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About fahlito

The People's Imam

Rally For Palestine

This is a speech that I gave when I was invited to a rally for Palestine. This was prior to the [ongoing] conflict that the Zionists always seem to make it as if these conflicts are occurring at the time that they are, as if it isn’t a ongoing theme of oppression by them, while making themselves look like victims. This was a rally on June 13th, 2021 in Camden, NJ, organized by the Muslim Federation of South Jersey. I was invited to say a few words. This was the actual speech, but in the video below, you can see that I went off script a little bit!

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 

We are gathered here today for a common cause, a cause that has prompted rage and anger. The cause of oppression of our brothers and sisters in Palestine is one that must be addressed, and I am here to say to you today, the way to address it, and the way that we are going about it by rallying and protesting is not the way to do it. There have been a number of protests, demonstrations and rallies, and they all basically revolve around the same theme: appealing to the powers that be for justice, or to address and end the blatant injustices that are inflicted on the Palestinian people (and others around the world).

It is time for us to truly recognize that the powers that we are appealing to for stopping injustices or demanding justice and accountability for the atrocities that are committed against a defenseless people, they do not recognize pleas, and such is the nature of a beast. You all DO know that we are dealing with beasts, right? They are in the form of cowardly Israeli soldiers who harass and intimidate a people of unarmed men, women, and children who have no defense against them (you can search online Israeli soldiers drawing fully automatic weapons on schoolchildren), and they receive orders from a morally deprived and mentally deranged Israeli government, and tacit approval- or neglect -from their partners here of the United States government. They are partners in their oppression of people; what Israel is doing over there is what America has done to the Native Americans and descendants of kidnapped Afrikaans here; subjugation of people for their imperialistic advancements, totally disregarding their basic humanity! Israel are the bullying beasts in the region who are doing open demonstrations of anti-Semitic behavior, and for that reason alone they must be stopped. They are not going to be stopped by rallying; beasts have to be put down, and bullies have to be dominated by a superior force that isn’t afraid of them, and so the appeal today should be to those who are able to do that, put an end to the bullies and the beasts. Remember what Allah has said: 
 

فَقَاتِلُوا أَوْلِيَاءَ الشَّيْطَانِ

“So fight against the allies of Satan…” [Qur’an 4:76]

 
 

Honor and Cherish the Elders

As salaamu alaikum,

Today I was honored to be a guest khatib at Masjid Mujahideen in Philadelphia, PA. Masjid Mujahideen is one of the last bastions in Philadelphia that represents that balance of old school “City of Brotherly Love” and that gritty, don’t take no mess mix that is warm and intense. Under the leadership of Imam Jamil al-Amin (may Allah free him), they are keen on structure, protocol, and order. They have also been blessed with an Imam for a long term, Imam Asim Abdur-Rashid, who passed away this month 2 years ago (may Allah have mercy on him). Imam Asim was a pillar in that community, and they have a number of elders like him who are still there who represent manhood, wisdom, experience, and dedication. Pictured here are two of those brothers. I didn’t get a chance to get the name of the elder on the right, but I had a nice, brief conversation with the one on the left, Shaykh Sayed Abdul-Hadi. Whenever I go there, I am pressed to match that Philly brotherly love, so I go around to try to engage and greet all of the brothers, especially the elders.

As I approached Shaykh Sayed and before I could say anything, he blurted out, “Boom Bap!” 😂 I asked him what did he know about that, and he mentioned that he watches the weekly podcast that I am apart of with my fellow Imams Amin Muhammad and Na’eem Abdullah, and together we make up the B.I.R.T. (Black Imams Roundtable). Shaykh Sayed mentioned that he knew Imam Amin, and he knew of Imam Na’eem, and he had yet to meet me. He proceeded to ask me what did “Boom Bap” mean, so I told him it meant the sound of the drum in honor of our ancestors, and it also meant lyrics with purpose over beats. Since he is an elder who is older than Hip-Hop itself, I wanted to put it to him in a context that he could relate to, so I said to him, “It’s the Last Poets 2.0!” Come to find out, one of the members of the Last Poets, Sulaiman Abdul-Hadi, was Shaykh Sayed’s brother. In addition to the honor of engaging him, I got a history lesson! Al hamdu lillah for the privilege and honor to be a guest at Masjid Mujahideen, and I look forward to the next opportunity to hang out with my brothers from across the Blue (Ben Franklin Bridge)!

On Reflection (Fikr)

“Anyone who has a share of it has an abundant share of everything good. It has been said : ‘An hour’s reflection is better than a year’s worship.’ ‘Ali, may God ennoble his face, has said: ‘There is no worship like reflection.’ And one of the gnostics; may God have mercy on them all, said: ‘Reflection is the lamp of the heart; if it departs the heart will have no light.’”

seekersguidance.org/articles/general-artices/on-reflection-fikr-imam-al-haddad-book-of-assistance/

The Ranks of the Jurists

As salaamu alaikum,

Here are some notes I took from listening to a class with Shaykh Nasir Abdus Salaam entitled “The Ranks of the Jurists.”

The maratib (rank, order) of the fuqaha (jurists):

Mujatahid mutlaq or mustaqil– the scholar/ jurist who has the ability to derive independent foundations (usul) directly from the sources (Qur’an & Sunnah), who has mastery of the tools to do so
(mastery is to know the approximately 500 ayats related to rulings in the Qur’an, and the approximately 1500-2000 Hadith related to rulings, in addition to the sciences of both of those sources, i.e., mansikh and mansukh, muhkamat and mutashabbihat, amm and khass, grading of hadith)

Mujtahid muntasib -similar the mujtahid mutlaq; follows the mujtahid mutlaq but has the ability to take his place

Mujtahid al-madhhab or al maqayyid– the scholar who is restricted to the madhhab and specializes in the school; knows all of the relied upon (mu’tamad) positions in the school

Mujtahid al-fatwa – the scholar who has the ability to look at and transmit the different legal opinions (rulings) within the madhhab

The naqil– the one who is only able to transmit/relate texts of the madhhab

A couple of beneficial quotes from Shaykh Nasir:

“What identifies the scholar is not having an abundance of information, but having mastery of the tools of knowledge.”

“Before you can ask the people of knowledge, you have to know who they are.”

A brand new start

I had the honor of administering the shahadah (declaration of faith for one to enter into Islam) to a brother today by way of Google Meet. It is always a delight to bring someone into the fold of Islam and to see the joy and excitement of someone ready to take this journey to Allah. I always hope that this will be the reward for me, as it comes in the hadith: Sahl ibn Sa’d reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “By Allah, that Allah guides a man through you is better for you than a herd of expensive red camels.” [Bukhari & Muslim] I recorded it for the brother to keep as a reference, and with his permission, I am sharing it here as an incentive and a reminder.