Friday Sermon

Title: Identity and Non-identity
Place: Aladeliah Mosque
Date: July 8th, 2005
Second Jumadah 1st, 1426 (Hejira)

Old legends talk about the immoratlity of the snake which was thought to be attributed to the renewal of the slough. But according to zoologists (those who are familiar with the animal kingdom and its elements), the renewal of the slough is, in reality, not an external scaly phenomena. The truth lies in what God says: “No indeed! But they are in doubt about a new creation.”(Qaf 15)
The fact is that there is a renewal in both the formation and structure of the snake. Without such a renewal, the slough would not be renewed. Actually, the snake does not have a false slough. Its slough is rather interlinked with its formation, origination, and renewal.
Today, it seems that we are trying to imitate the snake, not through the false outward appearance, rather through the renewal of the whole formation.
I am telling you about the snake because I believe that nowadays we are living a crisis, which has to do with confusion, absence of belongingness, and loss of identity. We think that we are getting innovated, but the truth is that we are continuously changing our garbs. That is why we cannot define our belongingness.
Today, someone might talk about the sense of belongingness to the homeland, Syria, and he/she might have his/her identity and culture restricted to this place. But, does the place have a cultural indication? If we approve of the linguistic propositions, can we say that we belong to the Syrian history or to our prenent time?
If belongingness has an indication to history, the question that raises itself then is “To which history do we belong?” Do we belong to the Aramic, Assyrian, Phoenician, Persian, Roman, or Islamic history? As you see, history consists of different phases. In this sense, if someone says “We belong to Syria’s present time.” We say: “Is the present detached from history?”
We may also inquire about the nature of the present culture. Do we know our present culture? Is our culture imported from the Red East few years ago? Does this culture has nothing to do with the nature, character, and tradition of the inhabitants of the East. Does our culture belong to the country where the ‘white freedom statue’ lies--the people of such a country are always trying to turn things upside down all over the world.
I wanted to direct our eyes to a crisis we are living today, and as you know the Friday mimbar is the palce where we talk about reality. Our crisis has to do with the following: absence and confusion in belongingness, in addition to confusion in defining our identity.
Anyway, I do not want to be like the consumed media. I just want to tell you-you lovers of our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.)-that while trying to get seriously renewed, we should take the following four points into conideration:
1- There is no dispute about the fact that the majority of people in our country belong to the Islamic culture. This is a fact we should not forget.
2-There is a point which should be firmly rooted in the minds of all people, far and close. The point is that belongingness to the Islamic culture does not nullify the other minor cultures. This is because the Islamic culture is extensive, far-reaching. It is also inconsistent with the notion of nullifying others, which exists only in the minds of the young who are ignorant and have nothing to do with the Islamic science and culture. Our culture does not lead to events like Madrid or London explosions. This culture is rather based on mercy, just like what is stated in God’s address to our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.): “And We did not send you but as a mercy to all beings.” (Al Anbiya 107) In this respect, when we make certain that the culture of our country is an Islamic culture, we mean that it is extensive not nullifying.
3-What far and close people should know is that what distinguishes the people of this Islamic country is moderation, balance, and cultural depth. This makes the country a home for knowledge, civilization, and renaissance. That is why we reject all the excitable ideas which our minds do not accept, as all people know.
It is fitting to say that disregarding our culture and disregarding the speciality which people enjoy will definitely lead to the rise of excitable ideas that resulted from both ignorance and confused behavior.
In this country, balance is a treasure that should be utilized by those people who can have an influence on the country from inside before letting outsiders make use of it.
Islam-whether the world accepts it or not- is an existing power. Even though this power is materially weak, it will influence the world one day. So let its influence be through mercy, civilization, and the culture of the country. Otherwise, the circle of ignorance will get bigger and bigger and it will be widened by the ignorant and the excited.
4-On the official level, we are living a state of contradiction and confusion which do not suite the culture of the majority. This is a case which we should consider. As an illustration, I am going to introduce five points that examplify the contradiction before coming to talk about what we should do on the behavioral level.
First, if we consider our local media which should represent the culture of the majority, we face an imported dissolution coming from the licentious cultures at the same time when you see certain laws that reckon moral dissolution.
When I visited the West, I found that dissolution is eveywhere in the sense that neither the laws nor the media reckon dissolution in the street or the public utilities. As for us, it seems that even in our dissolution, we are not consistent: our laws do not reckon moral dissolution at the time our media encourage it. This relflects absence of identity.
