that
we are ready to start working on the revival. If you visit the website, you
will be able to read more on the feedback we received, especially from the
youth, about how they felt while walking, the ideas that came to them, and
how much Dhikr (remembrance of Allah (SWT)) they performed. For
example:
1.
Sunaa al-Hayah youth from Menufeya in Egypt walked from
Shebeen El-Koum to Tanta.
2. Youth from Cairo walked from Haram Pyramids to Helwan.
3.
More youth from Cairo walked from Dar al-Ishara to the Cairo-Alex
desert road.
4. Yemeni youth from the Ikhla center for Quran memorization spent
two hours memorizing Quran after praying Fajr (dawn prayer) then they
walked for three hours reciting what they had memorized.
5. There were youth from Algeria, Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, Bahrain,
Morocco, Yemen, Emirates, England, France, Germany, Holland, and
Finland.
6.
In Algeria, a group selected 10 starting points where they all started
walking from, on a specific day, and they all met at one end-point.
7.
In Lebanon, a group of youth from Sahet al-Nour in Tripoli agreed
with another group from Sahet al-Shuhada in Beirut to start walking, until
they met at a predetermined destination, to get to know one another.
8.
Syrian youth wore a uniform with the motto Together We Make
Life printed on it after contacting a charitable organization to sponsor the
30

marathon. They started walking from Khaled Ibnul-Walid Street and

covered the whole 42 kilometers that day.
9. A group of young and elderly ladies covered the entire 42 kilometers
in one day.
10. In spite of the incredible heat in countries like Qatar and Bahrain,
young men and women joined the marathon project as well.
At the same time, I reproach those who did not walk and I ask them, didnt
we genuinely and seriously embark on this together? We want to carry out
a revival that requires ten times the effort expended in the last phase,
unusual effort, so why didnt you walk with us? This marathon is very
much like the story of Talut (Saul) and Jalut (Goliath), in Surat al-Baqara
in the Holy Quran where Allah says what can be translated as, He said,
Verily! Allah will try you by a river. So whoever drinks thereof, he is
not of me, and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except him who takes
(thereof) in the hollow of his handYet they drank thereof, all, except
a few of them. (TMQ, 2:249)[2]. The story tells us that this was a test
since they were very thirsty and it would be logical for them to drink,
however, the order from Allah (SWT) not to drink was a test of their
commitment and dedication. This is why, when they stood in front of Jalut
(Goliath), later in the same ayah, Allah says what can be translated as
them saying, They said, We have no power this day against Jalut
(Goliath) and his hosts. But those who knew with certainty that they
were going to meet Allah, said, How often a small group overcame a
mighty host by Allahs Leave? (TMQ, 2:249). This group did not
drink from the river, for their dedication was stronger and Allah (SWT)
made them victorious. Then, I tell those who did not join the marathon to
start walking; the project is not over yet since the new project
complements the marathon. I would like to read to those who did not
walk with us, as well as to those who did, this very touching message to
show them the true quality of this nation and how great our youth is.
Sarah Adel, a Palestinian sister sent me the following letter:
My brother in Allah, Amr Khaled, peace be upon you. I would like to tell
you, dear brother, that I was able to achieve the marathon by walking 42
kilometers all praise to Allah in about a day and a half but, brother, I did it
alone. I live in Palestine and there is not a stretch safe enough that would
cover 42 kilometers, due to the circumstances resulting from the
occupation and the insecurity we deal with daily. Even if there were, I
would be afraid to walk alone. Therefore, after watching the episode on
31

dedication and willpower, I decided that I must walk but where, at home,
and I am not sure if you will accept me doing it that way or not. However,
all praise to Allah, the house has a long hallway which I measured to be 15
meters, and I decided to walk this hallway while recording the number of
laps. In one day I did 2,100 laps.
It took me a long time to finish the marathon, as I walked at a rate of 4
kilometers an hour. The hardest parts were the first kilometer and the last
ten, where I was so exhausted I could barely feel my feet. However, I
continued to do Dhikr, and say Astghfar Allah (seeking forgiveness from
Allah), and supplicate, which ultimately led me to persist. This experience
was a physical exercise which led me to feel a glimpse of the pain the
companions of the Prophet (SAWS) used to feel. The pain is still there,
however, the joy of finishing the marathon for the sake of Allah (SWT)
made me forget it.
I completed the marathon and memorized the 99 beautiful names of Allah
(SWT) since I walked past and forth a painting on the wall with all the
names written on it. All praise be to Allah (SWT) for He helped me. While
walking, I got an idea of a poem in English which, Allah willing, I plan to
post on the website.
Dear brother in Allah, finally, I cannot describe how happy I am to have
achieved a higher spiritual level and contemplation; I even cried a lot at
night. I would say Subhan Allah wa Bihamdihi, Subhan Allah Al-Azeem
(In the name of Allah, Glory be to Him. Glory be to Allah, the Most
Great). At the end, I have a question for you, am I with you in the
marathon? Am I on the plane? Do you accept me with you or not?
I will not comment and tell you how great this girl is, but I cannot help but
tell her that the revival we seek will enable you to walk and we will
change the circumstances which prevented you from walking. I would
like to tell you that you are the first to board the plane with us.
Muhammad Ziad sent us a letter similar to Sarah's, where he says:
I had a leg injury and was ordered by the doctor not to walk and to use
only one leg and crutches. In two years, I have not been able to walk more
than 100 meters a day, and all praise to Allah, after the episode I walked
for an hour and a half daily using one leg and the crutches. I have walked
32

ten kilometers until now and plan to finish the 42 kilometers in two or
three days maximum. I ask you all to pray for me to meet this goal.
Follow these models; do you now see that the nation of Muhammad
(SAWS) is still full of goodness? Do you see the examples of these
amazing boys and girls of our nation? The words of the Prophet (SAWS)
remain so true, when he says, Goodness remains in me and in my nation
till the Day of Judgment. These role models serve as evidence that
willpower can evolve and develop.
Now, let us begin with our revival. Just like that? Yes, and we will be able
to do it, Allah (SWT) willing. How do we begin? I have really exhausted
myself thinking of the starting point. I have never worked so hard in my
life as I did in Sunaa al-Hayah; we are about to embark on a great project,
the revival of a nation. At first, I thought of dedicating a number of
projects to work on each week; like when we discussed unemployment,
then another project, etc. However, I discovered that this was a big
mistake, for this revival is not mine alone, but it belongs to all of us. The
motto of the program is Together we make life and this is not an empty
slogan, since we succeeded in the first phase mainly because we worked
together. The projects were a success because it was a team effort,
therefore, I, alone, cannot think about this revival since it belongs to all of
us; so let us think together of the shape our project should take.
When I thought of coming and speaking to you about doing prespecified
projects, I remembered the Prophet (SAWS) on the day of the Battle of
Badr when he paused and asked people for their opinions and advice. You,
Prophet of Allah (SAWS) would seek our advice! Abu-Bakr (RA), Omar
(RA), and others spoke their mind about what they think is in the best
interest of the Muslims. Then the Prophet (SAWS) asked them to sit down
because he wanted the opinion of al-Ansar (people of Madinah), for it was
their town and they need to get a chance to speak their mind as well. Saad
Ibn-Moaaz got up and said, Looks like you want our opinion O
Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (SAWS) told him Yes. Saad then said,
Go on, O Messenger of Allah, make peace and enemies with whoever
you wish, take from our money as much as you want and leave us
whatever you want. The Prophet (SAWS) then smiled with optimism.
Although he was the Prophet of Allah (SAWS) as well as the head of state,
he still waited for the opinions of people and respected them so that when
33

they join the Battle of Badr, they would really feel it to be their battle since
they were the decision makers.
Therefore, I realized that the project must be ours, for the revival will be
ours until we reach the goal and vision we want. Do you remember the
episode where we talked about dreams and how the beginning of every
success story starts with a dream that fills your heart and senses until you
are able to visualise it. Medically speaking, your subconscious does not
differentiate between reality and imagination. Hence, if you convince your
subconscious of an imaginary idea, it will become a reality waiting to be
fulfilled. If you wish to succeed, imagine that your idea is real; an actual
picture. The Prophet (SAWS) used to do this with his companions, when
he spoke to them on many occasions about paradise, to the point that they
made great sacrifices; which ultimately transported them from a generation
of sheep farmers to a generation that nurtured nations.
The project is to imagine how our countries will be like in 20 years time;
this is how the dream starts. How do you imagine Cairo to be in 20 years
time? How do you imagine Damascus? How do you imagine Baghdad?
How do you imagine Jerusalem, al-Doha, or Jeddah after 20 years? The
beginning of the revival is a dream that fills our hearts and encompasses
our feelings. We will write it down for it to become something concrete.
The problem with the revival is that if we just talk about it, it becomes
empty words that cannot be realized. We want to feel it by writing down
our ideas and dreams on paper; we want you to send them to us. We want
all your dreams boys, girls, scholars, businessmen, working women, and
children.
We all know our present situation. We are weak and divided. We do not
have any food. We are not capable of farming our own land and guarding
our countries. We import food and medicine. We have many problems.
We all know where we stand right now, but we want to find out where we
want to be, so let us dream of that situation. I want you to dream with me,
young people, of what you want your Ummah to be like after 20 years. Do
not ever question the possibility of fulfilling your dream! I am going to
give you realistic examples to show that every success in this life starts
with a dream.
1.
The Suez Canal: Would anyone have imagined connecting the Red
Sea to the Mediterranean? The distance between the two bodies of water is
34

about 101 km, so who, 150 years ago, would have believed that to be
possible. One person dreamt of that; he dreamt of cutting short the trip
around Africa. However, there was a financial problem, yet money would
be the last consideration. What is important is the dream and the idea. He
brought a map and studied it until the dream filled his conscious.
Certainly, people made fun of him when he proposed his idea of
connecting the two seas together. The idea of digging a canal that is 101
km was strange 150 years ago.
Egypt now benefits from the wealth generated by the Suez Canal because
of one persons dream, and Israel is now digging a canal from the Red Sea
to Gaza to replace the Suez Canal. They dream and we do not dream.
They started putting out bids, claiming that they want to eliminate the
tunnels that are used for arms trafficking. If that were the case, why is a
canal that has a width of 25 meters needed! If the reason were to eliminate
the trafficking of arms then the canal need only be one meter wide! The
dream is what motivates people and provides them with the energy to turn
it into a reality.
2.
The High Dam: The goal of the project of the High Dam was to
save water and increase the production threefold. The dream of the High
Dam filled the minds of the Egyptians, and resounded in the country's
folklore. They thought of borrowing money from the World Bank but
were declined because the benefit that Egypt would gain was enormous.
Then the result was nationalization of the Suez Canal. This caused the
tripartite attack on Egypt in 1956 (England, France and Israel), but the
Egyptians did not despair and they were ready to sacrifice the utmost to
fulfill their dream, because that dream became their dream.
Life is full of examples that start with dreams that fill peoples minds until
they are fulfilled.
3.
The Two Islamic Holy Sites (al-Haramain al-Sharefain): fifty years
ago they looked completely different from the way they look now.
Someone dreamt that one way to get people closer to Allah (SWT) is to
facilitate performing the rituals in the Holy Sites of Makkah and Madinah
and helping people enjoy the closeness to Allah (SWT). It would
strengthen the love of Allah (SWT) for the whole Ummah, but how was it
achieved? It was a dream and there is a huge difference between the way
these places looked before renovation and they way they look now.
35

4.
Downtown Beirut: After the civil war, this area was completely
destroyed and turned into a dump. Whoever owned a store in that area
would sell it for as low as one thousand dollars because the area was
useless. People started to look for other areas to rebuild, but someone
dreamt of rebuilding that particular area until it became completely
renovated. A store there is worth millions of dollars now.
5.
Education in China: The number of illiterate people in China was
in the millions. Then, some teacher wanted to change that situation. He
dreamt of eliminating illiteracy in China within two months because he
knew that there would not be any progress as long as the current situation
remained. He thought of an idea, and the dream filled his mind. He then
tested it on a small village; he gathered some students from school, and
asked each student to teach 20 people from that village during the summer
vacation. In return, they would be exempt from paying school fees for the
following school year. By the end of the summer, illiteracy was eliminated
in that village. The teacher then proposed this idea to the government, and
it was implemented throughout China. It became possible to eliminate
illiteracy during the two months of the summer vacation.
They were not the first to initiate this idea because the Messenger of Allah
(SAWS) did it before. He had the seventy prisoners of war from the Battle
of Badr each teach ten Muslims, as a price for their freedom. Most of the
Muslims in Madinah were illiterate, and we are the Ummah of Iqra (read),
so the Prophet (SAWS) eliminated the illiteracy of 700 companions in a
week. Among those was Zayd Ibn-Thabit, the Companion who compiled
the Quran later on.
6.
The World Cup: This great idea was initiated by a French lawyer
who wanted to unite people from different countries and strengthen their
relations, by gathering them together in one place. We should have been
the ones to come up with such an idea because Allah says what can be
translated as, O mankind! We have created you from a male and a
female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one
another. (TMQ, 49:13). His idea was a social one but the best way to
realize it was through sports. His goal was to gather people from around
the globe in a way that would unite the different cultures. He was a simple
lawyer with no money, yet he pursued his idea. He died and his idea is
still being implemented to our very day.
36

7. There was a Japanese man called Toyota whose father owned a small
store. Once, there was an exhibition for some huge American machines.
Toyota used to visit the exhibition everyday to look at these machines for
hours. The owner of the exposition noticed his presence. He asked him
how old he was, and he answered that he was 22 years old. He asked him
about his fathers job, and Toyota told him that they had a small
warehouse. Then, he asked him why he visited the exposition so often and
told him that if he stayed there for a hundred years, he would not learn a
thing because the Japanese would never be able to manufacture such
machinery.
Toyota was very upset and asked the man, How can you be Japanese and
think in that apathetic way? He then added, I promise you that in 20
years I will own the largest car manufacturing factory, and I will display
my cars in your exhibition. He started the Toyota Company, and in 10 to
15 years, Toyota's car sales exceeded those of the largest three car
manufacturing companies in the United States. The three companies
collectively manufactured 9 million cars a year and by the year 1990,
Toyota alone manufactured 11 million cars. The whole thing started with a
dream.
The revival starts with a dream that fills peoples very essence and
dominates their feelings until they are ready to sacrifice and die for its
sake. When a dream fills the minds of people, who are considered
negative and care only about their offspring, that dream becomes more
precious to them than their children.
The problem is that people think that it is not possible to make a change
and that there is no way that things can change, but when they discover
that the situation can actually transform, they respond. The United States
realized a far reaching dream by going to the moon. Imagine a person
dreaming of going to the moon. What will people call him? Crazy, of
course! They came up with this dream of going to the moon when they
realized that the American people were turning lazy after becoming
affluent. They came up with a dream that would absorb peoples energy.
What were their feelings after going to the moon?
8.
One day, there was a dream that did not cross anybodys mind. In
the house of al-Arqam Ibn Abu al-Arqam, there were only forty
Companions hiding in a small house, and they represented the whole
Muslim population on earth in the small city of Makkah, that is surrounded
37

by mountains. Allah revealed to them the ayah in which he says when can
be translated as, And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a
mercy for al-Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). (TMQ,
21:107). Imagine the feelings of the forty Companions at that moment.
How did Ammar Ibn Yasser and Bilal feel as they were being tortured in
the desert, when they heard the ayah telling them that they are the hope of
humanity? What were their feelings? That ayah was revealed in Makkah
at that time to draw their attention to the hope that they must strive for, to
motivate them to dream.
Send us your dreams, then. This may be on an individual basis, but there
is a better and more effective way: discuss your dreams in groups
composed of young people in the mosque, members of the same family or
neighbours living in the same building, etc. Let us bring forth our dreams.
We want to exploit our energies; we want participation from innovators,
talented people, and Muslims living abroad. We want all of you to send us
your dreams; whether you are Muslims or Christians. We want you to
participate. We will not accept the dreams without the participation of our
Christian brothers who live in our countries. We also look forward to
receiving responses from the Muslims who have immigrated to the West
and do not plan to return. Send us your dreams of England, France,
Germany, and other countries after 20 years. What is important is that we
dream together and come up with one collective dream.
There are two conditions for this dream:
1.
Do not dream about something that is not useful for the revival of
our countries like submarines that fly or streets in the air
2. We do not want very general ideas, such as: we want to see progress
in education; you need to give details.
What do you want the mosques to be like, and what are the numbers of
people you want to see there. What about the women's section, will its
size be the same or will it change? Do you want education to be free or
not, and if not, who will pay for it? What do you dream about tourism? Do
not say that tourism is rejected, because it is beneficial in that it represents
our countries, our civilizations, our religion and to the whole world. What
form should it take? Think.
If you cannot dream, listen to the story of the horse:
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There was a man who owned an old horse he used to depend on for all his
work. The horse became old in its final days. One of these days, the horse
fell into a well. Its owner tried to pull the horse out of the well for a whole
day, but failed after several trials. He started to lose hope because the
machines that are used to pull the horse out were more expensive than the
price of the old horse. The man decided, despite his love for the horse, to
gather the people from his village and throw dirt on the horse to bury him
and spare him the torture because he was surely destined to die.
The villagers started throwing the dirt while the horse screamed and cried.
It caused the man great pain to hear his horse screaming, so he asked his
neighbours to throw the dirt from a distance because he did not want to see
his horse dying. After a while, they couldnt hear the horse. The man
thought that the horse had died from the trauma. He looked down at the
horse and found that whenever people threw dirt on his back, he shook his
back for it to fall under its feet helping it raise itself. This made their hope
rise, and they continued throwing the dirt until the horse was able to get
out of the well.
Lots of dirt has been thrown on us. Crying is futile. We should stop
crying. Let us get up and do something about it. It is not possible that the
horse will have better wisdom than you, son of Adam (AS), who Allah
(SWT) made the angels prostrate to, to honor your intellect. Todays
episode is the central point of the second stage. We have to do something;
we are all partners. The governments cannot be responsible for
everything, we have to do some work; you are capable of bringing forth
great ideas. Remember, Allah (SWT) told the Prophet (SAWS) what can
be translated as, You will enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with
mind secure, heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear. (TMQ,
48:27). He told the Muslims that at a time when it was hard for them to
believe it, but Allah (SWT) has promised them something and gave them a
complete dream. He talked about the minute details of how their hair
would look like, and Allahs promise was realized.
Another example is Allah saying what can be translated as, When there
comes the help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies)
and the conquest (of Makkah). And you see that the people enter
Allahs religion (Islam) in crowds. (TMQ, 110:1-2). The words and
you see made the Muslims at that time feel as if they were witnessing the
event.
39

Some people can say that these are the promises of Allah (SWT) to his
Prophet (SAWS), but who can say that our dreams will be fulfilled? We
also have promises that the revival of the Muslims will be achieved, and
what an honor for us if this revival were achieved through us. Allah says
what can be translated as, Allah has promised those among you who
believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them
succession to (the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those
before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice
their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will
surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided)
they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in
worship) with Me. (TMQ, 24:55).
Then this is not a dream, but a reality. That is why, when I tell you to
dream about your country after 20 years, it is a reality and not a dream,
because Allah (SWT) promised, and it is up to us to dream and work. We
have to purify our intentions for the sake of Allah (SWT), and not destroy
any land or become anybodys enemy. Our goal is to spread mercy. Allah
says what can be translated as, And We have sent you (O Muhammad)
not but as a mercy for al-Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
(TMQ, 21:107). Our goal is to receive the reward of this revival. Make
you role model, Amr Ibnul-Jamuh. He was lame, but he did not want to
miss an opportunity to participate with the Muslims. He told the
Messenger of Allah (SAWS), Let me go to the battle with you, I want to
enter paradise with this injured leg.
We hope that businessmen and university professors will participate with
us to come up with one dream and, by Allahs will, we will succeed. We
have a great hope in succeeding. Do all that you can and we will await
your responses to announce our revival together. We will see you next
week. Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you all .

Episode 21: Dream of your Country Part 2

40

In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful and peace and
blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (SAWS[1]). Our episode today
is a continuation of the last episode. We want to achieve a revival for
Muslims. We have already reached rock bottom and things cannot get any
worse. Usually when the curve reaches a trough, the hope that it will rise
again increases and the darkest moment of the night is usually right before
dawn, so let us paint the picture and visualize it in our minds. The more
we imagine it, the more it dominates our feelings, and the more we will be
ready to sacrifice for it. Furthermore, our dream will be more precious to
us than our own souls. This is not something new; it is something that is
well known because all the revivals that took place followed this pattern.
The whole thing starts with a dream that keeps growing in the minds and
imagination of the people. They portray it in their paintings, teach it to
their kids and depict it in their poetry and novels. That dream starts to
mature; they begin to see it in their newspapers and in the gatherings with
their families and friends. It grows more and more until it dominates their
feelings as well as their body cells until they find it hard to live without
accomplishing it. They accomplish it, with the help of Allah (SWT),
proving these Quranic ayahs (verses) to be true in which Allah (SWT)
says what can be translated as, Verily, never will Allah change the
condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own
souls)." (TMQ, 8:53)[2].
Now that we know where we stand, and what our current status is, we
want to define the goals we wish to reach. We do not want to define vague
goals; we do not want to just say, We wish to achieve a revival. Rather
we want to start putting the outline of the revival on paper; this is our
project. Some of you already started to send faxes and e-mails last week,
in addition to the phone calls. We are still hoping that the number of
participants would increase enormously. It is your own project, so we
need you all to participate in it. It is a national project. It is the dream of
our country.
We want experts, university professors, women, youth and Muslims who
live in the West to participate in this project. Not only do we want
Muslims to participate, but also Christian men and women, and young
people of both sexes. We do not want individual efforts, start on your own
initially then engage in brainstorming sessions. Everything starts with a
dream in the mind of someone who manages to make people share that
41

dream with them; so what of the dream that we will all put together? It will
be our own dream and it will dominate our souls and bodies. I will give
you some examples so that you may ascertain that what I say is true; the
following examples are from history and real life:
1.

Malaysia:

Malaysia was a very poor country. Garbage and sewage were spreading
all over its capital Kuala Lumpur. You would not have wished to visit it
20 years ago. Now, it is more magnificent than the European capitals.
This is all due to a man who dreamt of how he would like his country to
be after 20 years. Suddenly, and in no more than 10 years, the average
income per capita in Malaysia increased from $300 to $8000! Industrial
exports rose from $3 billion to reach $80 billion. Go and see for yourself.
Invest your money in Malaysia and you will find government employees
doing their best to fulfill your needs; even if the service you request was
not available in their department, they will ask you to wait until they call
for an employee from another department who can offer you that service.
2.
Dubai:
Twenty years ago Dubai was just a desert, until somebody dreamt of
turning it into the greatest commercial center in the entire Middle East
region. The dream became true and Jabal Ali attained an extraordinary
significance. It is enough to know that it houses the main stores belonging
to all the famous Japanese companies such as Sony, as well as many more;
it was all just a man's dream.
3.
The European Union:
Europe went through two World wars, where 10 of its 25 countries
(originally) took part in these wars. Casualties reached 10 million and 15
million people were injured. They actually destroyed one another's
countries, until someone dreamt of establishing one united Europe. Who
would have believed that Europe which caused all this damage would
become united and use the same currency. A train passes through 25
European countries without boarders separating them. Their people have
the freedom to travel now; they enjoy an open market where 350 people
can exchange goods and ideas with liberty. They have one parliament and
one constitution.
4.

Al-Jazeera Channel:
42

Who would have imagined that an Arabic news channel would compete
with CNN! It was somebody's dream that came true. People do not
believe that dreams can come true at some point and this is why they just
regard them as unlikely or improbable, until someone insists on turning his
dream into a reality. All great projects were originally just dreams; the
Suez Canal, the High Dam and the al-Jazeera channel. They all started
with a dream.
5.
Bahrain and the Formula 1 Car Race:
Bahrain wanted to organize a grand sports championship, so they looked at
the most famous championships in the world. They dreamt of organizing
one of these championships. They found that the Olympiad and the World
Cup, which are the world's two largest championships to be far beyond
their reach, so they thought of the third largest championship, the Formula
One.
Then, the desert was transformed into a marvellous racetrack, to the extent
that the Bahrain's Formula One championship proved to be better than that
organized in Europe and America! The time used to extinguish fires in cars
in the American races used to be 20-25 seconds whereas in Bahrain it was
reduced to only 12 seconds. Thus, they were able to break the record, and
acquire the concession for organizing this rally for the coming 10 years.
They succeeded in drawing the world's attention to their capabilities.
We want to imagine how our countries should become after 20 years; it is
never impossible, as Allah says what can be translated as, "Allah has
promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds,
that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land." (TMQ, 24:55). Do
not ever give up. Furthermore, the Hadith Qudsi clearly states, I am near
to the expectations of My servant, so let him expect from me his hearts
desires. We always consider this Hadith in the light of paradise, hell and
the hereafter, and our expectation of Allah (SWT) is that He would let us
rest in paradise and have mercy on us. This is true but this Hadith also
applies to our worldly lives; how do you think of Allah (SWT) concerning
worldly matters? You should also expect Him to support you, honour you
and grant you success. In the following part, we will discuss Allah's
promises to His Prophet (SAWS), which were all granted, and how the
companions suggested ideas, worked on achieving them and finally made
them become real. Allah (SWT) has given His Messenger (SAWS)
promises, not only dreams; they were promises that proved to be true.
43

Examples of Allah's promises to the Prophet (SAWS):

1. One day Hatem Ibn-Addei, who was a prominent figure in his
community, went to the Prophet (SAWS). The Prophet (SAWS)
invited him to convert to Islam but he refused saying that he already
believed in a religion and that he did not need to convert. The
Prophet (SAWS) told him, I know what keeps you from converting
to Islam, Addei; you think we are weak and poor. Addei said,
Yes. The Prophet (SAWS) then asked him, Do you know Hiyrah
(one of the greatest kingdoms of the Persian Empire at that time),
Addei? He replied, Yes I have heard of it, but I have never visited
it. The Prophet (SAWS) said, I swear to Allah, Addei, that
Muslims will conquer Hiyrah and that women will be able to head
for Makkah to perform Tawaf (circumambulation of the Kaba)
fearing nothing but Allah. At that time the road was not safe, as
battles were taking place all along the road. It was only logical that
Addei did not believe a word of this, but he said, I looked him in
the eye and I felt that he was honest. The Prophet (SAWS) then
went on saying, I swear to Allah that the Chosroes' treasures will be
delivered to us right here in this place, and I swear to Allah that we
will have an immense fortune so that no Muslim will be left needy
(i.e. there will be no poor Muslims at all). Addei then said, His
vigor in saying that made me convert to Islam. Later on, the Prophet
(SAWS) died, Muslims conquered Hiyrah and I saw women heading
to Makkah for Tawaf round the Kaba fearing nothing but Allah. I
also saw Chosroes treasures at the mimbar (pulpit) of Allah's
Messenger, and now I am waiting for the third promise to take place;
that we will have plenty of money and that there will be no more
poor Muslims. I have not seen that, yet I know for sure that it will
happen because the Prophet said so.
2. The Prophet (SAWS) informed his nation of a dream that would take
many years to be fulfilled; it was a dream and a promise at the same
time. He told them about the dream, while he and the companions
were still in Madinah, before starting the Islamic conquests. He
informed them, Constantinople (Byzantine) will be conquered.
What a perfect man its leader will be and what a great army its army
will be. After the Prophet (SAWS) died, every Muslim kept
dreaming of being that leader, until Mehmet II, the Conqueror
44

(Muhammad al-Fateh) did it. The Prophet (SAWS) did not only
mention Constantinople but he also mentioned the conquest of
Rome. This conquest is not necessarily a military one; it may be
achieved by spreading Islam and by letting people see how great this
religion is. Now we know the conqueror of Constantinople and I
wonder if we represent the second generation that will conquer
Rome. Are you looking forward to this conquest with the same
spirit as the preceding generations were looking forward to
conquering Constantinople?
3. The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said that the Arabian Peninsula
once was a green land where rivers used to run and its green nature
will once again be restored! We know the Arabian Peninsula to be
just a desert, so when we hear that, we say that there must be a
miracle on the way! Why cant we be that miracle?! Why cant we
invent something to restore its green state before the United States
and Europe do it?
Why can't we dream of fulfilling the promise of the Messenger of Allah
(SAWS) just like Muhammad al-Fateh and his army? These are not
fantasies; these are things that we can accomplish. Just dream as much as
you want and send us your dreams; let your dreams cover all the walks of
life. Actually those who should be dreaming more than anyone else are
you, the youth, for two reasons:
1. Your ability to imagine exceeds that of older people. You are still
fresh; you are just starting your working lives. You have not yet
encountered obstacles that hinder your way, so you can dream as
much as you like. Do not claim that this is the responsibility of
older people and intellectuals.
2. Since we are successive generations, someone who is 40 years old
now may not live to see what will happen after 20 years, but you, the
youth, will most probably see the outcome of your work and what
your countries will become like after 20 years.
If you are reluctant to dream, someone else will dream for you; note that
the accomplishments that took place over the last 100 years in our
countries were not our dreams. They were the dreams of strangers; the
Suez Canal was the dream of a foreigner named Ferdinand De Lesseps and
45

the High Dam was the dream of a Greek. Is it logical that foreigners
dream for our countries and exert efforts to turn these dreams into reality
on our behalf, while we are reluctant to dream for our future claiming that
our reality is miserable?
Never be embarrassed by your dreams. The Prophet (SAWS) used to adopt
his companions thoughts, which seemed imaginary and impossible to
achieve. Take the Battle of the Trench, for instance. In that very battle, an
army of 10,000 soldiers was on its way to fight against Muslims in
Madinah. The number of armed Muslims back then was no more than
3,000 people. That situation required a novel dream and an innovative
idea, so Salman (RA), the Persian, suggested that they should dig a trench.
To Arabs back then, a trench was a strange notion. Besides, the enemy
would be in Madinah in a fortnight and the terrain in Madinah was rocky.
You know, nowadays, the problem with us is that we never attempt to
think of or do anything that we know nothing about. As for the Prophet
(SAWS), he seriously reflected on the matter. Madinah is surrounded by
mountains from all sides except the northern entrance, which measures
about 4.5 kilometers wide. Once that entrance is turned into a trench, the
enemy would never be able to enter the city. Thus, the Prophet (SAWS)
decided to have the trench dug. He even said, Salman is a member of my
family. What Salman did was so great that the Muhajreen and the Ansar
(Migrants and Supporters) each started to chant, Salman is one of us! He
had a dream, which actually saved Madinah, so they dug the trench; it was
five meters deep and six meters wide. Two and a half thousand people
kept digging the trench, for fifteen consecutive days; every ten dug 18
meters. Every person had to carry about a thousand sacks of sand to
complete the trench.
The irony is that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia once asked a British
company to build a ring road around Madinah. The company surveyed
and studied the area. Afterwards, they apologized to the Kingdom. The
reason they claimed was that the terrain was too rocky for the companys
equipment, and the cost would be too high. Whereas the Prophet (SAWS)
and his companions successfully did the job with pickaxes; they did not
even need any sophisticated equipment. They had the will and the dream
to do it. Their dream was not the trench; rather it was to sayssafeguard
their faith. This very dream was so great and sublime. Allah what can be
translated as, And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a
46

mercy for the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists. (TMQ,
21:107). The trench was nothing but a step towards realising that dream.
We conducted a study in Bahrain. The subjects were 700 young men and
women. We asked them to think, and so they formed separate work
groups of men and women. We asked them to visualize their country in
the next twenty years. You would never believe that the session lasted for
three hours and the result was 120 pages filled with those young peoples
dreams about their country. Allow me to read out some of those dreams:
1. Recycling garbage.
2. Finding alternatives for oil fuels before the West does.
3. Transforming humidity to drinking water and deserts to meadows
with the use of artificial rain.
4. To have a Muslim scientist who would solve the problem of the
ozone hole.
5. Bahrain would become the land of the 1,000 palm trees again.
6. Traveling amongst Arab countries would be without visas or any
other types of restriction.
7. Founding a unified Arab Market to compete with international
markets.
8. A Bahraini football club that would be Real Madrids rival.
9. Asian maids and nannies roles would diminish, and the role of the
mothers would be revived.
10. Building special schools and a university for the gifted and creative
people of the Arab world, in order to make use of their talents.
11.
Building the biggest Arabic library ever in Bahrain; this would
introduce Muslim intellectuals and Islamic thoughts to the whole
world.
12.
The number of those who attend the dawn prayer would be
equal to that of the Friday prayer.
13.
Building a bridge between Bahrain and Qatar.
14.
Replacing the Asian employees with Arabs.
15.
Building a prestigious village for the physically handicapped.
16.
Building a sports city for women.
17.
Raising the flag of Bahrain and a flag which reads La Ilaha
Ila Allah (there is no deity worthy of worship other than Allah
(SWT)), on the moon, in the same way that other countries did.

47

18.
There were some humorous ideas concerning religious piety,
such as making special eyeglasses to avert ones evil glances, and a
special lipstick to prevent women from backbiting.
All these dreams came from individuals who were less than 23 years old.
You have no idea what a single dream can do! The outcome could be
beyond your imagination; it would be a wondrous turning point in our
capabilities. Let us look at the following examples:
1. Imagine the tremendous change in Omar Ibnul-Khattabs character.
He used to make his own god out of dates, which he would eat once
he got hungry. He once buried his own daughter alive. However, he
changed once he realized that he had a goal and a Divine promise to
achieve; he wanted to turn his country into the greatest of all
countries.
Let me give you an example to see the extent of this total transformation
in Omars character. Hudhaifa Ibnul-Yaman was the only one the Prophet
(SAWS) could confide to about the future and that there will be turmoil and
strife that will occur after the Prophets death. The Prophet (SAWS) also
told him when this would occur. One day Omar (RA) asked Hudhaifa, O,
Hudhaifa, tell me about the strife. Hudhaifas reply was, What have you
got to do with strife, Amir (King) of the Believers. Between you and
strife, there is a bolted door that will never open until you die. Omar
(RA) asked, Is it going to open or break? It will break, Hudhaifa
replied. Since it will break, is it impossible for it to get back in place,
said Omar (RA) filled with grief. People were so astonished to hear that
conversation, so they asked Omar (RA) about what went on. Do you
know whom the door that protects Islam from strife symbolizes? Omar
(RA) asked them. They replied, Who? The door symbolizes Omar;
once Omar is dead, strife against Muslims would erupt, replied Omar
(RA). Can you imagine a sole human being to be the door that defends
Muslims from strife?
2. Ali Ibn-Abu-Taleb (RA) was 20 years old when he was asked to
sleep in the Prophets bed. Getting killed was a possibility, but when
asked how he slept that night, he said that it was the quietest night he
had ever had. Why was that? He had a big dream to achieve.
3. Muslims were beleaguered in Bani Taleb's Mountain for three years.
They had nothing to eat but leaves. Even their excreta was like
48

those of cattle and camels, yet none of them ever complained or told
the Prophet (SAWS), Enough is enough, I cannot go on like this, I
might bear all this but my children cannot, for they knew that their
dream would come true.
4. The plight of the family of Yasser: despite the fact that Yasser was
being choked to death, Sumaiyya was stabbed with a spear; Ammar
was being burned and skinned to death. The three of them were
steadfast thanks to a phrase told by the Prophet (SAWS), Have
patience family of Yasser, you are promised paradise. They were
also motivated by the fact that Muslims needed a revival that would
bring the whole nation back on its feet.
When one is obsessed with their dream, that dream becomes stronger than
anything else, whether it be money, ones children, ones home, soul, or
life. This is what we lack, this is what Muslims lack. Let me show you
how a dream can instigate man to do unusual things.
Let us look at what the Muslims did, for example, in al-Yamama
battle: the army of Musailamah, the Imposter, and Bani Hanifa was much
stronger than that of the Muslims, which was led by Khaled Ibnul-Walid.
Muslims were about to be defeated; a large number of them were killed.
Khaled Ibnul-Walid had nothing else to do other than what we are doing
now. He just reminded Muslims of their dream and vigorously said, O
people, this day is one of Allahs days, where there is no room for pride
and boast. Having a plan in mind, he added, O people, today you may
bring glory to Islam, otherwise, we have nothing else but disgrace. It
shows that he was reminding them. Then, he told them to form distinct
lines (i.e., they would form separate lines for Migrants, Supporters, those
who knew Surat al-Baqara by heart, those who knew Surat al-Imran by
heart, and those who knew the whole Quran by heart, and so on), in order
to discover who would bring glory to Islam.
Muslims started to call out to one another, O Supporters, O Migrants,
O people of Surat al-Baqara, O people of Surat al-Imran, O people
of the Quran, and so on. The army was relocated in order to distinguish
those who would bring glory to Islam and who would not. His unusual wit
uplifted peoples morale; what he did was create a dream and drive them
towards it. The reason why I am telling you this is to show you how a
49

word or a thought could turn defeated people to a power that creates

miracles.
On that day, Ammar Ibn Yaser stood with his ear dangling from his head
saying, O people of the Quran, embellish the Quran with your deeds.
All those who knew the Quran by heart gathered around him. About 300
or 500 of those who knew the Quran by heart were killed. Hundreds of
thousands of Bani Hanifa, who thought they were victorious, hid in an
orchard. al-Baraa Ibn-Malik told Muslims to carry him on their spears and
throw him into the orchard so that he could open the door to the orchard.
They told him not to do it for he would not make it, By Allah, I would do
it to tell the Prophet that Im the one who did it, was Ammars answer.
They went ahead; they put him on an armour shield, raised the shield with
their spears, and threw him into the orchard. He had sixty wounds all over
his body, yet he managed to open the door, and did not die that day.
Another example is that of unemployment:
The World Bank report says that by 2013, the unemployment rate in the
Arab World would reach 20 million. Basically, in order to solve this
problem, there must be a dream. There are ideas and dreams such as the
Suez Canal, the High Dam, and Dubai which has employed millions of
people. Once we have a dream, all the problems that we consider huge
would diminish. Still, you must have three characteristics in order to keep
pace with us in Life Makers, they are:
1. Willpower
2. Sacrifice
3. Patience
Do you want to be just like Othman Ibn-Affan, who donated 100 camels
with their saddles when the Prophet (SAWS) was raising funds for the
army? The Prophet (SAWS) thanked him then asked, Who would
donate? Othman replied, I would give 200 camels with their saddles,
and then he said, I would give 300 camels with their saddles. The
Prophet (SAWS) then said, Nothing will ever harm Othman after this good
deed, no matter what he does. All we need is to sacrifice our money,
time, and effort. We need to exert ten times more effort than that we have
exerted throughout the past phase. Before his death, the Prophet (SAWS)
used to do the Sunnah prayers while he was sitting down. When he was
asked why he was doing that, he said, Due to the efforts, I have exerted
50

with people. The Prophet (SAWS) was so tired and exhausted after a
period of 23 years.
Dreams do not imply that the path will be rosy. We have to have patience,
sacrifice and willpower. Are you really looking forward for a revival, or
do you want to live in the bottom of the pit forever? If the latter is what
you want, then just stay where you are. However, if you are serious and
sincere, then work with us, and fill us in on your dreams, and never
exclude anything that you might think will not work, just unleash your
imagination.
We are looking forward to your thoughts and visions this week. Next
week, we shall tackle the details of your dreams; we shall do so for the
next couple of weeks, until we reach the final form and start working. We
are waiting for thousands of thoughts and suggestions from young men
and women, businessmen, ladies, and children. Peace be upon you all .

