WEBVTT 00:00:08.845 --> 00:00:12.195 [Hassan Ilyas] In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. 00:00:12.195 --> 00:00:14.495 Assalamu alaikum I am Mohammad Hassan Ilyas and right now 00:00:14.495 --> 00:00:16.975 we are in Dallas at the Ghamdi Centre of Islamic Learning. 00:00:16.975 --> 00:00:20.735 ISNA which is the oldest organization of Muslims in America. 00:00:21.060 --> 00:00:24.331 ISNA is having its annual convocation but physical participation 00:00:24.331 --> 00:00:26.391 was hampered due to Covid-19. 00:00:26.391 --> 00:00:29.701 The organizers requested that we should record 00:00:29.701 --> 00:00:32.311 some conversations with Ghamidi Sahab. 00:00:32.311 --> 00:00:34.891 for the participants of this convocation and 00:00:34.891 --> 00:00:39.701 that these conversations are related to the socio-religious challenges 00:00:39.701 --> 00:00:42.111 facing Muslims within the United States. 00:00:42.821 --> 00:00:45.701 Today we are here for this purpose, and we are having with us 00:00:45.701 --> 00:00:47.961 Mr. Javed Ahmad Ghamdi Sahab Asalamu alaikum. 00:00:47.961 --> 00:00:49.121 [Javed Ahmad Ghamidi] Walikum Asalam 00:00:49.121 --> 00:00:50.961 [Ilyas] Ghamidi Sahab, thank you very much for your time. 00:00:50.961 --> 00:00:54.971 At this time you are being heard by people associated with ISNA all over the world 00:00:54.971 --> 00:00:57.301 and especially the Muslim community in America. 00:00:57.301 --> 00:01:01.301 I would like to ask you first, that 57 years ago today, 00:01:01.301 --> 00:01:03.951 the foundation of this organization was laid 00:01:03.951 --> 00:01:05.965 as "The Islamic Society of North America”, 00:01:05.965 --> 00:01:09.445 which is a group of Muslims who settled in Western countries 00:01:09.445 --> 00:01:13.125 and then became part of the community and through the systematic efforts 00:01:13.125 --> 00:01:16.365 of their organization, they tried to advance their mission and vision 00:01:16.365 --> 00:01:19.525 by way of helping the people to develop social capital and education. 00:01:19.525 --> 00:01:22.595 How do you see this whole idea and please help us with 00:01:22.595 --> 00:01:24.195 your personal opinion about ISNA? 00:01:24.195 --> 00:01:27.463 [Ghamidi] This is an extraordinary achievement, and 00:01:27.463 --> 00:01:29.413 it should be greatly appreciated. 00:01:29.413 --> 00:01:34.933 Wherever we go, the needs of human society come to the fore. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:39.680 When we move to a foreign place or a foreign society 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:46.280 or a place where our culture, tradition, civilization is not being followed, 00:01:46.656 --> 00:01:48.694 we will face difficulties there. 00:01:48.694 --> 00:01:54.737 These problems can be social, cultural and sometimes psychological. 00:01:55.373 --> 00:02:01.413 The best way out of all these problems for a Muslim or any other nation, 00:02:01.413 --> 00:02:04.673 is to organize its own community. 00:02:05.190 --> 00:02:09.190 People who are associated with it, who belong to the same tradition, 00:02:09.554 --> 00:02:14.704 who come from the same background, not only do they understand their issues, 00:02:15.090 --> 00:02:19.370 but also have a special background which aids them in resolving them. 00:02:19.370 --> 00:02:23.273 With all these things in mind, creating such organizations and 00:02:23.273 --> 00:02:28.743 creating a bond between them, even if it is more than one, it does not matter. 00:02:28.743 --> 00:02:34.133 However, the ideal situation is that wherever Muslims go, 00:02:34.133 --> 00:02:39.473 only one organization should come into existence because such organizations 00:02:39.473 --> 00:02:41.930 have no ideological aspect. 00:02:41.930 --> 00:02:45.148 The reason for establishing these organizations is to check, 00:02:45.148 --> 00:02:48.251 if Muslims have any specific needs as a community. 00:02:48.251 --> 00:02:51.753 Such organizations are formed keeping in view the aforementioned objectives. 