Second, our personal statute has its source in the Islamic Sharia, but the law which regulates civil procedures is imported from the French law. Obviously, we are hesitant in determining out belongingness despite the presence of an Islamic law that regulates procedures, and makes life more flexible through disregarding bereaucracy which exists in the imported French law.
Third, we are living a state of perplexity, disorder, and disturbance in relation to belongingness that is felt in our mottos which are not in line with our behavior. Our mottos are Eastern, whereas our behavior is Western. We are not aware of our identity and do not want to define it.
Fourth, on the Prophet’s birthday and in feasts, the media transfer the religious celebration, the prayers, and the best sermons. This is in itself a clear and official admission of glorifying our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.), prayers, love of our prophet, and Islamic rites. However, in our official institutions, a person cannot freely choose to perform his prayers. It is surprising to find prayers performed in the Council of Ministers, the Parliament, or other govermental institutions. This is, of course, not in line with what has been announced in the media. It seems what has been announced has been forgotten on the sopt.
Moreover, if someone is going to join the army, he asks me the following question: “Can I pray in the army?” In response, I say to him: “Why you won’t be able to pray? Hasn’t the official media announced admitting the prayer and praise of our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.).” In this sense, do the media represent an existing reality that reflects our identity? Or are the media just a protocol?
I also said to the person joining the army: “Why do’t you pray? As it is announced, religion is respected in this country. If you want to be a soldier, fighting for the casue of God, protecting the borders, and practising using the arms, then you should not conflict with the greatest religious rite (prayer) because we admit belonging to the Qur’an and our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.).”
What I have just presented are but different situations that reflect the state of inward hesitation. Contray to these situations, I am going to tell you about a person who can define his identity. Without flattering, I admired the behavior of that person who is at the head of the Turkish system. Why? Although that person is at the head of a system which is said to be secular, we see that whenever he visits the Omayyad mosque or the Far Mosque, he seizes the opportunity to pray. His wife is seen to be veiled. He meets people. He is open with all people. He does not feel embarrased to meet any person on earth. Why? He does not live a conflicting state. He can define his identity which he does not forget and with which he is in harmony. How nice is it to have people get out of their inward hesitation which rules out their truthfulness?
Fifth, back to the contradictory situations, we will talk about ‘martyrdom’ and its values. The word ‘martyrdom’ means ‘the observer’ in the sense that a man, a woman, a young man, an elderly, or a little child, rises to the level of the ‘the observer’ where he can see ‘Paradise’ which is as wide as heaven and earth. The martyrs’ spirits are, in this sense, dangling from God’s throne like candlesticks and are roaming in Paradise. God says: “And do not reckon as dead those who were killed in GOD’s cause, but they are alive with their Lord and are well provided for.” (Al Imran 169)
In our country, such verses are written on the Martyr’s, the Unknown Soldier’s, and the Fighter’s signs. Having this in mind, we can say that we acknowledge, assure, and are proud of concepts like ‘martyrdom’. This means that we confirm ‘the invisible’ connotation implied in the word ‘martyrdom’. We also confirm the presence of a ‘Paradise’ as wide as heaven and earth. Add to this, we strongly believe that the martyr shifts from the ephemeral to the everlasting life and from the life of hardship to that of comfort. So, when we confirm such a concept, we should not contradict ourselves. This contradiction happens when we do not affirm the values relevant to the concept. If faith is not strengthened, our country will not achieve any progress or innovation. Strenghtening faith is the greatest incentive behind getting away from bad manners like robbery, deceit, and bribery.
At this phase, “What should we do in order to move from theory to practice?” This is a question raised by the young and the old. “What should the educated, who form the majority of people, do?” I can say that we should adopt ‘the step by step’ procedure. What canot be wholly attained should not be mostly left.
To attain everything is nothing but a dream. In the sixties, they talked a lot about defeating, throwing Israel in the sea, and destroying its sites. Such were the patterns of speeches in the sixties. They were based on dreams that claim to do everything while in reality such dreams were defeatists and unable to achieve anything. Dreams like those were cheating. They misled people at the time the young calpped for them. I think that such a phase is over by now.