Episode 22: Our Dreams for Agriculture and Scientific

Research

51

In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, the Ever- Merciful. Peace and
blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (SAWS[1]).
We are continuing with our program Life Makers and we are still calling
for a complete revival for our countries. This has been our target since
the very beginning, not only for the past two episodes. All the projects
that we have managed to accomplish since the first phase (collecting
clothes, Guardians of the Future, combating smoking and narcotics, the
marathon, etc) were nothing but a warm-up to prove that we can, indeed,
achieve a revival.
The word revival is, of course, an enormous word, but it is by all means
attainable. We do not want to put vague targets by saying that we want a
revival and nothing else. Instead, we want to ask ourselves, What exactly
is this revival? We asked you to send us your dreams about our nations
after 20 years. We asked you to provide tangible dreams so that we can
realize them; we know where we are at the present time.
I have promising news. We asked our viewers from all age categories,
only ten days ago, to send us their dreams and the result was that 30,000
persons sent us their dreams. The total number of ideas they posted were
250,000. We received ideas for all domains: scientific research,
agriculture, self-sufficiency in crops, tourism, ideas regarding women's
affairs etc. Altogether, we received about a quarter of a million ideas in
ten days. I am not just telling you this to make you feel happy, but to
make you feel serious about what we are doing. We have a dream and we
want to make it a reality.
The total number of faxes we received was 2,350 in ten days. The total
number of phone calls we received was 4,200. The total number of people
who used the website (www.amrkhaled.net) to post their dreams was
19,500 and the result was the following:

The total number of suggestions that came via fax was 6,000. We
had to change the ink cartridge for the fax twice per day.
We received 140,000 ideas over the phone.
We received 215,000 ideas over the internet.
The number of countries that participated with us was incredible; 35
countries in all.
52

What was really interesting was that we received six faxes from Japan.
We received faxes from Turkmenistan, Malaysia (we received some ideas
about the Malay experience). We received ideas from Ukraine, Romania,
Mauritania, Somalia, Spain, USA and the UK. I am telling you about all
these countries to prove to you that this is indeed serious and that we will
achieve our revival, Allah (SWT) willing.
Among the surprises was that some youth from different universities and
faculties gathered to formulate their dreams and ideas, despite their
summer vacations. They are youth from various universities, including:
Cairo University, Ain Shams University, Alexandria University, Kafr alSheikh University and Qena University. They come from various
faculties: Faculty of Medicine, Commerce, Veterinary College, etc. We
also received suggestions from the Sunaa al-Hayah Youth who worked
together to formulate their dreams. They are groups of youth in different
countries and cities that have gathered together and gave themselves that
name. Nowadays, I find such groups in all sorts of countries and
governorates, wherever I go.
Among the very pleasant things, right before airing this episode was that I
met a group of youths from Tripoli who were here in Lebanon. They gave
me a huge pile of papers with their dreams written on them. Another
wonderful thing, which I really wish to get more of, is these two pages
which I received from a group of Christian youths. They say that they
want to participate in the revival. This project is not only for Muslims but
for our whole countries. This is exactly what I have been calling for, if
you remember. They have sent us their dreams and their names are
Louisa, Tubair, Juwail, Sandy, Maria, Mary, Emile and Antonio. Among
the magnificent things I found were very unique signatures on the faxes
and the posts made at the forum, for example:

This dream is from my husband, my brothers and my children.

A husband and a wife who love Islam.
The friends; Heba, Noha and Safa, gathered for the sake of Allah
and the revival of the Muslims.

Many officials also sent us their dreams:

1. The Head of the Court of Appeal in Egypt, Consultant Saad Abu-alFotouh Shalaby, sent us some great ideas, including a
53

comprehensive vision of the whole judiciary system in Egypt in 20

years time.
2. A comprehensive visualization of tourism in 20 years time was sent.
3. A group of Syrian women sent us their visualizations about
architecture in their country after 20 years and they attached a large
file with their dreams, and detailed blueprints of the buildings.
Have hope, we are formulating dreams that will penetrate deeply into our
souls and make us do things far beyond our imagination. Unsurpassed
powers will be released and we will succeed for sure. Our determination
will be so clear in our eyes, which will be filled with challenge and
persistence. If you look into the eyes of some people you will find nothing
but despair, loss and hopelessness. On the other hand, if you look into the
eyes of some youth you will see a challenge and determination to succeed.
You will see their seriousness, while their heads are held up high and their
postures are straight. I have seen that in your letters and I just wanted to
convey that feeling to all of you. There are many examples of your ideas:
1. Ideas from businessmen.
2. Ideas from immigrants. Among them was Dr. Bassem Fouad elGhalayini from Australia who has a PhD in Innovation and how to
make others be Innovative. He contacted us offering his assistance
in helping the youth to be innovative.
3. Ideas from football players in the Moroccan and Egyptian teams.
They asked to remain anonymous, but they sent us their dreams
about how they want football and sports to become in their countries
after 20 years.
4. Ideas and inventions from a large group of inventors. Among them
was Professor Beshir Mahmoud (who received the Honorary award
in scientific research), who sent us a comprehensive visualization for
developing scientific research in our countries.
5. Some have sent us their dreams in a very theatrical and dramatic
form. They wrote their dreams very nicely in the form of drama,
poetry and prose.
6. Children:
Shiha Ibrahim from Yemen said that she dreams of having no factories
within the borders of the inhabited cities of Yemen.
Amr Ashraf Tag said that he wants Egypt to stop importing wheat within
20 years.
54

 Mashary Mansour al-Zahrany (sixth grade student from Jeddah) said that
she wishes to see the whole Muslim world free of smokers.
Marwan Sheikhal-Ard (11 years, from Sudan) said that all this relatives
have Malaria and that he wishes Malaria would disappear completely from
Sudan.
Khadijah Hisham Abu-Ali (6 years) sent us her dream written with her
own hands saying, I wish that Jerusalem would be liberated, and that hairbands and children's toys would be made perfectly. I wish that children's
TV programs would be useful. My name is Khadijah Hisham Abu-Ali; I
am six and a half years old.
One of the things that really touched me to the point of tears was a nineyear old Lebanese boy who came to me right before I came. He said that
he could not send his dream by fax or over the internet so he wrote it on a
piece of paper and brought it to me. I asked him what his dream was and
he said, I would like us to build an Arab-made car, whose model would
be named Sunaa al-Hayah.
As long as these things are happening, then there is definitely hope for a
true revival. I wont ask you to execute a particular project, but I ask you
to come up with a dream. It will be our own dream and we must all share
it together. That is why we will extend the deadline for receiving your
dreams for another week, so that everyone can send them. We want a total
of half a million dreams, or even a million.
The dream will start penetrating our very being and the more we envision
it, the more we would not be able to live without it. That way we will
succeed, and that way the words of Allah (SWT) shall be realised in us as
He say what can be translated as, "Verily, never will Allah change the
condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own
souls)." (TMQ, 8:53)[2].
This is because we will have a target so big, that it will overcome any
hurdles. It starts small, in the form of an individual dream, and then it
spreads and becomes the dream of 10 individuals, and still it spreads to
become the dream of a quarter of a million, and so on and so forth. The
dream becomes more precious than our worldly possessions and much
stronger to overcome all the obstacles; I will give you some examples to
prove this:
Gandhi and India:
55

India was a very poor country and a colony of England. It was fully under
the thumb of England and the people were extremely weak and poor, yet,
one Indian man had a dream and that man made his dream come true. He
was Mahatma Gandhi, who succeeded in conveying his dream to all his
countrymen; Muslims and non-Muslims alike. They were moved by the
dream and they started doing things far beyond their imagination. Gandhi
himself was a young lawyer who had just graduated from Cambridge. He
used to talk very theoretically and always dress very elegantly wearing a
suit, but then the lawyer started changing. He started dressing like the
poor, as if his trip from Cambridge back home had totally transformed
him.
The dream started penetrating his mind. He convinced his people to burn
any imported clothes they had and to start weaving their own clothes using
Indian weavers. He insisted that they should produce their own clothing
and food. Then they decided to start the salt march; a 240 km walk to the
sea, to encourage Indians to extract their own salt. The whole nation of
India followed him in the march to prove how serious they were. Salt was
only a small symbol, yet it meant that the dream had captivated the
people. Let us look at a few examples from our Islamic history:
Abu Hamid al-Ghazaly
All people think that Salah ed-Deen al-Ayoubi was the one who started the
dream, but the dream began with Abu Hamid al-Ghazaly, the author of
Ehia' 'Ulum ed-Deen (Reviving the Teachings of Our Religion). This
man travelled throughout the Islamic world for 20 years. He researched
problems and how to solve them, asking people for their opinions and
writing down his observations. Eventually he arrived to the conclusion
that he had to instil a new methodology. His enormous dream was to
revive the religion and its teachings again. Not only did he write about the
branch of worship in his book but he wrote the means of being successful
at work and trusting in Allah (SWT) as well; that you should lay your trust
fully in Allah (SWT) and that He will always help you.Then al-Ghazaly
started to adopt the method and he set up schools to establish new
generations who believed in this methodology as a way of developing
thought. When al-Ghazaly died, next in the line was Abdul-Qader alGilani, who was a scholar of al-Ghazaly's school of thought and of his
revival of religious teachings. Nour ed-Deen Mahmoud, the master and
56

teacher of Salah ed-Deen, was again a scholar of one of Abdul-Qader alGilani's schools. Thus a whole generation was brought up believing in the
idea of reviving the nation.
Let us hear the famous story of Salah ed-Deen. It is about the Prophetic
Hadith that was narrated with a smile (meaning that the Prophet (SAWS)
narrated it and then smiled. Consequently, everyone narrating it would
smile right after). This tradition had been going on since the days of the
companions until the days of Nour Ed-Deen Mahmoud who narrated the
Hadith to Salah ed-Deen and then smiled. During Salah ed-Deen's time,
an idea possessed people's minds and people totally embraced al-Ghazaly's
methodology. Thus, when Salah ed-Deen narrated the hadith to his
friends, he did not smile. When asked why he did not smile he said his
famous words, How could I smile while the 'Aqsa Mosque is under
siege. I would be ashamed if Allah saw me smiling while my brothers
there are facing what they are facing.
This is because the dream possessed him, in the same way it did
Muhammad al-Fateh (Muhammad the Conqueror). He insisted on
becoming the one about whom the Prophet (SAWS) said, Verily,
Constantinople shall be conquered. Its commander shall be the best
commander ever and his army shall be the best army ever. That is why
Muhammad al-Fateh stopped the whole army before conquering
Constantinople and ordered them to invoke peace and blessings on the
Prophet (SAWS), reminding the army of the Prophet's words.
Thus, please continue to send us your dreams. In order to show you how
serious we are, I have chosen two out of the twenty three fields we have on
the website to tell you about today. I want to read to you the dreams we
have received for these two fields, in order to raise your hopes. I would
like to show you how people are thinking and telling us about their dreams
so enthusiastically.
First field: Food and Agriculture
Many people wrote about this field. Although this issue is far away from
many people's minds, I have received a large pile of thoughts, ideas, and
dreams concerning this field. I have summarised these thoughts into one
sentence. Our dream is: to become totally self-sufficient in food
production, within 20 years. This dream has been sent by university
doctors, house wives, and even children. They all want to achieve selfsufficiency in many areas and they all agreed on three points:
57

1. Self-sufficiency in wheat production.

2. Self-sufficiency in the production of food oils, of which we import
billions of pounds worth. Egypt alone, imports food oils costing one
billion dollars every year. From Malaysia, we import oil worth 600
million dollars.
3. Self-sufficiency in meat, chicken and fish production.
We import wheat in huge quantities; in fact, all the Arab countries import it
except for Saudi Arabia. Has anyone begun to imagine our dream? Let us
take it further.

Let us imagine that the youth will go out to reclaim the desert. This
would mean that we will be able to feed ourselves, not after 20
years, but within five years only. The problem of unemployment
will come to an end because the youth will work in reclaiming the
desert. Coffee shops and bars will become empty because the
youths have no time to waste, for they will be working on reclaiming
the desert, cultivating wheat and oil plants.

Imagine driving on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road where, all

along the road, wheat is cultivated. I am not dreaming. I am
serious, and these are your words not mine. Imagine having the
largest water desalination plant for purifying underground reserves
of water and sea water. Imagine travelling to Africa to solve their
problems for free and that our food surpluses are being sent to
disaster-stricken areas.

Imagine what had happened during the days of Omar Ibn-AbdulAziz happened again within 20 years. When the alms money was
gathered in his days, Omar ordered the money to be distributed
amongst the poor. His men returned to him saying that they found
no more poor people because the harvest was so successful. He
ordered his men to pay off people's debts, but they replied saying
that they found no one in debt. Omar told them to prepare the army;
they replied that the army was already fully prepared and equipped,
so he ordered them to pay off the debts of the Christians and the
Jews of the country, so they did and there was no one else who owed
any debts. Then he told them to buy wheat, corn and other seeds,
with the rest of the money, and to scatter them on the mountain tops
so that birds could feed from the Muslims wealth.
58

Imagine that there are Prophetic Hadiths written everywhere,

Whosoever revives a land, then it is his, and another Hadith, If
the Day of Judgment arrives, and in the hand of one of you is a palm
shoot that he can plant, then he should plant it, and the Hadith
which says, The son of Adam wont eat better than the food he
worked for. Imagine reading this Holy ayah everywhere in your
country, in which Allah says what can be translated as, "So let them
worship (Allah) the Lord of this House (the Kaba in Makkah),
(He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe
from fear." (TMQ, 106:3-4).

Imagine that the traffic jams in our streets began at 4 a.m. because
people went to work right after praying Fajr.

Imagine tourists noticing that the people in our countries were

smiling all the time and that sadness and frowning had disappeared
from their faces because they had found the happiness that comes
from production and success; raising people's heads high. Imagine,
imagine, imagine.

These things I have mentioned to you are not fantasies. Put them in your
minds and always put them before your eyes. Visualize all these things
alive in front of your eyes and look at them. Look at the green streets, the
productive youth, the negligible number of spinsters, triviality which has
disappeared, the video clips which encourage only production, and to
everything around you that urges you to cultivate your country.
There are many other ideas sent by people that I have not mentioned in
detail. There is a girl who sent a dream about clearing the Western desert
of landmines, so that the areas called The Devil's Areas (because of the
excessiveness of landmines within them) can be turned into green land.
Other professors sent us their expectations concerning the development of
manures and fertilizers, using the trapped mud behind the High Dam to
reduce the percentage of desert areas, and planting a palm tree in front of
every house. All these dreams are described in detail on our web site.
I have noticed a question in people's eyes. They are wondering how we
are going to achieve all that. We are sure we can make it; don't ask about
how we will make it now, we are concentrating on what we are going to do
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and afterwards we will deal with how we will do it. Everything we have
said is possible and is not hard to achieve. Malaysia and India have
achieved it, and Saudi Arabia has become self-sufficient in wheat
production. When we have will power and exert sufficient effort, our
governments will help us and we will succeed if Allah (SWT) wills.
Second field: Scientific Research
It was a real surprise to find hundreds or perhaps thousands of
contributions in such a field. The budget set for scientific research in our
countries is 0.4% while in Israel it is 15% so what we have reached so far
is a predictable result. A large number of youth sent us their thoughts and
dreams concerning scientific research with the aim of achieving selfsufficiency in food production. Imagine that we are the world's leaders in
the fields of solar energy and desalination. Europe, America and the West
in general have little solar energy but we have huge amounts of it; if we
developed the scientific research in that field, we could end up with great
results.
Among your suggestions is the establishment of the biggest laser research
centre, proposed by students of Dr. Zuweil. Another one is establishing
the biggest geological centre with the goal of finding out if our lands are
fit for agriculture and whether water is available in them or not; to be built
by the students of Dr. Farouk al-Baz. Dr. al-Baz is the scientist who
specified the location of the space vehicle landing sites on the moon's
surface and the types of rocks astronauts should bring back from the moon.
Among the youth's dreams is imagining an American scientist being proud
to have graduated from one of our countries' universities, after 20 years.
Imagine a headline in a Russian newspaper saying that one thousand
Russian scientists are celebrating their admission to one of the solar energy
research centres in Egypt. Imagine Baghdad becoming the centre of
scientific research in the world, like it used to be.
Imagine that we are able to save Africa from famine and drought with our
scientific research. Imagine that in every governorate there is a centre for
scientific research supplying the governorate with its needs in all fields.
Imagine hundreds of scientists living abroad, like Dr. Ahmad Zuweil and
Farouk al-Baz and others returning to join the research centres in our
countries.
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In Baghdad and Cairo, Muslims used to sit together and think. This was
also the way the scientific research in our countries used to advance
hundreds of years ago. This method is now known in the West as
brainstorming. Unfortunately, it is no longer known in our countries.
Brainstorming means that many people sit together, and they think until
they come up with an idea. We will help you to come up with many ideas
through brainstorming. Here are the steps:
Firstly: What is the definition of brainstorming? It consists of a number
of people trying to find innovative ideas that they could not reach if every
one of them sat alone.
Steps: A person should be nominated to be responsible for managing the
session. A group consisting of 8 to 12 people should gather. A
comfortable informal place should be chosen, and it should not have any
children or distractions (telephones, cellular phones etc), in order to be
suitable for concentrating. Three things should be available: a large white
board, a copy book, and different coloured pens (or a cassette for recording
if there is no one to write); this helps in developing ideas.
A few requests: Beware of refusing any idea no matter how simple or
weird it may be. Build new ideas on existing ones. Try to collect as many
ideas as possible no matter how unimportant they are; just collect the ideas
and do not feel ashamed of any of them. Write down all the ideas on the
white board so that everyone can see them.
This method is used everywhere in the world and we need to follow it
here. I ask university professors to gather for the sake of our future and
our countries and apply the brainstorming method, especially for
developing ideas for the sake of our countries. We need to attain our goal
of a million ideas.
I want to remind you of two points before we finish. The twenty three
fields lack two very important points:
1.
Women; how developed do you want women to be in 20 years? What
is the woman's position going to be like? Will the rate of illiteracy remain
the largest in our Arabic communities as it is currently or will their literacy
rate increase? Will they be granted the right to have an equal share of jobs
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in the field of business or will the unemployment rate among the women
who want to work remain the same? Many have done women wrong and
claimed that Islamic law preaches that. It is impossible for Islamic law to
be unjust to women, so who is going to review the Qur'an and Sunnah
teachings concerning what is said about women, because after 20 years we
will not accept unfair treatment towards women while Islam is being
falsely blamed for it.
2.
The common people's dreams; all the dreams sent to us represent the
people who have internet, satellite channels and television, but where are
the simple people's dreams who only wish for clean water and clothes for
their children? There were no dreams of that kind among the dreams we
received. This cannot be right because our dream is not a dream for a
certain social level but it is everybody's dream. We need the dreams of
simple people, please ask the doormen, workers in factories, and domestic
help persons about their dreams after 20 years and send them to us.
In the end, the internet is very important. You must learn how to use the
internet because the internet is the future. Women, as well, have to learn
it. I feel very happy when I receive calls from women who tell me that
they have learned how to use the internet so that they can join in with the
life makers.
I have almost finished but I would like to say something to you: there will
be no success without sacrifices and without people who live and make
sacrifices to make their ideas come true. Did you now know how dreams
possessed the companions like Sohaib who gave all his money to Quraysh
when he was leaving for Madinah so that they would let him go? He made
the decision in a moment because Madinah was much more important in
his eyes than all his worldly possessions.
We will make our dream come true and become self sufficient. Send us
your dreams and we will succeed Allah (SWT) willing. I am very happy
with this week's results and I am very optimistic, thank you and see you
next week. Peace and blessings be upon you all .

Episode 23: Our Dreams for Education and our Countries'

Interrelations

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The last three episodes were the most crucial episodes in the 'Life Makers'
program. Everything we have achieved in this program was for the sake of
the last three episodes. In each episode we were asking ourselves, Are
we really serious? Can we do so and so? The outcome was the
participation of thousands of viewers. I am not going to talk about the first
stage, but in brief, almost everybody watched it on TV, and if not, they
certainly did see it on the streets.
Today, with extreme hope and seriousness, I would like to announce that
the number of ideas received, has exceeded half a million. The majority
were sent through the Internet on our website (ww.amrkhaled.net) and the
rest were received by fax, telephone and by mail. Everybody had a chance
to participate. During the previous episode, we introduced the idea of
brainstorming. Muslims in the past were the first to invent and
implement this idea. Brainstorming consists of a group of people who
meet and converse together, resulting in the creation of endless numbers of
ideas. It seems that the idea of brainstorming is the reason behind the
addition of 250,000 new ideas since last week.
We received many ideas outlining scientific research in our countries after
twenty years, and many university professors participated: Dr. Aisha
Abdel-Aziz from Bahrain University, Dr. Nader Nada from the American
University in Dubai, Dr. Anwar Abdel-Sattar from al-Nahrein University
in Iraq, Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Qawy Zahran, Professor of Botany who has
sent a comprehensive blueprint on how we could cultivate the desert, and
Dr. Suad Moneim, Professor of Medicine in Assiut.
We now have a huge number of ideas for our countries that we did not
have before. Again, it seems that the idea of brainstorming gave these
results. I have outlined in the previous episode that we also need the
common people's dreams; we received a number of their simple yet
important dreams. They want to drink clean water, and for their sons to
have the chance to be educated. In addition, many women requested a
new interpretation of many parts of the Qur'an and Sunnah, because these
texts are wrongly interpreted by many people and the result is injustice
towards women. Surely, Islam is far from being unjust to women.
I can see that there is great hope in this nation, whose hearts are beating
with anticipation for the next project. Let us listen to the great ayah
(verse) in which Allah says what can be translated as, "And never give up
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hope of Allahs Mercy." (TMQ, 12:87)[1]. We should not despair and

think that there is no hope, for we have many promises and reassurances
from Allah (SWT). He is with us; He will be Benevolent to us, and our
Prophet (SAWS[2]) promised us that too. Our mission is to seek the rise of
our country and to revive it to change it for the better. In the following
ayah, Allah clearly emphasizes that by saying what can be translated as,
Two men of those who feared (Allah and) on whom Allah had
bestowed His Grace (they were Yusha and Kalab) said, Assault them
through the gate; for when you are in, victory will be yours. (TMQ,
5:23). It is as if Allah (SWT) is telling us to act and take the first step.
Then Allah (SWT) continues in saying what can be translated as, And
put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed. (TMQ, 5:23).
Why do we always think that Tawakul (placing complete trust and faith in
Allah (SWT)) is only relevant with regards to sustenance or disasters?
What about Tawakul in the revival of our country? Tawakul means that we
have to exert our best efforts then put our trust in Allah (SWT). If we do
so, we will surely have fruitful results. We need to transform the
individual concept of Tawakul in our personal life to a wider concept that
applies to our country. If we put our trust in Allah (SWT), He will grant
our country power, glory and honour; we just have to believe that Allah
(SWT) is capable of doing this. If you look at the following ayah in the
Noble Qur'an where Allah says what can be translated as, Allah (Alone)
is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us),"
(TMQ, 3:173), you will discover that it was used for the sake of Islam as a
nation and never for an individual. The Prophet (SAWS) recited that same
ayah. It was also said by Ibrahim (AS) (Abraham) when he was thrown
into the fire. It was again said by Musa (AS) (Moses). Allah (SWT) says
what can be translated as (Musas companions telling him), "We are sure
to be overtaken." (TMQ, 26:61). Allah (SWT) saved him along with his
people. It was also said by Muhammad's companions. Allah says what
can be translated as, "Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against
you (a great army), therefore, fear them. But it (only) increased them
in faith, and they said, Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the
Best Disposer of affairs (for us)." (TMQ, 3:173). Allah also says what
can be translated as, "So they returned with Grace and Bounty from
Allah. No harm touched them." (TMQ, 3:174). Let us also listen to
these ayahs in which Allah says what can be translated as, "Truly, Allah
defends those who believe," (TMQ, 22:38) and "Allah has promised
those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He
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will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the

land." (TMQ, 24:55). That is our religion. Great things will happen to us
if we start taking steps. The first steps that have to be taken are to show
our trust and confidence in Allah (SWT). The dominion of earth belongs to
Allah (SWT), and if He permits, this revival will be realized overnight.
Take Uzair's (AS) (Ezra) story in the Noble Qur'an as an example. Allah
says what can be translated as, "Or like the one who passed by a town
while it had tumbled over its roofs." (TMQ, 2:259). The buildings of
that town had collapsed and its people were in a state of despair. Allah
says what can be translated as, "He said, Oh! How will Allah ever bring
it to life after its death? So Allah caused him to die for a hundred
years, then raised him up (again)." (TMQ, 2:259). Allah (SWT) caused
him to die for a hundred years, and during this period Allah (SWT)
permitted the people of that village to revive themselves and rebuild it.
The ayah ended with Allah saying what can be translated as, "I know
(now) that Allah is Able to do all things" (TMQ, 2:259). Let us have a
look at some of Allah's miracles:

The knife that did not slaughter Ismail (AS) (Ishmael).

The fire that was cool and safe for Ibrahim (AS).
The whale whose belly Yunus (AS) (Jonah) remained in but did not
eat him.
The desert that turned into a sea for Nuh (AS) (Noah).

All these happened for the sake of His righteous slaves who put their trust
in Him. Glory be to Allah (SWT) who has power over all things. I would
like to show you that trust in Allah (SWT) should be implanted in us, and
that Allah (SWT) will be Benevolent to us. Before we start on the details
of this stage, I believe that the revival we are seeking needs more
discussion. The people who sent us their dreams have to be sure about that
point and have to be convinced that Allah (SWT) is with us and will be
Benevolent to us. Moreover, I would like to draw your attention to an
important point that has a pleasant meaning. If we looked back throughout
the history of humanity, we will find that Allah (SWT) never wasted the
effort of anyone who did righteous deeds, no matter what his religion or
belief was, and he who exerts the best efforts will be rewarded for them.
Take Germany as an example. In twenty years, the Germans made their
revival happen. Can you imagine how the Germans were before and after
the revival? I want you to feel the sweet taste of revival. I wish that when
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you watch me and hear me brothers and sisters, you can realize that if the
dream controls people's minds, it will definitely come true; that is the rule.
In the previous episode, I talked about our dreams in two fields:
agriculture and scientific research. In twenty years, we will depend upon
ourselves, we will produce our own food (cultivating wheat and producing
vegetable oils), and we will not depend on others. The people who sent us
their dreams are visualizing those dreams:

Our countries will turn into green lands

The Arabian Peninsula, as our Prophet (SAWS) said, will return to its
green nature once again.

There are palms all over the desert roads; in front of each house in all
our countries there is one palm from which we eat dates.

We will take the lead in scientific research (as previously mentioned,

we have the solar energy) and we will teach the world our sciences.

Who will be the equivalent of Muhammad al-Fateh (the Conqueror

of Constantinople) who will make the desert green?
We now understand why the companions used to sacrifice everything;
because their dream was al-Madinah al-Munawara. The price was to
abandon all their property, but their dream was much greater than anything
else. Thus, the dream of going to al-Madinah al-Munawara came true and
then came children, property and so on, because of the preciousness of
their dream. Do we remember the harm that happened to them? Do we
remember Somaya and what Abu-Jahl did to her? Do we remember
Khabbab Ibnul-Art when he was explaining how the Kuffar (disbelievers)
tortured him? They made him lay on his back and ignited coals under him
until they glowed, and that glow did not go out until the cells on his back
had melted. Despite all that torture, he did not give up. Do we remember
what happened to Sohaib? Then listen to the following ayah in which
Allah says what can be translated as, "And We have sent you (O
Muhammad: not but as a mercy for al-Alamin (mankind, jinn and all
that exists)." (TMQ, 21:107). Despite all the difficulties Muslims faced,
they succeeded. At first they were in al-Arqam house in the small city of
Makkah and they were full of fear, and the Noble Qur'an revealed to them
that they represented mercy for all mankind. However, look at them on
the day of the Fath (conquest) of Makkah, when the Prophet (SAWS),
along with ten thousand Muslims, recited the following ayah loudly in
which Allah says what can be translated as, "Verily, We have given you
66

(O Muhammad a manifest victory. That Allah may forgive you your

sins of the past and the future, and complete His Favour on you, and
guide you on the Straight Path." (TMQ, 48:1-2). They continued
reciting until the ayah in which Allah says what can be translated as,
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with
him" (TMQ, 48:29). Then they all entered Makkah with him (all ten
thousand Muslims), and Bilal, who was once beaten in that city, climbed to
the top of the Ka'ba and called out loudly, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is
the Greatest. Can you imagine their feeling and their happiness after their
dream had come true?
I would like to tell you about a strange article I read once in al-Ahram (an
Egyptian newspaper) five years ago, which was about the previous
Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, who felt that his country was facing a
crippling problem. He came up with an idea for his nation, Whoever
comes up with a national dream that can fill the hearts of the whole
Russian people will win a prize. This piece of news meant that Russia
had no dream in the first place and also that this man understood quite well
that having a national dream was the only way for the success of his
country.
Today, we have two more fields, whose purpose is to spread hope. These
dreams are based on your suggestions, so let us discuss them and
afterwards I will explain to you what you have to do to turn these
suggestions into reality.
The First field: Education
We received a huge number of suggestions from headmasters, teachers,
social workers, secretaries, psychiatrists, house wives, students, teachers
who give private lessons, and university professors, all of which are on the
website. I will try to give you a summary of these suggestions; the main
target for doing so is to let you visualize these dreams before your eyes.
Those who sent the suggestions decided that our main dream is for
Education in the Arab world to be the best education in the 21st century.
If we look at the opinions sent by youth, men and women, our first
impression is that they have already finalized that curriculum. The
following are some of these ideas:

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1.
Erasing, in one year only, all illiteracy from the Nation of Iqra'
(Read) (the Muslim nation who was ordered to read in the first Quranic
ayah revealed). The suggestions supporting this idea were sent by over a
hundred people. They suggested organizing a public awareness campaign
for youth, so that all our students in high schools and universities would
use the summer vacation to teach illiterate persons in villages and hamlets.
Also, they did not forget the difficulties of implementing such project, so
they suggested creating training courses for youth on television in order to
teach them how to do so. The success of this project is possible; it only
requires finding premises for that purpose. However, there is one problem,
how can we convince illiterates that they should learn? The solution is to
fine them if they refuse to learn after six months; that suggestion came
from a young man of 17, who said that he got this idea by imitating
Muhammad (SAWS) who eliminated the illiteracy of 700 Companions
within a month. The Companion Zayd Ibn-Thabet, who collected the
Noble Qur'an, was one of them. The problem is that many people believe
that Islam means only praying and fasting. Would you believe that the
illiteracy rate in our countries has reached almost 60%?
2.
Many people suggested that education should be based on the use
of the mind and research, not by memorizing. The student should actively
search for the information instead of being spoon-fed it; this is the best
way to use the mind. Instead of using our minds as a storage place for
information, we will have active minds that think. Education then will be
based on searching for the required information. Students will be taught
that there are many solutions for each problem and not only one, and they
will learn that they have many alternatives to questions.
3.
Among the great suggestions we received, was the idea of using
sciences in practical life. Every student should have the right to refuse to
learn, even a single word, without being told its relation to practical life
and the benefits that can be gained from it.
This is a serious matter, and if we achieve this plan then, inshallah (Allah
(SWT) willing), the dream of education in the Arab world becoming the
best in the 21st century will come true. Relating science to the real world
is not enough for us, and this is what will set us apart, for we will provide
unconventional education. Relating science to Allah (SWT), the Almighty,
is the key. In Physics, for instance, why not mention the Creator of this
formidable universal system, atoms, measurements, metals, and relativity?
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Is not the Creator Allah (SWT), the Exalted? This way we rest assured that
our children will be level-headed, especially in their teenage years, since
everything they learn in school will be linked back to Allah (SWT), the
Exalted. The knowledge in their minds will hence be connected to the
belief and knowledge of Allah (SWT) in their hearts. Even at home,
mothers will teach their children to learn about Allah (SWT). Science will
also be related to the heritage of the Muslims, but how?

On the first page of an Algebra book, you will find that the founder
of this great science is the great Muslim scholar al-Khawarizmi. He
compiled it out of his love for Islam and the Muslims.

On the first page of any Sociology book taught in the University, you
will find that the founder of this science is none other than the great
Muslim scholar Ibn-Khaldun, who based his theories on the Glorious
Quran.

On the first page of any book in Medicine, you will find a picture of
the statues in Paris of Ibn-Sina (Avicenna) and ar-Razy; who
together delivered this science to Paris and the entire West.

Among the many wonderful suggestions we received, was one by a group

of youth who suggested having a weekly show to teach us the best way to
think: planning for the future, deciding on a goal for our lives, introducing
new inventions, planting new ideas for our families, neighbours, schools,
and homelands. They also suggested that contributing in these episodes
can earn students credit at their respective schools.
Among the suggestions was one requesting artists and people with creative
minds to visit students in art and music classes to provide them with
support and to discover their hidden talents. Also, athletic recruiters
should visit schools and hold tournaments; that way they can pick out
talented athletes at an early age. Do you think we can predict the results of
this?

Within 20 years, and at the 2025 Olympics, we will be rewarded the

most golden medals.

There will be an internationally acclaimed Muslim painter; whose

school were able to discover his talent and develop it. This is exactly what
happens in the West.
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Students will study at the college of their choice based on their skills
and talents. Only then will they succeed and the unemployment dilemma
will be solved.
Another suggestion is to have training sessions or work experience in
schools and universities. Chemistry students head for the laboratory, while
medical students head for the hospitals, and engineering students to
workshops and companies. On the job, training will be a vital part of the
education process. Also, every school is to have a product which they will
specialise in; a school in a desert area for example will research products
relating to wells and mineral water drilling and extraction. This way, our
children will learn ways to make different products in their schools,
leading to self-sufficiency. Students must also be able to relate to
technology, to use computers on a regular basis, and to have the latest
technology and equipment at their schools. Education must serve the
current local market, so that the learning is about the fields which the local
area or country need the most. Universities and education going in one
direction, while real life needs going in another is the greatest problem of
our current educational system.
Another suggestion is to make elementary and preparatory education
mandatory and free, while imposing fees for secondary education; except
for talented and exceptional students. This plan will lead people to turn to
skills and jobs that our countries need. That way, only a small percentage
will go to universities, which will lead to exceptional and talented
graduates; inventors, scientists, and architects for example. Also, jobs like
those of a mechanic, blacksmith, and carpenter will regain their lost
respect from society for they will help build and maintain it after all. The
number of students enrolled in universities will then decrease which will
lead to a rise in the quality of education, ultimately leading to a better
society.
The highest salaries will then be those of teachers and college professors,
therefore a better and higher quality education will evolve. Teachers will
no longer need to give private lessons and tutoring, and college professors
will be free to conduct their classes and scientific research. Students will
respect their teachers, and winning a Nobel Prize will be the dream of
many of our children, which they will all compete for.