00:02:51.753 --> 00:02:57.153 So in my opinion it is difficult to create unity in the organizations that are 00:02:57.153 --> 00:03:01.710 formed on the basis of ideology or in which there are ideological discussions 00:03:01.710 --> 00:03:04.223 and perhaps there is no need for it as well. 00:03:04.223 --> 00:03:05.183 [Ilyas] okay 00:03:05.183 --> 00:03:09.183 [Ghamidi] Their goal is that they address your mind and in this respect, 00:03:09.183 --> 00:03:13.183 for example, there are different groups, sects among Muslims, 00:03:13.183 --> 00:03:18.392 there is a difference in thinking, which leads to formation of an organisation, 00:03:18.392 --> 00:03:20.734 as well as institutions. 00:03:20.734 --> 00:03:26.623 but as a community, Muslim too face some challenges. 00:03:27.227 --> 00:03:31.227 For instance to help Muslims in managing their mosques, guiding them in matters 00:03:31.227 --> 00:03:36.300 of fasting and prayers, and meeting their needs in regard to Hajj and ‘Umrah, 00:03:36.419 --> 00:03:38.721 or in the case of funeral arrangements, 00:03:38.721 --> 00:03:42.721 if all these needs are put in front of them and their general education 00:03:42.721 --> 00:03:46.721 is made the goal, that is, something on which there is no disagreement. 00:03:46.721 --> 00:03:51.978 As we usually say, elementary education is broad-based. 00:03:51.978 --> 00:03:56.716 If an organization is formed, I think it is of paramount importance. 00:03:57.381 --> 00:04:01.381 You may be aware, we in India once had reputed scholars 00:04:01.381 --> 00:04:07.211 who put forward the view that now that Muslims' political system has collapsed 00:04:07.660 --> 00:04:12.600 so, there should be a collective system for Muslims of the subcontinent. 00:04:13.570 --> 00:04:15.807 This dream could not be achieved, 00:04:15.807 --> 00:04:19.807 but when the Muslims have come out of one place and they have started residing 00:04:19.807 --> 00:04:23.207 in different countries, I think that such organizations 00:04:23.207 --> 00:04:29.397 must exist and in my opinion they should try to transcend themselves 00:04:29.397 --> 00:04:31.807 from differences of opinion as regards ideologies, 00:04:31.807 --> 00:04:35.537 whether there are intellectual differences, juristic differences or 00:04:35.537 --> 00:04:38.174 differences of any kind. 00:04:38.174 --> 00:04:43.154 The topics that should be discussed here are those that the whole community needs, 00:04:43.154 --> 00:04:46.204 what the Muslim society as a whole needs. 00:04:46.619 --> 00:04:51.669 What their cultural traditions need, what they need regarding agreed-upon festivals. 00:04:51.669 --> 00:04:54.889 Keeping all these things in view that are agreed upon, 00:04:54.889 --> 00:04:58.919 establishing such a system is a necessity to me as air and water are needed. 00:04:58.919 --> 00:05:00.549 [Ilyas] So we will continue this topic. 00:05:00.549 --> 00:05:03.819 I will state that most of your listeners are Muslims 00:05:03.819 --> 00:05:05.519 in the United States at this time. 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:09.919 I will also ask you a few questions which we have received from them 00:05:09.919 --> 00:05:13.179 so that you can put forward your point of view about those who immigrated 00:05:13.179 --> 00:05:15.862 to the United States in large number during 1960 -1970’s. 00:05:15.862 --> 00:05:19.962 They brought their religious and cultural tradition here, but for the new generation 00:05:19.962 --> 00:05:25.292 we see that their is a crisis about religious tendencies, cultural aspects, 00:05:25.292 --> 00:05:27.962 social backgrounds, clothing, everything. 00:05:28.203 --> 00:05:34.173 Please, tell me that how parents should persuade their children in these issues, 00:05:34.173 --> 00:05:37.263 so that they should stick to the same ideas and principles. 00:05:37.525 --> 00:05:41.775 I'll offer an example: we know in western countries the dress code is different 00:05:41.775 --> 00:05:45.933 and our Muslim cultural backgrounds have different dress codes. 