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We will read in American papers that the United States of America wishes
to catch up with the educational development by following the example of
the educational system in the Arab world, since all the Nobel Prize winners
are students of that system. These words and suggestions are not mine,
they are all yours. None of this will come true without people who are
willing to sacrifice, and to work hard. Sitting at home and saying we need
this and that will not help either. From now on, we must all agree to
contribute whole-heartedly to this dream.
I will give you an example of the importance of contributing to a common
dream by everyone in that society. Our beloved Prophet (SAWS) promised
the Muslims that they would conquer Persia, but how was this promise
realised 20 years after the death of the Prophet (SAWS)? Sa'ad Ibn AbuWaqqas called on the Muslims to spend and work together for the victory
of their beliefs since the promise of the Prophet (SAWS) was due to come
true. Everyone started to donate their money; women took off their
jewellery, and one woman who had nothing to donate decided that she had
to contribute regardless, so she cut off her braid and gave it to Sa'ad. The
woman asked Sa'ad to swear that he will use her braid as a rein for his
horse so that she will feel that she has contributed to the effort. Sa'ad
could not help but weep at her request and dedication, and so he went to
battle and met a young boy who insisted on accompanying him. At first
Sa'ad refused due to the boys young age, however, the boy told Sa'ad that
this was between him and Allah (SWT), and that Sa'ad should not interfere
with his intention and effort. Sa'ad then agreed after he looked at the boy
and saw a strong, dedicated young man.
During the battle, the young boy turned to Sa'ad and asked him about a
strange dream he had the night before. The boy dreamt that he was
walking on a road and in a garden, with homes and castles on his right and
left and beautiful rivers around him unlike those of the earth. Sa'ad then
said, I believe this to be the Jannah (Paradise) and this means that you
will die a martyr. The boys asked Sa'ad if he wished for anything from
him and Sa'ad said, Yes, send my greetings to the Prophet and tell him
that Sa'ad says May Allah reward you greatly on our behalf for what you
have promised us has indeed come true. The boy then asked Sa'ad to
send his greetings to his mother, and upon asking, Sa'ad was told that the
boys mother was the woman who donated her braid.

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Another example is that of Honda, an internationally known company.

Would you believe that the owner of this company dreamt only of
presenting his idea to the Toyota Company? He quit his job and worked
solely on his invention, and when he went to Toyota to submit it, he was
dismissed. He did not give up; he sold his wifes jewellery to build the car
he designed and then went with his prototype to another company and was
again refused. However, he did not give up. He collected more money
then built his own automobile manufacturing plant. During World War II,
his plant was bombed, but he rebuilt it, then it was bombed again, then he
built it all over again. An earthquake destroyed the plant yet again, but he
did not give up despite the destruction of his plant three times, and he
rebuilt the plant. After this, and as the proud owner of a successful
company, he stood at the first celebration after the companys great
success and said, Our dreams deserve that we fight and sacrifice for them
with all that we have, and that is the secret behind my success.
The second field: International Relations amongst our Countries
The following are very touching dreams of many young boys and girls.

To have an Arab alliance of all the Arab countries; for we have one
common language, religion, heritage, land, and history. The
European nations were able to do this while their backgrounds,
religions, and languages are different. The European nations united
in spite of the many wars that took place between them in the past,
which we fortunately never experienced. We dream of having an
Arab alliance in twenty years with all of the Arab nations
participating and united, Muslims and Christians alike.
A young man sent us a letter wondering how we do not notice that
Allah (SWT), the Exalted has distributed natural and human
resources throughout our countries, so that we feel the need for one
another. Egyptians have massive human resources and many great
and creative intellectuals. The Gulf area has many merchants and a
great financial power. Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine have
the knowledge. These are merely a few examples of the strengths of
some of our countries. The ayahs are many which support this
argument. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, "And
hold steadfast to the rope of Allah (TMQ, 3:103). The Prophet
(SAWS) once said, "A believer (and his relationship) to another
believer is like a structure holding each other up. Another Hadith
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reads, The believers in their compassion, support, and kindness of

one another are like a (single) body.
We dream of solving the dilemma in Palestine, and that one day we
will be able to pray in al-Aqsa Mosque. We dream that Muslims
will be able to travel to al-Aqsa Mosque just like they travel to alHaram Mosque and the Mosque of the Prophet (SAWS).
We dream of removing borders and boundaries between our nations,
and to need no visa to travel freely between them.
We dream of a massive transportation system with efficient and well
planned roads to facilitate travelling through our nations.
We dream of a railway system connecting the Arab world, from the
Gulf area through Baghdad, Palestine, Egypt, and all the way to
Tunisia.
We dream of one common Arab currency.
We dream of a television station which looks into the affairs of our
nations.
We dream of a football team that wins the World Cup.
We dream of a united Arab defence force.
We dream of communicating and living with other nations and
cultures and to be respected by the entire world.
We dream to have the right to VETO in the Security Council, which
we will only use for just causes.

All of your dreams which you sent to us are on the website. We all dream
that when we meet Allah (SWT) we will be able to say that we contributed
to this dream. To contribute to our dream, please go to the website and
vote. I believe that we have started something unique and special with this
movement. Therefore, I urge everyone to go to the website and vote for
the sake of this dream; we will not ask you to dream after today. I want
the number of voters to exceed a million. Even simple people we know,
let us ask them what they want, get together and write down our dreams.
We want a million votes via the Internet, phones, or even mail. Encourage
people you know; we want ten times the effort. We hope that the
generation after us will come and benefit greatly from this revival. The
companions of the Prophet (SAWS) planted the seeds from which we reap
the rewards now. Therefore, it is our turn to plant the seeds for the next
generation. Peace and blessings be upon you all.

Episode 24: The Importance of Voting for the Dreams

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Where do we now stand in the Life Makers program? It is important to

pause and recall what we have done and where we are at this point in time.
Our program started six months ago; what was its idea? What have we
achieved within this period? Its idea is simply that we want to launch a
revival of our countries. Can we do it or is it none of our business? Do we
know how to start this revival? We always stress, on this program, that if
the people want to start a revival and they feel it within their hearts, it will
come true. Thus, Life Makers is a beginning; it is saying that we can
make it through teamwork and everyones participation. We also say to
those who claim that it is no use, that as long as the youth, boys and girls,
are ready to present sacrifices for the sake of the revival of their countries,
success will come, Allah willing. This is the idea of Life Makers.
The question is: how will this revival come? It will come through
transforming the energy of faith in our hearts into work and action. This is
the primary idea Life Makers is based upon. Boys, girls, men, and
women, old and young, all of them; their hearts are full of faith and love
for Allah (SWT); their aim is to please Allah the Almighty. They have
perceived the meaning of Islam. Islam is not only about praying and
fasting, it is also about success in life. They also realised that their
countries are in the most difficult of times. Thus, it is a call to everyone:
what is stopping us from transforming this energy of faith in our hearts
into action for the sake of this revival? After all, our intention is to please
Allah.
The first phase took four months. We always had a question in our minds:
are we fit to achieve this revival or are we lazy and idle? Therefore, we did
a number of things; for instance, we cast off the restraints that threatened
to hinder that revival. We hoped for a number of youth to work with us.
Surprisingly, hundreds of thousands moved with us. That renewed the
hope that we have a valid concept and that we are able to act; the proof lies
in the success achieved so far.
Then, we moved on to the present phase. I thought of stipulating a
particular work plan, but I decided it would be a huge mistake. Every one
of us must participate in laying down the plan for this revival and what its
results will be. That is why we called everyone to dream about how our
countries will be like after twenty years. They were only dreams. We
presented twenty-three fields, for example, agriculture, industry, tourism,
religion, woman, economy, our countries mutual relations. These are the
74

fields that matter to us in our countries. We asked you to write down your
dreams in each of these fields. We have received half a million dreams up
until now. It has been a splendid surprise that has given us renewed
confidence and immense hope.
I recently met with an important industry specialist in the Arab world. He
visited the website and saw the ideas sent by the people in the field of
industry. He said a strange thing: that we have a treasure non-existent in
the Arab world. Then, he asked who the owners of these ideas were. I
told him that they belonged to boys, girls and ordinary people. It seemed
that a great number of people who sent the ideas had never had the chance
to convey them. When we asked them to dream about the revival of their
countries, they found the chance to let their ideas loose. Hence, we have a
treasure.
In the last episode, I asked for the dreams of the simple people. The team
of Life Makers in Jordan went to less developed areas, talked to the
people, and collected their dreams, which was a great surprise. I thank
them for their efforts. Furthermore, in Canada there have been very
encouraging developments. The Life Makers team there divided and
distributed the twenty-three fields between the commissions of the Islamic
Council in Canada, because they saw it as the duty of the Muslims in
Canada towards their nation. Then, they formed working groups whose
purpose is to specialize in producing ideas. On top of this, they did
something even greater; they went to the Canadian government and asked
them to help the Islamic Council in Canada to realize these dreams. They
also asked the Canadian Government how they might be able to achieve
these ideas in Canada and what the Canadian government can do to help
our countries, in the Middle East and the Arab region to put these ideas
into practice. Now, they are planning to build a university in Canada
called Life Makers University. They want to annex this university to our
project and to coordinate with us. Furthermore, they agreed with a local
Canadian TV channel to broadcast the translated episodes of the Life
Makers program. Indeed, they have already broadcast the first two
episodes of the program.
Finally, there is Dar al-Tarjama (the House of Translation). It is an
organization consisting of 230 men and women who are translating the
Life Makers episodes every week into seven different languages:
English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Indonesian and Russian. Each
75

week the translations are published on the website, in order to make them
available to anyone who wants them. They may be distributed all over the
world in order to spread the ideas of the program. They also say that if
anyone comes to an agreement with a local TV channel in the West to
broadcast the episodes in the language of that country, they will have it
ready within twenty-four hours.
All these positive actions show signs of hope, asserting the fact that we do
possess a treasure. This treasure has a second perspective; it is an
unexpected surprise even for me. I was amazed to receive a huge file on
the site containing the dreams of Muslims in India. There are about two
million Muslims in India. Twenty-five representatives met and sent us
their suggestions and visions in four fields: education, economy, the media
and the position of women in India.
Now, it is clear that we do indeed have an invaluable treasure; and this is
where we have stopped. We told you that half a million ideas have
reached us in twenty-three fields and we agreed to discuss one or two
fields every episode. After each episode, we would upload the ideas and
thoughts relating to these fields that were sent in, onto the website. Then,
we would ask everyone to vote on the relative importance of these dreams.
Four fields have already been uploaded to the website. These are:
agriculture, scientific research, education and the unity of our countries.
We uploaded the ideas as sent by their owners; we only deleted the ones
that were repeated and then summarized the ideas.
This is where we have stopped. I will tell you what we will do next, in
detail:
1.
Each episode of Life Makers will tackle one or two of the twentythree fields to explain and to demonstrate the ideas of the people in those
fields. Then, we will put them on the website and you will vote for them,
to differentiate between those that are important and those that are not.
Once you vote for a dream, it will turn it into a proposal, then to a project
plan. Eventually, the project will be put into action.
2. After that, we will ask the people who are interested in the project to
agree upon the method of implementing it. This will not only take a week
or two but a long time, maybe a year or two; for it is a project of revival.
76

I will give an example in the field of education: elimination of illiteracy. I

talked about this project and most people agree that eliminating illiteracy
is a realistic project. It begins with the dream that within one year from
now, illiteracy will be eliminated from our nations. Then, according to the
votes, this dream may turn into a feasible proposal.
The next phase starts with the project for eliminating illiteracy
We want thousands of youths from all over the Arab world to volunteer for
this project. In order to make the mission of teaching people easy, there
will be training programs for eliminating illiteracy on Iqra TV channel,
for example. We will agree with charity organizations in the villages and
the countryside to gather the people who need to learn, to help eliminate
illiteracy in these areas. In this way, the project will begin.
This will be the way we will proceed in the next phase of the Life
Makers:
Each episode, we will take a field from the fields that have been chosen
and I will let you know the project that was selected through your votes.
After that, I will explain this project and how it may be executed. Those
who want to participate in it will just register their names on the website.
There will be an administrator to coordinate with the volunteers for the
project. We will follow up with them on a monthly basis to monitor their
status and progress; then we will move onto the next project.
Here, I would like to mention an important point: the opportunity is
available for everyone via these projects. Especially after we increase the
number of projects in the following episodes, people will choose what they
believe to be appropriate and what they wish to accomplish. The beauty of
the idea lies in the ability of each one of us to choose how to serve their
country and please Allah. On the Day of Judgment, when we meet Allah
(SWT), we will have pleased Him. We will have served our religion and
country through our sincere intention to please Allah alone. This intention
is, unequivocally, the key to succeeding in these projects.
That is why we started with half a million ideas; this is the treasure that we
now possess. We came across such a treasure through the dreams of
inventors, university professors, businessmen, youth, women, girls and
ordinary people. As we said before, we want to reach a million votes on
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these half a million ideas to transform this project from the domain of
personal opinions to the domain of a project that a million people in the
nation want. Thus, we need personal opinions; the ideas will no longer
belong to only one of us, but they will belong to a million of us. The
revival project will emanate from the votes for these ideas, as it will help
organize them. After having been dreams, they will crystallize into five or
six projects in the fields of agriculture, tourism, etc. Voting will result in
specifying these projects, turning the dream into a comprehensive revival
project for a nation, adopted by ten million people. The question is: where
are we now?
We uploaded four fields onto the site and asked everyone to vote for them.
We still insist on the one million votes because these votes will move our
projects forward. Our previous experience proves that we can; for
instance, the project for collecting clothes reached a million and half, the
anti-smoking campaign reached seven hundred thousand and gathering
thoughts and dreams reached half a million. I believe that we can reach a
million votes; yet, the reality is that the number of votes so far is far below
our expectations. This is what we are going to talk about for the rest of
this episode. This is the first obstacle we are facing in our program and in
the project of reviving the Ummah (Islamic nations).
In the very first episodes, I mentioned that we will encounter many
obstacles, but I did not expect us to be the reason behind these obstacles.
The results of the votes up until now are: nineteen thousand votes in the
field of agriculture, eighteen thousand in the field of scientific research,
twenty thousand in the field of education and only seventeen thousand in
the field of interrelations between our countries. The total number of
participants adds up to eighty thousand votes only. We can say that it is a
good figure but it is not the expected result. We were talking about a
million votes; what happened? Why is the level of participation so low? I
started asking people and youth on the site; I arrived at five reasons, which
we will analyze and present:
First reason: I did not explain the issue well enough, which is my
responsibility. People, consequently, did not understand the importance of
voting.
Second reason: Many people did not understand the suggestions well
enough.
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Third reason: We do not care about our countries' affairs. We care about
our individual problems much more. If the issue were personal we would
have been more interested. (These are not my words. Unfortunately, they
are the words of many of the people I asked)
Fourth reason: Our ability to make national decisions is poor. Everyone
can make decisions on the personal level but it is too difficult on the
national and patriotic level; it is not our business but the responsibility of
the government.
Fifth reason: Many of us do not know how to use the Internet.
That is why I decided to take a break in this episode and to explain these
reasons. A revival will not come in a day or two; we have to concentrate
and see where we stand. Before starting, I need to emphasize something
very important. If this voting does not succeed we will not be able to
continue Sunaa' alHayaa and I am serious about that. This is not a TV
show; it is a project for the revival of a nation. If this revival turns into
projects that are carried out, based merely on personal opinions, then it
will not be effective. We need the participation of a million; this could
become the obstacle that ends this project. Let us return to the reasons
mentioned above.
The First Reason: I did not explain the issue well enough, which is my
responsibility
I will explain to you the importance of voting and why we will not be able
to continue without it. There is a rule to direct our attention to and to
memorize: people will never live for, make sacrifices for, or exert any
effort for anything that does not belong to them, does not come from them,
and is not owned by them. This is a scientific fact and not my idea.
Human history confirms this fact. I know that this program's viewers do
not reach a million but I want all viewers to make the votes reach a
million. It is not enough for me that the votes reach eighty thousand. If
this continues, the surprise will come when there will be nobody to carry
the projects when the time comes, due to the fact that most people will not
have voted for them. That is why voting is so important.
Here I would like to remind you of the Prophet (SAWS[1]), and how
seeking everyone's participation in any matter was an important and
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fundamental issue to him. In the Battle of Badr, the Prophet (SAWS) could
have ordered the Muslims to fight with him, but instead he stood amongst
them and said, People, I need your opinion. Abu-Bakr (RA) rose and told
him, Go Messenger of Allah, we are with you. The Prophet (SAWS)
praised him and repeated his words, People, I need your opinion. Omar
(RA) stood and repeated what Abu-Bakr (RA) had said, so the Prophet
(SAWS) praised him and again repeated his words. This time al-Mekdad
stood and said, By Allah, we won't say what the people of Israel said to
Musa (AS) (Moses), So go you and your Lord and fight alone, we are
sitting right here but we say, Go you and your Lord and fight; we will be
fighters with you. The Prophet (SAWS) praised him greatly and repeated
his words, People, I need your opinion. He wanted to hear the opinion
of al-Ansar (the inhabitants of Madinah who welcomed the Prophet
((SAWS) and defended him), because the deal between them was to defend
him inside Madinah, but they were outside Madinah now, so he had to get
their opinion. If he had ordered them, they would have obeyed him
blindly, without discussion, but he did so to rule out the possibility of
Satan telling them later that the Prophet (SAWS) did not consult or ask
them.
Do you remember what Abdul-Rahman Ibn-Auf did when choosing
Othman Ibn-Afaan (RA) as the Caliph? He visited every house and asked
all the inhabitants their opinion in choosing Othman (RA). He did not
leave anyone without asking him, even the elderly (who did not know who
Othman (RA) was) and the children. When asked, Why did you do that?
He said, So that they participate in the decision to avoid a fitnah
(disobedience and disapproval of the Caliph) in the future.
There is a vast difference between realizing your aims and having
someone dictate them to you. The difference is huge between deciding for
yourself and having someone decide for you, so the voting issue is of
utmost importance. Visit the site and vote, even if you did not understand
the dreams at first. This project will belong to you. You gave your
opinion, and the ideas you vote for belong to you, even if they were not
originally yours.
The Second Reason: Many people did not understand the suggestions
well enough
An example: a student in Commerce might say, My knowledge of
agriculture is not enough, or a housewife might know anything about
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agriculture. I am not saying that this project is easy. It is an entire nation's

project. If you were unable to understand, then consult somebody who
does. Download the dreams from the website, go to someone who can
understand them and ask this person to explain them to you. This way you
will gain two benefits: you will have participated and you will have
encouraged someone else to participate; so anyone who did not understand
the first time, might very well have benefited us more than someone who
did. The Prophet (SAWS) said, He who reads Quran with difficulty will
receive two rewards, one because he read and the other because he had to
exert effort to do so. In a way, we are doing the same. The revival issue
is not an easy one, it is tough, and requires great effort. Let me give you
another idea: go to a university professor or any expert, pretending that
you do not understand, and ask for his help. That way you will gain his
participation.
Al-Hassan and al-Hussein, when they saw an old man making Wudu
(ablution; getting washed to prepare for prayers) improperly, wanted to
teach him. They went to him and pretended to have a disagreement over
who was the better of the two at making Wudu. Al-Hassan started and
made Wudu well. Then al-Hussein made Wudu well too. The man said,
Both of you make Wudu better than the other, and I have learnt from you
what I did not know.
We want you to do as they did, and to do the opposite too. I say this to the
experts, such as university professors, teachers and scientists: why don't
you try to help the youth? Visit the website with them and explain these
suggestions to them. Also, I say this to educated parents: why don't you
help your children? The Prophet (SAWS) once ascended the minbar (where
the Imam stands to preach), red faced and said, O people! Why are those
whom Allah gave understanding and knowledge hiding (this knowledge)
from other people? Let them stop or Allah shall torture them; let them
teach people or Allah shall torture them. Then he raised his voice and
said Allah's saying which can be translated as, Make it (the news of the
revelation of Prophet Muhammad and the religious knowledge)
known and clear to mankind, and dont hide it. (TMQ, 3:187)[2].
Then he descended the minbar, avoided looking at anybody or talking to
anybody and went home. People kept asking about whom Allahs apostle
was referring to. al-Ashaera' said, He means us, we have the most
knowledge. They went to the Prophet (SAWS) and told him, Messenger
of Allah, it seems you meant us. He replied, O people! Teach others what
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Allah has given you from knowledge and gifts or else Allah shall torture
you. Then he left them. Have we seen how this issue was important for
the Prophet (SAWS)?
Which revival in history was achieved without effort, giving and sacrifice?
Are we unable to do the simple task of reading suggestions and voting for
them? University education in some countries is chosen by making certain
selections, where students are offered the faculties and they have to
arrange them according to their wishes. The student start to ask others and
exert a conscious effort for the sake of his future; most of us have been
through this. I myself have experienced it. We are asking you the same
thing; we want you to choose the best for our countries. Give your opinion
of the dreams for your country. Why do we only bother to exert an effort
on the personal level?
Third reason: We do not care about our countries' affairs.
I asked a young man, Have you participated in voting? His answer was
no. I asked, Why? He replied, It is not our responsibility; it is the
responsibility of the government. They are the ones who organize
education, health, and everything for us. Then I asked him, What are
your interests? He replied that he was only interested in his personal
problems. The Prophet (SAWS) said, The wolf eats the stray lamb, and
the wolf of humans is Satan. Abdullah Ibn-Masood once said, When I
am in Iraq and I hear that a cloud has rained in Yemen, I pray to thank
Allah that my brothers in Yemen can drink water. See how the
Companions shared their worries?
The Fourth Reason: Our ability to make national decisions is poor.
This reason lends itself to fear. I can make a decision on the personal
level, but on the public level, I cannot. I want to say something and I am
sorry for saying it. I wish I did not have to say it. It is very tough but I am
obliged to do so. A long time ago, the Ancient Greeks used to go to a large
area and vote on certain decisions, but not everyone was allowed into that
space. Women and slaves were prohibited from entering that area because,
according to the Greeks, they were not fit to participate. Only masters
were allowed to decide. Does anyone understand what I am saying? Can
anybody accept that they are not worthy of participating? Participation
means freedom, especially for women. You should participate, and feel
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that you can make your own decisions. If you do not understand, ask for
assistance.
Last Reason: Many of us do not know how to use the Internet.
Many of us cannot use the Internet, or don't have access to the Internet.
Let me surprise you, learning to use the Internet has almost become a
religious duty, and not only for our program. If someone travels to a
Western country to practice Dawa (inviting non-Muslims to Islam), and
he does not know any foreign language, will he succeed? The language of
the world in the years to come will be the Internet. It is the language of
communication between the countries of the world. If we really want to
invite the whole world to Islam, how can we communicate with them? I
repeat; learning to use the Internet has become a religious duty.
How did the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) convey what he wanted so that it
reaches us in Hijjat al-Wada' (the farewell pilgrimage)? Those who
listened to him were a hundred thousand. How did his message in that
pilgrimage reach us? By people spreading the message. Look at what he
says, May Allah brighten the face of a man who heard what I said,
understood it and conveyed it as he heard it, where a person who heard the
message second hand may be better than one who heard it from me. This
means that you might tell somebody about something you heard and he
might benefit from it and act on it more effectively than if he had heard it
himself. He may be the one the Prophet (SAWS) meant in the last clause of
the Hadith.
At the end of this episode, I am asking you to download the suggestions
from the website and distribute them among various people. Each one
who now hears me (or reads the episode) is responsible before Allah
(SWT) on the Day of Judgment to convey these words. Each one of you
should spread these dreams to between twenty and fifty other people.
We want to be like al-Tofeil Ibn Omar al-Daussy, a Companion of the
Prophet (SAWS). The Prophet (SAWS) asked him not to stay beside him,
but to return to his people and convey the message of Islam to them, so he
traveled and stayed there for five years, informing his people about Islam,
but they refused to listen. The message was hard to accept. He returned to
Allahs apostle, who raised his hands to Allah and said, O Allah! Help
him and guide Dauss (the name of the tribe). Go Tofeil and convey the
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message of Islam. He returned to Madinah after ten years, at the head of a

large tribe; as they approached Madinah, they created a huge cloud of dust
that covered the whole of the city. He said, Dauss has announced their
Islam, O Messenger of Allah.
Allah willing, success will be fulfilled. Allah (SWT) willing, we will be
like al-Tofeil. May Allah (SWT) brighten the face of someone who
conveys this message. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all .

Episode 25: Ending Oppression against Women

.
Starting with the next episode, we will concentrate on three main
topics:

Firstly, we will discuss one new field, for example, the environment
or tourism, in order to introduce people to that field.
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Secondly, we will discuss the latest results of the voting in the
previously discussed fields.

Thirdly, we will discuss which project we will be working on.

Be prepared for the real, practical work. Today, having already addressed
four major fields in our previous episodes, we felt the need to address an
issue of great significance, which involves discussing other several related
problems as well. Thus, addressing this issue now will please many of
those who intend to work in this field, namely women's affairs and how we
would like to see the status of women twenty years from now. Many girls
or women may not have visualized or thought of what the status of women
should be like within the next twenty years but we definitely know that we
do not want it to be the same as it is today.
Women are seriously oppressed and, in twenty years time, this
oppression should be eliminated. Therefore, we will designate this
episode to presenting some answers to problems related to the status of
women, in an attempt to help eliminate this oppression. What I would like
to tell you, in this episode, is not just my own opinion. We were surprised
to see thousands of messages and letters on the website from women, girls
and even men presenting their views on what they want the status of
women to be twenty years from now. Having analysed all these messages
and letters, we found that we all agree on one goal; the need to eliminate
oppression against women within the next twenty years.
The oppression that women suffer is not practiced only within our
countries; the oppression of women in the West is even worse. In short,
women, whether Arab, Muslim, French, Russian, American, Indian or any
other nationality, all suffer from oppression. This episode, therefore, will
first analyse the types of oppression and secondly, it will prove that Islam
is innocent of all the oppression that women are subjected to in our
countries. We should never lay this false claim on Islam. Allah (SWT),
the Glorious Creator, created us all male and female and it is inconceivable
that He would discriminate between genders. Thus, this episode will stress
the following facts:

There are various areas in which women are treated unjustly and,
therefore, we will discuss what changes we would like to see happen in
these areas within the next twenty years in order to eliminate this
oppression against women.

Islam is innocent of any claim of oppression.

I am truly pleased with this episode and I feel that when it is time to stand
before Allah (SWT), we will be able to say that we helped eliminate this
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oppression against women. One important thing to note here is that

women are oppressed in many facets of life: illiteracy, lack of education,
unemployment, several social and financial rights as well as being targets
of abuse, insults, murder and many other issues.
The Prophet (SAWS[1]) taught us to fear of the curse of an oppressed
person, as there is no barrier between the answering of his or her prayer
and Allah. Allah (SWT) promised to make this oppressed person
victorious, no matter how long it might take. Who then do you think the
women in our countries are cursing, the society or those who first
misinterpreted the ayahs and the Hadith in a way that caused this
oppression? Regardless, their prayers are definitely answered by Allah.
Imagine what would happen if you were to participate in eliminating this
oppression!
Starting with the next episode, we will be presenting the different projects
that will be put into action and who might participate in them. You will be
free to choose in which field you wish to participate, to serve our nation.
Whoever chooses to participate in todays project will be greatly
rewarded. It is a project in which both men and women could take part.
Our approach will not be that of Womens Associations which try to help
women by stating that women are better than men or by creating more
problems between women and men. No, this is not our intention; our goal
is to eliminate oppression against women.
We also have to stress the fact that this episode is not going to compress
the issue of women into the Hijab (the head cover for Muslim women; the
veil). It is true that the Hijab is one part of Islam in which we take pride
and are pleased to see Muslim women and girls adhere to it. However, we
cannot compress the whole issue of women into the Hijab, otherwise, we
would be ignoring many ayahs in the Quran and many Ahadith of the
Prophet (SAWS) that help women and address many other issues in their
lives.
What makes matters worse is that women and girls in Arabic countries
believe that Islam is behind this oppression. Let us talk openly here and
admit that many women, even religious ones, are deeply convinced that
Islam is to blame and, even if they do not say it, they wonder in their
hearts about why Islam does this to them. Therefore, I would like to
correct this false notion; Islam never encouraged oppression against
women. What happened is that some ayahs were misinterpreted or their
86

meaning was intentionally changed to reflect unjust human desires or

inclinations. It may also be that the backward thinking in our countries
caused this wrong application of certain ayahs and Hadith which, in turn,
resulted in this oppression in the Islamic countries, but Islam itself is
innocent of this. Women should never think, for a minute, that Islam is the
reason behind their oppression. Our goal today is to correct this
misunderstanding and present you with the views of different people in
this regard, but firstly, let us look at the big picture and compare Islams
view of women to that of the West.
Islams view of women:

Islam considers women equal to men in all aspects related to

responsibilities, rights, judgment, punishment, paradise and hellfire. The
Quran clearly states this equality and, at the same time, takes into
consideration the necessity to assign different roles to men and women.

Womens psychological and physiological nature is different from

that of men, which consequently leads to a difference in the roles assigned
to each gender. This, however, does not change the original rule of
equality between the two genders.

The Prophet (SAWS), says, Women are mens partners. Whoever

treats them kindly is decent and whoever insults them is cruel. This is the
way women should be treated in Sharia (Islamic Law) and in Islam.

We find the following ayah in Surat an-Nisa in which Allah says

what can be translated as, to men is allotted what they earn and to
women what they earn (TMQ, 4:32)[2].

The Quran states the equality between men and women in acquiring
the fruits of their labour as mentioned in Surat an-Nisa. Allah says what
can be translated as, And their Lord hath accepted of them, and
answered them: "Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you,
be they male or female, Ye are members, one of another. (TMQ,
3:195).

The same meaning is repeated in another ayah in Surat an-Nisa

where Allah says what can be translated as, If any do deeds of
righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter
Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them. (TMQ,
4:124).

Another ayah in Surat an-Nisa also confirms the fact that both men
and women are created from a single person and it warns men against
oppressing women. Allah says what can be translated as, O mankind!
Reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single
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person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain
scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; reverence Allah,
through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the
wombs (That bore you): for Allah ever watches over you. (TMQ,
4:1).

All the ayahs mentioned above manifest the complete equality

between men and women.
The Wests view of Women:

The West declares complete equality between the two genders

without taking into account any difference in the roles assigned to men and
women and without paying any attention to the difference between the
physiological and psychological nature of women and men. In short, the
West makes no distinction whatsoever between a man and a woman.

This approach towards women is different to ours and the results of

their approach are obvious. Whereas, in their materialistic society, women
have to work just like men in order to survive, Islam does not deny a
woman the right to work, if she chooses to do so and if this type of work
suits her nature.

The woman in the West works in all of the various fields and thus,
she has started to lose the best gifts that Allah (SWT) has bestowed on her;
her femininity and sometimes even her natural instinct to become a
mother. This is not always possible while working in order to maintain a
source of income. Even when she gets married, she has to continue to
work, since she lives in a materialistic society that compels her to share the
family expenses, just like the man, under the notion of complete equality.

The woman in the West works as a taxi driver, bus driver and on the
railways. Can you imagine a woman working these kinds of jobs?

Another more drastic issue resulted from this complete equality. It is

the elimination of the traditional form of the family and the start of many
other forms, such as common-law relationships in which a man and a
woman agree to live as partners in one house but not as a married couple.
At the same time, the man, in many cases, may decide to end this
relationship and they separate, leaving the woman alone with the children,
while her natural instinct as a mother stops her from leaving her children.

Consequently, single-mother families started to emerge since the

father, who is sometimes not known, leaves the mother, who continues to
raise the children. This notion of complete equality, that produced this
common law type of relationship, resulted in reducing the percentage of
what we recognize as traditional marriages to 20% of all relationships. As
a result, the woman gets into several relationships with other men, as the
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years go by. She is left, in the end, with children that are half-brothers or
half-sisters, until she finds herself over forty years of age and, most likely,
without a man. She becomes lonely; she feels that she has lost what used
to attract men to her and starts to suffer from depression.

Let us compare this to the way women are treated in Islam. The
older the woman gets, the more cherished and revered she becomes, as
mentioned in the Hadith, Paradise is under mothers feet and the one
that deserves to be accompanied the most is ones mother, and again ones
mother, and for the third time, ones mother, then ones father.
Consequently, women will never suffer from this depression.
The Woman is oppressed all over the World in the following four
areas:

The violence that is practiced against her.

Her social rights.

Her political rights.

Her financial rights.

The First Area: Violence against women:
This includes the violence that is practised against women in the West and
in the Islamic countries. Today, our project addresses the whole world,
since we would like to remedy this situation and eliminate this oppression.
What are the forms of this violence in the West?

Sexual abuse: Statistics in the United States show that one out of six
women experiences sexual abuse or harassment. Can you believe this
figure? Moreover, in 50% of the murder cases against women in the
United States, the husband or the boyfriend is the first suspect. Can you
imagine how women are suffering over there? We would also like to
mention what happened in Bosnia, where thousands of women were raped
in 1993; that happened in Europe, in this age.

Physical abuse and insults: there are many associations specializing

in helping women who are physically abused and there are shelters offered
to those abused women. Even TV advertisements in the West reflect the
horrific percentage of abused women in those countries.
In the Islamic world, there are cases similar to the West. Oppression and
injustice are becoming commonplace. Sadly, the blame is put on Islam,
and the truth is that Islam has nothing to do with this behaviour. I will
illustrate this with a few examples.
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Crimes involving reputation and dignity:

When a man is suspicious of his sister's or daughter's conduct, he kills her,
without having enough evidence or any witnesses. In the courts, what
usually happens is that the sentence for the man is reduced, the excuse
being that it is a crime involving his reputation and dignity. This excuse
goes back to the incorrect interpretation of a Hadith that has no roots, A
man should not be killed for killing a woman. This wrongly implies that
a man should not be punished as a criminal if he kills a woman. The
Quran is very clear about this matter of a soul for a soul. Let us see
Allahs words which can be translated as, And those who launch a
charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, (to
support their allegations), flog them with eighty stripes; and reject
their evidence ever after. (TMQ, 24:4). This ayah refers to those who
accuse any woman of losing her honour. The Quran explains the
punishment for just an accusation, so what about murder? Do we all
realize how much equity the Quran has brought to women? Allah
continues saying what can be translated as, Unless they repent
thereafter and mend (their conduct). (TMQ, 24:5). Repenting is
then required.
Another injustice is circumcision that is enforced on women in the name
of Islam, even though there is no real, strong evidence to support it. What
is happening to the women in Africa is shocking. No common sense can
tolerate it; it leads in many cases to death or deformity. It destroys her
existence, and all this is allegedly done in the name of Islam. It is indeed
a tremendous form of oppression of women.
Other forms of oppression include physical and emotional abuse of
women; throwing them out of their own homes, and taunting them about
their parents. Concerning the most trivial of matters, the man would
threaten the woman with divorce, or with committing polygamy. He
becomes an expert in degrading her, and depriving her from her emotional
and marital rights. Even though Islam has strictly forbidden all of this
abuse, we still see it being practiced in the name of Islam. When men
physically abuse their wives, they back it up with Allahs words which can
be translated as, beat them (TMQ, 4:34). They never read up to
the end of the ayah in which Allah says what can be translated as, those
women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct (TMQ,
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4:34). We are all aware of the meaning of disloyalty. The man, for any
trivial reason, would say to his wife, you are shrewd (unfaithful)! He
would beat her, convinced that he is right because it came from the
Quran.
The Second Area: Financial Rights
In the West, women do not have equal rights. The average income of a
working woman is much less than the average income of a working man,
for no valid reason except that she is a woman. This is a clear prejudice
against women. In the USA, the results of a survey showed that women
who occupy the same posts as men earn 10,000 USD less; this is a clear
indication of prejudice.
In the Muslim world, there are many violations of the financial rights of
women. Some women are disinherited, especially in rural communities
for just being a woman. Her brothers would take her share, especially if
this inheritance consists of agricultural land. They would fear that this
land might become owned by someone outside their family, like her
husband, for example.
Another form of oppression is when a living father discriminates against
his daughter(s) in favour of his son(s), when it comes to gifts and presents.
If a man came to the Prophet (SAWS) with the news that someone
discriminated between his children, the Prophet (SAWS) used to reply, Let
someone else bear witness to this, I do not witness to something false.
Men sometimes refuse paying alimony to their divorcee, for many years.
She has to spend the rest of her life in court in order to acquire her rights,
because there is no firm and speedy law that grant her what is rightfully
hers. As a result, the woman starts begging; she is humiliated and her
dignity is broken, all because her husband deprived her of her alimony.
There is something I would like to make clear to you, Allah says in an
ayah what can be translated as, .to the male, a portion equal to that
of two females (TMQ, 4:176). The differentiation here is not because
men are better, but it is based on the fact that men and women bear
different responsibilities. A man is usually responsible for supporting his
sister his mother, his wife, and his children. As for a woman, her
inheritance is for her own self, as she is not responsible for supporting
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anyone. This is why the males share of the inheritance is larger than the
female's.
What came in the Holy Quran is exactly the opposite of what exists in the
West. In the West, a woman has to earn her own money to live, but in
Islam her money is her own possession, and she can use it as she likes. If
we work it out thoroughly, we find that the one who inherits the larger
share is the loser because he has to spend it all, but a woman is not obliged
to support anyone. Even so, we still find cases in the West where the
woman's inheritance is the same as the man's, as well as many other cases
where the woman inherits much more than the man.
The Third Area: Political Rights
In the Islamic world, the woman was forbidden to vote for a long time.
Allowing women to vote is quite new to our society. Women were also
forbidden to occupy high posts in the government. We can see that, in any
government in the Arab world, the number of female ministers does not
exceed one or two, with the excuse that women are not meant to play a
role in politics.
I will tell you about the involvement of women in politics at the times of
our Prophet (SAWS), and you will wonder. If we consider Jihad to be
partially political, the Prophet (SAWS) never went to a battle without the
companionship of a woman, either from his wives or others. What is even
stranger is that the Prophet (SAWS) never planned the strategy for a battle
without giving the woman a role. We are talking about Jihad, which is the
most difficult of duties in this world. Before the Battle of Uhud he said, I
see it best for us to stay in Madinah; if Quraish attacks, us the men should
fight them in the alleyways, and the women should fight them from the
rooftops.
I will give you another example: al-Shifa', the daughter of Abdullah, was
assigned as a minister 1,400 years ago, by Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA). Yes,
he depended on a woman, and her job was administrative and market
supervision; her job was to observe the society in Madinah, and her
responsibilities included supervising men. They had no objections to be
supervised by a woman; this is how Islam and Omar (RA) viewed women.
Have we forgotten that the open copy of the Holy Quran, which was
collected by Zayd Ibn-Thabet during the days of the caliph Abu-Bakr
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(RA), was held in safe-keeping by a woman named Hafsa? The

constitution of the Ummah (Islamic nation) was kept in the house of a
woman. The greatest men in Islamic history (the ten men who were
promised heaven), entrusted Hafsa with the task of keeping the
constitution of the Ummah safe.
This emphasizes that women are not less in maturity and less religious
than men. It is not my concern today to explain this Hadith and the wrong
interpretation most men make of it. When did the Prophet (SAWS) say this
Hadith, (women are) less in maturity and less religious? On the morning
of the feast, while leaving the feast prayers, he met a few women leaving
after performing their prayers. Do you think our wise and compassionate
Prophet (SAWS) could tell them that they are less mature and less
religious, on a day like that (the day of the feast), when everyone should
be happy? Do you think that this is logical? Could it not have been a form
of teasing? In fact, many scholars believe this explanation. This Hadith is
being taken loosely, and at every occasion, the husband accuses his wife of
being immature and less in religion. This resulted in the widespread
misunderstanding of this Hadith.
The Fourth Area: The Social Status
In the West, cheating on spouses has become very widespread. Sixty
percent of men in the USA and 70% of men in Italy admitted that they
cheated on their wives. On the other hand, women who cheat on their
husbands do not exceed 15 20 %, so we see the big difference. A woman
is treated as an object of consumer goods; even matchboxes depict pictures
of naked women. Women are exposed to a great deal of social pressure to
be used as an object; when she reaches the age of 45 or 50, she starts
getting depressed because she is no longer wanted as an object. This
depression leads, in many cases, to suicide after the woman discovers that
she was only admired for her looks and beauty. This is the case in the
West.
In the Muslim world, illiteracy is a major problem. The number of
illiterate women is three times that of men, especially in rural
communities. The reason is because the father is only interested in
educating his sons; as for girls, they have to stay at home and no one sees
the need for them to be educated. Why dont we concentrate on the
project of eliminating illiteracy? Why cant we make it our first priority to
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eliminate illiteracy amongst women? Is not illiteracy a kind of social

oppression that women suffer from in our societies? Islam is innocent of
this and the Prophet (SAWS) used to say, whoever has three girls whom he
educates, brings up well, dignifies them and is compassionate with them,
enters paradise. I will present a survey that shows how many female
companions of the Prophet (SAWS) educated men:

Aisha: 232 men and 67 women

Um Salama: 78 men and 23 women
Hafsa : 17 men and 3 women
Asmaa Bint Abu-Bakr: 19 men and 2 women
Asmaa Bint Omais: 11 men
Ramla Bint Abu-Sufyan: 18 men

Women are deprived of the right to chose whom they wish to marry; sadly
enough this still exists these days. Let us set aside those who are watching
the satellite channels and those who live in the cities. This indeed does
happen with the premise that she is less mature and religious.
Supposedly, she is not aware of what is good for her. She is told to obey
Allah (SWT) and his Prophet (SAWS) and her guardian (who is her father);
so what often happens is that she is forced to get married.
A man once approached the Prophet (SAWS), asking, Dear Prophet of
Allah, two men proposed to my daughter, one is rich, and the second
poor. The Prophet (SAWS) said, Which one of those does your daughter
wish for? He said, The poor, and we wish for the rich. Then the
Prophet (SAWS) said his famous phrase, I see nothing but marriage for
two lovers.
Another Hadith narrates that when a woman came to the Prophet (SAWS)
and said, My father wants to marry me to a man I do not wish to marry,
the Prophet (SAWS) said that she should only get married to whom she
approves of. She then said, Oh Prophet of Allah, I am content with what
my father has chosen for me, but I just wanted the women to hear your
Hadith and know that it is not the father's decision. This happened 1,400
years ago, and people allege that Islam forces women to marry without
their approval.
Sometimes women are not granted the right to make decisions. How many
men hold this opinion of their wives, whether it be in major or minor
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matters? Here again we notice the spread of this false Hadith, Ask for
their opinion and disagree with them, i.e. you ask her for her opinion, and
do the opposite of what she says. Is it conceivable that this is a Hadith?
On the day of the Treaty of Hudaybiya, the Prophet (SAWS) asked for the
opinion of Um Salama and carried out her suggestion. He told her that the
people are dying. She told him to go out to the Muslims with a shaved
head, and they will instantly do the same. The Prophet (SAWS) agreed and
said to her, You have given the right suggestion. He then went and
shaved his head, and his companions imitated him. His companions said
that if it were not for Um Salama the Muslims would have died. Is not this
our religion?
Women are sometimes prevented from getting certain jobs; the result is a
higher rate of unemployment amongst women. The woman has the right
to choose if she wishes to be a housewife or not. There are women that are
in need of a job. If there were a job posting to which two applicants
applied, one a woman and the other a man, the man will, of course, get the
job even though the woman might desperately need it.
A woman loves her home, and if she goes out to work, it is an indication
that she needs that job. Even considering the unemployment in our
countries amongst men, a woman has to be given priority in getting the
job. I know very well, that there will be many who will twist the meaning
of many Ahadith and ayahs; for example, the Hadith that says that it is in a
womans interest that nobody sees her and she does not see anybody. Can
you please explain to me then how women went out with the Prophet
(SAWS) for Jihad? Um Raala went to the Prophet (SAWS) and told him
that she is a hairdresser, and asked him if she was permitted to practice her
job. He answered, Make them (the women) pretty so that their men
might be happy. Indeed, she used to help women in Madinah.
What do you say when you hear that the first hospital that was built in
Islam, was built by the Prophet (SAWS), for a woman? It was a big tent for
Rafida, and he said to her, Nurse the men and women Rafida.
Furthermore, the hospital was also transported into the mosque of the
Prophet (SAWS).
Women are also forbidden to travel freely; her freedom is restricted, the
reason being the misinterpretation of a Hadith. If a woman has the right
companionship, then she is free to travel. The Prophet (SAWS) said in his
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Hadith to Ali Ibn-Hatem, The woman will go out from Hira not fearing
anything but Allah (SWT) and she could go around the Kaba alone. It
was as if the Prophet (SAWS) was proud of that, only under the condition
that it would be safe for her. There is a misinterpretation of the Hadith; or
we might say that it should be re-interpreted in the coming 20 years.
Women are forbidden to go to the mosque; have we seen how empty the
womens section in the mosque is and how ill-equipped it is? Although the
Prophet (SAWS) said, Do not prevent Muslim women from going to the
mosques of Allah.
The area where I see the most oppression of women lies is in polygamy.
There are different points of view that argue that polygamy is not
permitted unconditionally, but restricted, and that the first wifes feelings
should be respected; this is a very important aspect. We really need to
reconsider this matter. Is it unconditional or is it restricted by certain
circumstances? Monogamy is the norm; other than that the matter needs
to be thoroughly discussed.
The last point I would like to mention is depriving a woman from love and
affection. Some women are treated harshly just because they are women,
although Islam is a religion of affection and mercy. Listen to what the
Prophet (SAWS) said, The best act of charity that a man may perform is
that in which he puts food into his wife's mouth. Let us see together how
the Prophet (SAWS) behaved when his wife Aisha had her period, keeping
in mind that she, like other women was moody. If she drank from a jug, he
would drink from the space spot she drank from, to display love and
compassion.
The Prophet (SAWS) used to say, Be careful (provident) with glass,
women are like glass. Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA) realised this and used to
say Women never meant anything to us, until Islam came and made of
them what they are now; they became as you see, honoured and
cherished.
This is our religion, and Islam is innocent of the oppression of women.
Todays episode had two aims, to clarify that Islam is innocent of these
allegations and that the revival of our nation will entail eliminating this
oppression. In the next episode I will be waiting for your numerous votes
related to our dreams, and we want to achieve one million votes within
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four areas including that of womens affairs, of course. Peace and

blessings of Allah (SWT) be upon you all .

Episode 26: Our Dreams for Technology and Industry

We previously agreed that we have twenty-three fields for the revival
of our nation and we asked you to vote for the suggestions that people
offered in these different fields such as agriculture, education, scientific
research and women. Finally, people have started to vote. As agreed, we
will not start implementing any project unless we know what you really
want because this project will be for us all; that is the reason behind
suggesting the idea of voting. The implementation of these projects will
depend heavily on the voting process. We have found that voting will help
us set our priorities, what is important and what is less important, what
will be hard to accomplish and what will be less difficult. Once the
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number of votes exceeds a million, we will carry out the projects that
people have chosen.
Because the voting process is not yet finished, we will not start
implementing any of the projects. Until now, the total number of votes is
460,000 in five fields (out of the twenty three we have spoken about). You
can continue sending in your votes to the following email:
program@amrkhaled.net or you can vote through the website. To date, the
results are encouraging, thanks to Allah (SWT).
I have previously mentioned that we will not start implementing the
projects for the revival of our nation unless we agree on what you want
because these projects are for all of us and not only for me. However, to
encourage the enthusiastic youth who are keen to start working, we have
decided to start a preliminary project that will be suitable for everybody:
housewives, girls, children and youth. This project will act as an
introduction to the coming projects. Our project aims to erase computer
and internet illiteracy. The target is to exceed 10,000 persons if Allah
(SWT) permits and, Allah (SWT) willing, we will exceed that number.
Let us now pose this question, why did we start with this project, and why
before the completion of the voting process? The answer is that this project
has many useful advantages; it suits the nature of our era. Since the
dawning of time, every age has had its own nature, starting from the Stone
Age, to the age of science, then the industrial revolution and the age of
technology. The present era is that of information revolution. Nowadays,
we have a flow of easily accessible information. Being successful depends
on collecting a larger amount of information, collating it and analyzing it.
This cannot be realized except through the use of computers and the
internet.
The entire universe is moving around us as Allah says what can be
translated as, "And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term
(appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty." (TMQ, 36:38)[1].
The sun is running its course, and so are the stars, planets and clouds. The
external universe is not the only thing that moves but also the cells in your
body are constantly changing; all your cells are moving. Everything is
moving; the universe, and the cells in your body. Now, the West is
developing and changing. We are the only ones standing still. This is the
age of information, technology, computers and the internet.
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Let us start with this project and deploy all our computer literate youth to
teach children, students in schools and universities, housewives and
everyone who does not know how to use computers; this way, we all teach
one another. The various goals of the project will enhance our future. The
rate of computer literacy in the Arab world is very distressing; only 0.6%
from the total population know how to use computers and the internet. As
for the West, the rate is 88% of the total population. The really
disappointing fact is that most of the 0.6% use computers and the internet
to play games and chat with girls; they do not know how to use software
such as Word or Excel or any other useful program. They also, are
considered illiterate in computer usage, because they only know the part
that does not contribute to the revival and development of our countries.
There is a huge difference between computer and internet users in the Arab
world and those in the West.
In relation to our discussion of womens persecution and illiteracy in the
last episode, can you imagine that the rate of computer and internet
literacy of women in the Arab world is only 6% out of the 0.6%? As for
the rate of women using computers and internet in the West, it is: 50% in
the United States, 45% in India, 38% in Japan. These rates are very high
compared to those in the Arab world.
In our project, the youth who know how to use computers and the internet
can start working immediately by training others. If we commence the
project and succeed in promoting computer literacy for 10,000 persons,
others will find this project easy and simple. Consequently, the project
will spread between people until elderly women and housewives are able
to surf the internet and benefit from it. The following are the effects of
this preliminary project on the revival projects:
1.
Education: Imagine if all our children become excellent in using
computers, to the point where a child would not be accepted into the
second or the third primary grade unless he/she can surf the internet. You
previously mentioned in your suggestions on the topic of education that
the main problem is that children do not think any more; their minds are
similar to a storage dump where information enters their brains only to be
poured out in exams. You also mentioned that the best means of education
is to let students think and get them to carry out research, but how can they
carry out such research without computers or internet access? In your
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suggestions on education you mentioned that you want the students to be

able to research because this is the only means of developing their minds,
so they would not turn into a mere storage dump. This preliminary
project will change the education system to help students use their minds
well.
2.
Interrelations between our countries: you suggested in this field to
strengthen our countries' interrelations. There may be political
circumstances that prevent that from happening, so why don't we start
doing it ourselves? What if each one of us befriends (through the internet)
five people from five Arab countries, corresponds with them, keeps in
permanent contact with them, and gets to know their ideas and habits?
They will also come to know your ideas and habits and hence we can build
a unity between our countries through this project.
3.
Interactive dialogue among civilizations: Islam is a great
civilization that teaches us how to interact with other civilizations and
enables us to do so through conferences and forums. Until we do that, we
can play this role through the internet by talking to the people in the West
and instead of chatting with girls to gain girlfriends, we can chat with the
West to present our civilization, our values and our morals. Consequently,
we will call people to Allah, And We sent not a Messenger except with
the language of his people." (TMQ, 14:4). In five years time, the
internet will become the language of our era. How will we be able to call
the West to Islam without speaking that language?
4.
Scientific research: many among you have suggested reviving
scientific research, but how could a revival in scientific research happen
without using the internet? When MA and PhD students need to research
any given subject, they ask an internet expert to do the work for them
because they are unable to surf the internet. Hence, an internet expert,
with no scientific research background, leads the inexperienced student
even though the latter is the specialist in scientific research. There is
another problem in the scientific research field. Imagine for example that
the library of a given faculty contains a thousand books; consequently all
research done in this faculty for a hundred years will be based only on the
ideas of these 1,000 books. On the contrary, if these students were to surf
the internet, they would gain access to a far bigger library, spanning the
whole world.
5.
Women: Women and housewives must realise that their minds will
develop if they learn to use the internet. They will know what is going on
around them in the world in various fields.
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Thus this issue, though easy and simple as it seems, affects all the other
fields which you voted for. It affects the field of scientific research, it
affects the field of women's affairs and allows women to occupy their free
time at home so that they can open up to the world, and develop their
intellectual abilities and express their thoughts to the whole world. It will
also change the way children think and the way they are educated. It will
further affect the unity of our countries and how, as Muslims, we get to
know each other. Finally, it will affect the dialogue among civilizations
and the way we call others to Allah (SWT). This project is not among the
revival projects but it will certainly lead to it since it will affect all the
other fields. Among its advantages:
It paves the way leading to all the other fields of revival.
It consumes all the capacities of the youth.
How will we accomplish this project? In this project, people are divided
into these two groups:
1. A group that knows how to deal with computers and the internet.
2. A group that knows nothing about computers and the internet.
During this coming month, those who know will teach those who do not
know. Both groups will seek each other out. The group that knows should
gather their parents, neighbours, friends and relatives and start teaching
them all about computers and the internet. In brief, this project needs four
aspects:
1. A trainer (someone who knows), and we have many of them.
2. A trainee (someone who doesnt know), and Im telling them now
that they will benefit greatly from this experience. They will also
benefit Islam by what they will learn.
3. A computer; I think that two or three can learn on one PC, so I
would like to call on those who have any extra PCs to give them to
others as charity or at least to use their own PC to teach others.
4. A place; it could be the building you live in, a mosque or a club.
Why not the mosques? We are now in the era of technology and
information revolution. Girls should also do the same, if not in the
mosques, then in the clubs.
This project does not require teaching institutions. If you access the
internet you will find a statistical study showing the number of those who
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learned how to use computers by themselves or learned it from others, in

comparison to those who learned it at an institution. The study shows that
those who went to institutions constitute no more than 3% of the total
number, so what we are suggesting is indeed possible.
The targeted clients for this project are housewives, children, high school
students and university students. It is shameful to have university students
who do not know how to use a computer! This project is also for
graduates and mature people. There is a big difference between a
university professor who knows how to use the computer and another who
has no idea. There is a big difference between a businessman who can use
a computer and another one who cannot; between a housewife who knows
and another one who does not. We will help you in this by providing those
who can teach you through the internet and television.
I would like to say something to those who can teach others, I would like
to tell you the saying of the Prophet (SAWS[2]), Allah, his angels and
those who inhabit the heavens and the earth, even the ant under the earth
and the whales in the deep seas, are praying on those who teach the good
to others. Praying here means that they are calling Allah (SWT) for them,
asking the forgiveness of Allah (SWT) for them. The Prophet (SAWS) also
says, If any of you withholds his knowledge from others, when asked for
it, then Allah will withhold him with a shackle of fire on the Day of
Judgment.
Right now, we are asking you for your knowledge; we are asking you to be
benevolent and teach others. Let the husband teach his wife what she does
not know to strengthen the ties of their relationship with each other. It is
not shameful if you ask your son to teach you, because you cannot be a
successful doctor or engineer if you cannot use the internet. If you are a
professor, how can you teach students who know how to use a computer
while you do not? There should be no embarrassment if you ask one of
your students to teach you. Nobody is too good to learn. As for the
thawab (reward) you will get, listen to this saying of the Prophet (SAWS),
He who leads a way seeking for knowledge, Allah will forward for him a
way that leads to paradise. Every time you sit at your PC to learn, this is
a way to paradise. This Hadith is not just for religious teachings (Sharia)
but for all sciences in general; any science that would benefit our countries
and revive the Muslims.
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We will help those who know how to use computers but do not know how
to train others. We will get you a computer specialist to give you a course
via the website (www.amrkhaled.net). He will explain to you how to get
through this mission. The whole of next week will be dedicated to this job
and this specialized person will show you how to train others.
As for those who need to be trained but cannot find anyone to train them,
we will also broadcast a program for them on Iqra TV Channel. To use
this program in learning, you need to have a PC first. The same specialist
will teach you to use your PC on this program. Just remember that this
program is only for those who could find no one to teach them; the best
way is to get someone to teach you.
This specialist is Engineer Ahmad Samy whom we had mentioned in a
previous episode. He started a computer training centre with a group of
friends, since the very first episodes of this program. He works for a very
large computer company and he decided to dedicate his free time in the
evening to teach hundreds of other youth how to use a computer. We
asked him to help us in this project; to help us in teaching the youth how to
teach others and to teach those who know nothing about computers, via the
TV program. I present Engineer Ahmad Samy. He will talk to you and
tell you about the steps required to teach and train others.
Eng. Ahmad Samy: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful. Blessings and salutations be upon His Messenger. Today, we
will talk about our project, its details and how it works. We have a month
to achieve the target of this project, which is to teach 10,000 people how to
use a computer and the internet in a useful way. Let us first explain what
is meant by computer illiteracy. Computer illiteracy differs from one field
to another, from an age group to another, and from one stage to another,
for instance, it is impossible to erase the computer illiteracy of a person
who has an MA once he learns Word and Excel. It is assumed that this
persons knowledge of computers must be much more than that. On the
other hand, if we are talking about a seven year old child, we find that he
needs only simple computer knowledge. Computer illiteracy is very clear
when an employee, whose age is about 30 or 40 years old, knows nothing
more than the use of pen and paper.
Any person fits within one of three categories:
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1.
Does not know how to use computers at all.
2.
Knows how to use the computer but is not qualified.
3. A computer professional who cannot deliver the information to
others.
The steps that we will take are as follows:
1.
Starting Saturday and for a whole week, we will present daily
episodes from 10 AM to 11 AM Cairo time, on the site
www.amrkhaled.net. In these episodes we will help you to teach others.
2.
On the site, we will put the books and notes that we will work with.
Moreover, we will put all the free books and references we can collect
from the internet. You can take all these and distribute them to the people
you will teach. If you do not know anything about computers, what are
the basic things you need in order to be able to learn? You have to have a
computer in front of you. It will be of no use if you follow our programs
as if you are watching a TV series. You have to try things out yourself and
we will assume that you apply the lessons hands-on. Our role is to show
you the beginning of the path, so you must have a computer in front of
you. Also, those who will train others have to be aware of the fact that
when we start teaching someone, we first have to eliminate the barrier of
fear barrier this person and the computer. There are some people who are
afraid to press a key, so you have to start with the principles first, until the
person feels more comfortable with the computer.
3. After that, we will teach you Windows and how to use it. Then we
will move on to the applications, Word and Excel as these are the
applications that are most needed.
As for the internet, we do not want to teach people how to chat and the
like. What we will teach them is how to search the internet to find
required information, what the best sites through which they can get
information are and how to use search engines. It is important as well not
to wait for one another; whoever can start today should do so, and we will
continue with him next week. Do not wait for anybody, start immediately.
We have from the middle of August until September; a sufficient time to
teach whoever we want.
I suggest that, after this episode, you write down a list of the names of
persons you want to teach. After we finish the training period, we will
offer you (on the website) the topics which people can search for on the
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internet. This will be a practical experiment to show them whether they

have actually learned how to search on the internet or not. They can return
to their tutors and ask them for help until they get all the information they
need. They will record this information using Word and Excel. The
trainee will write a simplified report on Word about the information he
found in addition to some simple statistics on Excel.
These researches and reports will be the means through which we can
determine if we reached the required stage or not. After completing the
research you will send it to the site www.amrkhaled.net. We will evaluate
these researches and there will be a prize for the best one. As for the
tutors, they will send the researches of the people they trained and by
evaluating this research we will evaluate the tutor by calculating the
average grade of the persons he or she trained. The best one or two tutors
will join our work group to enlarge it monthly. The objective is to train
10,000 people every month until we totally eliminate computer illiteracy.
To sum up what I have said:

1. The subjects we will learn

Windows as an operating system
Word
Excel
Internet search
2. Duration: 20 hours for one month
3. The participants will be evaluated through selecting some
search topics for them. Then they will write reports about
these topics on Word and Excel in order to evaluate the
level they have reached.

Back to Mr. Amr Khaled: Now brothers and sisters, you have a great
deal of work to do. The number of voters for the dreams has to reach a
million, and you have to start on the computer project to help eliminate the
computer illiteracy of 10,000 people.
Today we will talk about another field out of the 23 fields, and then you
will vote for it on the site. This field is very tough; it is the field of
industry. Many people have sent their suggestions regarding this topic.
There are many rich and different suggestions. Therefore I have divided
this field into many sections which are:
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1.

Industrial ethics; this is summed up into three suggestions:

The most important thing in industry is making people. If people

are made properly, products will be made and, thus, civilization will be
made. A 22 year old man wrote that suggestion. This is our target; we are
the life makers and we are not able to make life except by making people.

Industrialists should love Allah, because the Prophet (SAWS) said

Allah loves people, who, when they perform a deed, perform it with
excellence. If the men of industry put this Hadith in front of them and
they excel in what they do, they will become lovers of Allah.

The third suggestion is the result of the two previous suggestions; it

is to have an Arabic International Quality Standard, better than that of the
ISO. There would be a seal of approval (written in Arabic) on qualifying
products in Europe and America,; and though they cannot read it in the
West, yet after 20 years time, there will be no higher standard of approval,
because it will be the seal of international quality and all manufacturers
will need it.
2.

Suggestions about achievements in the field of industry:

To make the local product better than the imported one and if it is
not, then we buy the local product until it becomes the best.

To manufacture all our basic products; this way we solve the problem
of unemployment.

To locally manufacture all electronic circuits used in mobile phones,

computers, television sets and video recorders.

To build toy factories, as this is a very simple industry and we spend

a huge sum of money on importing toys.

To have fashion designs for men and women which suit our values
and ethics.

To produce a local beverage to be spread across the entire Arabic

world instead of the carbonated beverages which adversely affect our
health. This product would be sold in all the Arab countries.

Each Arab country would excel in manufacturing one or two

products and would exert all efforts to reach the highest level of success in
manufacturing these products, very much like those countries known for
certain products all over the world; for instance Swiss watches, French
perfumes and German machines.
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That media specialists present programs that encourage national
industries, perfection and quality.

To manufacture medicine in our countries; this way we stop

importing pharmaceuticals which destroy our health, kill our youth and
cause abortion or sterility in women.

To locally manufacture veterinary medicines.

3.

Strategies for industry:

To stop exporting raw materials. We export raw materials for meagre

amounts of money and import them as products for thousands of dollars.
There is a brilliant practice in Malaysia. Malaysia is rich in forests; people
there used to cut the wood and export it as a raw material for a few cents,
but in the beginning of the age of revival in Malaysia they started to export
products made of wood. As a result, the price of the exported product
increased 16 fold. There are many examples of this in the Arab world. In
Egypt for instance, they export sand for 12 dollars per ton, then they
import it in the form of different products like bottles, TV screens, vases
and antiques whose prices exceed a thousand dollars. Also, the perfumes;
we import perfumes, especially the gulf area, for about 550 million dollars.
These perfumes are actually made of resources mainly from our
countries. The Jasmine paste, for instance, is imported from Egypt and the
roses of al-Taef, which is a very superior kind of rose, from Saudi Arabia.
Then these perfumes come back to us and we buy the bottle for 50 dollars.

To have a yearly prize sponsored by a large businessman or a country

for the best industrial invention in the Arab world.

To avoid power waste in factories. This can be controlled by not

issuing new factory licenses before making sure that the power in all the
other factories has been fully used up.

Waste recycling. One of the members of the forum said that we

import thousands of tons of paper for millions of dollars instead of
recycling paper waste. Newspapers, for instance, can be repressed,
whitened and re-used. In our countries we use paper waste as egg cartons,
despite the fact that the revenue would be higher if it were turned into
paper.

To locally produce all our defence requirements.

To reinstate the concept of the productive family, to make homemade jams, pies, and yoghurt. Now, homes do not produce anything and
everything is bought ready made from the supermarket. In China, for
instance, the cars pass by peoples homes and give them the materials for
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making toys. The whole family participates in making toys from these
materials. Then the car passes by, the following day, to collect the toys
after they have been made. This strengthens family ties and saves
manufacturing and transportation costs.

The Pound or Dinar project; this entails setting up a project in

each country in which all people are shareholders. Take for instance,
people buying the companies offered for privatization and developing
them instead of allowing them to be bought by foreigners.

Every businessman would build a training centre for his industry.

These training centres would mainly be for unemployed youth, where
they would be trained in various crafts, instead of remaining idle without
work. If every businessman were to open a small training centre, call the
youth to start training and promise to employ the best trainees in his
factory, this would help them, as well as the society. Moreover, it would
contribute to solving the problem of unemployment.
Now you can visit the site www.amrkhaled.net to vote for the suggestions
in the field of industry so that we can identify the projects that should be
executed. Then we will be able to start executing our revival project.
However, this week, we have a preliminary project, namely the
elimination of computer and internet illiteracy for 10,000 people, and
inshallah (Allah willing) we will exceed this number.
Regarding the internet, unfortunately, about 90% of the internet users in
our countries use it to sin and to browse unethical sites. We will not be
able to achieve any progress if this persists. We will start this project from
this program, to learn with a background full of faith and sincerity to
Allah. Those of you, who will learn, promise that you will not use the
internet except in obeying Allah (SWT) and for the renaissance of our
countries. Take upon yourself a pledge, that if you participate in this
project as a tutor or a trainee, you will avoid surfing unethical sites; we
need this project to stay pure and clean. Come on men, women and
children, start working on this project. Vote for the dreams and I will see
you in peace next week, Allah willing. Peace and blessings of Allah be
upon you all.

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Episode 27: Important aspects in the march of

Sunaa al-Hayah
We continue with our program. In this new episode, we would like to
establish certain points and agree on certain aspects, so that we may
continue together with our projects and ideas for Making Life.
The first point that I want to talk about is the difference between the
Quran revealed in Makkah and that revealed in Madinah. Some of you
might wonder about the relevance of such a question to our program. We
will see now that the relation is indeed very strong. If we look at the
Makkan Quran, we see that it was revealed in short sentences; it touches
the heart and depicts the topics of Jannah (Paradise), hellfire, the Day of
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Judgment and the great ability of Allah. The stories depicted in the
Makkan Quran deeply touch our hearts like Surat Yusuf, Surat Hud and
all the other Surahs.
The Quran revealed in Madinah, on the other hand, consists of long
sentences and contains laws, rules and all the other matters related to
issues like; divorce, marriage, inheritance, etc.
Let us see some of the Makkan ayahs, like Surat al-Haqqah. Allah says
what can be translated as, Then as for him who will be given his
Record in his right hand will say, "Here! Read my Record! Surely, I
did believe that I shall meet my Account!" So he shall be in a life,
well-pleasing. In a lofty Paradise, The fruits in bunches whereof will
be low and near at hand. Eat and drink at ease for that which you
have sent on before you in days past! But as for him who will be given
his Record in his left hand, will say, "I wish that I had not been given
my Record! And that I had never known how my Account is! Would
that it had been my end (death)! My wealth has not availed me; My
power (and arguments to defend myself) have gone from me!" (It will
be said), "Seize him and fetter him. (TMQ, 29: 19-30)[1].
As for the Quran revealed in Madinah, Allah says what can be translated
as, And if he has divorced her (the third time), then she is not lawful
unto him thereafter until she has married another husband. Then, if
the other husband divorces her, it is no sin on both of them that they
reunite, provided they feel that they can keep the limits ordained by
Allah. These are the limits of Allah, which He makes plain for the
people who have knowledge. (TMQ, 2:230). The following ayah was
revealed in Makkah where Allah says what can be translated as, And the
stupor of death will come in truth, "This is what you have been
avoiding!" (TMQ, 50:19).
This one was revealed in Madinah, where Allah says what can be
translated as, Allah commands you as regards your childrens
(inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females; if
(there are) only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of
the inheritance; if only one, her share is a half. (TMQ, 4:11).
I wanted to show you how touching the Makkan Quran is, how it moves
us of all to tears and how it stirs our emotions while praying; but would
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Islam be complete with the Makkan Qur'an alone or was it necessary for it
to include the Qur'an revealed in Madinah as well? Was it enough for
Islam, that magnificent system that encompasses all aspects of life, to
touch our hearts and tell us exciting and moving stories? By no means, it
was also necessary to include the Qur'an revealed in Madinah, to organize
our lives and revive our Muslim nation. Do you realize this larger notion?
Let us imagine something very beautiful. Imagine a companion who
started with the Prophet (SAWS[2]) in Makkah and the Makkan Quran
was the first thing he heard. He was so touched and moved to tears. After
going to Madinah, he saw that the ayahs were different; all of them were
about laws that were difficult for even some of the Sahabas (companions)
to comprehend. The topics were really hard and intense. This companion,
didnt go to the Prophet (SAWS) to complain that he couldnt understand
them, because he realized that in order for this religion to be established, it
must have it all; laws, details, rules, what we are required to do, hand in
hand with the heart-touching aspects. I just wanted to let you all
understand, by that example, the perspective from which we are working
in our program.
The best kind of worship at any time is that which pleases Allah (SWT) at
that particular time.
While Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA) ruled as the Emir of Believers for ten
years. He laid all the foundations for the Muslims, starting with the
principals and system of the new nation. Omar (RA) had exceptional
foresight, he established Diwans (ministries), paved the roads, and placed
all the required details for the nation to stand on its feet, Jihad, conquests,
virtually everything. We never heard of a companion going to Omar (RA)
and saying, Youve changed things; we only want to listen to the heartmoving ayahs. However, if Omar (RA) had not done all that, how could
we have come to exist, or see the Muslims lead all the nations in their
prime?
If you like something and want it so much then it is easy for you to simply
choose it for yourself, yet, Islam cannot be built on just that! There are
many other things that you do not understand; other things that would
require effort from you to be able to grasp and there are things that move
your heart and stir your feelings.
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Ibnul-Qayem al-Juziah said, The best kind of worship is for you to

worship Allah all the time in the manner that would please Him at that
particular time.

Before dawn, the best kind of worship would be praying in

submission to Allah (SWT).
During the call to prayer, the best kind of worship is not to pray, but
to repeat after the caller.

In the end, Ibnul-Qayem reaches the conclusion that at the times when
nations are lost, falling apart and everybody is so far from Allah (SWT),
the best kind of worship would be to help people to revive their faith. This
would be even better than reading the Quran, but we have to bear in mind
that maintaining the times of our obligatory prayers comes before anything
else; this is at the top of our priorities.
Ibnul-Qayem said, The best worship at the time of peoples ignorance,
neglect of science and inability to grasp the world, is to educate and teach
them. Therefore, this is exactly what our project for overcoming
computer illiteracy strives to achieve. This may be the best kind of
worship for our time, because this is the age of computers and technology.
Therefore, the best kind of worship is to worship Allah (SWT) in the
manner that Allah (SWT) seeks from you at that particular time. IbnulQayem goes on saying, He who worships Allah that way is indeed the
sincere servant, because he worships Allah the way Allah seeks of him, not
the way that suits him most. Therefore, his manner of worship does not
take a specific fixed form, but he worships Allah all the time in whatever
way that pleases Allah at that time.
Some of us do not feel close to Allah (SWT) except by praying two
rakaas (one unit of the prayer). Others do not feel close except by praying
two rakaas and educating someone with the intention of reviving the
nation. Someone else might seek to revive the people and the nation, and
that makes him feel close to Allah (SWT), because this, too, is a type of
worship.
Another important point is highlighted in an ayah that we all hear in the
Quran while saying to ourselves that inshallah (Allah willing) we will be
one of those. Allah says in many parts of the Quran what can be
translated as, those who believe and do righteous good deeds. Do you
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understand what this ayah says? I will tell you something very
interesting. Do you know that every machine that has inputs must have
outputs; like the computer for instance. Therefore, anything in the world is
just like that, even the human being. Salat (prayer), fasting, Hajj
(pilgrimage), Umrah (minor pilgrimage) and Hijab (the veil), what are all
of these, inputs or outputs? Any type of worship is an input, so what are
the outputs?
I will give you some examples of those who do righteous good deeds.
Let us say that you are religious, do your prayers, pray Fajr (dawn prayer)
on time and wear the Hijab, but what do you do for your society? Is the
Hijab the end or the beginning? Is the Hajj the end or the beginning? The
same goes for Ramadan and fasting; where is your output? If you do not
give any output then the society has benefited nothing from having you in
it.

What is the definition of, those who do righteous good deeds?