00:05:45.933 --> 00:05:49.623 So how will the Muslim parents who have settled here, convince their children 00:05:49.623 --> 00:05:54.923 wear simple and decent clothes as was the traditions back home? 00:05:54.923 --> 00:05:58.923 [Ghamidi] The first thing is that wherever the parents come from, 00:05:58.923 --> 00:06:02.923 they have brought their tradition with them, their way of life, 00:06:02.923 --> 00:06:05.793 their way of conversing and how they live. 00:06:05.793 --> 00:06:07.883 The child observes this same manner. 00:06:07.883 --> 00:06:13.392 In the first stage, I always say that how the parents want their children to become 00:06:13.865 --> 00:06:19.675 they should become an example of the same in their home and their society, 00:06:19.675 --> 00:06:23.675 because children will see their parents and when they will see them, 00:06:23.675 --> 00:06:26.975 after that the first thing they do when they see them, 00:06:26.975 --> 00:06:30.305 and what they may not feel the need to do in their home countries, 00:06:30.305 --> 00:06:33.135 is to create awareness of their own cultural traditions. 00:06:33.135 --> 00:06:37.545 One thing is for sure, whether you were born in Morocco, or 00:06:37.545 --> 00:06:41.455 in the subcontinent or somewhere in the Arab world, and 00:06:41.455 --> 00:06:45.135 you have lived in the traditions that were there and we automatically tend 00:06:45.135 --> 00:06:48.994 to adopt these traditions and there is not much hesitation about accepting 00:06:48.994 --> 00:06:52.322 the things that are going on in a society or its surrounding. 00:06:52.322 --> 00:06:54.963 But every time you go to another society, 00:06:54.963 --> 00:07:01.359 whatever you choose or insist on, requires a reasoning and an argument behind it, 00:07:01.890 --> 00:07:05.890 so everyone should know when he is going to another country, 00:07:06.075 --> 00:07:09.595 that if he has a religious tradition, what is the reason behind it? 00:07:09.783 --> 00:07:13.564 If he’s following certain cultural mores, what is the history behind it? 00:07:13.564 --> 00:07:18.774 The way one dresses, engages with people, and interacts with others it should be 00:07:18.774 --> 00:07:21.094 known as to what are the foundations of that? 00:07:21.094 --> 00:07:25.094 The first thing is that the parents themselves should create 00:07:25.094 --> 00:07:26.254 awareness about it. 00:07:26.254 --> 00:07:29.264 In other words, they should educate themselves. 00:07:29.264 --> 00:07:31.596 They should arrange for their education in these matters. 00:07:31.596 --> 00:07:35.596 In our case, I have submitted to you that these things are usually adopted 00:07:35.596 --> 00:07:39.596 by observing the society, hearing from the parents, which is not 00:07:39.596 --> 00:07:44.366 a conscious decision, so it should be turned into a conscious activity. 00:07:44.785 --> 00:07:49.645 Once upon a time, some of our scholars used the term that a Muslim needs to be 00:07:49.645 --> 00:07:54.505 not just Muslim but a conscious Muslim, that is, if he renews his faith, 00:07:54.691 --> 00:07:57.431 then the renewal of faith has not been said here in 00:07:57.431 --> 00:07:58.991 any jurisprudential sense. 00:07:58.991 --> 00:08:02.241 Rather, it is being said in the sense that you have to know yourself, 00:08:02.241 --> 00:08:04.765 you have to develop self-knowledge and self-identity. 00:08:04.765 --> 00:08:06.725 If you are a Muslim, why you are a Muslim? 00:08:06.725 --> 00:08:09.816 If you have a cultural background, then what is the state of it? 00:08:09.816 --> 00:08:12.681 What arguments do you have for accepting those cultural conditions? 00:08:12.681 --> 00:08:15.811 You should have knowledge pertaining to these things. 00:08:16.074 --> 00:08:20.074 Obviously, not all people have the same aptitude for knowledge, 00:08:20.074 --> 00:08:23.934 so they should try to understand as much as they can. 00:08:23.934 --> 00:08:27.251 They should try to educate their children about the same and 00:08:27.251 --> 00:08:30.221 they should rationally present these things to their children. 00:08:30.221 --> 00:08:34.181 To suggest that they'll convince them through force, won't be possible today 00:08:34.181 --> 00:08:36.580 Perhaps those times have passed. 00:08:36.580 --> 00:08:41.510 These things are no longer possible in our own countries or even globally. 00:08:41.588 --> 00:08:46.468 We have entered a world in which each and every culture 00:08:46.468 --> 00:08:52.308 is becoming part of a global civilization in spite of their differing identities. 00:08:52.308 --> 00:08:57.825 And when such a situation arises, then you have to explain 00:08:57.825 --> 00:09:01.033 why you have adopted all those things that you have. 00:09:01.033 --> 00:09:04.895 In this scenario, you can no longer rely on parental authority. 00:09:04.895 --> 00:09:09.017 Then you should try to find out what background you are from. 00:09:09.447 --> 00:09:14.257 You may be from a Persian background or you may be from an Arab background, 00:09:14.257 --> 00:09:16.623 you may be from the subcontinent. 00:09:16.623 --> 00:09:21.603 Wherever you are from, your Islamic language, you might wonder how a language 00:09:21.603 --> 00:09:23.993 can be divided into Islamic and non-Islamic? 00:09:23.993 --> 00:09:25.073 Of course it is... 00:09:25.073 --> 00:09:26.423 How is it so? 00:09:26.423 --> 00:09:32.943 Just as we urge people in our own countries to learn the English language. 00:09:32.943 --> 00:09:34.823 What is the reason behind that? 00:09:34.823 --> 00:09:38.207 The reason is that it has become the language of modern sciences. 00:09:38.207 --> 00:09:41.697 There are other languages of modern knowledge too but we are referring 00:09:41.697 --> 00:09:45.697 to that language through which many new sciences are now reaching us 00:09:45.697 --> 00:09:49.697 and if we want access those sciences, then we too must master that language. 00:09:49.697 --> 00:09:56.657 In the same way, our religion came to Arabia, that is, 00:09:56.657 --> 00:09:59.401 I mean the form of Islam that we have received through 00:09:59.401 --> 00:10:02.467 Muhammad, the Messenger of God (pbuh) 00:10:02.467 --> 00:10:06.467 It is the religion of all the Prophets, and it has always been Islam. 00:10:06.467 --> 00:10:10.467 But when it was renewed by the Prophet (pbuh) and then it was 00:10:10.467 --> 00:10:14.427 given to the world and the Quran was revealed in Arabic, 00:10:14.427 --> 00:10:17.326 the Prophet (pbuh) himself addressed us in this language. 00:10:17.326 --> 00:10:21.716 Hence, all our sciences began in this language. Then came the second period 00:10:21.716 --> 00:10:25.095 of Persian language and then after that Urdu language got this status. 00:10:25.095 --> 00:10:28.245 It is also a case with some other languages that they have their 00:10:28.245 --> 00:10:32.245 own religious background but if you look carefully whatever knowledge 00:10:32.245 --> 00:10:36.715 has come about with respect to religion those great people have 00:10:36.715 --> 00:10:40.525 written in these languages only and it has come into existence through them. 00:10:40.525 --> 00:10:44.650 So, at least, one of these languages must necessarily be taught to children. 00:10:44.650 --> 00:10:50.300 It is also important because you want to explain your religion, because 00:10:50.300 --> 00:10:52.920 you also want to transmit your culture, 00:10:52.920 --> 00:10:56.920 and you want to keep them connected to your traditions. 00:10:56.920 --> 00:11:02.240 It is also important because a person’s memory is shaped by his past 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.830 and you don’t want to see them alienated from the past. 00:11:05.830 --> 00:11:09.500 These things have their respective background and 00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:12.370 they embody themselves in the fabric of language. 00:11:12.761 --> 00:11:16.761 In other words, language is not just a means of communication. 00:11:16.761 --> 00:11:20.631 It is a big mistake of people to think that there are such-and-such facts 00:11:20.631 --> 00:11:24.101 and If you translate them into such-and such language, the issue will be resolved 00:11:24.101 --> 00:11:28.554 It doesn't end there. It means that when an advanced level of knowledge is created, 00:11:28.554 --> 00:11:32.944 it is expressed via the pens and mouths of highly intellectual people. 