Allah (SWT) never gave a definition, He left it open to suit every time and
age. Each society would then define them according to the needs of that
time. However, Allah (SWT) defined Iman (faith) as believing in Allah,
His Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers and the Day of Judgment.
Therefore, it is actually you who should be responsible for defining what
these righteous good deeds should be and for determining how badly we
need them for our revival.
The pioneers are the dearest to Allah (SWT):
I will tell you another meaning that is very important. When the nation is
lost and when we have hit rock bottom, the only direction that we can
move to is upwards. In that case, the dearest to Allah (SWT) would be
those who would lead the way and take the first initiative. Some others
will not do anything, thinking that there is no use; they will even
demoralize those who take the initiative.
Are we going to just close our eyes to what is going on around us and die
the way we are? Every age has its set of ideas that propel the people, and
every 100 years a new idea emerges and the people get trapped within this
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idea, forgetting that there could be other better ideas, until the pioneers
come, inshallah we will be among them, declare their refusal to all this.
Of course, others would laugh at them and doubt their success; however,
these pioneers are the dearest to Allah.
I will give you an example of the warriors in the Battle of Badr. The
Prophet (SAWS) said about them, Who knows, perhaps Allah has already
looked at the Badr warriors and said, Do whatever you like, for I have
forgiven you. (Al-Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 251). Can you
imagine their thawab (reward)? Read this Hadith, Jibril (AS) (Gabriel)
came to the Prophet (SAWS) and said, How do you look upon the warriors
of Badr among yourselves? The Prophet (SAWS) said, As the best of the
Muslims, or a similar statement. On that, Jibril (AS) said, And so are the
Angels who participated in the Battle of Badr. (Al-Buhkari: Volume 5,
Book 59, Number 327) Do you now realize the size of thawab I am
talking about?
The Prophet (SAWS) met with Dhul-Jawshan after the Battle of Badr, and
the latter was still a disbeliever. He asked him, Dhul-Jawshan, would you
like to be among the pioneers? However, Dhul-Jawshan replied, No;
The typical reply of many of those living at this time, right? I am asking
you all, who are watching me now, would you like to be among the
pioneers? The Prophet (SAWS) was trying to introduce Islam to DhulJawshan and to fill him with enthusiasm, yet Dhul-Jawshan replied, Ill
wait and see, if you become victorious Ill follow you and if my people
defeat you, then I will have lost nothing.
The Prophet (SAWS) has always told us, Dont be a minion. When
asked what he meant by that, he replied, To be a minion is to do good
when everybody does good and to do evil when everybody does it.
Instead you should be steadfast, do the good when everybody does it but if
they do evil then dont harm others. Dhul-Jawshan did not take the
Prophets offer and refused to be a pioneer.
The days went by and the Prophet (SAWS) emerged victorious and
returned to Makkah; thousands came to swear their allegiance to him.
Among them came Dhul-Jawshan, so the Prophet (SAWS) looked at him
with a sad, yet angry smile on his face and said, Now you come, after so
many others have made it! Dhul-Jawshan lowered his head in shame and
declared his Shahadah (declaration of faith). This is the story and it ends
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with this sentence, Dhul-Jawshan used to bite his fingertips in bitterness

for not being a pioneer. What do you say? Would you like to be among
the pioneers?
Patience and resolve:
Right now, we know that the Olympiad is taking place. There is a great
difference between a long-distance runner and a sprinter. If you ask a
sprinter to participate in a long-distance race, he will never be able to
continue the race if he maintains the same techniques he has been using in
sprinting. The road to revival is long; we need those who can run long
distances. We need those who can read the Quran properly. If you are a
good reader of the Quran, you will understand this example because it
was depicted by the Quran, not only in the ayahs but also in the stories of
the Quran and in many Surahs.

Do you know how many times the word patience was mentioned in
the Makkan Quran? More than 90 times, they needed patience in
Makkah.
The story of Yusuf (AS) (Joseph); he was patient for more than 40
years.
The story of Nuh (AS) (Noah); he was patient for 950 years.
The story of Yunus (AS) (Jonah); he was not so patient and the
result: he was swallowed by a whale.

Allah (SWT) created the universe in six days and we all know the divine
omnipotence of Allah; He says what can be translated as, be and it is. If
you read the Quran you will see that creation occurred in stages: the
heavens, the earth etc. until the creation of Adam (AS). Even Adam (AS)
was created in stages. Why six days, why didnt Allah create everything
instantaneously? Allah wanted to teach us that this universe has its rules
and laws; it has its own progressive system.
When you read the stories of Prophets from the Quran you will notice
something very strange. The last ayah always talks about patience. Allah
says what can be translated as, Such are some of the stories of the
Unseen, which We have revealed unto thee: before this, neither thou
nor thy People knew them. So persevere patiently: for the End is for
those who are righteous. (TMQ, 11:49). Also, in the story of Nuh
(AS), Allah says what can be translated as, It was revealed to Nuh!
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None of thy People will believe except those who have believed
already! so grieve no longer over their (evil) deeds. (TMQ, 11:36).
Hence, no more of his people would believe after that. Does that mean
that it was the end? No, Allah (SWT) ordered Nuh (AS) with what can be
translated as, But construct an Ark under Our eyes and Our
inspiration (TMQ, 11:37). How long would constructing an Ark in the
desert take? First, you would have to wait for the rain to fall so that you
scatter the seeds, then you would tend for the seeds until they grow into
trees, then you cut these trees and use them. The wood used must be very
strong and you would need a great deal of it because you need a huge Ark,
big enough to carry pairs of everything.
After finishing all that, Nuh (AS) had to wait for the day when all the
disbelievers would be doomed so that he and the believers could mount the
Ark. Scientists say that this interval lasted about 300 years. From the time
where Allah says what can be translated as, None of thy People will
believe except those who have believed already, (TMQ, 11:36) until
the large flood. Why such a long interval? Was it all settled long before
Allah (SWT) told Nuh (AS) that none of his people would believe? This
interval was for the believers, they had confidence in Allah (SWT) that
they would emerge victorious. They built the Ark and despite all the
insults and snickering to which they were subjected to, they built it. Nuh
(AS) trusted Allah (SWT) greatly; he was resolute to the point that made
him plant the desert with trees, despite the fact that he had only sixty
followers.
Persistence:
How can you be persistent? Through reciting the Quran, performing
Qiyam (night prayer) and supplication. All these can teach you persistence
and resolution.
The role of women in the revival and allowing the discussion of
various viewpoints
The last episode was about the role of women and it brought many
reactions. I said that women were unjustly wronged in the Arab world, as
well as in the Islamic nations and that we refuse this injustice and will do
our best to lift it. We will not stop until we know how to, because women
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are indeed wronged and this wrong is attributed to Islam. Islam is

innocent of all these claims. The issue has created many reactions.
I wanted us to hold an open discussion to talk with one another because
this revival will not take place at the hands of one group or one sect; this
revival is for our nation. It is not only for the religious persons, but it is
for the whole society in our countries. This is how I see it and this is how
women have to be a part of it. Women are a part of our society and hence
the least they deserve is for us to hold these open discussions and listen to
one another. No revival will take place if we keep fighting, squabbling
and disagreeing. That way, we will only waste our energy at the time
when we need every bit of it for our revival. The aim behind holding a
civilized discussion is to bring us together. Do you remember at the
beginning when we said that we are boarding an airplane? Do you
remember when we said that this plane's engines should be at maximum
power to reach take-off speed? The engines that propel us are the women,
yet how much is their contribution? At most 1ten percent. That was why I
saw that it was important to discuss women's affairs. If I ask you now
about the capacity at which these engines are working, I highly doubt as to
whether any of you would tell me that they are using more than 30% of
their overall capacity. I repeat, we have four domains in which women
have been wronged:
1. Violence against women: fidelity crimes in which women are killed
without punishing the killers, molestation, humiliation and beating.
All this has to change.
2. Their financial rights: some are deprived from their rightful
inheritance, sometimes deprived from their divorce allowance, they
are humiliated by their husbands and sometimes the woman is the
sole family breadwinner; then we complain that sin and corruption
spread in society. In a family, girls are not even treated equally like
their brothers with regard to allowances and gifts.
3. Their political rights: sometimes they are denied the right to vote
or prevented from holding political posts.
4. Their social rights: they are deprived of their right to move about
freely, drive a car, have an appropriate place for prayer at the
mosque or have free will in choosing their husbands.
We need to change all this. Therefore, because I am sure that there are
many varied views among us, I have dedicated a whole page on the
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website, for all of you to discuss how we could help women and lift the
injustice against them. Everybody can share his or her view. We want
men of religion, men of law and specialists to help us. Occasionally, I will
present to you what has been suggested. This topic is very vital to the
issue of revival, so we are not just raising banners here.
Do you remember when we sent the clothes to the Dar Fur province in
Sudan four months ago? Before that, nobody knew much about Dar Fur,
yet we saw that we should have a role there. What I am telling you now, is
that the clothes have already arrived in Dar Fur and will be distributed this
week. You will watch that in the next episode; you will watch a film
showing the clothes being distributed. I am telling you all this because I
want you to grasp the whole perspective.
The issue is not simply just about Dar Fur, it also has a great deal to do
with the revival of our countries. Todays episode will be totally dedicated
to tackling certain aspects related to our revival, and all these aspects are
connected to each other. Allah (SWT) created mankind in different forms
and races; not all of us are the same. There are different races: black,
white and yellow. There is a divine wisdom behind all this. Allah says
what can be translated as, O mankind! We created you from a single
(pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes,
that ye may know each other. (TMQ, 49:13). Allah (SWT) also says
what can be translated as, ...We have made some of you as a trial for
others: will ye have patience? (TMQ, 25:20). This is Allahs wisdom
that belies our varied races. Allah (SWT) seeks to see how we will interact
with one other and that was why we were created nations and tribes.
Then the Prophet (SAWS) came and set the principle of coexistence by
saying, An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab except in the degree
of Taqwa (righteousness). The Prophet (SAWS) also said, People are all
equal, like the teeth of a comb.
When the Prophet (SAWS) saw a group of al-Ansar, Aws and Khazradjh
tribes preparing their swords to fight, he said, Are you back to your
jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) while Im still among you? Set these attitudes
aside, they are obscene. He always used the word jahiliyyah.
The Prophet (SAWS) also used to say about Salman al-Farsy (who was
actually from Persia), Salman is one of Ahlul-Bayt (my family).
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Unfortunately, humanity has been afflicted with great deterioration and

nobody exerts any tangible effort towards the issue of bringing races
together. We have all heard about what happened in Bosnia, Rwanda and
Kashmir. Millions died and humanity is shamed by such deeds. Allah
(SWT) has created man to be his vicegerent on earth, yet see what we are
doing to one another, killing and annihilating! We see beasts and
cannibals devouring one another and we watch with amazement
wondering how they do it, yet what we are doing is far worse. It is indeed
a great shame how killing has spread amongst us and we ought to interfere
to remedy this situation. At least in our countries, we should not allow
ethnic conflicts. The reason, quite simply, is that the enemies of Islam use
this issue to cause strife among us and ruin our revival. They ignite the
fire of conflict between our various races driving us to kill one another.
There are two races in Dar Fur, Arabs and Negroes (Arabs, originating
from Arab countries and Negroes originating from Africa). According to
the news spread by the news agencies, international newspapers and
international media, the Arabs are slaughtering the Negroes but we do not
know what the truth is. I am now talking to the Life Makers who want to
revive our nation. I am telling you that this particular issue is very vital
and there are fears that it could reach us, so be on your guard. I am talking
to the youth now, be on your guard and try to stop any such conflicts. The
international newspapers are spreading news about the slaughtering taking
place there and Amnesty International says that there are about one million
homeless who have fled to Chad. Thousands of homes were burned down
and thousands of Negroes were killed. They say that the Sudanese
government denied all these claims and that it never moved a finger to get
these races back together. All this said, we do not really know whether it
is true or not; we can never tell since our media is not that powerful. The
Western media, on the other hand, is very powerful but we do not trust it.
Nevertheless, with our ignorance of the truth, we can still do three things.
Our duty towards Dar Fur:
1.
Rescuing the homeless, if any. With regard to that particular point,
we have taken action and sent them the clothes we collected; they will be
distributed next week. As I said, you will share these moments with us in
the next episode. We sent a representative on behalf of Sunaa al-Hayah to
assist the Sunaa al-Hayah Association in Sudan to deliver the clothes.
Whoever can rescue the homeless, please take the initiative and start now.
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2.
Supplication: that Muslims and Muslim nations become united.
There are many other areas subject to the same threat.
3.
Beware never to take a part in such strife or even help in igniting
it. When Othman Ibn-Affan (RA) was killed, one of the companions came
out crying and saying, I swear by Allah never again to be a tool in
shedding the blood of anyone after Othman. People asked him, Did you
take part in killing Othman? I saw them backbiting and gossiping, so I
helped by spreading such talk, he replied. Strife has to be stopped if
theres any hope for our revival. This meaning is very important,
especially for the coming years.
Overcoming computer illiteracy:
I have spoken about so many aspects today. The last one is related to our
project and the project of this era. We want to give it the best we can. It is
the project promoting computer literacy. Women are our main target in
this project, especially housewives, then children, school students and
particularly university students. It is a shame for university students to be
ignorant of computer and internet usage. These are our target groups.
Some of you might ask why we gave so much attention to this project.
Why did I speak about it that much and why did I pose it as the first task
we should start with? Let me explain in more detail. In any age, nations
and countries are usually classified according to the most prominent aspect
at that age. If for instance we say that this is the age of agriculture, nations
will be classified from best to worst, based on their expertise in
agriculture. The same applies to other ages; the age of industry, translation
etc. The present age is the age of technology and science, so whoever
excels in them is classified at the top. We should never forget that we have
our own beliefs and our Islam of which we are so proud of; we should not
forsake it and we will never achieve our revival without it. However, you
also have to use the tool of the age that you are living in. What would the
first step be in the age of knowledge? Computers and the internet; so are
we serious about our revival? It is not a matter of supplication only, we
also have to work. Why should women particularly be familiar with the
use of computers and the internet? Because they constitute 50% of
society, so if they excel in the use of computers and the internet, the world
will change; women will cause the future generations to develop the way
they think. If women learn the use of computers, at least their sons will
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not be able to fool them by pretending to be studying, instead of visiting

illicit websites on the internet.
I am telling you all this to make things clearer. Therefore, if we want to
achieve our revival, our portal is the computer and the internet. In the first
stage, we spoke about our resources and how to save and make use of
them. Last week we asked the youth who were able to train others on the
computer and the internet to seek our help to train people. We asked them
to visit a page on our website and register their names there. Do you know
how many people visited that particular page last week? Eleven thousand;
I was only asking for 10,000! Thus, this time I will not ask you for any
numbers, I will just tell you that we want to overcome computer illiteracy.
Every one of us will be responsible for himself. We are either trainers or
trainees. If you have any idea about the computer, then start right away
and see how many you could train. If you do not know how to train others
go to the website (www.amrkhaled.net) and participate in the course that
will be held, this week and the next, to teach you how to train others.
I will tell you about a story from the Quran that will be of much use in
our computer and internet courses. The story is about how to have a
strong determination to learn and the qualities that you must possess. If
you possess these qualities, they will assist you in what is ahead. The
story is from Surat al-Kahf (the Cave) and it takes place between Musa
(AS) and al-Khedr (RA). Musa (AS) was asked, Who is the most learned
man alive? and he replied, It is I. Allah inspired him that he was not
the most learned man alive, but that there was in fact someone else more
learned than him. Musa (AS) could not stay put and Allah (SWT) never
commanded him to go and seek that person, but Musa (AS) asked Allah
(SWT) to guide him to the individual. There is an important question that
poses itself here, was it worldly knowledge or a religious knowledge? The
reply is that it was a worldly knowledge. It was about how Allah runs the
earth and the universe. The Khedr (RA) did not teach Musa (AS) any
religious knowledge, he taught him about the world and the ways of Allah
(SWT). On the other hand, Allah (SWT) did not indicate to Musa (AS) the
place of al-Khedr (RA), He just gave him a sign about his location. I am
sure you all know the story. Why did Allah give him the sign of junction
of the two seas instead of telling him exactly where to find him? It was
because Allah wanted to teach us, that in order to learn, we have to exert
an effort. These following four factors, which were depicted in Surat alKahf, can make you the best learner on earth. I am giving these four
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factors to all those who want to learn, I also give them to all those who do
not want to learn:
Factor One: Determination and Insistence on learning
Allah says (about Musa (AS) saying) what can be translated as, "I will
not give up (traveling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or
(until) I spend years and years in traveling." (TMQ, 18:60). The word
years here means that he was ready to spend decades walking.
I was greatly touched by an elderly lady who told me that shes over fifty
and that her sons tried to teach her how to use the computer more than
once before, but she used to refuse. This time, she said, I wont budge
from in front of the computer until Ive learned how to use it. I was so
happy with what she said.
Back to Musa (AS), Allah says (about Musa (AS) telling his boy servant)
what can be translated as, I will not give up (traveling) until I reach
the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in
traveling. (TMQ, 18:60). He meant that he would not rest until he finds
al-Khedr (RA). We want to teach these meanings to our children. As I said
before, revival will not be achieved only through praying and fasting, but
through hard work. That is why Prophet Musa (AS) was who he was. He
walked; he got tired, as in the ayah where Allah says what can be
translated as, truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our
journey. (TMQ, 18:62). Despite all this, he still insisted on reaching his
target.
Factor Two: Never being Arrogant and Displaying Modesty in
Knowledge
When he met al-Khedr (RA), he asked him as Allah says what can be
translated as, May I follow you so that you teach me something of that
knowledge? (TMQ, 18:66). We also have to get rid of our shyness. You
can ask your daughter to teach you and the teacher can ask his student to
teach him. Even the university professor can ask his student to teach him.
Factor Three: Patience
Al-Khedr (RA) said to Musa (AS), Verily you will not be able to have
patience with me. (TMQ, 18:67). Musa (AS) replied, If Allah wills,
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you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught. (TMQ,
18:69).
Factor Four: Never Ceasing to Learn
Keep seeking to learn. Musa (AS) was never satisfied with being the
worlds most knowledgeable person. When he found someone who knew
more, he sought him out to learn from him.
With these four factors mentioned in the Quran, when placed into practice
we can revive the whole nation. What more do we need: determination
and insistence, humility, modesty, patience and never giving up? All these
four factors are in Surat al-Kahf. Allah (SWT) is giving us the keys, I am
talking to you, nation of Muhammad (SAWS), our Quran is so precious,
but you have to read it carefully.
We will help you through our website. If you have your own PC, we will
tell you how to teach others. A program will also start on Iqra channel,
very soon, specially aimed at teaching you the use of computers. You
must have your own PC in front of you but I do not want you to just
depend on the program. I want us all to share the project The Portal to
Revival. This is what I have called it. We all want to teach one another
and I will not set any numbers this time, I want you to surprise us by the
thousands you will teach.
One thing that I want to say to all parents is if you want to save your
children from the hazards of the illicit websites, you have to learn the use
of computers and the internet. That is the only way they will not be able to
fool you, because you will know all about what they are doing.
Another thing for the youth, do you see how a great number of you are
wasting their times in the streets committing sins? Instead of just telling
them that this is haram (forbidden in Islam) and making them avoid you,
why dont you help them out? Try to teach them to use the computer to
keep them busy, instead of just blaming them.
I am also asking the computer companies; if they have old PCs, give them
away to charity to help others. I was so touched by a computer company
in Libya, that is offering the services of an internet caf, because they have
sent to us saying that they decided to dedicate one day per week for
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anyone coming on behalf of Sunaa al-Hayah to learn to use computers,

and they will offer to teach them for free. The owner of the company will
give up a whole days income to teach others. Why dont we all take part
in this? Why dont we give up our old PCs? This company from Libya
has really touched us all, but there are many other ways. Like what the
youth in Damanhour did. The Sunaa al-Hayah Club together with a
legally formed association started to allocate places in mosques to teach
the youth. They brought them PCs and they already started the lessons.
Others came and gave them PCs for their lessons. Believe me this is all a
running Sadaka (charity) that will support you in your grave.
Another thing also, banks can help by offering payment through
installments. This has already happened in Egypt, when the Egyptian
Ministry of Communication offered these terms with the collaboration of
some bank and they helped many people buy their own PCs. We can
implement the same idea in other banks and companies. In 2003, 65,000
PCs were sold that way, in Egypt.
The last thing I want to remind you of in this episode is the votes. The
votes are still proceeding properly, but we need to get more and more of
them. See you next week, Allah willing, and peace and blessings of Allah
be upon you all .

Episode 28: Culture, Art, Media and Making Life

Every week, in each episode, we choose to elaborate on one field for
revival. Up until now, we have discussed six fields. We are still
presenting them and seeing how things are evolving in each field. We are
also continuing to receive comments and suggestions from people
concerning these fields. We started with projects like Promoting
Computer and Internet Literacy. We would like to confirm here that these
projects are the gates that will enable us to implement the grand projects
related to the revival of our nation. We have previously discussed the
fields of agriculture, industry, scientific research, education, and women.
We will continue for the next coming episodes to discuss the opinions and
suggestions of people concerning these fields and their importance.
As for today, we will deal with the most important and crucial field.
However, before discussing this field in detail, I would like to update you
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on the development of the Overcoming Computer Illiteracy Project

which started two weeks ago, and inform you on who has participated
(people, youth, etc.) in implementing the project.
One of the most beautiful things that really made my day was that in the
Arab countries, a large number of Internet Cafs, after hearing about this
project, have offered to dedicate half a day per week for free to anyone
interested in learning. It is clear that goodness still exists in peoples
hearts. They have already sent us the addresses of these Internet Cafs.
One of the owners sent me a letter saying that in solidarity with the Life
Makers program, he is honoured to be with us, and so he has reserved
twenty-two computers, two hours daily for anyone interested in learning.
He also requested not to mention his name because he is doing it for the
sake of Allah (SWT), and would like to be rewarded only by Him. Then he
mentioned the address of the Internet Caf.
Another beautiful thing happened. Three days ago, the owner of a
management systems centre in Syria bought a place in the capital
Damascus large enough for 500 persons and equipped it with computers.
Though the company headquarters is not in the capital, yet he bought this
place there in order to give everyone the opportunity to learn how to use a
computer for free. He only wants to be rewarded from Allah.
Moreover, the Life Makers team of Syria exerted their best efforts in this
field. The Life Makers team of Jordan sent us their addresses so that
anyone interested in learning can contact them. The Life Makers team of
Egypt have made 280 computers available, as well as 54 voluntary
trainers. In addition, they have made arrangements with 32 Internet Cafs
to teach the youth across the country.
The mosques in many of our countries have started giving computer
training courses, as well as those already given by the Life Makers teams
in Giza and Damanhur.
After presenting the results of this project, let us go back to discuss the
field of today.
Culture, Art and Media (together as one category)

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In the previous fields, I always started by presenting the dreams and

suggestions sent by people in each one of them. Today, I cannot do the
same thing. The dreams and the suggestions that came concerning our
subject today were very weak. I think that there are three reasons behind
this:
1. Many people do not think that this subject is important and believe
that the fields of culture and arts have no value.
2. People do not have a clear vision about this subject and are not
aware of its dangerous consequences to society.
3. People are only interested in the fields of agriculture, industry etc.
In my opinion, this is the most dangerous field of the 23 fields that we will
talk about. Why is the field of culture, arts and media the most dangerous
field? Before explaining and answering this question, let us begin with a
definition.
What is the definition of culture?
If we were talking about agriculture or industry, we would not need to
define them; however culture needs to be defined. The culture of a given
nation is an amalgamation (combination or union) of its beliefs,
knowledge, ideas, values, arts, habits, traditions, life styles and role
models of prominent social personalities. All these become deeply rooted
in people's feeling. This combination controls people's behaviour in each
and every aspect of life. It controls their behaviour in political, social,
economic and familial aspects.
The definition is very broad, and it includes all aspects of our life. Do you
now realize the impact of culture upon everything else? It probably seems
like a difficult subject, so I will try to make it simpler. Do you know the
meaning of culture? It is the distinguishing feature of a nation (probably
this word is more difficult). If you want to know who I am, take a look at
my features. You can find out who I am from my features, cant you?
Would you like to recognize a certain nation and know its features? Then
look at its arts and culture (is it clearer now?); also look at its media. I
believe that the meaning is clear now.
What are the features of our nation today or doesn't it have any?
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Do you know now what the word culture means, and the word arts?
They mean characteristics and features. Look in the mirror and you will
recognize your features. If our nation looked in the mirror, it would
recognize its characteristics. Our mirror is our culture. This is a very
dangerous word. Its meaning is also very dangerous. I will explain
further. If you were to look in the mirror and see your features one day,
and then you were to wake up the following day to find that you cannot
see your features, what would happen to you? You would probably lose
your mind and wonder: where did my features disappear? That is why I
am calling out loud today and saying that culture represents your features,
and arts represent the features of your nation. Do you get the big picture?
Do you realize what culture means? Can you comprehend how dangerous
this field is?
Let us assume that you have understood this meaning. Who is the target
audience for this episode? It is addressed to the intellectuals in the Arab
world, to people who guide the culture in the Arab world, to artists in the
Arab world, and especially to the young artists who represent the future
generation. We asked you before to visualize your country after 20 years;
these young artists will become artists after 20 years. We have to talk to
them and ask them to take the responsibility of drawing the features of our
nation. We also have to talk to the talented young men who are afraid to
work in the fields of arts and culture because they think they are haram
(forbidden in Islam). I plead with them to enter these fields because they
are the ones who will draw the features of our nation. We ask them to
draw our real features without any ornaments; don't try to beautify them
because this way you will transform our original features into features that
do not belong to us.
Therefore, I am addressing the young artists; they are the target audience
for this episode. I hope they are watching. I am also asking our viewers to
convey my message to artists and young artists; to the talented youth in the
Arab world. They will be the ones responsible for drawing the features of
our nation. I plead with you to draw our features and not anyone else's
features; do not erase our features. I will elaborate on this subject and tell
you the resources of the Arab Worlds culture - I will go through them
quickly. After that, you will know for sure the source of our culture.
Culture means books, theatre, cinema, poetry, literature, novels, museums,
monuments, old manuscripts, paintings, sculpture, plastic arts, acting, and
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songs. Culture is an alliance of all these. Consequently, art is one part of

culture, and media (radio, TV, cinema or theatre) is the means by which
that culture is spread. Media, culture and art go together hand in hand.
Our characteristics must consist of all of these.
After defining culture, let us try to answer this question: what are the roots
of our culture? Our culture is acquired through our land, which is the land
of divine religion. Allah (SWT) distinguished this land by choosing all of
the Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran from it; our culture is derived
from the culture of our religion.
The Prophets Hud (AS), Saleh (AS), Ibrahim (AS) (Abraham), Musa (AS)
(Moses) and Isa (AS) (Jesus) were from this land. Our Prophet
Muhammad (SAWS[1]) was from this land. It is the land of religion, and
the one religion of Allah (SWT). He said to all His Prophets (peace upon
them all), Submit to Me alone. The fact that our culture is derived from
our religion does not cause shame or embarrassment, for our nation is a
very great nation. Did you know that, since the start of human civilization,
our land has been the cradle of all civilizations; it is the origin of all
civilizations: the Ancient Egyptian, Assyrian and Phoenician civilizations.
Then Islam came and assimilated all these civilizations, incorporated the
useful aspects and compiled everything in its crucible.
When the companion Amr Ibnul-Aas entered Egypt, he did not demolish
the Pyramids or the Sphinx. Allah (SWT) told us in the Holy Quran how
to benefit from these monuments, and how to learn from previous nations.
Islam accumulated all these cultures. The revival could not be achieved
without culture and arts. In fact, all revival fields must be preceded by
culture and arts.
In the field of education, for example, students work to obtain an academic
degree and high grades. The student is only interested in getting that
degree regardless of the means, which could be by cheating in exams or
taking useless private lessons. The important thing for the student is to
obtain that degree and hang it on the wall. This is one sort of tradition that
could devastate a whole society. Another example of the bad influence of
culture on society: there was once a play/drama that taught students how to
humiliate their teachers. Do you realize now how education is affected by
culture and how important it is for culture to precede education?
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Let me give you one more example. There are thousands of university
graduates, but where do these graduates go? They stay at home. Why?
Because their culture is based on obtaining a degree in order to be
respected in society and to be able to get married. The first question a
father asks a prospective bridegroom is often, Do you have an academic
degree? It is a shame to be an artist, even if you are a professional. This
is the culture of our society. Consequently, the starting point for
educational reform in our countries must be a change in our societys
culture.
As for the field of health, we find that many young men and women eat in
Western restaurants. As a result, they get ill, they also become infertile,
but they still eat in these restaurants and are happy with that culture. This
is one sort of culture. They represent the empty-headed youth who have
no value in life. Is this the culture of a nation? On the other hand, you
will find serious youth, but this is the culture of another nation. Culture
guides the society and affects all its fields, health, unemployment, etc and
impacts even their religious attitude. To think that being religious means
only to pray and fast, and to have nothing to do with life making and
success is another sort of culture.
Many religious people perform the Hajj (pilgrimage) every year. If you
suggest that they should instead use that money in scientific research, they
will disagree with you even if you told them that scientific research would
be of greater benefit for Muslims. This is also the culture of certain
people.
Therefore, there is a huge difference between culture and education. It is
possible that the best educated person, a university professor for example,
is not a cultured person. His knowledge is limited to his books, he knows
nothing about the facets of life, he is not capable of using his knowledge in
life, or fulfilling the needs of his country and Muslims. In other words, he
is not cultured. Also, a person could be pious but not intellectual. If you
try to speak with that person about things other than theological subjects,
you will discover that he does not know anything about life or about
Muslims' conditions. He has no plans for the revival of his country, and
apart from religion, he knows nothing.
The antonym of the word educated is illiterate or ignorant. The
antonym of the word intellectual is also illiterate, but it is a different
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kind of illiteracy that the Holy Quran talks about where Allah says what
can be translated as, "And there are among them (Jews) unlettered
people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires"
(TMQ, 2:78)[2]. They do know how to read but the Quran describes
them as illiterate because they do not benefit from their readings by
applying their knowledge in the aspects of life. This is the culture that I
am talking about. If this is the case, then how does Islam look at arts and
culture? Are these fields prohibited, inappropriate and forbidden? We will
answer all these questions and show you the beautiful point of view taken
by Islam towards these fields.
First, I would like to start by stating that Islam considered appreciating the
beauty of things as the basis of art. Hence, Islam raised the appreciation of
the beauty of all things inside us. The Holy Quran raised the beauty of
enjoying the perfection of the universe inside us. It gave us a wonderful
divine painting which allowed us to understand it and to feel its splendour;
this is the origin of culture and arts.
Listen to this ayah in which Allah speaks about cattle and which can be
translated as, And the cattle, He has created them for you; in them
there is warmth (warm clothing), and numerous benefits, and of them
you eat (TMQ, 16:5) (a material benefit), and "And wherein is beauty
for you, when you bring them home in the evening, and as you lead
them forth to pasture in the morning" (TMQ, 16:6). The ayah could
have mentioned only their material benefits, but Allah (SWT) wanted to
show us their aesthetic side in order to increase the Muslims' appreciation
of beauty.
In the following ayah, Allah (SWT) also speaks about beauty, it can be
translated as "And (He has created) horses, mules and donkeys, for you
to ride and as an adornment" (TMQ, 16:8). Moreover, listen to that
ayah where Allah (SWT) speaks about the sea and which can be translated
as, "And He it is Who has subjected the sea (to you), that you eat
thereof fresh tender meat (i.e. fish), and that you bring forth out of it
ornaments to wear" (TMQ, 16:14), and fruits "Eat of their fruit when
they ripen" (TMQ, 6:141), and in another ayah which can be translated
as "Look at their fruits when they begin to bear" (TMQ, 6:99). When
Allah (SWT) mentions the word eat, it means the material benefit, when
He says look, it drew our attention to the aesthetic side. Do you notice
how the Quran shows us the aesthetic form?
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Listen how Allah (SWT) describes the sky in what can be translated as,
"Have they not looked at the heaven above them, how We have made
it and adorned it, and there are no rifts in it?" (TMQ, 50:6) (i.e. do
you see how beautiful the sky is?). Listen to that ayah in which Allah
(SWT) talks about gardens and which can be translated as, "and sends
down for you water (rain) from the sky, whereby We cause to grow
wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight?" (TMQ, 27:60). Hence,
the Quran is increasing the appreciation of beauty in our hearts. The
Quran is thus the origin of art. The following ayahs draw our attention to
human beauty. Allah says what can be translated as, "O man! What has
made you careless about your Lord, the Most Generous? Who created
you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion" (TMQ,
82:6-7). Do we now see the aesthetic side of creation?
Listen also to these ayahs talking about the universe. Allah says what can
be translated as, "The Work of Allah, Who perfected all things" (TMQ,
27:88), "Who made everything He has created good." (TMQ, 32:7),
"The Originator of the heavens and the earth." (TMQ, 2:117). Do you
see how Allah (SWT) beautified this universe? Was it not possible for
Allah (SWT) to create the sky in black and white? Instead, He decorated it
with colours, and artists sensed that beauty and learned how to appreciate
it.
One day, the Prophet (SAWS) was passing by and heard Abu-Mussa alAsh'ari, who had a very beautiful voice, reciting ayahs of the holy Quran.
He stopped and listened to him. The next day, he met him and told him,
O Abu-Mussa, if only you knew how I enjoyed listening to you last night!
You have Dawud's (AS) (David) Psalms. Abu-Mussa replied, O
Messenger of Allah! If only I knew that you were listening, I would have
tried my hardest to enhance my recitation! The Prophet (SAWS) then
laughed.
Let me now tell you how the Prophet (SAWS) treated artists. Does this
word sound strange? As you know, poets are now considered artists.
If the Prophet (SAWS) knew that a poet (artist) was among a coming
convoy, he would give him a very special welcome and greeting. The
Prophet (SAWS) was well aware of the importance of culture and arts in
each society. The companion Abu-Bakr (RA) understood what the
Messenger of Allah (SAWS) wanted, for example, he told him once that
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Zuhair, the poet, was arriving with a convoy. The Prophet (SAWS) went to
that convoy and greeted them one after the other, and Abu-Bakr (RA) was
presenting each one of them to the Prophet (SAWS), until he got to Zuhair.
Abu-Bakr (RA) presented him to the Prophet (SAWS) who said in an
admiring tone, The poet! Zuhair commented on that incident by saying
that he was happier than he ever was, when the Prophet (SAWS) said, The
poet. Do you realize now how the Prophet (SAWS) treated Zuhair and
attracted him?
The poetry we are talking about here is the one that outlines features of the
nation and conveys its message, and not the poetry that disfigures the
nation's features. When the Islamic poet, Hassan, was defending the
nation's features, the Prophet (SAWS) told him, Go on, and may Jibril
(AS) (Gabriel) be with you. The Prophet (SAWS) never said that to any
other companion, even during battle. Instead, he said it to a companion
conveying the message of culture and arts. How could we say, after all
this evidence, that Islam does not encourage culture and arts?
I will tell you another example to clarify this matter. The Prophet (SAWS),
wanted to convey a very important idea to all Muslims. It was the most
important idea in Islam; what is the definition of Islam and what is the
definition of Iman (Faith)? This Hadith is very famous and we all know it.
What is Islam? Islam requires that you say, There is no god but Allah and
Muhammad is His Messenger, to perform the prescribed prayer, to pay
Zakat (the obligatory alms), to observe fasting in Ramadan and to perform
Hajj. What is Iman? It is to affirm your faith in Allah (SWT), His angels,
His Books, His Messengers and the Day of Judgment.
I will tell you an important Hadith in which you will see a very unusual
scene. It was narrated, One day while we were sitting with the
Messenger of Allah there appeared before us a man whose clothes were
exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of
journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him (everybody
was looking, the picture is very important. At present, media is the
equivalent of picture). He walked up and sat down by the Prophet, he
didn't greet any of the companions. Resting his knees against his and
placing the palms of his hands on his thighs (on the Prophet's thighs! What
a strange posture), he said, O Muhammad (he did not say Messenger of
Allah), tell me about Islam. The Messenger of Allah said, Islam is to
testify that there is no god but Allah (until the end of the phrase). He said,
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You have spoken rightly, and we were amazed at him asking him and
saying that he had spoken rightly. He said, Then tell me about Iman. He
said, It is to believe in Allah . He said, You have spoken rightly. He
said, Then tell me about Ihsan. The Prophet replied. Then He said, You
have spoken rightly. Then he took himself off and did not greet us.
What would you do if you were with them? You would have been
surprised by what you had just witnessed. The Prophet (SAWS) could have
ascended the minbar (an elevated platform used for preaching) and simply
told the companions what Islam and faith signify. The man left and all the
companions were astonished. The Prophet (SAWS) asked the companions,
Do you know who the questioner was? They said, Allah and His
Messenger know best. He said, He was Jibril, who came to you to teach
you your religion. Jibril (AS) came in human form. Why do you think all
this happened? It was to engrave the meaning in their hearts. Did you see
how Islam believed that a picture is more effective than speech? This is
one of the most fundamental Hadiths in our religion. Is there any stronger
evidence than that?
How did Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) enter Madinah? Was he not
welcomed with the known song Here rises the full-moon instead of the
Qur'an? In the Battle of Khaibar, the situation was very difficult and
complex and Prophet Muhammad's followers began to feel disappointed,
so the Prophet (SAWS) said, Sing us a song Ibn-Rawaha. Can you
imagine this! The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) wanted to encourage his
followers through art. Do you see all these models in Islam? Ibn-Rawaha
began to sing a poem:
Allah, it is you who guided us,
We pray and spend money for the sake of Allah,
So, please bless us with serenity,
And give us strength in war,
Tyrants oppressed us,
We will never surrender to them.
Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA) said, (talking to himself), What is this; this is
not a suitable time for poetry now (we are going to war). Omar (RA)
relates, I suddenly heard Prophet Muhammad repeating after Rawaha,
never, never, never, I was amazed, then I began to sing with them.