00:11:33.136 --> 00:11:37.136 And unless and until people are in a position to benefit from them directly, 00:11:37.501 --> 00:11:41.051 after reaching a certain level of knowledge, 00:11:41.051 --> 00:11:43.591 an individual is not influenced by their thought. 00:11:43.591 --> 00:11:45.701 Parents will play a role in teaching their children, 00:11:45.701 --> 00:11:47.021 will learn from their surroundings. 00:11:47.021 --> 00:11:51.811 People will learn from their teachers. Then once those big questions arise, 00:11:51.811 --> 00:11:56.657 then it is important that they are aware of the intellectual heritage of Muslims. 00:11:57.170 --> 00:12:02.900 and get to know its great people so that they can benefit from the intelligentsia. 00:12:03.520 --> 00:12:08.037 It is the intelligentsia that keeps you connected to its culture, 00:12:08.037 --> 00:12:12.030 religious traditions and to its ideology, if it has one. 00:12:12.030 --> 00:12:14.848 I always give my own example that when 00:12:14.848 --> 00:12:20.590 I was trained by my parents, I understood some things and observed other things. 00:12:20.590 --> 00:12:24.943 Right from the beginning I got acquainted with Abul Kalam Azad, 00:12:24.943 --> 00:12:28.742 Iqbal, Syed Abul A’al Sahab Maududi and Shibli Nomani. 00:12:28.742 --> 00:12:31.283 These were the elders with whom I got acquainted, 00:12:31.283 --> 00:12:36.899 whose writings came to light and I had access to their writings. 00:12:36.899 --> 00:12:43.313 As a result, there was no need for me to fall back on may parents for my doubts. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:47.919 We must also realize this need and provide educational opportunities 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.109 to our children accordingly. 00:12:50.392 --> 00:12:52.536 [Ilyas] Totally, I would like to conclude with last two questions. 00:12:52.536 --> 00:12:56.536 The children nowadays studying in High schools, Universities and Colleges; 00:12:56.536 --> 00:13:00.536 they have a common question to which parents have no answer which 00:13:00.536 --> 00:13:04.246 is that if they are choosing a partner for marriage, 00:13:04.246 --> 00:13:07.446 they argue that there are non-Muslims just as there are Muslims, 00:13:07.446 --> 00:13:11.446 in that they have good morals, they are also doing good deeds, 00:13:11.446 --> 00:13:15.446 they are also doing charity work, so what is the reason that a Muslim boy 00:13:15.446 --> 00:13:18.836 or girl at the time of getting married, should choose a muslim partner 00:13:18.836 --> 00:13:22.728 as religion has made it obligatory for them to choose only from the Muslims. 00:13:22.728 --> 00:13:26.728 Is their any rational explanation to it which the parents can present? 00:13:26.893 --> 00:13:30.893 [Ghamidi] You said that they have good morals and good education. 00:13:31.077 --> 00:13:33.047 Why do they need these things? 00:13:33.358 --> 00:13:40.360 Because these are some values on which you are not ready to compromise. 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:48.040 Which means that a functional home would be possible only with good values. 00:13:48.323 --> 00:13:52.323 It means that morality is an issue for you. 00:13:52.323 --> 00:13:56.323 You value it. You want to look for it. 00:13:56.323 --> 00:13:58.713 You call it a necessity of life. 00:13:58.713 --> 00:14:02.033 Same is the case with religion. If religion is your concern, 00:14:02.033 --> 00:14:06.833 if you think that the decision is to be based on religion and this decision 00:14:06.833 --> 00:14:11.113 is to be made on the Day of Judgment and my children have to adhere 00:14:11.113 --> 00:14:15.113 to a religion and my society has to be molded by a religion 00:14:15.113 --> 00:14:18.496 then that means that religion is an issue for you. 00:14:18.496 --> 00:14:22.496 If religion matters to you, then it should matter to you 00:14:22.496 --> 00:14:26.335 in marriage as well. It is a very simple rational point. 