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In this way, art and culture are a central part of the rise of any nation.
Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) started with this point from the very
beginning, and after this, the Islamic culture followed Prophet
Muhammad's interest in art and culture. I want to shed a light on an
important point, which is the importance of the stand of the khatib (the
preacher of the Friday sermon) that is considered a perfect sign of
Muslims' interest in art and culture. This stand is a type of mass media,
through which the khatib addresses people who can see and listen to him.
Vision is important in Islam; it is important to see the information you are
receiving. Even comedy is an important factor in Islam. As Ibn-Hajar
mentioned in his book Al-Isaba (Accuracy), the Prophets companions
included a group who tended to laugh and specialized in comedy. They
devoted their attention to make the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) and his
other followers laugh when Madinah was going through hard times. They
wanted to refresh them to get ready for the wars and invasions in the
future. Even comedy was employed for the sake of Islam.
A companion of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), called Noayman, was
deeply interested in ways to make the Prophet (SAWS) happy. Once, he
saw a nomad, who had never seen Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) before,
selling honey. Noayman took him to the door of Prophet Muhammad's
house, and then bought a jar of honey. Noayman went to Prophet
Muhammad (SAWS) and said, I wanted to give you a present. I know that
you love honey so I bought you a jar. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was
so happy and thanked him. When Noayman got out, he said to the nomad,
Take your money from the man inside, and he left. The nomad knocked
on the door and the Prophet (SAWS) opened the door. He asked him for
the price of honey, but the Prophet (SAWS) was astonished and said, What
honey, this is a present. The nomad said, Oh, you are dwellers! Prophet
Muhammad (SAWS) said, Naughty Noayman, and gave the nomad the
price of the honey. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) then went to Noyaman
and asked him why he did that. Noayman replied, I knew that you love
honey, but I did not have the money for it, so I thought if I gave you the
honey, Allah would give you the money for it. This was Noayman's story,
but he did it with good intentions.
I just wanted to highlight that the Islamic culture after Prophet Muhammad
(SAWS) was interested in art too. However, I not only want to present the
extent to which Islam cares for that topic, but also I want to talk to you
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about the following point: I want gifted young artists to participate with us
in the project of Sunaa' al-Hayah, and in the project of progress. There will
be no rise of our nation or progress without you and your contribution;
your role, help and support is very important for the implementation of this
progress. We need you. Why should groups of Sunaa al-Hayah in all
Arabic countries be limited to youth from the faculties of Engineering,
Medicine, Commerce and Pharmacy? Where is the role of art institutions?
Where are the gifted youth of Sunaa al-Hayah in all fields of arts and
culture? Why are there no artists taking the responsibility for the message
of art and caring to participate with us?
After we discussed the Islamic view of art, now we need to know about the
status of art and culture in our countries nowadays. They are a cheap
imitation of the Western model. The video clip consists of a picture and
voice; the picture is Western yet the voice is ours. The problem with video
clips is not only the dissolute words and movements, but the biggest
problem is, in fact, the importation of something that has nothing to do
with our own culture. The picture is Western and the voice is ours, what
would the clip look like? It is useless and aimless. In that way, it is not art
that will exalt the soul; it is directed to desire and lust; this is the result of
blind imitation.
The second problem is importation of culture. It is a real catastrophe,
because we import culture and arts that do not suit us. This problem is
even greater than our agricultural problem. When we import wheat, we
eat from others, but when we import culture and arts as well, then we are
erasing our features and replacing them with an artificial mask that is not
ours. This is in fact more dangerous than importing our food because we
are becoming like imitating parrots, and this is dangerous.
The third problem in our countries is the lack of creativity and innovation.
In fact, innovation is the keystone in arts. Innovation is the invention of
something that has not been done before. About 70% of our commercials
are adapted from Spanish and Italian television, the music we hear in our
countries is adapted too, not all of it but about 90% of the music is adapted
from Turkish and Western music. We do not innovate and our music is
valueless. The reason behind this is a lack of innovators; they are careless
or have no ambitions to think of beautiful things. In this way, song lyrics
are nonsense and for this reason, we have no award winning movies, and
all the songs revolve around the same topic: I love you, my beloved, I
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cannot live without you, I will die without you, I cannot leave you, why
has she left me, how will I find my beloved, someone bring my love back
to me, even the words indicate negativity.
In our last episode, a young man suggested an idea to demonstrate how we
lack innovation in art; he suggested that each of us write the lyrics of a
song we like and then read them, you will laugh at the naivety of the
words. You will either find useless, unlinked words, or vague words as the
singer sang the song according to the composer's tips. A pretty lady would
dance beside the singer to cover his bad voice. Where is the innovation?
Where is the beauty of the lyrics? Is this not the state of our art now?
Where are the museums and exhibitions of fine arts and paintings? If you
went to London and walked by Hyde Park on Sunday, you will find
marvellous paintings hung over a 1 km stretch on its fence. Unfortunately,
we lack innovation.
Oh artists, you will be asked on Judgment Day. Allah (SWT) will ask you
why you obliterated the features of the nation. What for; for earning your
living? All who hear me now; you should gently tell those responsible for
the arts that they must cease doing what they do and give them good
advice as Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) taught us. Your children will be
subjected to these arts, and this decadent culture will be instilled into them
and you will witness, with your own eyes how they will be brainwashed;
would you accept that? Why don't you act positively to prevent this? Who
is responsible for this, and is this a coincidence? If the loss of identity is a
coincidence, then it is a catastrophe, and if it is planned, then it is a crime.
I would like to establish an important point here. Every nation passes
though several phases: a pre-revival phase, a revival phase, the onset-ofrevival phase, then the peak-of-revival phase. From there on the nation
starts collapsing. The correct mission of the arts is to be in harmony or in
accord with each phase and to prepare the nation for the next phase, so at
the onset of revival, art must push the nation forward. At the revival
phase, it must calm people's emotions.
It is a fact that there are nations that have never been revived, that dont
even seek revival and that are satisfied with being at the bottom. We
cannot be among such nations! Life Makers came with the message, If
we lack the things needed for revival, then at least we have the desire for
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revival. However, are culture and the arts in our countries helping this to
happen? This can never happen except with the existence of certain very
crucial elements. Right now we are experiencing the start of our revival
and we hope that our artists would see to it that our arts and culture are
propelling us forward in this phase.
It is extremely dangerous when a nation is at the onset of revival. The
present day arts contain nothing but illicitness and total indulgence
(dancing and eccentricities etc.), placing all these as hurdles in the way of
the progress of the nation. It is like getting the culture and arts of a nation
that has been revived and is about to collapse and giving it to a nation still
struggling to stand up. This would lead to the downfall of this nation,
even more intensely than the nations that have started falling. Do you now
realize the importance of culture and arts in helping the revival and how
far they influence a nations revival or downfall? Look at our countries in
the post-colonization phase, during the fifties. How were our arts and
culture then? They all propelled our revival, did they not?
All arts at that time revolved around the same notion. Listen to the songs
at that time, O brother, learn that the tyrants have gone so far, so its time
for Jihad and sacrifice. Another song, Stay on guard keep your gun
ready, if the whole world has gone to sleep then let it wake up by the
thunder of my gun. How were our songs before the 6th of October war?
How did our arts and culture boost the soldiers' morale in the battlefield?
They made their blood boil with rage. All of the songs were meant for the
Egyptian army and those who wrote these songs knew very well what they
were going though. They also knew our culture and how enraged we
would be at hearing such words as, The girl said, My dress is spread on
the other coast of the canal. which means that she was asking them to
restore her lost dignity and cover her. These words drove the men on the
battlefield to react without hesitance.
Which phase are we in now? I am calling on all of you who think that we
should not be satisfied with being at the bottom. Let artists do whatever
they want and they have all the right to do it, but if you are serious and
want to start a revival, please extend my words to the artists. Please, we
are still at the beginning of our revival and we need to stick together. Let
us think rationally to push this revival forward. It is a pity if we keep
building and others keep demolishing what we build.
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At the end of this episode, a question poses itself, or rather two or three
quick questions; is art haram or halal? Is singing haram or halal? Acting,
cinema, theatre? Should women be actresses or not? Should we listen to
songs or not? Are singers doing something halal or haram?
The issue is far more intense than all that. Such questions usually
embarrass Muslims. They prefer to leave the reply for those who have the
right to say fatwa (Islamic counselling), but how can we say halal or
haram to something that is not ours? These are all intrusions; do you
realize what I mean? All of this is coming from abroad, and then we ask
Muslims to state their opinions on whether they are halal or haram! These
things are not suited to our customs or our environment. They were meant
for others, people with different thoughts, living through other phases and
possessing different habits and concepts, so how can we ask if this is halal
or haram?
We may name culture and the arts a tool. Culture is indeed a tool. Like
a knife that you use to slaughter a chicken or slay a human being. If, while
we are the onset of our revival, this culture originates from our beliefs and
morals and is geared to our benefit then it would not only be halal, but
also a tool to enhance our revival. Just remember what I told you about
the 6th of October war.
I have two messages for the artists:
1)
Please keep your art consistent with the phase were passing
through: the start of our revival. Elevate the spirits of the people to enable
us to fulfil this. Dont cause us to be cast aside or to lose our way.
2) We dont want to import art. We want it to be produced in our
nation. We have past contributions. You all know about Mawal,
Muashah, Zagal and Musharaty (types of singing). All these are our own
contributions. Have you forgotten our art? Why are you using art and
thoughts that are not ours?
Two more points remain and let me talk about them quickly. Should art be
censored or not? I want to tell you something frankly. Censorship is a new
concept that was developed for security and political reasons. It never
existed before. I believe that everyone should be left to express his culture
and arts the way he sees it. He should be left to express his opinion
without being quelled or suppressed in any way.
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In the Quran, Allah (SWT) told us the opinion of Satan and refuted it. Our
religion says that the strongest argument will prevail. We have the
strongest argument ever and we will prevail. At the end remember, Allah
says what can be translated as, Let him who will, believe, and let him
who will, reject (it) (TMQ, 18:29).
I would like to convey the last point to all the repenting and retired
artists. I am against the term repenting and retired. I am against calling
them repenting because this is between them and Allah (SWT). I am
against calling them retired because why should they retire? We seek to
have artists who would grasp the meaning of art, only to have them retire
one after the other. I know the pressures they are placed under and I know
how they fight this patiently and how much thawab they will get for it.
We seek to have those who would believe in this cause and come forward
with unusual art that coincides with our phase. We seek to have our own
art, not imported art.
Many young artists meet me and ask me a great deal of questions and my
reply is always the same, you must always have a cause, dont live for the
sake of making money because one day youll stand facing Allah (SWT)
and you will be asked, Have I not bestowed my bounties upon you? Have
I not given you a gift? Have I not assisted you? What have you done with
your gift? What will you say in reply? Are you going to say, I was just
trying to make a living and everything was so difficult. You will be
asked, Have you not heard my words. Allah says what can be translated
as, And in heaven is your Sustenance, as (also) that which ye are
promised. Then, by the Lord of heaven and earth, this is the very
Truth, as much as the fact that ye can speak intelligently to each
other. (TMQ, 51: 22-23)
I have this to say to the young artists, you will face Allah (SWT) one day
and Allah (SWT) will make you bear full responsibility for this. Allah
(SWT) will tell you, Youve led your nation astray; youve swept its
identity. It was striving to revive and you let it lose its way because you
wanted to make money. What will you say then? You will bite your
fingertips with regret because of the art you presented. Youll regret the
day you took part in this art. Imagine your delight when Allah (SWT) says
to you, Your art will lead you to paradise. You helped revive the nation.
Go my slave, Im happy with you. Imagine your delight then.

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I wish this message could reach the young artists. I ask all who hear me
now to convey it to all the art institutes, to all the colleges of art, applied
arts and fine arts; to all the architects, sculptors, lyric writers, music
composers, singers, painters, directors, novelists and dramatists; to all
those who work in the arts, culture and media; to all those who work in
television; to the announcers and program presenters. Please, I beseech
you, the nation wants to revive so please take its hand and help push it
forward.
At last I would like to ask you to re-write the visions in the domains of arts
and culture on the website. I would like you to reach the artists and I
would like them to send us their opinions so we could add them to what
we already have. One last thing, the project Overcoming Computer
Illiteracy needs to be implemented with full force and with all the effort
we can give.
I ask all those who are with us today, please dont accept the obliteration
of the identity of our nation, preserve our culture and our arts. See you
next week, Allah willing, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all
.

Episode 29: The Field of Technology

There is a difference between the desire for achieving progress and the
potential for achieving it. Do you know the difference? The desire for
achieving progress stems from being serious and determined to achieve it,
whereas the potential for achieving such progress is limited by time. The
nations, which are under the same circumstances, are of two types:
1. Nations that have neither the desire, nor the ability, thus, there is no
hope for them.
2. Nations that have the desire for achieving progress, but have no
potential, hence, they can almost achieve such progress.
Have you realized the difference between the desire and ability?
According to the Life Makers program, there is always the desire for
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achieving progress, even if there is no potential. Therefore, it is highly

important to start working.
In previous episodes, we tackled many issues, such as the arts, culture,
industry, education and women. We always explain each field and ask you
to participate with us online. After that, our teamwork aims at urging
people to participate in these fields. Consequently, the professionals and
specialists start studying each field. They then recommend a certain
project to start with. Today's field is the challenge of the age: the field of
technology, without which we will never achieve any progress and will
remain as we are.
I will start by defining this field. Take for example a man who makes
tools to improve the surrounding environment. Such tools are: ideas,
methods, instruments and machines. Every now and then we hear of the
communications revolution. It is indeed a revolution that has changed the
whole world and peoples' way of thinking. However, we are far behind.
Do you know what will happen to us if we do not try to change in the
coming 20 years? We will be out of history. We will be like someone who
travels to outer space and is beyond the earth's atmosphere. Technology is
relevant to our religion. Without it, we are like someone wandering
around the desert. Eventually he finds a tent that belongs to a human
being, who is entirely ignorant of anything taking place around him. He
lives there, performing prayers, observing fast and worshipping Allah
(SWT), the Almighty, yet, he is entirely secluded from the whole world.
Accordingly, he cannot influence any decision concerning this world. He
will continue living in the desert in isolation, until a flood destroys him.
Similarly, we will be a peripheral part of history.
I want to explain an important point to whoever watches or listens to my
program: technology is quite different from science, for example, there
are a great number of scientists who get masters and doctorate degrees.
When we compare this number to other countries, we are almost better.
However, technology transforms science to useful potential for human
beings.
Science is merely an accumulation of ideas and theories, until someone
applies these theories. Thus, technology is the practical application of
science. Actually, all our countries and many Muslims think that we are
concerned with science only. Nevertheless, we are concerned more with
its application: technology. Take for instance, al-Hassan Ibnul-Haytham
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who invented the theory of Kamarh, which we have previously discussed.

This is the scientific theory of light reflection. The outcome of this theory
resulted in the invention of the camera. The word camera is derived from
Kamarh. Thus, the application of al-Hassan Ibnul-Haytham's scientific
theory resulted in the scientific discovery of the camera and the
microscope, which improved our lives.
The United States leads the world with its technology, despite the fact that
Europe has all the scientists. Therefore, all the development of scientific
theories and technologies take place in the United States. Hence, the
world is now divided into two parts. One possesses technology and
therefore leads the whole world while the other lacks technology, and is
therefore led by the former. Besides, if you have simple technology and
try to develop it, you will not dominate the rest, but you will feel proud.
Our topic today focuses on the fact that Muslims nowadays have neither
science, nor technology. Therefore, they have to be led silently. I will tell
you about the importance and danger of technology. I will try to simplify
the subject and convey my point. Indeed we have specialists in this field
who know more than I do, however, I wanted to tackle this issue to make it
common knowledge. It will become more like a cultural topic, through
which we will achieve technology. Mothers will urge their children not to
cheat in their exams, so let us hope that the coming generation will not
seek a degree for the sake of it. In fact we need them to be geniuses,
capable of inventing things that benefit the nation. Consequently, we will
be proud of our ability to achieve progress in the field of technology like
other countries.
Firstly, let us consider all means of communications around the world,
such as planes and booking offices. Actually, there are twelve countries
that let people book tickets. These countries organize everything for the
rest of the countries: plane tickets, and dates without any clashes. If we
want to achieve this, we really need to use technology.
Secondly, I will tackle the field of agriculture. Can you imagine how the
West implements technology in this field nowadays? Actually, it is difficult
to explain. They have huge probes, which examine the moisture of the
soil, to make sure that water reaches the plants. If the water level is
insufficient to reach the plants, the probes send instant signals to
sprinklers. Then the sprinklers start watering hundreds of acres of fields.
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In this way, they avoid any reduction of water level; therefore the product
is perfect. Everything is balanced and done through computers, such as
the application of fertilizers.
Thirdly, in the field of education, European schools send daily reports
about their students' levels in every subject to their parents via e-mail. It is
possible to learn from a distance, via computers and modern technology,
for example, one can attend university lectures, while staying at home.
Furthermore, you can receive the subject matter, take your exams, and
then get your results. You can even talk to your university lecturer via a
computer and the internet.
Fourthly, in the field of medicine, an operation being performed by a
surgeon in London, can be broadcast in real time. He can seek the
assistance of another physician in Australia, who watches the surgery at
the same time. Unfortunately, we are deprived of such progress.
Physicians exchange experiences, opinions and ideas through conferences.
They come from various countries such as the United States and Australia.
In these conferences they gain experiences and become extremely
influential. In addition, computers are capable of designing some
complicated medical instruments. Such medical instruments discover
diseases and cure them. Actually, curing genetic diseases, interbreeding,
improving eugenics of plants and animals are all done by computer. Thus,
plants grow healthy and strong, yet we are completely unaware of all this.
As for trade in Europe, each company has its own website from which its
customers are able to purchase online, without physically going to the
companies. Customers can choose, evaluate and modify goods via the
Internet.
In the fields of culture and arts, we cannot not even produce cartoon films
for our children, which reflect our culture. All the cartoon films that our
children watch are imported. The West produces these films very well and
economically. However, if we were to try to produce such films, they
would cost a great sum of money, and will still not be as good as their
films, due to the lack of machines that manufacture such animation.
In the West, all scientific research and other fields are available online.
You can get any information on the field you want, from the United
States, Canada, Europe and Australia, by writing the title of the research
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topic. On the other hand, if you want to get an Arabic book for your PhD,
you will have to contact libraries and ask people who may have a copy of
it. In fact, there is no such progress in the Arab world as that in the West.
Do you now know why today's topic is entitled The Challenge of the
Age?
Now I will direct my speech to women. In fact, if we are keen to achieve
such progress, women should be highly cultured in this field to urge their
children to be aware of the surrounding circumstances. Youth are required
not only to get their university degrees, but also to cope with daily
development. Our religion urges us to be active. I would like to give you
a word of warning; if we do not change, there will be no hope for us.
Now, a word to the youth, who are interested in surfing the web merely to
chat with girls, or visit obscene sites, our nation is deteriorating and is
becoming a peripheral of history. Allah (SWT), the Almighty, says in His
Glorious Book the Qur'an what can be translated as, Thus We have
made you (true Muslims - real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true
followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah (legal ways)), a just
(and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind. (TMQ,
2:143)[1].
How are we going to bear witness to something that we have no idea
about? We are almost outside history. I fear that Allah (SWT) will gather
the nation of Muhammad (SAWS[2]) on the Day of Judgment. Then, He
will ask all Muslims from the beginning of the Prophet's message to bear
witness to the whole of humanity. However, when He asks our generation,
they will not be able to bear witness. He will tell us that we are unable to
bear witness; hence we are not part of it. Allah (SWT) is fair, He will ask
those who have been associated with civilization and have witnessed it.
We are detached from the previous two cases. Hence, we will never be
granted the right to bear witness to humanity.
This issue is quite relevant to Islam. Therefore, there should be geniuses,
who are creative and innovative, to cope with technology. We should not
be mere consumers, enjoying whatever is new in this field. At the moment
we are incapable of innovation and inventions; we are only consumers, not
producers.
What is the status of the Arab world?
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The UN report for 2002 states that 0.6% of Arabs use the internet.
However, 90% of them use it for accessing obscene sites. Thirty-one
percent of Arabs have personal computers. Western scientists are
constantly in touch, whereas our Arab scientists are entirely isolated,
unaware of what is happening around them. Arab countries are never
united. On the other hand, the establishment of the UN resulted in great
technical development. It meant that all scientific geniuses were united
and exchanged experiences. They cancelled the need for a visa to travel
between European countries. They established a railway line that crosses
through the whole of Europe.
All countries witness the development of globalisation, and they have no
problem with that. Their main concern is technology; to develop their
countries and prove their efficiency. However, each Arab country is
concerned with its own affairs. Consequently, we will never witness any
technical development. The problem is that our scientists never exchange
experiences. I will try to find a solution for this problem during this
episode.
Let me tell you a strange fact. During the past 20 years, 100 graduates a
year from the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, have travelled to
America to get their PhDs. The overall number of graduates, who left
during the last ten years, amounted to 1,000, yet none of them returned to
Egypt. They work in America and participate in technical development.
Did any one try to solve this problem or did any one think about how we
could benefit from them? Whether they are to blame or not, I do not know.
I have asked them previously to participate with us in Life Makers,
while they are in their countries. Today I put it to them that I would like
them to help us in achieving development.
I will show you two statistics. The first is concerned with the status of
scientific research around the world:

1st rank: USA: 2,000,747 researches.

2nd rank: Japan: 1,000,611 researches.
3rd rank: England: 585,000 researches.
4th rank: Germany: 480,000 researches.
India is in the 12th rank: 155,000 researches.
Belgium is in the 18th rank: 85,000 researches.
Israel has 81,000 researches.
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Argentina and Egypt have 20,000 researches and they are in the 41st
rank.
Saudi Arabia is in the 47th rank and has 14,000 researches.

The second is concerned with patents in the field of technology. In 2000,

the percentage of patents in the following parts of the world was as
follows:

Western Europe: 67%.

Middle and Eastern Europe: 0.5%.
Commonwealth: 0.5%
Northern America: 84.9%
Latin America: 4%.
Australia: 4%.

As for the Arab countries they are entirely out of it, because the number of
patents was too small to be enlisted in this statistic. I know that you feel
frustrated after seeing this, yet, what I aim at is to urge you to change our
culture and way of thinking. Let me ask you a question: do you love your
religion and your country? Do you have the desire to achieve progress or
do you want us to be lacking behind? Let us try to find solutions! Is there
any hope for us to change? If the great numbers of youth are well guided,
we will get impressive results.
Twenty years ago Korea and Malaysia were underdeveloped. Now, Korea
encourages students to study abroad and is keen to make its students come
back home. When they do, they are awarded and taken care of. Korea
also establishes centres for scientific research, and spends great amounts of
money on scientific research. Besides, it launches commercial campaigns,
through the media, to encourage technological development. People of
Korea are highly cultured in this field. Mothers are keen to raise cultured
children. They urge employees to contribute part of their salaries that goes
to the expenditure on scientific research. Consequently, they are exempted
from paying taxes. Thus, everybody participates in the development of
scientific research and technology. We have a glimpse of hope of being
like Korea one day and to cope with the latest technology. In the coming
20 years we will be successful due to our insistence and desire for
achieving technological development.
The danger of importing technology
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This is our reality with technology, and the aim of this episode is to
establish scientific superiority. I would like to point out a dangerous issue,
more than anything I have discussed in this episode: it is the danger of
importing technology. That does not mean that we should destroy any
imported technology, of course I do not mean that, but what I mean is the
danger of not trying to innovate and becoming dependent on importing
technological items, whether they are useful or not.
We now accept anything that is imported, and we are satisfied with being
(and I'm sorry to say it) the lower hand and the lower hand has always
been the worse of the two. The Prophet (SAWS) always said, The upper
hand is better than the lower hand. We do not produce, we just import.
Even when a factory of the highest level is established in our countries,
the machines and motors are imported from foreign countries. The owner
of the factory becomes very proud of his machines, but he forgets that they
were all manufactured abroad, because we cannot manufacture a machine
or a motor. Then this owner becomes proud of the production levels, but
this is not production; it is merely assembling imported materials.
I would like to clarify the difference between two words, technology and
tankology, from the word tank, which means store. When the West is
done with their own technology, they send us their poor quality excess,
instead of storing it, from cars to machines, pipes, and factories etc. This
is tankology, but they always possess the superior technology. They only
export what has been used before, and they will never reveal their real
technology. They want to keep it to themselves, so that they are always
superior in this field. Theres a funny Egyptian proverb, The kite (similar
to a falcon) doesn't give away chicks.
Consequently, in the field of weapons development, the West is always
advancing. What we are allowed to buy from their weapons is not as
advanced as the weapons they keep for themselves, so that they could
defeat us if they had to use them against us. Even in the field of industry,
the same thing happens, and this is their right as long as we are in this state
of surrender to them and do not try to depend on ourselves, by
manufacturing our own weapons and having our own industry.
We always look forward to what is easy and ready, and as we mentioned
before, we celebrate buying the latest mobile phone, and other products,
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and our state remains stagnant. Are you now aware of the danger of
importing technology?
What are the negative results of this imported technology?
Firstly, using up our resources very inefficiently, and I'll give you an
example. In the past, mothers used to buy potatoes, cut them into slices,
fry them, and then serve them to her kids. Now what happens? We buy
crisps from the supermarket, which are manufactured abroad, the machines
are also manufactured abroad, the plastic bag itself in which the crisps are
kept is manufactured abroad. It is originally manufactured to suit
Westerners, and is made of antioxidant layers; such ingredients are not
available in our countries.
I'll give you another example of the danger of importing technology.
Sometimes this technology reaches you poisoned. All the systems that
perform calculations in our banks are imported from abroad, so
consequently, if that someone who exports this system to us wants to spy
on us, he will do it, because he has knowledge of the internal operation of
this system. The same goes with airline operations systems; consequently
he can control our airlines, as he owns the main system. He can change
the destination of the planes and may subject them to danger, so are we
aware of this danger?
An example of Western technology that might be unsuitable for us
currently is something they have invented for the working woman: she
calls her home phone; it rings and gives a signal to the oven to start
heating the food, so that it is ready to be eaten once she reaches home. Do
we need such technology? We have to plant our land first, and then eat
from it.
Another example is when the West introduces an invention to reduce the
human workforce. We already suffer from unemployment, but the West
needs this technology because workers are very expensive. In our
countries, workers are cheap, so this technology cant be transferred from
their countries to ours. We are unaware of the danger of blindly importing
technology, because we are imitators.
Technology is made for the sake of improving the society that produces it,
and we depend on others in producing this technology. From what I have
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said, I want us to start producing our own technology, meaning that

inventors and innovators should start appearing in our countries. To the
students of the Applied Sciences, to students of the Faculty of Engineering
and all other students, I say these words: inventors and innovators should
emerge from amongst you, and that's the aim and the message of this
episode.
What we need are useful inventions for our societies, and I stress once
again that this is a part of our religion. We are worshipping Allah (SWT)
by innovating our own technology. As long as we dont have inventors and
innovators, we are all sinners, because there is a minimum adequacy norm,
which should be fulfilled by some people, so that the rest wouldn't be
judged as sinners on the Day of Judgment. When nobody fulfils it, all
people will be judged as sinners; all Muslims will be judged for not
producing technology that is useful for our society, for the inadequacy of
parents, teachers, and university professors for not guiding the students.
Inventions that changed history
Let us look at the great inventions that have changed history. How was
life before inventing paper and before printing? Before Gutenberg
invented the printer? How did it feel to those who wanted to write books
that needed the effort of 100 people to copy? Do you know why the
Muslims' library in Baghdad was destroyed? Because all books at that time
had only one copy, and when the Mongols invaded Baghdad and threw the
books into the river, the result was the loss of this great treasure of Muslim
sciences.
Consequently, if you read a book by Ibnul-Qayyem, you'll find him saying,
And as I mentioned in my book X, but this book does not exist anymore
because it was lost with the books that were thrown into the river. The
first thing Gutenberg did when he invented the printer was to make a copy
of the Bible, and he admitted that this was the reason for his invention, as
he was religious and aware of his religion. Let us compare this to our
religious youth who want to leave their studies to study religious sciences.
We have hundreds of preachers who can do that work, but how many
students of Applied Sciences do we have, who love this religion and want
to produce what is useful for it?

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Another invention: the rifle, which turned Muslims upside down when
Napoleon's campaign reached Egypt. Muslims did not have anything but
swords to defend themselves with at that time, whilst Napoleon's soldiers
fought using rifles. The result was inevitable.
An invention like electricity, which was invented by Faraday. He was a 14year-old boy, and was a bookseller until he was 20, but, while working in
the bookshop, he kept on reading, until he invented electricity. Therefore,
an inventor is not super, unusual or an alien. I'm sure that our youth can
do it, and when you see the determination and glitter in their eyes, you'll
be sure of their success; all that remains is correct guidance.
Why doesn't another Khawarizmi appear from among us? He was a simple
man, but he loved his religion. He discovered Algebra, and he discovered
algorithms, which are present in Western science books now. Algorithms
give us a way of finding the solution to many mathematical problems. Not
only this, he invented something that has changed history, and is
considered the most important invention in the field of mathematics, which
is the zero. Can we imagine how mathematics was before the invention of
the zero? How could computer operations take place without the zero? I
will read what he said about his invention, It's a symbol that points to the
number nothing. He expressed it by the symbol 0, and said, It's not
considered negative or positive, and it represents the border between
negative and positive numbers. Then he explained his invention with
poetry, as Muslims were well-cultured at that time:
Beware, numbers are nine
all said without faults.
And I'm the zero a circle
I have a value in treatment.
If you add me to the right of a number it increases ten times.
Using me you can count and
numbers become clearer and
straight.
This is al-Khawarizmi, who, when dying, said, Allah, I worshiped you
through my science. Please forgive me.
I dont want to talk more than that, but I finally want to say a word to the
youth: inventors and innovators must come from amongst you, and for this
to happen, four criteria must be satisfied. Firstly, choose the field that you
love the most, and be high-spirited.
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Secondly, it's not necessary that you study all the subjects of the field that
you've chosen; science is not like that anymore. The important thing is to
learn and become perfect in some subjects. Then concentrate on a part of
these subjects; the result will be a new invention.
Thirdly, persevere in your experiments, even if the experiment fails several
times. Edison for example, when he invented the electrical lamp, made 99
wrong trials, and succeeded in the last one.
Fourthly, be patient. When Edison was asked how he succeeded in his
invention, his answer was, Success is 1% ingenuity and 99% hard work.
We'll start working immediately starting with this episode, so that it would
be parallel to the 'Promoting Computer Literacy' project that will help in
this field too. We'll start by establishing a website on the internet related
to the site www.amrkhaled.net to gather the most possible number of
specialists, as well as youth who want to learn technology, in order to help
them become innovators. We'll show them the scientific steps, which will
be supervised by specialists in that field, and we'll show them the universal
technology; there will be conversations and forums. Mr. Ahmad
Moharram, whom we introduced before, will be responsible for the site
and will talk to us about it. I'd like to say something about him in brief: he
won the 'Best Industrial Innovation' award in 1999 from the Arabic
Organization for Industrialisation. He's an innovator and young like you.
He also won the 'Best Database Security System' award from the same
organization in 1999, and then he won a third award for the 'Best Industrial
Universal Site' in 1999. He has a site on the internet, and the Universal
Industrial Sites union granted that last award to him. I'm trying to fill you
with enthusiasm by telling you this, he will be responsible for the site, as
he is the one who will develop the website, and we'll explain how to get in
contact with him.
Mr. Ahmad Moharram: In fact, we said that we would establish a site
on the internet, on www.amrkhaled.net, and here an important question
emerges: there are many sites on the internet, so why develop this site?
What is so special about it? Firstly, this site will specialize in technology
and is directed to the Life Makers team. The first and most important
thing in this site is the presence of a group of specialized forums, as
technology has numerous branches, and each branch will have its own
forum. The aim of these forums is that in each branch there are those who
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have knowledge and science in this specific field. However, innovations

come only when someone who has an idea in a certain branch of these
branches, meets someone who has another idea, so they talk and discuss,
and take ideas from each other, and this results in producing a new idea.
In fact there's another forum that's very important for specialists in
branches other than technology. They will have a special forum for them,
to help them know the sites they should visit, to meet the specialists that
can help them with the technology of their field. Through this site, we aim
to establish a place for those who are experienced, not only for the
development of a particular technology, but for the development in all
other fields that lead to this technology.
One of the important things on the site is a library that contains free
books and lectures, and those who are responsible for preparing this
library are specialists either from inside or outside the Arab countries. In
addition, they will also have had hands-on experience in developing
technology, and may be from inside or outside our countries. There will be
links between our site and all other sites that can offer help of that kind to
people.
Nowadays, all specialized scientists in the field of technology log onto
the internet, and find numerous sites that could be used to search for the
latest developments that will be useful for them in their fields. Well save
them this time by creating a news page. The specialist will just enter the
site, and then his field will determine what data should appear on the site,
which will show him the recent pieces of information in this field. We
won't only save them time, but we'll also make use of the time they will
dedicate to others. In this way, we'll spare the specialist's time, so that in
return he would help others on the site.
Another very important point is that if we take a look at the number of
projects that are accomplished in the Faculties of Engineering, and
especially in our countries, we find that the number is very huge. All these
projects are wasted after students graduate, and this is wrong. There
should be a way to gather these projects on the site. Therefore, there will
be a page on the site that aims at gathering all the projects, applied
research and innovations from the members that visit the site, to facilitate
searching.
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All the aforementioned is not enough. We have a very serious problem,

namely the gap between education on one hand, and production and
services on the other hand. Youth specialize in certain fields, but they are
not aware of business needs. They are also unaware of what companies
needs are, with respect to their capabilities after their graduation. On the
other hand, we find that all companies lack the experience of choosing the
right graduate, who can be useful to the company, or who can help in its
development.
Also amongst other issues are the educational establishments. How many
educational establishments offer the high school student the opportunity to
get to know the subjects he will study in college? Actually, the choice
depends on the high school graduation grade; if their score enables them to
join more than one faculty; they chooses the faculty that sounds better, but
are they aware of the details of the educational curricula? How can we
solve such a problem? Actually this problem is a problem of
communication. When the student enters the site, they will register their
data, for example, whether they is a student or a graduate, whether they
have any experiences or not, what he has studied and what he wishes to
study.
On the other hand, we need each team of the Life Makers teams in the
Arab countries to collect data about companies and scientific corporations,
as well as their requirements, their private data and the specialties that they
need when hiring employees. As we mentioned before, they will register
this data on the site. This way will enable the youth, after graduation, to
search through companies, as their data is present on the site, in order to
find the company that will offer them a suitable job. The site will give
youth the capability of seeking out the scientific corporations which
provide a match between their preferred specialty and the company's
needs. Next Saturday at 9:00 p.m. on www.amrkhaled.net, there will be a
meeting with specialists, and then we'll tell you the results.
Back to Mr. Amr Khaled:
Now we have reached the end of the episode. The site will be established,
and you'll meet our brother Ahmad Moharram on Saturday, 9:00 p.m. All
those who are interested in technological issues, will consider all these
ideas and study them, and determine the way to reach innovation. Then
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the site will start working, and this will be the first step to gather those
who are interested in technology together.
The second issue of promoting computer literacy is very important,
because it's the main door to everything that we have talked about in this
episode. You have to be patient. To our housewives, I say this: please
learn how to use a computer. Also children are asked to learn. Well go
on with this project, and give it a great deal of effort until we overcome
this illiteracy, by promoting the computer literacy of 20 or 30 or 40
thousand people. Enter the site, and tell us the number of people whose
literacy you've helped to promote. Last but not least, we want you to vote
for the visions (posted on the site) in the field of technology.
We hope from Allah (SWT), the Almighty, that we have really started
taking the steps towards the renaissance of our countries. Well succeed if
Allah (SWT) is willing, and I repeat my word: whoever has an idea, insists
on it, puts a great deal of effort into it and lives for it, must accomplish it.
See you next week inshallah (Allah (SWT) willing) and peace and
blessings of Allah (SWT) be upon you all .