00:14:26.335 --> 00:14:28.215 And should be looked at like that. 00:14:28.215 --> 00:14:30.701 There are those things that I consider important, 00:14:30.701 --> 00:14:35.887 those that I consider to be a cause for concern, 00:14:35.887 --> 00:14:37.901 are the sort of things that I analyse. 00:14:37.901 --> 00:14:40.711 I will analyse the values of the other person whom I have to marry 00:14:40.711 --> 00:14:42.551 I have to marry. I want to build a home. 00:14:42.551 --> 00:14:44.081 It’s a lifelong decision. 00:14:44.081 --> 00:14:45.381 I will have children. 00:14:45.381 --> 00:14:46.806 They have to learn. 00:14:46.806 --> 00:14:51.726 So the real issue is that religion is no longer relevant for children. 00:14:52.040 --> 00:14:55.059 Religion is no longer a part of their intellect, 00:14:55.059 --> 00:14:58.481 their thoughts and their life. 00:14:58.481 --> 00:15:02.481 They see that the parents want to force them to adhere to their religion 00:15:02.481 --> 00:15:07.251 and this again raises the question in front of them as to why religion NOTE Paragraph 00:15:07.251 --> 00:15:11.031 should become an obstacle in the way of what they like and who they love. 00:15:11.825 --> 00:15:16.945 This question will continue to come up until we present religion to our children 00:15:16.945 --> 00:15:22.325 in such a way that it does becomes constitutive in a moral way 00:15:22.325 --> 00:15:24.920 of their intellectual and cultural being. 00:15:24.920 --> 00:15:27.729 When that happens, they will stop posing such questions. 00:15:27.729 --> 00:15:31.189 [Hassan] Please will you also shed light on whether Muslims 00:15:31.189 --> 00:15:35.919 should be involved in the local or national politics of the United States, 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:41.249 It is often suggested that there are a few major parties that have their own 00:15:41.249 --> 00:15:46.639 manifestos and there are things in those manifestos that are also against Islam, 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:49.631 so if a person becomes a part of these parties and 00:15:49.631 --> 00:15:51.261 becomes active in local politics, 00:15:51.261 --> 00:15:54.291 then is that an issue from a religious point of view? 00:15:54.385 --> 00:15:56.582 [Ghamidi] Of course, that should be the case. 00:15:56.582 --> 00:15:59.865 I ask you to consider the countries you come to as your own once 00:15:59.865 --> 00:16:01.915 you have acquired their citizenship. 00:16:01.915 --> 00:16:05.711 You should feel a sense of belonging and loyalty to that land. 00:16:05.711 --> 00:16:09.385 You should think about the development of that country and 00:16:09.385 --> 00:16:11.765 when you have all these things in mind, 00:16:11.765 --> 00:16:16.195 then if you have a political acumen in you, then you will definitely 00:16:16.195 --> 00:16:19.875 participate in politics. In our culture, most people are still associated 00:16:19.875 --> 00:16:22.415 with the politics of their former countries and mentally 00:16:22.415 --> 00:16:24.485 they are still living in the countries of their birth. 00:16:24.485 --> 00:16:28.385 They should be fully integrated to the land they have chosen for themselves. 00:16:28.385 --> 00:16:32.225 They must understand the politics and conditions of the land they belong to and 00:16:32.225 --> 00:16:34.085 should participate in political parties. 00:16:34.085 --> 00:16:39.535 In democratic countries, it is accepted that you can live with different opinions. 00:16:40.127 --> 00:16:44.127 Explain your differences of opinion and if you are huge in number, 00:16:44.127 --> 00:16:48.127 then you will start affecting those manifestos as well. 00:16:48.380 --> 00:16:50.870 It will also affect its cultural outcome. 00:16:50.870 --> 00:16:56.000 If you will remain unrelated, then you will only suffer the consequences. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.910 You will have no share in it. 00:16:57.910 --> 00:17:01.530 That’s why in my opinion if people are having a political acumen, 00:17:01.530 --> 00:17:02.970 they must participate. 