Episode 30: The Fruits of Sunaa al-Hayah

Part 1
In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, the Ever- Merciful. Praise, peace
and blessings of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (SAWS[1]).
I would like to start the episode today with a holy ayah in which Allah says
what can be translated as, "Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a
parable? A goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed,
and its branches (reach) to the heavens, it brings forth its fruit at all
times, by the leave of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in
order that they may receive admonition." (TMQ, Ibrahim: 24-25)[2].
The holy ayah tells us that good deeds never end; that the seed of
reformation must bring forth its fruit even after a while. This is because it
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is a good seed that, if irrigated in a fertile land, must bring forth a tree,
which later will bring forth fruit not one time but all the time, generation
after generation. Why? Because its root is firmly fixed. The word of
formation and goodness is a blessed word; its outcome is always
renewable for the society as it brings forth fruit, by the leave of its
Lord. Allah the Almighty, says what can be translated as, "Is it ye that
cause it to grow, or are We the Cause?" (TMQ, al-Waqi'ah: 64).
Today, we started with this ayah because ever since we started our
program, Life Makers, we began to plant the seeds. The first seed we
planted was the seed of positive thinking, and then it was followed by
perfection, bearing responsibility, seriousness, and then setting your goal
in life. These were in the first phase. Then, in the second phase we
planted the seed of Let us dream about how we are going to achieve the
revival, and what the fields of revival are. Then we planted the seeds of
education, agriculture, industry, culture and arts, and technology. We
wonder, will these seeds grow or will they die under the earth's crust? I
wonder if the meaning of this holy ayah applies to us.
Today we are here to bring happiness into your hearts, lift your spirits up
high and give you hope without which any revival can succeed. Allah
says what can be translated as, and never give up hope of Allahs
soothing mercy: truly no one despairs of Allahs soothing mercy,
except those who have no faith. (TMQ, Yusuf: 87). A nation can never
be revived without vigour, activity, self-confidence and confidence in
Allah (SWT), the Almighty.
We have come to show you through today's episode, the fruits, or the first
indications of our success. When someone plants a seed in the ground, he
sees it small, weak and buried in the sand. He who has no experience in
agriculture will think that it will die underground. Then when he passes by
it after two or three weeks and finds that there is no sign of it, he loses
hope because he does not know that it is stretching and growing under
ground; its, root is firmly fixed. Many times people have said to me,
Do you think that what you are saying in the Life Makers program will
really achieve a revival? You must be dreaming. However, the expert
knows that the seed is growing and that one day it will become a plant and
bring forth fruit for a long time. That beautiful ayah strengthens the
believer's faith that his seed will grow and bring forth fruit and that he
must be patient for Allah's permission. That is why I used to always repeat
in the episodes that you must be patient to see the fruit. Some people were
patient and continued with us, others lost hope and others were satisfied to
watch us from a distance, observing what will happen.
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What is beautiful about today's episode is that it presents to us the first

indications of fruits and it shows that some seeds that we have planted are
growing. We do not mean to show off, Allah (SWT) forbid, but we mean
to revive hope, vigour and activity in your hearts; because in spite of all
the challenges and difficulties, these seeds have managed to grow. Allah
says what can be translated as, "Men said to them: a great army is
gathering against you: And frightened them: But it (only) increased
their faith: They said: For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best
disposer of affairs. And they returned with grace and bounty from
Allah: No harm ever touched them: For they followed the good
pleasure of Allah: And Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded."
(TMQ, al-Imran: 173-174). Thus, the believer never loses hope,
knowing that with his faith and good deeds he is always the best. Allah
says what can be translated as, "So lose not heart, nor fall into despair:
for ye must gain mastery if ye are true in faith. (TMQ, al-Imran:
139)
Because Allah (SWT) is Merciful and Generous, He showed us the first
indications of these fruits. Beautiful plantations grew from these seeds, as
we are going to see in our episode today. These seeds would never have
grown without Allah's order. We have planted these seeds in the hardest of
times because I believe that the Prophet's nation, since the revelation until
our current days, has not been in a situation worse than the one it is going
through these days. Our current situation is even worse than the day of the
Mongol invasion. Every time we think that we have reached the ultimate
bottom and that there is nothing lower and more degrading than what we
have reached, we suddenly find the ground falling beneath our feet, taking
us to a lower, even more degrading level. Also, allow me to tell you
frankly that the coming ten years will witness truly dangerous changes, ten
times equal to what has taken place in the last ten years, and no one in our
countries will be able to stop them. Maybe what is happening these days
in Palestine, Iraq and Sudan, foretells a little about what is expected to
happen in the future, and in these ten years we will either be active or
passive. These days, we are planting the seeds in order to reap their fruit
within the coming ten years because we have had enough of being
receivers for the past 200 years; now we need to be doers.
When we scattered the seeds in our first episode we were sure that they
would grow and bear fruits and that the time for today's episode would
come, because the seeds we planted were pure. Their purity came from
the people's pure intention in achieving the revival, and their will to please
Allah (SWT) and their Prophet (SAWS) on the Day of Judgment. We have
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scattered the seeds in fertile soil: the soil of young loyal boys and girls
who love Allah (SWT), religion and country. Do not ever believe that the
youth are a bunch of hopeless and reckless boys and girls. Just give them
a chance and watch what they will do. We have watered the seeds with
effort, sweat, and correct planning; therefore Allah (SWT) blessed and
protected it. Today let us see the fruits, which these seeds have borne.
The first seed: the clothes project.
We planted this seed five months ago and gathered 1.5 million bags. In
every bag there were almost 15 items of clothing. Now we will show you
a short film portraying some of the many exhibitions for distributing the
clothes that took place across the Arab countries:
1.
Alexandria:
Together we make life: a motto in almost every household in Alexandria,
where homes changed into workshops resembling beehives. The shops,
houses, and mosques were filled with bags of clothes. Some volunteers
sorted and mended the clothes; others ironed them and put them into bags,
and between this and that everybody competed to bring the best they had
to the project.
The film shows us how the clothes were displayed in a very appealing and
elegant way in orderly exhibitions, which somehow resembled grand
stores, where needy families came to choose whatever suited them with
the help of the Life Makers youth.
2.
Jordan:
Jordanian youths recorded their activity themselves and sent it to us, may
Allah (SWT) reward them for what they did. In the film we saw many
lorries that carried the clothes to the exhibition. We saw young ladies and
gentlemen cooperating in emptying the lorries and carrying the bags. Not
only did these youths hold the exhibitions but they also visited the poor to
deliver the clothes themselves to those who needed them.
3.
Saudi Arabia:
The video showed elegant and orderly exhibitions.
4.
Cairo:
The video showed the hall of the Exhibition Grounds.
5.
German University in Cairo (GUC):
In one of the university halls, an outlet for used clothes was established
with the motto Together we make life which was very much welcomed
by the students. One of the students said, This is a great idea because
there are so many needy people but we don't know how to reach them, so
it is excellent to find someone who would take the clothes from us and
deliver them to the needy and be responsible for them. A lady said, The
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feeling that we were all gathering clothes at the same time was beautiful; it
made us feel that we are really one unified nation.
One of the girls responsible for the project said, Some ladies had tears in
their eyes when they saw us, and one of them told me, You have made me
feel the meaning of the ayah in which Allah says what can be translated as,
"Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that Day have joy in all
that they do." (TMQ, Ya-Seen: 55).
End of film
Look at the seed we planted a few months ago, and how it took some time
to bear the fruit we see now. Success needs time and patience. Let us
remember together the first person to plant that seed. He is a young man
called Ahmad Imam who sent me his idea a few months ago and we have
recorded his speech so let us hear it:
A message from Ahmad Imam's: I saw the positive activities in the
Life Makers' program and they gave me a motive to start a positive,
effective project, so I thought of the clothes project and many friends
helped me with it. Then I told Mr. Amr Khaled about it, who encouraged
me and said that it is going to be the practical assignment for one of the
program's episodes. We began the project and many young ladies and
gentlemen joined in. We put the clothes in bags that bore the motto
Together we make life. I wonder whether we are going to make it. May
Allah help us.
Now compare the two shots, the one with Ahmad Imam saying, I wonder
whether we are going to make it? May Allah help us, and the one with the
clothes being distributed. We show these two shots to anyone who does
not believe that Allah (SWT), the Almighty, will raise the seed of goodness
and change it into a big fruitful tree. Today we have with us Engineer
Ahmad Imam; again to listen to his opinion concerning the project's
results. Ahmad Imam says, Everything we have seen now is by the grace
of Allah and I've always believed in Allahs saying which can be translated
as, If ye will aid (The cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your
feet firmly. (TMQ, Muhammad: 7).
We all have the basic requirements for success with the grace of Allah
(SWT), like self-confidence. Youths who have their own thoughts and high
intelligence are ready to work with love and loyalty, and what we really
lacked was the right idea, so when we found it and put it beside the factors
for success, we succeeded. What I have benefited the most from this
experience is:
1. That Allah the Almighty, says what can be translated as, Then there
came running, from the farthest part of the City, a man, saying..."
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(TMQ, Ya-Seen: 20). The whole matter demands men's vigour and
everyone who worked with us, whether male or female, proved that he or
she has the vigour of men.
2. We must never forget the part of faith and worship while carrying out
a practical project otherwise this project would fail. We must seek help by
praying, fasting and worshipping alongside every voluntary work we do.
3.
One should not undervalue any deed one does; no matter how simple
it is, because Allah (SWT), the Almighty, is the one who assigns us jobs.
We should not look down on any deed, even if it is only carrying a bag or
transferring it.
4.
Problems occur in any business or work and this is very natural but
after being solved we develop and learn from them, thus we benefit from
them.
Ahmad was the one who came today and talked, however, there are so
many people who worked hard but could not come today. There is no
doubt that they will be greatly rewarded by Allah (SWT), the Almighty.
I'd like to thank everyone who helped in holding the exhibitions and made
it easy, like the Jordanian, Saudi, and Egyptian governments, Alexandria's
governor, the Exhibition Grounds in Giza, Qatar Charity Association and
everyone who participated with us in the Arab world or abroad. We all
know that this clothes project is not the end of the line, and we never
thought that by achieving it we had achieved the revival, no. However, it
is a glad tiding for us that we are capable of achievement and success.
The second seed: helping Dar Fur:
Do you remember Dar Fur? When we said that we needed to send the
clothes from Europe, America, Canada, and the Gulf to Dar Fur, because
no body needed them in those countries, people were surprised. They did
not know anything about Dar Fur. There was no mention of it in the
news. However, we noticed how sedition was being planned; we wished
to warn people but we couldn't, one can't say all that one knows, thus we
chose Dar Fur to ship the clothes to. People responded although they
knew nothing about it. They put their trust in us, which makes us proud,
and we thank them for it.
Many tons of clothes reached Port Sudan's harbour, from where the
shipments then moved on to Dar Fur. I was supposed to go there and
supervise the distribution but I could not go because of reasons that were
out of my hands. A delegate from the Life Makers' program went on my
behalf, Mr. Yahia al-Shami, may Allah (SWT) reward him for the good he
did. He put his life in danger amidst the war and lack of security there. In
Sudan, he met with the Life Makers team and their head Mr. Imad
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Yaseen. Our delegates found many international relief organizations from

all over the world, from England, Germany, France, Canada, United
Nations, some Arab governments, especially the Egyptian Army Force, but
they did not find any civil organizations. Our delegates reached Dar Fur,
met with the tribes and made sure that the clothes reached those who
needed them. We will watch together a recorded film taken under difficult
circumstances.
The film shows large bags and youths working hard carrying the bags and
sorting them into smaller ones. Then there is a shot of Dar Fur showing
the green fields and herds of cattle. Mr. Amr Khaled comments saying,
Dar Fur is very rich in animals and plants. Then there is a shot of the
Sania Dilep camp where the distribution took place. It is a camp where the
African Negroes, whose houses were burnt down, now live. The camp's
housing consists of big tents where many inhabitants live. Pictures also
show children in rusty clothes. Doctor Imad Yaseen, the head of the
Sudanese Life Makers club gives a speech to the inhabitants saying,
Peace and blessings be upon you, we are very happy to be among our
people and friends in Dar Fur. We are your brothers from the Life
Makers' organization in Sudan. We cooperate with the other Life Makers
organizations around the world who have heard about the Dar Fur problem
and offer you this simple gift as a symbol of correspondence and
cooperation with Allah's will.
Then some heart-tearing shots show us mothers and children living in tents
that one can never imagine people living in. Then other shots show the
distribution of clothes, many happy mothers and their laughing kids.
End of film
We ask Allah the Almighty to reward us twice for:
1.
Giving out our clothes for His sake.
2.
For delivering this message to our brothers in Sudan; that we love
them and that they are a part of us that we will never give up.
As you can see the seed that we planted a few months ago only bore fruits
now. Nobody could imagine the efforts exerted within the past few
months in order to deliver the clothes to Dar Fur. Thus do not be rash,
wait for the fruit to take its time to grow. There should be patience and
toil. Your clothes were a responsibility and praise be to Allah (SWT) we
managed to distribute them.
Here I would like to comment on the most significant point in the Dar Fur
issue. The Dar Fur issue is an ethnic discord between two races that used
to live in peace and harmony together; they are the Arab Sudanese and the
Negro Sudanese. They used to be bound by relations of marriage,
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neighbourhood, love, and care for each other, but a mysterious power set
the fire of dissension between the one family. The ones who received the
clothes are not Arabs. They are Negroes. Did you notice that Arabic is
their mother tongue and that they are Muslims? These tents lodge 1,200
families of refugees, of which 300 persons have memorised the entire
Quran. Thus this discord actually took place between two Muslim parties
due to an obscure force; I mention this to warn people not to take part
whatsoever in arousing discord in any of our Islamic countries. Our
countries comprise many ethnic races. We have already mentioned at the
beginning of this episode that the coming ten years are expected to bring
about tremendous changes. Domestic discords are one of the worst and
most destructive of these. Therefore I call upon Muslim young men and
ladies and warn you at the same time not to respond to any discord that
may arise under the name of religion, race or stock, which may disrupt the
unity of our countries and bring us apart. Such an issue does not belong to
our Islam. Our Islamic civilization has always gathered various nations
that differ in race, language, traditions and religion under its banner.
Actually bringing all these different races into one community where,
There is no preference for an Arab over a non-Arab except by
religiousness, is the secret behind Islam's victory. Can this same point
now be the reason for our destruction? Is it reasonable that the United
States manages to unite the different races living there, while we fail to do
so in our countries? Is that why we witness the occurrence of discord in
Dar Fur, Amazeigh and others?
Did our noble Prophet (SAWS) not teach us that, Arabic is just a language
and not a reason for preference? We have had enough of these domestic
discords in Lebanon, Iraq and Sudan. Shall we let ourselves be misguided
by the same old trick and give it the chance to tear us apart over and over
again? We need to create a kind of culture and art that brings our Muslim
nations together. We call upon those in charge of information, the
thinkers, religious scientists and preachers in the mosques, to fulfil their
task in this respect.
This is a new seed we sow today and we hope that it will yield love,
affection and fortification against discords and civil wars. I appeal to you
not to forget to pray to Allah (SWT) to ask Him to protect and spare the
blood of our brothers in Sudan, especially in Dar Fur. Now let us see
another seed that has grown and sprouted.
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The third seed: the greening of Bahrain

Bahrain is a wonderful country and its people are known for their nobility
and goodness; it was known in the past by the name The Country of a
Million Palm Trees. When we discussed agriculture in one of our
episodes and reviewed the dreams of people in this regard, there was a
dream from Bahrain; people dreamt of making Bahrain as green as it once
used to be; they wanted it to be The Country of a Million Palm Trees
again. I read this dream and wondered, would someone pay attention to
this dream? However, the good word that was written with sincerity and
truthfulness is always taken care of by Allah be He Blessed and Exalted:
Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable?... (TMQ, Ibrahim:
24). Allah says what can be translated as, A goodly Word like a goodly
tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the
heavens. (TMQ, Ibrahim: 24).
We also mentioned in the episode on agriculture, the Prophet's Hadith
where he said that the Arabian Peninsula used to be green and will be
green once more around the time when the Day of Judgment is to be
expected. We wondered, is it going to restore its greenery by a kind of
miracle or by the efforts its people will exert?
Sunaa al-Hayah youth in Bahrain heard that and decided to make the
Prophet's prophecy come true on their own; so they gathered, started
brainstorming and came up with a working paper of an integrated project
to turn Bahrain into a green land anew. Furthermore, they went to meet the
Minister of Agriculture, and to their surprise the Minister welcomed them
eagerly and strongly supported their project. This news was published in
the Bahraini newspapers, but the most prominent of the headlines was the
one saying, Life Makers are preparing for the execution of a national
project to plant palms in Bahrain. Do you believe that a word uttered was
like a seed sowed and buried in soil? It was then neglected and people
forgot everything about it; but someone happened to see it, decided to take
care of it and to water it until it blossomed.
Today we would like to present to you some members of the Bahraini
Life Makers' club: Brother Ammar Abdul-Aziz Mahmoud, a 20 year old
and third year student in the Faculty of Engineering, Brother Ahmad
Genahi, a student in the Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering
Department, and sister Maysa Ahmad al-Nebary, 26 years old, an
employee.
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Brother Ammar: In the name of Allah and all the praises and thanks be
to Allah, we would like to thank you and we hope that Allah would gather
us together in paradise as He gathered us together in this world inshallah
(Allah willing). Our project started when a young man read an article in
the newspapers about the Minister of Agriculture who wanted to remind
people of the importance of agriculture. This is how this young man's
dream started; this dream then spread among the members and we sent it
to you.
Sister Maysa: After we prepared an integrated plan we presented it to
the Ministry of Agriculture and Domestic Affairs. At first, we were afraid
that the Ministry might not accept our project, but we were strongly
motivated by our previous experience with the anti-smoking campaign
where we were invited by the Minister of Health, who provided us with
whatever courses and tools we needed. The Ministry of Agriculture has
really supported us, and the Minister told us that it is a national project and
that he feels very happy to see Bahraini youth that are truly devoted to
their country. Thus, I call upon all young people not to let any obstacle
hinder them, because when the target is well defined, and a strong will and
persistence are present, your projects will be unlikely to fail.
Ammar: If strong will, persistence, devotion and, above all, a sincere
intention to please Allah are present, success will definitely be achieved.
Allah (SWT) says what can be translates as And say work
(righteousness): soon will Allah observe your work and His
Messenger. (TMQ, at-Tawbah:105). We got the key, opened the door,
addressed the concerned entities, and thanks to their support, the support
of the charitable organizations, and the efforts exerted by the youth, we
will achieve our goal inshallah. We always bear in mind the instructions
delivered by the following Quranic ayah in which Allah (SWT) says what
can be translated as, "Verily never will Allah change the condition of
people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)." (TMQ,
ar-Raad:11).
Maysaa: I think that all governments care for the interests of their
nations and I do not think that any government would refuse a good
project. Youth should not hesitate to knock on the doors of the people in
charge; they have to try, for once this door is opened, all doors will be
opened in their turn.
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Back to Mr. Amr Khaled

May Allah reward you and accept your good deeds. Allah says what can
be translated as, "(but) among (their) God-Fearing men were two on
whom Allah had bestowed His grace: they said, Assault them at the
(proper) Gate: when once ye are in, victory will be yours; But on Allah
put your trust if ye have Faith." (TMQ, al-Maida:23). Get in through
the gate, take the step and Allah (SWT) will grant you success. Here we
would like to thank the Bahraini government for supporting the Sunaa alHayah youth and also the Sudanese government for supporting and
helping us to deliver the clothes to Dar Fur.
The Fourth Seed: Dar al-Tarjama
In the first episode of our program, we mentioned that our reality has
become very tough. We displayed a graph showing the magnitude of the
translation movement (number of books translated per 1,000,000 capita)
around the world and we drew a comparison between it and that in the
Arab world as a whole. We saw that the translated books reached 900
books per year in Spain, 550 in Hungary and 370 in Israel, whereas the
number of translated books did not exceed 15 books in the Arab countries
(relative figures). The translation movement is an extraordinary one and
we should not forget that the Islamic civilization started by the translation
of the books belonging to advanced civilizations, fused it into the melting
pot of Islam and added to it after benefiting from it. We should also not
forget that Europe started its renaissance by translating the work of the
Islamic civilization after the Crusades and the invasion of Andalusia. Did
you forget that when the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) first reached
Madinah he asked Zayed Ibn-Thabet to learn Hebrew and Syriac and to
master them? The Prophet (SAWS) was keen on having companions who
were familiar with foreign languages.
My words were like a seed that I sowed and Allah (SWT) took care of
them. A young lady started a group and began to work under the name of
Dar al-Tarjama. There were just three members in the beginning, who
accessed the website (www.amrkhaled.net) and declared that they would
communicate and post their work on it. After seven or eight months the
number of members has reached 270 young men and women. The team
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also includes university professors. Can you believe that? The following
figures show the number of translators who are working in each convoy:

95 translators in the English convoy

30 translators in the French convoy

32 translators in the German convoy

32 translators in the Spanish convoy

25 translators in the Italian convoy

9 translators divided among the Albanian, Portuguese, Urdu, Dutch

and Indonesian languages

25 administrative staff
The works accomplished so far by them and will appear on the site are:

The works of Dr. Zaghlool El Najjar about miracles in the Holy

Quran.

The works of the writer Abdul Hamid Gouda As-Sahaar.

The works of Dr. Nabil Abdul Salam Haroun

The works of Mr. Amr Khaled

All this was accomplished in no more than six or seven months, and now
we would like to present Ms. Nermeen Hussein from Dar al-Tarjama. Mr.
Amr asks, We would like to know the motive behind the establishment of
Dar al-Tarjama.
Nermeen: First of all, I would like to say that I am just a member of the
team, and that our team includes many members who are better than me.
In actual fact, I have no privilege over the others. I hope that there will be
a chance for them all to join us later on. The team of Dar al-Tarjama aims
at pleasing Allah in two ways: the first one is a missionary direction; we
wish to deliver a correct image of Islam to all nations, either those who
receive a distorted image of Islam or those who have never heard of it (if
there are any). It is a clear cut goal for every one of us and I do not think it
should be discussed at length, for most committed Muslims who have
mastered foreign languages believe that it is essential to take part in this
work. (Mr. Amr Khaled comments on this saying, This is actually what
you have produced and placed on the website so far in this respect). This
is true; and more than 90% of the current members have joined Dar alTarjama under this banner. This direction does not face any problems and
does not need propaganda or public opinion because it is convincing
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enough for everybody, but the real problem lies in the second direction; the
enlightening direction. If we consider the language in which sciences are
being taught in any age, we will find that it is usually the language of the
most advanced nations, for example, in our current age, sciences are being
taught in English, which is the language of the most advanced nations
nowadays. If we look back at the Golden Era of the Islamic nation we will
find that science was taught in Arabic, which was the language of the
Islamic nation. Thus, it is the measure that indicates the progress of
nations. We want to Arabize science, to translate science into Arabic,
and to turn our nation from a nation that begs for science to a nation that
exports science. We want to spread our science all over the world and we
want to become the source of all science, so that whoever wants to study
science has to come and study in our countries, translate our books or learn
our language. This is the translation movement that has to accompany the
nation's development if we want it to be a real development and it will be
so inshallah.
Mr. Amr Khaled says, We would like you to tell the 270 volunteers who
are working in Dar al-Tarjama and who are achieving all this work that we
are very pleased with them and that we thank them; it is a seed which I
never expected to turn into such great work.
Nermeen: Finally I would like to add one more thing; it is a
recommendation for the current members of Dar al-Tarjama and for the
new members who will join us later on, and also for all translators all over
the world. We have to work harder. We have been sleeping for too long
and we will still have to sleep even longer after we die, so we have to work
hard while we are still alive. Translation is not only for us to spend our
leisure time in something useful; we really need to feel exhausted. We do
not want to give in to our reality without attempting to change it. Thus,
those who do not master the Arabic language have to start learning it to be
able to produce a translation into it. We should not also focus on one
direction and forget the other. We should work harder because it is time to
do that.
Back to Mr. Amr Khaled
There is a nice quick seed that we sowed in the episode on Positive
Thinking. After the episode I received a message from a young lady
called Mona Abdul Aziz from Cairo. She said that after she watched the
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Positive Thinking episode she began to think with her colleagues in alAzhar University's Hebrew Language Department about doing something
for their religion. After a long period of thinking, Allah (SWT) guided
them to the idea of making a dictionary, so they headed to the Head of the
Syriac Languages Department and presented their idea, he encouraged
them to do it for the Ancient Syriac (Aramaic) language as it is the
language of the Evangel and also the language of Isa (AS) (Jesus) (May
Allah (SWT) be pleased with him). Furthermore, the language is about to
fall into oblivion and there is no single dictionary of it in the Arab world to
make the task of research easy. They started to work on it and started
preparing the first dictionary of Syriac Aramaic verbs in the Arab world.
The Head of the Department confirmed that only excellent students could
do this task, not average ones, so two of them managed to become top of
their class. We would really like to thank Dr. Ahmad el-Gamel for his
great help, she added. After we finished collecting the material for the
dictionary and reached the publishing stage, we stopped, because we did
not have enough money. However, to our surprise, the President of alAzhar University made a decision that the publishing of the dictionary
would be funded by the University and that it would soon be out in the
markets, book shops and universities. We thank the president of al-Azhar
University on her behalf and thank the team who achieved this great feat.
The Prophet (SAWS) says, Allah responds to his worshipper's prayers
unless he makes haste. He was then asked, And how would he make
haste, O Messenger of Allah? He answered, He says I prayed and
prayed and prayed but Allah did not respond to my prayers, so he stops
and thus Allah does not answer his prayers. This is exactly what we did;
we sowed these good seeds in fertile soil then watered them in a planned
and organized way. We had enormous confidence in Allah (SWT) who
never creates a problem without creating its cure. This is the cure of the
coming years, so do not hasten the answer to your prayers.
Why don't we repeat the project of the used clothes on a larger scale
during the month of Ramadan? Try to access the forum this coming
Saturday at 9pm to meet Ahmed Imam, and to think together of how you
can develop the clothes project, and we shall dedicate a special page for
this purpose. I would like to add one more thing in this respect. We are
about to start the new academic year. After the episode, why dont we all
try to find a poor student to help him buy his school uniform, stationery,
books, and to pay his school fees as well as other fees? Let us do this to
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gain the reward. I remember I read once in al-Ahram newspaper about a

man who committed suicide because he failed to fulfil the school needs of
his kids. Can you imagine that?
I will tell you a story to give you an idea of the reward I am talking about.
It is about a fisherman called Abu Nasr Essayad. This man was so poor
that he could not provide food for himself or for his family; so he went to
the mosque in tears. The Imam of the mosque asked him why he was
crying. He answered that he could not support his family or himself. The
Imam asked him to bring his net and to pray two rakaas (units of prayer).
When he did that the Imam told him to start by reciting the name of Allah
(SWT) and to throw his net into the sea. He did that too, and when he
caught a very big fish, he felt very happy and went to the market to sell it.
On his way home he bought two loaves of bread and put meat in one of
them and confectionery in the other. Just as he was approaching his house
he saw a very poor woman and her son standing in the road looking at the
loaves with longing. He was bewildered about whether to give them the
loaves or to keep them for his family. In the end, his passion for
preference got the best of him and he decided to give them to the woman
and her son. The boy smiled while tears appeared in his mother's eyes. He
then left for his house but at the very same moment he heard somebody
calling his name in order to pay him back an old debt of 30,000 dirhams
that were lent by his late father. He thanked Allah (SWT) for this blessing
and started to trade with this money until he became very rich. After that,
he was very generous in giving charity.
One day he dreamt that he was living the incidents of the Day of
Judgment. The caller called, Place the sins of Abu Nasr Essayad (on the
scales). They were as heavy as a mountain. The caller then called, Place
the good deeds of Abu Nasr Essayad (on the scales). They were as light
as a piece of cotton. The caller called again, Is there anything else left for
him? The angel answered, Yes, there is. The two loaves were put on
the scale of good deeds, which got heavier and heavier but still it was
lighter than the weight of sins. The caller called, Is there anything else
left? The angel answered, Yes, there is. The child's smile was put on
the scale of good deeds, which made it as heavy as the other scale. The
caller called, Is there anything else left? The angel answered, Yes, there
is. The woman's tears were put on the scale of good deeds. Their weight
was like that of a sea, and the scale of good deeds was much heavier. The
angel then called, He survived, he survived. Abu Nasr said, I woke up
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saying, I have never done anything better than giving away these two
loaves.
After this episode, let us all start to search for a poor little boy to buy him
his school uniform and make it the new seed of today. Watch the coming
episode because it will include amazing surprises of seeds that you have
never expected to grow like this. Try not to miss it inshallah. See you
next week inshallah and peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all .

Episode 31: The fruits of Sunaa al-Hayah

Part 2
I would like to begin by reminding you of a supplication of the Prophet
(SAWS[1]) that befits the start of the month of Shaban. The Prophet
(SAWS) used to supplicate saying, O Allah, bless for us the month of
Shaban, and extend our life until Ramadan. This is quite amazing; there
is no other saying of the Prophet (SAWS) where he asks Allah (SWT) to
prolong his life for any other purpose, except for Ramadan. The Prophet
(SAWS) did not ask for his life to be extended until al-Hassan or alHussein grew up, nor until Islam became victorious, he only prayed for
him to reach Ramadan in order to receive the great reward. If the Prophet
(SAWS) was so eager to receive this reward, how much should we be
repeating this supplication?
The meaning of bless Shaban is to grant us during this month worship,
prayer and fasting. By doing that, we will become ready for Ramadan, so
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we will receive the mercy, the forgiveness, and the salvation from hellfire.
Also, so we will attain Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Power), and we will
end Ramadan with pure hearts, and a clean, white record, as white and
pure as the clothes that we wear for the Eid prayer.
Todays episode is a continuation of last weeks episode, where we
identify the seeds that we planted, and see whether they have developed or
not. In the last episode, we said that the novice thinks the seed is small,
weak and buried in the earth. He looks at it hastily and loses hope because
he thinks that it will not produce anything. He does not know that it is
growing under the ground, and developing, and soon it will rise, move the
dirt, and come out into the light; this is the case with many people who
have heard our words in Sunaa al-Hayah. They thought that all we had
were dreams and imaginings. They said, Do you really think that you
will change anything? They watched us at first, and then they became
bored and left us. We dedicate todays and last weeks episodes to these
people. We also dedicate them to the young men and women who
participated with us in Sunaa al-Hayah, telling them that the seed that you
planted will never go to waste as long as it is pure and sincerely for the
sake of Allah (SWT). Allah says what can be translated as, See you not
how Allah sets forth a parable? A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose
root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky (i.e. very high).
Giving its fruit at all times, by the Leave of its Lord, and Allah sets
forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember. (TMQ,
Ibrahim: 24-25)[2].
The fruits of our tree are endless; it gives its fruits at all times by the leave
of its Lord. Therefore, you should not despair nor become impatient
waiting for the fruits. On the contrary, persevere because the fruits will
develop, by the will of Allah (SWT).
I want to give you an example of a strange tree that grows in China,
known as the Bamboo tree. The tree grows from a small seed that is
buried in the earth. The seed does not germinate for four years. Many
farmers give up on this tree, and lose hope, but the seed has been working
under the ground, strengthening its roots, and developing. After four
years, a small plant grows. In the fifth year alone, something amazing
happens. This plant grows to a forty-foot tall tree. This is roughly the
height of a seven storey building; in just one year! This is how the laws of
Allah (SWT) work in this universe, and this is how we are in Sunaa alHayah. If you look at our history, and the life story of our Prophet
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(SAWS), his companions, and at the life stories of all the prophets, peace
be upon them all, you will find that this law repeats itself again and again.
When Prophet Musa (AS) (Moses) called the Pharaoh and his people, he
was just planting seeds, and he did not know which of them would grow.
One of the Pharaohs family was affected by these words and became a
believer, so the seed grew in his fertile land. Days passed, and this same
man, the believer from the family of Pharaoh, stood to defend Musa (AS),
and prevented his family from killing him. Allah says what can be
translated as, And a believing man of Firauns (Pharaoh) family, who
hid his faith said, Would you kill a man because he says: My Lord is
Allah (TMQ, Ghafir: 28). Allah (SWT) recounts the story of this
believer in two and a half pages. Prophet Musa (AS) was himself a seed
that his mother threw in the river out of fear of the Pharaohs aggression.
She did not imagine that this infant who was thrown in the river would be
honoured to speak to Allah (SWT).
When the brothers of Prophet Yusuf (AS) (Joseph) threw him down into
the bottom of the well, none of them imagined that this small seed would
one day be the saviour of the Middle East from famine, and a source of
guidance for them as well.
Who would believe that our Prophet (SAWS) would escape the dark small
cave of Thawr and that he would spread light and guidance in all
directions from one ocean to another, and become a mercy for all
creatures?
Ali Ibn-Abu-Taleb (RA) is another example of a good seed. When Allah
ordered his honoured Prophet (SAWS) in the ayah which can be translated
as, And warn your tribe of near kindred, (TMQ, Ash-Shura: 214),
the Prophet (SAWS) gathered about thirty members of his family. They ate
and drank, and then the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) asked them, Who
guarantees my religion, and my promises, and will be with me in paradise,
and will be for my family? No one answered him, so he repeated the
same question three times, and again no one replied. Then Ali (RA), who
was eight years old at the time, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with him,
said, I will. The Prophet (SAWS) stroked Alis hand. (Musnad Imam
Ahmad part 1/111, 159)

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The Prophet (SAWS), being an expert on the value of seeds, cared and
supported Ali (RA) until he became the Ali Ibn-Abu-Taleb we know. On
the day of the Battle of Khaibar, the Prophet (SAWS) said, Tomorrow I
will give the flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and who
Allah and His Messenger love, and he will be victorious. Ali Ibn-AbuTaleb (RA) was the one to receive the flag, and when the Jews saw him
they were frightened and said, By the one who revealed the Torah to
Musa, you (the Jews) will be defeated. He continued fighting, and
became victorious while repeating, I am the one who my mother called
Haydara (lion). (Al-Jam fi al-Syra al-Nabawia part 2, p. 141)
Abdullah Ibn-Masud is another example of a small seed. The Prophet
(SAWS) met him when he was a shepherd. When Abdullah heard the
Quran, he liked it, and asked to learn more. The Prophet (SAWS) told
him, You are a young, yet wise, man. After many years, this shepherd
became one of the most knowledgeable people of the Quran. Therefore,
do not underestimate the youth of Sunaa al-Hayah, with their sincerity and
purity, and do not say that the youth of our Ummah (Islamic nation) is lost
and useless because there is goodness in our youth, and they are our hope.
We need to give them a chance, and then we will observe the goodness
that Allah (SWT) will bring through their efforts. These youth are sincere
and they understand the world we live in today. This is why they are
useful seeds to be planted for the difficult years of our Ummah and our
nations that are approaching. It is a time by which many other seeds will
have expired.
Today, we will continue what we started in the last episode, and we will
present to you some seeds that have developed. We will show you our
projects that have started to be implemented, and the positive results that
have started to materialize. This way we will awaken hope in our hearts;
there can be no revival without hope and confidence in our selves.
The First Seed:
The first seed that developed into a great tree is the seed of the struggle
against the five narcotics. In a previous episode about drugs, we discussed
their harm, and their potential of destroying our Ummah. We said that we
wanted to implement the Guardians of the Future project, which will
train young men and women in the struggle to fight drugs. Their aim
would be to educate everyone in schools, universities, clubs,
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neighbourhoods and streets. The goal was to raise a generation that

despises drugs, after we have experienced one or more generations that
have been badly affected by them. We announced the Guardians of the
Future project, and the issue was not mentioned again in any episode after
that, but it isnt over. We were caring for and supporting that seed. Before
I inform you of the development of our project, let me remind you of the
dangers of drugs. Let us review these statistics about the amount of
marijuana that is available in Egypt (in tons).

In 1993, it was less than 40 tons.

In 1997, it reached about 100 tons.
In 2002, it reached about 600 tons.

The police, with their extreme efforts, could only confiscate 30%. Let us
examine other statistics about drugs in the Arab world:
In Egypt:
20 to 30 thousands Heroin addicts.
22,824 people accused in drug cases, and 21,201 cases.
100,000 confiscated pills.
16 billion Egyptian pounds are spent on drug addiction every year.
30% of female students smoke marijuana.
22% of students in Junior High are smoking marijuana
Source: National Institute for Planning, Egypt.

In Jordan:
905 drug cases in 2002
In the Emirates:
12,500 drug addicts in 1996
In Kuwait:
1,222 people involved in drug crimes in 1999
15% of the students take drugs
The number of young people dying as a result of drug use is multiplying
across the Arab world. Ninety-four percent of cases develop from
smoking marijuana and move onto hard drugs, especially those using
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needles. I want to remind you of a documentary that we aired in a

previous episode about some addicts, and their need for help.
The film:
The reporter asks the addict:

When did you become an addict?

o
Since 1992. I met a group of young people at school, and I learned
drinking, smoking and drugs from them. We used to skip school and go to
the Mokattam (a large hill in Cairo) to take drugs.

Did you do anything that you wouldnt have done if you hadnt been
an addict?
o
Sure, I upset my mother a great deal. I would destroy the furniture
when she prevented me from leaving the house.

Did you try to get help?

o
Yes, I did four times. I reached a stage where I was talking to
myself; I had almost gone crazy.

Did you pray?

o
No.

Where did you get the drugs?

o
From the street.

How? They are not that widespread.

o
On the contrary, they are very widespread, much more than you
could imagine.
Another young man says:
The whole thing started with smoking. Then I started smoking
Marijuana, even though in the past I used to hate the smoke, and I would
leave the place where people were smoking. My situation then evolved to
the use of heroin, even though I used to see the people taking it, and I was
sure that I would never do it. In the ten years that I was taking drugs, I had
two friends that I spent all my time with. I lost interest in all my previous
hobbies, and I lost the concentration required for any kind of mental
exercise, even just reading. This addiction led me to steal. First, I stole
from my own house, then the neighbours houses. I have stolen my
sisters jewellery without anyone knowing. I have suffered a great deal,
and have experienced shame and humility. There were times when I
wished I wouldnt see the morning, so that my daily grief would not be
repeated.
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End
The government and the police cannot prevent the issue of drugs on their
own. It is a matter of supply and demand. The authorities, the police, the
law, and the government can fight the supply that the drug dealers offer,
and in our countries they are doing even more than their duties.
The United Nations, after studying this case in different parts of the world,
has come up with a report that states that it is impossible to fight drugs
through the governments and the authorities alone. In this case they are
only preventing the supply, but the demand still exists, and it increases.
The only way to solve this issue is to eliminate the demand by community
effort in education. This will help the young people to refuse drugs and
cease demanding it. That is the role of the Guardians of the Future.
When we announced the initiation of the Guardians of the Future project
four months ago, we received applications from eight thousand youth, in
addition to 700 doctors, who wanted to participate. We worked for four
months to establish this project. An organization called Right Start was
established in England; it is a charitable organization that was established
by the youth of Sunaa al-Hayah to supervise and coordinate all the other
charitable organizations in the Arab countries. Its goal is to train the youth
on fighting addiction. Why was it established in London? Because we
intend for our goodness to spread to the whole world, in the same way that
our Prophet (SAWS) was sent as mercy to mankind. We also want to send
a message to the people in the West that the Muslims are not isolated from
the rest of the world, and that they are not self-centred. On the contrary,
they are people who spread goodness and mercy in any place, even in your
countries.
Right Start started its activities in England by training the Muslim youth
to spread education among the young people in the schools, whether they
are Muslims or not. The British Police cooperated with them. This
organization started to communicate with other charitable organizations
that exist in our countries to coordinate the joint effort between them in
order to spread the project. The first group to reply was The Charitable
Society for Guidance and Reformation in Lebanon, and the Ministry of
Youth in Qatar. There was still an important question: who will train the
youth that volunteered so that they can produce the expected results?
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Allah (SWT) willed, and He is the One who plans. A highly respected
agency was to take the responsibility of training the youth; the Dubai
Police Department, under the supervision of Lieutenant General Dahy
Khalfan Tamim, who is the recipient of a 2001 United Nations prize for
the most deserving person in the fight against drugs in the Middle East.
Major Ibrahim al-Dabl will be the trainer, and he is a certified United
Nations trainer. It is worth noting that the Dubai Police Department is
highly regarded in the Islamic world, and actually in the whole world. I
was surprised to read a report in the Guardian, a British newspaper,
suggesting that the British Police could benefit from the experience of the
Dubai Police in their ability to maintain the security of their country with
the different nationalities and ethnic minorities that compose it. Three
agencies have cooperated: the Dubai Police Department, Right Start
(representing Sunaa al-Hayah), and The Charitable Society for Guidance
and Reformation in Lebanon. We will show you a video of the first day
of training for the Lebanese youth, who will be the seeds for Guardians of
the Future in Lebanon.
The film
Doctor Aytanee from The Charitable Society for Guidance and
Reformation based in Lebanon appears, Drugs are increasingly spreading
within the Muslim family, schools, and universities. Youth and
adolescents have begun using them at an early age.
Lieutenant General Dahy Khalfan Tamim, the general commander of the
Dubai Police Force, For 35 years I have never seen a program or a TV
channel that took up the role of training others to fight drugs. This is
something new and deserves all of our help to make it a success. All of us
should firmly believe and be determined that this will continue. If we
don't make this issue the talk of the council, the media, the taxi drivers,
and street conversations, then the Dubai Police Force, Iqra channel, and
Amr Khaled will not be able to achieve something that will be
remembered.
Mr. Amr Khaled, Our hope is that those who attend this five day training
course have come to work and not simply to watch and have fun. Each
one of them must program their minds to think that they will change the
face of Lebanon. Whoever does not imagine that this will be his role must
start changing his understanding and reception in order to see himself in
that role.
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End
We will now meet Lieutenant General Dahy, who says, I'm truly happy
to participate in this program which I consider to be the best. This
program takes me back to 21 years ago when I was appointed as the
General-Secretary of the Dubai Police Force. I had a personal conviction
that I must approach the youth by creating awareness to prevent car
accidents. This experience was successful, because the percentage of car
accidents has not increased at all since I was appointed. Because of that
reason, I firmly believe that creating awareness and building a bridge of
cooperation between the police and the people is the only way to achieve
our goals. In the Dubai Police Force we believe that safety is based on
development. Let us then be the strongest, the most knowledgeable, the
most organized, and the fastest to offer its service throughout the Arab
countries.
One of the instructions of His Excellency al-Sheikh Muhammad alMaktoum is that we should build strong ties and have partners in every
Arab country and in the entire world. In addition to that, I realized that
there is a great challenge in this program and I love challenges.
I advise the youth of Guardians of the Future to protect the secrets of the
youth they work with in order to win their trust and cooperation. This
advice does not come from me as a commander of the Dubai Police Force,
but as the Head of the Association of Accident Awareness and Protection.
This is because I have seen adolescents in accident centres that ended up
being misguided instead of aided. I therefore became a strong believer of
creating awareness, because one who is aware has a strong personality and
does not get shaken by the storms and the incidents around him, no matter
what happens.
As you know, a person in the Emirates can invest his time in business
matters to gain a great deal of money and even millions of it, yet I feel that
what I gain through serving society is far greater than the millions people
make in their investments.
My final advice to the youth is to make the program Sunaa al-Hayah the
talk of the council, as well as the talk of newspapers, magazines, television
channels, and all social gatherings, and especially the Guardians of the
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Future project. By spreading the word about this project, we will increase
the ripe fruits we will be able to pick in the near future. I wish you all the
best.
End
We thank Lieutenant General Dhahi and the Dubai Police Force for their
cooperation. Unfortunately, many of the previous generations, and maybe
our generation as well, have looked at the police force fearfully. We only
hear of the police helping people in fictional stories. Thanks to the Dubai
Police Force, this fiction is becoming a reality. We wish that all the other
Arab police forces would take the Dubai Police Force as an example and
extend their help to us. The quote the police in the service of the people
will then become a tangible truth.
Mr. Amr Khaled ended the meeting with Lieutenant Dahy by giving him
the program's armature expressing his gratitude and thanks for the efforts
of their police force. Afterwards, Lieutenant Dahy gave the police
armature to Mr. Amr Khaled in honour of the program Life Makers.
Mr. Amr Khaled continues:
The project Guardians of the Future will continue and we urge all
charitable organizations or government sectors, whether from the police or
the ministries, to cooperate with us. All they have to do is go to the Amr
Khaled website and enter the site to coordinate and train youth in
spreading awareness. In addition, we ask the youth that previously
contacted us and registered their names as volunteers for that project to
register with us again so that we can start training them after they pass the
ability exams to ensure that they have what it takes to become leaders and
take up this important role. This training will take place under the
supervision of Major Ibrahim al-Dabl, the psychologist Doctor AbdulRahman Dhakir, and the social researcher Latifa al-Khidhr. This training
program has been certified by the United Nations.
We therefore acknowledge that whoever believes in an idea that occupies
his mind, develops a great determination, and lives for it, will eventually
succeed. We succeeded in Sunaa al-Hayah because of our faith in Allah
(SWT) and because we sought His help.
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The Second Seed:

Do you remember the episode on culture and arts? We mentioned that we
want an art that serves our journey towards the revival and should be
produced by us to reflect our identity. You would not believe what
happened afterwards. I was surprised by a phone call from six young
men. They wanted to meet me to talk about the arts and the surprise was
that they were the finalists in the program Super Star. I met them and
was moved by their talk and their desire to look for lyrics that would serve
this revival.
I received the following letter from one of those youths and it says, I
participated with millions of other youths from different Arab countries
and reached the finals. I became one of the top 17 in that show. I love
singing and musical instruments and I have always dreamed of using my
voice to serve humanity and to uplift the Ummah. I dream to use my voice
in topics that motivate youth. I dream to be someone with a message to
convey and to be with you in the revival by benefiting my religion through
songs, but with a new strategy. The problem is that music lyrics are
limited around passion or old, weak ideas. I know that this is difficult and
I feel a big responsibility for the steps I will take. I greatly fear making a
video clip that does not serve our country's revival and will misguide our
youth. I dream of getting good deeds for this song and I seek Allah's
satisfaction and the smile of our dear Prophet in a smart and beneficial
way and in a way that suits today's needs.
Let us help these artistic individuals by providing them with lyrics of
useful songs for this revival. We call upon each talented person and poet
to volunteer with some lyrics and send them to us at the Amr Khaled web
site from now until the end of Ramadan. We will then organize a party on
Iqra channel and we will present these lyrics and give them to those artists
who are in need of useful words. We will then organize another party
during Eid al-Adha, if Allah (SWT) is willing, to present the songs after
they have been put to music and sung. We will call it the revival
celebration and we will record the songs on tape and call it the tape of
revival. This is therefore a call to the talented, to the artists, and to the
poets to join us in this revival.
From the glad tidings of this seed, I received many letters from fine artists
and one of them is from sister Salma Fayed from Mansoura. She is an
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artist and a poet and she said that from now on she would not draw
anything unless it serves the idea of our revival.
Another glad tiding is that a great number of people from the youth forum
wrote letters to Arab artists saying, Since you are from the famous Arab
stars, we urgently need you. We need your time, your skills, and your
talents to awaken us and brighten our sights. Are you ready for this
responsibility since you are talented? We are certain that you are ready.
Please listen to the words of Mr. Amr Khaled in the episode of culture and
arts because we are waiting for your work to carry us further ahead. Your
brothers and sisters from Life Makers.
I was also moved by a letter that a youth, who is a graduate from the
National Institute of Fine Arts in one of our Arab countries, sent me. In it
he said that my words about culture and arts influenced him even although
he is Christian. He agrees with me in creating arts that adhere to our
culture and serve our revival. It is amazing what Allah (SWT) does in
protecting and maintaining the seeds. Allah says what can be translated as,
"...Assault them through the gate; for when you are in, victory will be
yours" (TMQ, al-Ma'idah: 23)
The Third Seed:
The third seed is about the project of ending computer illiteracy. We will
show you statistics that reveal what had happened during the last 4 weeks
only:

Number of trainees: 35,000

Number of trainers: 22,000
The number of internet cafes that participated: 200
The number of companies that cooperated: 20

We have therefore designed certificates of appreciation to all the trainees

and trainers. All they have to do is enter the site, print it, and write their
name so that they may save it as a memory and as an appreciation from the
Life Makers program for their efforts and cooperation. We will now run
a film of one of the training sessions for using the computer that was held
in a mosque. The beauty of it is that even the Imam of the mosque who is
around 70 years old was trained.
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The film:
Ibrahim Osama, a student in the College of Commerce, says, We had a
great deal of dead, free time in the summer and we watched the Life
Makers program. We liked the idea of ending computer illiteracy and we
were motivated to do it. We decided to look for a place to hold our
training sessions and that was our greatest obstacle until we found this
mosque. The Imam and the administrative staff welcomed us. The Imam
was our first trainee and he gave us a place and everything we needed.
The idea transformed from merely a way to make use of our time to a
serious and useful task. We felt its great importance and value and that
Allah had bestowed us with this opportunity to take part in our country's
revival. This is a great honour that I find difficult to express in words.
End
See how our youth make us proud and increase our hope? I ask those
youth and women who have not joined us yet to participate in this revival
and gain the honour of doing so. When some youth used to ask me in
regret, We want to get closer to Allah but will He accept us? I told them,
Allah forgives all sins. They replied, But we still make mistakes. I say
to them, Allah is Most Merciful and Compassionate and He will not leave
you if you try to get closer to Him. I now say to Sunaa al-Hayah, is it
possible that the Almighty, Allah (SWT), will leave us when we are
working to elevate His word and cherish His religion? It's true that we
have not yet reached the big fruit that is the revival. However, we are on
the right path. If we have witnessed many achievements after only six
months then, by Allah's will, we will be patient for the next 20 years by
continuously working hard and with devotion until we make the revival a
reality. Allah (SWT) is now showing us from time to time His glad tidings
to put a smile on our faces and revive the hope within us.
We have learned to worship Allah (SWT) by the prayers we perform and
also by our project of ending computer illiteracy or that of Guardians of
the Future. All of these are forms of worship that aim to satisfy Allah
(SWT). Life Makers is also an act of worship, as is stated in the
following ayah where Allah says what can be translated as, And I (Allah)
created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me
(Alone). (TMQ, adh-Dhariyat: 56)
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Conclusion:
If Allah (SWT) wills, we will repeat the episode on culture and arts next
week so it can be a message to all artists for what they will present during
Ramadan. The following weeks episode will be a summary of the two
episodes on The Fruits of Life Makers to revive hopes before Ramadan.
We will then have one episode left before Ramadan starts and it will be
entitled How to Welcome Ramadan.
In Ramadan we will meet daily to energize our faith and we will take off
after Ramadan in the projects of Life Makers by working even harder.
We will energize our faith in Ramadan and this is what happened to us in
the previous years. We leave Ramadan with great faith but we don't
exploit this energy in something beneficial, which causes it to wither
away. However, this year, by devotedly worshipping Allah in Ramadan,
we will take off with great power to work on our beneficial projects. By
Allah's will, we will reach great results that are beyond our imagination.
Let us start from now by worshipping, fasting, and praying Qiyam (night
prayer) in this lunar month of Sha'ban. See you next week, Allah willing,
and peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all .

Episode 32: How to welcome Ramadan

Ramadan Kareem! Ramadan is coming, if Allah (SWT) wills, after two
days, and this will be the last episode of 'Life Makers' before Ramadan,
but we will resume the program after Ramadan. In this episode we will
talk about Ramadan, how to welcome it and what we should aim to
achieve in it.
I would like to start by asking these questions, are you ready for
Ramadan? Are your preparations this year stronger than last year? Will
you do your best this Ramadan to be better and closer to Allah than last
year? Which was the most beautiful Ramadan that you have ever
encountered since coming back to the right path or rather since you
became rational and aware?
Some people would be surprised by the coming of Ramadan. They would
look around and not know what to do, or how to get closer to Allah. This
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is why I wanted this episode to be shown 48 hours before Ramadan, so

that we will be totally ready and full of enthusiasm when it begins.
The Blessings of Ramadan:
1. Allah (SWT) will look at His slaves competing to do good in
Ramadan and He will boast about them to the angels. Therefore,
show Allah (SWT) the goodness in yourselves. The wretched is he
who deprives himself of Allah's mercy in Ramadan. Make a pledge
to yourself that whenever Allah looks at some of His slaves to
bestow His mercy upon them, He would find you among them. The
Prophet's companions (RA) used to compete amongst themselves to
show their goodness to Allah. Anas Ibn-Annader (RA) once said,
while on his way to fight a battle, Allah will see what I will do.
2. I want every one of you to think; are you ready to be better this
month? To change your life? Confide in your Lord; promise Him.
The whole universe is getting ready to welcome Ramadan; there are
huge universal changes that are about to happen. We should be
careful not to remain fixed in our places without moving while the
whole universe is changing.
The Prophet (SAWS[1]) said, When (the month of) Ramadan begins, the
gates of paradise are opened, the gates of hell are closed and the devils are
chained. (Narrated by al-Bukhari).
We must feel these meanings, for the Prophet (SAWS) speaks only the
truth. We should visualize these images in our minds. We should see with
our hearts the gates of paradise opening, hear the creaking of those gates
and smell the odors of paradise as they blow towards us from these open
gates. We should also hear the sound of the chains that tie the devils.
Look, there is your devil chained and restricted! Therefore, if you disobey
Allah (SWT) now, the devil will not have caused it, but it will have been
caused by your own self that does not want to repent and wants to continue
sinning. Without the devils, you will feel free, and with the whole
universe changing, the only thing remaining is for you to feel it and react
to it.
3. The Prophet (SAWS) said, On the first night of the month of
Ramadan, the devils and the giant jinn are chained. The gates of hell
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are closed and not one is left open, and the gates of paradise are
opened without one left closed. A caller calls, O you who want
good, come forward, and you who want evil, retreat. Allah will have
those who He saved from hell, and that will happen at every night.
(al-Albani, at-Tirmidhy, 549)
All creatures except human beings hear this call, but the Prophet (SAWS)
told you about it so it should now be as though you heard him. This
resembles the ebb and tide. After the tide, when the sea covers the sand of
the beach drawing it inwards, the ebb comes to draw the water away from
the beach, which regains its space and dryness. Likewise, as our desires
have reached our hearts, and we are blinded by the material life's
requirements. This month comes to free us from them and to polish our
hearts clean from their effect.
4. The month of Ramadan for hearts is like winter for fertile soil, when
there is rain carrying goodness and growth. The soil stores it inside
and takes what it needs of it during the whole year. Ramadan is like
that. It provides our hearts with their needs of faith: love for Allah
(SWT), closeness to Him, humbleness, weeping, supplications, living
for Islam, getting rid of materialism, hanging on to spirituality and
love for the religion of Allah (SWT).
Ramadan provides the Islamic nation with their needs for the coming year.
Therefore, preserve what Ramadan is providing for you in order to benefit
from it in your coming year. Unfortunately, we see Muslims losing
everything Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon them in this blessed month on
the first day of Eid.
It has been said that paradise gets decorated from one year to another in
the month of Ramadan (does paradise lack decoration?) When Ramadan
comes, it says, O Lord, make Your slaves of my residents. Will we be
among those residents? Will you, O listener, become one of paradise's
residents from the very first day of Ramadan? When will your faith
awaken to tell you, I've had enough of the material life, of loving desires,
of staying away from Allah, I've had enough of negligence? Wake up; be
strong, and live for the love and pleasure of Allah (SWT). Feel your
slavery to Him, at least during Ramadan, be a true slave of Allah (SWT) in
every second of it.
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It is said that he who keeps himself from temptation in Ramadan will have
a palace in paradise built for him. A palace made of gold, silver and ruby,
and one that if the whole world were gathered in it; it would seem like a
mere goat stall of this worldly life.
5. The Prophet (SAWS) said, "There is a gate in paradise called arRaiyan, and those who observe fasting will enter through it on the
Day of Judgment, and none except them will enter through it. It will
be said, Where are those who used to observe fasting? They will
get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry,
the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it. (Authentic
Bukhari, 1896). The Hadith does not say of paradise but in
paradise. This means that it is a gate inside paradise, leading to a
higher rank in it, and obtained only by those who observe fasting.
Why is it called ar-Raiyan? Are the people of paradise thirsty? No.
They have drunk from the basin of the Prophet (SAWS). It was
named as such because any one, who enters through it, is satiated
from all the desires and pleasures he was deprived of during his fast.
His true fast: when he prevented his eyes from looking at the
forbidden; his tongue from harming people; and kept in touch with
his relatives - even those who hurt him and severed ties with him;
and has been good to his parents; and has prayed and given alms.
All this in order to please Allah (SWT).
Having talked about the blessings of Ramadan, let us see what the rewards
are for those who observe their fast. I would suggest that you write these
Ahadith down and hang them up in your rooms to give you strength
throughout Ramadan, so that you can worship your maximum capacity.
The Rewards of Ramadan:
1-

Forgiveness of past sins:

A person is forgiven from all his past sins including the grave ones, and
those he is ashamed to mention, and bows his head in shame at the thought
of them. The Prophet (SAWS) says, Whoever fasts during Ramadan with
faith and seeks his reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven.
(Authentic Bukhari, 2014). With faith meaning he is not fasting to go
along with people, or out of habit, but rather seeking to please Allah
(SWT). Seeking his reward means seeking his reward from Allah (SWT).
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If this is your intention and you keep it up throughout the whole month,
Allah (SWT) will forgive all your sins, the grave ones and the small. If
someone cannot continue with his intention for all the days of the month,
the Prophet (SAWS) gives him another chance, Whoever prayed during
the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeks his reward from Allah, will
have his past sins forgiven. (Authentic Bukhari, 2008). This is easier
because fasting lasts for a long time; however praying at night is no more
than 4, 8 or even 20 rakas (units of prayer). If someone loses even this
chance and is unable to take it, the Prophet (SAWS) gives him yet another
chance, He who passes the night of al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeks
his reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven. (Authentic
Bukhari, 1901).
These are great opportunities and chances for forgiveness and mercy that
are unparalleled. It is a chance to start afresh with your Lord on a clean
new sheet. How Merciful and Loving is our Lord! He gives his servants a
new chance every year to start a new page as if they had never sinned
before. Why, O Lord, do you reward your slaves with such generosity and
forgiveness? It is because we are the slaves who He loves, because He
wants to be Merciful to us and because He did not create us to punish us,
but instead to have mercy on us and to make us happy.
"Why should Allah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have
believed in Him." (TMQ, 4:147)[2].
After all these chances for repentance, forgiveness and mercy, the Prophet
(SAWS) says the following to those who do not grab the chances, and come
out empty handed, Jibril (AS) (Gabriel) told me, The nose of a slave who
witnessed Ramadan but was not forgiven will be humbled, and I said,
Ameen. (Al-Albany, the benefit of Salat, 18). It means that as he has
lost these great chances, let him put his nose into the dust, for he is
wretched and depraved and does not deserve any dignity beyond this.
2-

Freedom from hellfire:

Allah (SWT) may be generous with you and forgive all your sins, but you
may go back to sin after Ramadan and become of the people of hell.
However, if you were among those whom Allah has set free during
Ramadan, it will be as if you had a chain around your neck, with someone
leading you by that chain to hell, and you were heading towards hell with
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all your deeds and behavior, indicating that you are of the people of hell.
Then you fasted Ramadan truly and suddenly you are freed from hell, and
your neck is freed from that chain. The Prophet (SAWS) says, There are
in the month of Ramadan in every day and night those to whom Allah
grants freedom from hell. (Authentic al-Albany, 549).
Allah (SWT) would choose the pure and pious of His slaves to free from
hell; those who truly fasted, truly prayed at night, and truly obeyed Allah
(SWT). If Allah (SWT) frees your neck this year from hell, He will never
let you enter hell, because the Generous will never take back that freedom
from you; you will never find yourself amongst the sinners again. Even if
you commit sins after Ramadan, which as a human you are bound to do,
your good deeds will overpower the bad ones, and your obedience will
dominate over your disobedience. Thus, you will be freed from all the sins
of the past as well as those of the future.
3-

The treasures of rewards in Ramadan:

After Allah (SWT) has forgiven your sins, freed you from hell, and
protected you for the rest of your life, He will present you with a treasure
of rewards from which you can take as much as you like in order to get a
higher rank in paradise. He who gets closer with a good deed, will be like
one who has done an obligatory duty in any other month, and he who has
done an obligatory duty, it will be worth 70 times more than a duty in
other months
Let us then calculate together the huge rewards. Let us assume that you
have prayed the noon prayer. If a good deed is rewarded ten fold, then that
is ten good deeds, and if that is increased 70 fold in Ramadan, that will be
700 times, and if you prayed in a congregation, multiply it by 27 and it
equals 18,900, and if you multiply that by 5 for the five daily prayers, you
will get 945,000 good deeds, equivalent to nearly 100 thousand prayers, or
as if you went to Makkah and prayed in the Holy Mosque!
If you read the Quran, a letter is worth 10 good deeds. If you multiply it
by 70 it equals 700. In one chapter there are about 70 thousand letters,
multiply them by 70 it equals 4,900,000 good deeds in just half an hour of
reading the Quran. If you multiply that by 30 chapters if you read the
Quran once or by 2 if you read it twice, your calculator then will be
incapable of counting the figure for you! This is the reward for prayers and
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for reading the Quran. What about the reward for fasting itself? The
Prophet (SAWS) says, Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day
in the way of Allah, Allah will remove his face away from hell to the
extent of 70 years' distance because of that day. (Authentic Bukhari,
2840). This is for voluntary fasting. What is the reward for the obligatory
fasting? It is unknown except to Allah (SWT). One Hadith Qudsi says,
All the deeds of the descendents of Adam are for them, except fasting
which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it, and the unpleasant smell
of the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the
smell of musk. (Authentic Bukhari, 5927). Allah (SWT) has stated the
reward for every deed performed by the descendents of Adam. His
rewards will be either ten fold or even seventy fold, except for fasting,
with its reward being so great; it was kept secret in Allah's knowledge.
4-

Answering prayers:

The Prophet (SAWS) promised you that your prayer would not go
unanswered; rather it will be answered and realized. At the end of the
three ayahs on fasting, we find Allah saying what can be translated as,
And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then
(answer them), I am near (to them by My Knowledge), I respond to
the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any
mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so
that they may be led aright."(TMQ, 2:186). Let them obey Me,
means, let them fast truly.
If there is any one who has a problem, or a wish, or is sad for the state of
the Muslims, what is he waiting for? Your prayer will be answered, and
your Lord has opened for you the gates of paradise, and has closed the
gates of hell and chained the devils, and the whole universe is forthcoming
towards Allah (SWT). Therefore, supplicate to Him with whatever you
want and have full faith that your prayers will be answered. Prepare now
your list of prayers just as the Prophet's companions (RA) used to prepare
certain supplications for Ramadan, and would insist on them, and by the
time the next Ramadan had come, all their prayers would have been
answered. The Prophet (SAWS) also told us that the prayer of someone
fasting, when he breaks his fast, would definitely be answered. The matter
is certain.

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Just look how generous Allah (SWT) is to the nation of His Prophet
Muhammad (SAWS). Therefore, you should boost your morale and wake
your brothers so as to wake up the whole nation. Let us not be selfish and
look for our own interests only, we want the whole nation to be revived
with us.
5-

Lailat al-Qadr (Night of Revelation):

It is a night that is better than a thousand months, that is 84 years, so if

someone worships Allah (SWT) on that night, it will be equal to 84 years
of worship! Can you imagine how heavy your balance will be if you attain
that night! It is better than your whole life! If you perform Qiyam (night
prayer) with just two rakaas, it will be as if you have done it all your life!
Also Sadaqa (charity) on this night is as if you have been giving it all your
life! Whats the reason behind all this generosity and blessing towards us?
Our Lord is Generous and Merciful. That is Allah (SWT) whom we
worship and cherish, praise be to Him for keeping us alive until we have
reached Ramadan. How many have died before this sacred month starts?
It is a blessing from Allah (SWT) to keep his servant alive until he reaches
that month in hope of being released from hellfire.
6-

Allah (SWT) is proud of his fasting servants:

Allah (SWT) says in Hadith Qudsi, He leaves his food, drink and desire
for my sake. Fasting is for me and it is me who will give reward for it. A
good deed is counted as ten. How magnificent that Allah (SWT) calls
your name in the higher assembly taking his angels as witnesses that He
has granted you forgiveness! Is there anything more beautiful than the
Prophets following Hadith, The unpleasant smell of the mouth of a
fasting person is for Allah far better than the fragrance of musk.
(Authentic Bukhary, 5081)
Allah (SWT) prefers the unpleasant smell of the mouth of a fasting person
to the fragrance of musk in the same way that the white and simple clothes
of Ihram during Hajj (pilgrimage) are far more precious to Allah (SWT)
than smart and expensive clothes! He is the Lord of all, He commands his
creatures as he wills and does whatever he intends.
How can we know all this and still not rush to do good deeds nor compete
in all that is good? Why not even arouse the whole Ummah (Islamic
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nation) around us? I wonder who will get all this great reward. Does it
concern all the fasting people? No, it actually concerns those who perform
the true fasting. Many people fast in Ramadan but their lives do not
undergo any change. They are just the same after Ramadan as before it.
The aim of fasting is to be pious. Allah says what can be translated as, O
you who believe! Observing as-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you
as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become
Muttaqun (pious) (TMQ, 2:183). If someone becomes more pious after
Ramadan and gets closer to Allah (SWT), it implies that he performed it in
the right way. On the other hand, if someone remains the same after
Ramadan, or becomes worse, he cannot have profited from his fasting and
he must have missed the opportunity offered by Ramadan.
Allah's Messenger (SAWS) said, In paradise there is a gate which is called
ar-Raiyan through which only the observers of (the true) fast will enter on
the Day of Judgment. No one else will enter along with them. It will be
proclaimed, Where are the observers of (the true) fast? They will then
enter through that gate, and when the last of them has entered, it will be
closed and no one else will be admitted from that gate. (Authentic
Bukhari, 1896) These are the people who perform fasting correctly.
Categories of fasting:
1-

The first category: fasting of the stomach

It is limited to not eating or drinking during the day. The person who
performs such a fast does not get any reward. He has merely fulfilled the
obligation of fasting but has missed a huge amount of good deeds and the
opportunity for release from hellfire. The Prophet (SAWS) describes this
type of person using painful words, Some of those who perform Qiyam
get nothing out of it but staying up all night and some of those who fast get
nothing out of it but hunger and thirst. (Authentic Bukhari, 1083) He also
said, Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil
deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his
leaving his food and drink. (Authentic Bukhari, 1903).
Telling false testimony here does not mean witnessing in the court only,
but it also implies going astray from the path of Allah (SWT). The one
who does not become righteous in Ramadan will not gain any reward.
Beware, do not be like these people or like others who feel enthusiastic at
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the beginning of Ramadan but die down after a few days, then go back to
stomach fasting. Ramadan is a sort of training round that lasts one month,
so the one who completes it becomes a new person.
Notice that fasting was made obligatory in the same year when jihad was
made obligatory, exactly before the Battle of Badr. It is as if Allah (SWT)
wanted to tell us that fasting would help us achieve victory and
sovereignty. Most of the Muslim victories took place in Ramadan: the
Battle of Badr, the Conquest of Makkah, Ain-Jalut (the Spring of Goliath),
the 6th October war, the conquest of al-Andalus (Andalusia). Beware of
accepting the fasting of the stomach, not even for a single day.
2-

The second category: Fasting of the organs

The eye fasts from all that which is forbidden to look at, whether it is
outside, on television or on the internet. One needs to lower his gaze so
that the eye will not break the fast. If the stomach breaks the fast at sunset,
the eye should go on fasting the whole month. The hand is fasting, too, so
it cannot hold a cigarette even after sunset. It is a sin that you cannot
commit during the whole month. Also, you should not aggress anyone
with your hands or tongue. The feet are fasting too; you should not go to
places where sins are committed. The ears are fasting, so you should not
listen to backbiting and tale bearing. All the reward we mentioned
beforehand is linked to this category of fasting.
3- The third category: fasting of the heart: fasting from thinking of
anything or anyone but Allah (SWT)
Who among us can observe such a fast this year? What if we make it our
slogan this Ramadan? Last Ramadans slogan was to worship Allah
(SWT) as we never did, so let our slogan this year be, I see and think only
of Allahs satisfaction. Therefore, I will maintain the ties of kinship for the
sake Allah (SWT), and if I feel humble and cry in prayer, I will not fear
insincerity because I see no one but you, Allah (SWT). The Prophet
(SAWS) said, Seven are (the persons) who Allah will give protection with
His Shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His (i.e. on the Day
of Judgment) and a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his
eyes shed tears. (Authentic Bukhari, 1423). Even if he is among a
thousand people, he feels that he is in privacy because he does not see nor
feel the presence of anyone but Allah (SWT).
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Al-Junaid was asked this question, Who is the best fasting person in
Ramadan? He answered, A servant who is absent-minded, bound to
Allah. If he talks, it is about Allah. If he utters a word, it is for the sake of
Allah, and if he keeps silent, he is with Allah. If only we could fast in
such a way at least for some days or even for a single day, we would be
released from hellfire. We would be free and go forward and our Ummah
would also advance, for I am not talking only on an individual level, I am
talking about Sunaa al-Hayah (Life Makers) and the rising of the Ummah
as a whole.
We would leave Ramadan feeling lightness, gracefulness and vitality, as
we will when we have freed ourselves from the weight of sins. Beware of
the fasting of the first category and try to reach the third one. If not, at
least keep at the second one; this will erase your sins, release you from
hellfire, enable you to gather good deeds and make you attain Lailat alQadr.
Our plan for Ramadan:
Each of you has to make a personal plan for Ramadan, but I will give you
of the six most important points we all have to take into account so that we
will be winners in this sacred month (if Allah (SWT) wills):
1-

Me and the Quran:

What will be your performance this month as far as the Quran is

concerned? Will you recite the whole Quran once or twice or will you do
it once during Taraweeh (night prayer in Ramadan), a second time in
Qiyam and a third time in recitation? Beware of doing it less than once.
Aisha (RA) used to recite Quran from fajr time (pre-dawn prayer) to
daybreak and from Isha prayer (the fifth prayer of the day) to suhur (meal
taken before fajr in Ramadan). Imam ash-Shafii used to say, I set aside
the worldly life in Ramadan except for Quran and feeding the poor.
Imam Ibn-Hanbal used to say, When Ramadan comes, I have nothing in
this worldly life but the Quran.
Imagine the amount of good deeds once multiplied by 70! Do not forget
that Ramadan was honoured only because it is the month when Quran
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was revealed. Unfortunately we give importance to Ramadan and forget

the Quran.
2-

Me and charity:

Write down the amount of money you are intending to donate apart from
zakat (alms). Ibn-Abbas (RA) reported, Allah's Messenger was the most
generous of people in charity, but he was most generous in the month of
Ramadan. Jibril used to meet him every year during the month of
Ramadan until it ended, and Allah's Messenger recited to him the Qur'an;
and when Jibril met him, Allah's Messenger was more generous in giving
charity than the blowing wind. (Authentic Bukhari, 3554). The Prophet
(SAWS) was very generous; his generosity used to be even greater in
Ramadan until he became like the blowing wind that brings welfare
wherever it blows. He used to leave nothing for himself!
What are you going to donate? Clothes? Food? Money? The one who
feeds a fasting person in Ramadan will get the same reward as the fasting
person without decreasing the latters reward. (Authentic al-Albany,
1417).
3-

Me and maintaining the ties of kinship:

Write down the names of your kin, start with those who severed you and
ask about them on the first day to get Allahs mercy. The Prophet (SAWS)
said, Those who sever the bond of kinship will not enter paradise.
(Authentic Muslim, 2556)
4-

Me and duaa (supplication):

Choose the most important supplications. Focus on them during the whole
month of Ramadan. Do not forget to ask Allah (SWT) for pardon,
repentance and victory for Islam!
5-

Me and qiyam:

Will you pray Taraweeh with a whole juz (chapter) of the Quran or will
you just perform a light prayer? What if you look for a mosque where they
pray Taraweeh with a complete juz so that you can complete the Quran
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by the end of Ramadan? What if you also perform Qiyam every night and
complete recitation of the Quran twice?
6-

Me and prayer in the mosque:

Can you commit yourself to performing the five prayers in the mosque
during the whole month, at the beginning of prayer time and in the first
row? Ladies, try to pray together with your husbands, daughters or maids
at the beginning of prayer time. Beware of wasting these valuable
moments in the kitchen, preparing different recipes.
Why have we chosen these six points for our plan this year? Because these
were the points that the Prophet (SAWS) focused on in Ramadan. They are
like a medical composition that will cure the diseases of our hearts. We
will achieve complete recovery, get pardon and release ourselves from
hellfire.
We should not forget to be sincere in our intentions for the sake of Allah
(SWT). We will try to make our hearts, brains and souls fast from
everything but Allah (SWT). O people, Ramadan comes back every year,
and every time it goes away, it takes a piece of our lives with it until we
die and find ourselves in tombs. Then, Ramadan will either welcome us or
disavow us! That is why we need to agree on two projects and we will try
to execute them together:
A.

The project of fajr prayer:

Each of us will agree with two of his friends to wake them up for fajr
prayer. They, in turn, will agree with two others and so on until we cover a
great number of people.
B.

The project of Ramadan Bag:

The bag should be full of sugar, tea, oil and many other ingredients that
cover the needs of poor people for the whole month or at least for two
weeks. This idea was performed with great enthusiasm by Sunaa alHayah in Jordan, Yemen and in all Egyptian clubs. Their intention was,
The one who feeds a fasting person in Ramadan will get the same reward
as the fasting person without decreasing the latters reward. (Authentic alAlbany, 1417). Let us then bring into action these two projects and spread
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them everywhere. Let us start Ramadan with a new achievement and feed
the poor across the Muslim world.
Our appointment in Ramadan:
If Allah wills, I will be presenting a live program on Konuz (Treasures) at
midnight Makkah time (11:00 pm Cairo time) about the stories of the
Prophets. The program Khawater Qurania (Quranic thoughts) will be
broadcast again everyday at 5:30 pm Makkah time (4:30 pm Cairo time).
It talks about the purpose of the Quranic surahs and their general
meaning. We will tackle a whole juz everyday so that people learn the
meaning of the part they are supposed to be reading on that day.
We end this episode by a supplication:
O Allah, the Majestic and Bounteous, let us reach Ramadan. Help us and
let us attain Lailat al-Qadr, grant us forgiveness, release us from hellfire
and accept our deeds, Ameen. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you
all .

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