00:17:03.193 --> 00:17:05.713 [Hassan] Alright. Finally, I would like a message from you 00:17:05.713 --> 00:17:07.168 and we will end with the same message. 00:17:07.168 --> 00:17:10.004 We are well aware that our religion has covered everything 00:17:10.004 --> 00:17:12.444 related to a human being and his or her ethical life. 00:17:12.444 --> 00:17:15.164 Do you think that Muslims should learn something from 00:17:15.164 --> 00:17:18.393 the western culture and society after they have become a part of it 00:17:18.393 --> 00:17:21.975 and if that is the case, then what are those things that they should learn? 00:17:21.975 --> 00:17:25.643 [Ghamidi] They have come because there is some attraction for them here, 00:17:25.643 --> 00:17:30.303 that is, how these societies have made their journey, 00:17:30.303 --> 00:17:33.892 how they have gone through different stages, how they have moved on from 00:17:33.892 --> 00:17:35.092 their past errors. 00:17:35.092 --> 00:17:38.552 What happened to them when the Renaissance took place 00:17:38.552 --> 00:17:44.492 and what consequences did they face when there was revival of the sciences? 00:17:44.492 --> 00:17:51.203 What affects has modern science, its inventions and 00:17:51.203 --> 00:17:54.303 discoveries had on their minds? 00:17:54.663 --> 00:17:58.635 We should study the consequences those discoveries have had on our societies. 00:17:58.635 --> 00:18:00.283 There is a lot to learn. 00:18:00.993 --> 00:18:04.443 The fact is that it’s not just about the inventions. 00:18:04.443 --> 00:18:09.593 It is not only airplane, the Internet, radio and television that 00:18:09.593 --> 00:18:11.913 have had serious consequences. 00:18:11.913 --> 00:18:17.423 Extraordinary work has been carried out in the social sciences or sociology. 00:18:17.423 --> 00:18:20.191 Similarly, how should the organization of the society be? 00:18:20.191 --> 00:18:24.379 How should the political system be established from the bottom to the top? 00:18:24.379 --> 00:18:27.743 The institutes that are constituted for running a political system like 00:18:27.743 --> 00:18:31.973 legislature, executive and judiciary and what will be their mutual roles. 00:18:31.973 --> 00:18:34.675 There is a lot to learn from these things. 00:18:34.675 --> 00:18:37.322 A believer should always be willing to learn. 00:18:37.322 --> 00:18:41.022 Knowledge cannot be divided into West or East. 00:18:41.351 --> 00:18:45.351 The correct rule is that the Al hikmatu zaalatul moomin. 00:18:45.571 --> 00:18:50.997 The job of a believer is to understand everything in the light of his religion, 00:18:50.997 --> 00:18:55.084 to understand it in terms of his cultural values, 00:18:55.084 --> 00:18:59.919 and take whatever is right in it as his own inheritance. 00:18:59.919 --> 00:19:05.594 And if there is something wrong, be it even in our own culture or society, 00:19:05.594 --> 00:19:09.031 it is our moral duty to point out those shortcomings. 00:19:09.031 --> 00:19:12.153 Same should be the case here in these societies, 00:19:12.153 --> 00:19:14.803 We will be of service here in a similar manner. 00:19:14.803 --> 00:19:18.153 It can be the case that those things that are wrong according to us, 00:19:18.153 --> 00:19:24.739 even if we understand the right and stand with it and explain the mistake, 00:19:24.739 --> 00:19:29.059 then this society and its future generations will also be grateful to us. 00:19:29.059 --> 00:19:31.089 [Hassan] We are out of time, Ghamidi sb. 00:19:31.089 --> 00:19:34.218 We included Ghamidi sahab remotely in the annual convocation 00:19:34.218 --> 00:19:37.198 of Islamic Society of North America ISNA, 00:19:37.198 --> 00:19:40.138 and his thoughts reached all the participants. 00:19:40.138 --> 00:19:44.118 We are thankful on behalf of the organization as well 00:19:44.118 --> 00:19:46.108 for allowing us to express our views. 00:19:46.108 --> 00:19:48.003 Insha’Allah, if we ever get a chance, 00:19:48.003 --> 00:19:49.978 we will listen directly to Ghamidi Saab in this convocation. 00:19:49.978 --> 00:19:51.558 Thank you very much for your time. 00:19:51.558 --> 00:19:52.988 [Ghamidi] Thank you very much.