In order to be able to define our identity, I believe that we should do the following three things:
1- In our county, the educated majority of people should try to get out from the state of inward hesitation, and we should verify our identity in ourselves.
Before disclosing our identity, we should verify it inwardly and outrwardly. We should start with the inward. Does our identity lie in our insides? Can we, when alone, say that we are Muslims? Can we say that we are the lovers of our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.)? Can we say that we are the keepers of Quar’an and the sevants of Islam? Can we say all this inwardly?
Unfortunately, we are serving money, the factory, the farm, the family, and the kids. We do not know our culture and are not able to define our identity. That is why, on the individual and collective levels, we should try-as a first step and in our very nature-to actualize our identity and be truthful about it.
We are living a state of inward confusion because we do not know where to belong. This is illustated in what an educated person said to me yesterday: “We are living a state of confusion and interblending. Sometimes we declare an Islamic culture, at other times a Western or an Eastern one.”
Our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.)’s companions had not experienced the state of confusion. Had they done so, they would not have reached the level of certainty which enabled them to be conquerors spreading civilization and humanity. Had they done so, we would not have been able to meet here in Aleppo, the city which was conquered by Khaled Ibn Al-waled. Ibn Al-waled was able to do so through upward development, Qur’an, and clear disclosed identity which is harmonious inwardly and outwardly. This is implied in the following saying: “I am pleased with Allah as God, Islam as religion, Qur’an as leader, and Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) as prophet and messenger.”
So, the first thing to do is to determine our identity and disclose it. Verifying it means being harmonious inwardly and outwardly. You should not be inwardly hesitant.
We should keep in mind what God says: “But if they turn away, then say, “Bear witness that we are Muslims.” (Al Imran 64) This is how idenity is disclosed. If other people turn away and if the big conflicts raise, this should not dissuade us from staying attached to our identity. If they turn away, then you should say: “Bear witness that we are Muslims.” (Al Imran 64) When you disclose your identity, you feel pleased, because the hesitant person lives a state of disturbance in his personality. God says: “GOD has set similitude, a man who is shared by many partners disagreeing with each other, and a man who belongs to one man, are the two equal in similitude?” (Az Zumar 29) The one who defines his identity will live at ease. But the one who cannot define his belongingness or identity will suffer because he is always perplexed and disturbed.
2-When we disclose our identity, we should not forget that our culture should be comprehensive in order to neutralize the excitable ignorant thought which does not express the depth of Islam. Declaring the Islamic culture should not be like what happened when mottos like “Establish the Islamic state” or “Death for the cause of God is our most sublime aspiration” were raised. Such mottos were not deeprooted in the Islamic culture which vibrates with the spirit, mercy, manners, social graces, and modesty of Islam. These meanings are expressed in God’s saying: “They are merciful with each other.” (Sura and its number unknown) Contrary to this, we used to come across mental struggles that were not in line with the Islamic manners.
Declaring the identity of the Islamic culture should go together with asserting a comprehensive culture, balance, and through throwing the excitable extreme thought that does not relate to the depth of Islam. God says: “GOD forbids you not with regard to those who have not fought you in the cause of Religion, nor expelled you from your homes, that you should be cosiderate and deal justly with them, surely GOD loves the just. Indeed! GOD forbids you only with regard to those who have fought in the cause of Religion, and expelled you from your homes, and have helped in expelling you, that you should take them for friends. And whoever takes them for friends, those, they are the evildoers.” (Al Mumtahanah 8-9)
3-Create bonds among those who declared their identity.
Enough dispersion …
Every one of us is like a chicken lying on its eggs not wanting to leave them.
Enough dispersion …
Enough individuality …
We are living a state of individuality even among the educated who claim to be educators and summoners.
This is a fact which we should not ignore; we are living a state of individuality and absence of bonds. We do not want to have bonds. Everybody is happy only with what he/she has got, which is reflected in God’s saying: “And each party rejoices in what it has heedlessly.” (Al Mu’aminoon 53)
This is not how the Islamic nation should be like. God addresses this nation saying: “And adhere to the bond of GOD all together, and do not be divided.’’ (Al Imran 103)
We lie at the time we claim that we tell the truth. We lie and we say we have good manners. Actually, we have neither truth nor good manners. We only like to get a presidency, a leadership, or a gathering.
Having a bond should be the first step on the way of innovation. In this respect, I remember I extended my hand to people who I thought can be summoners or who I thought to be reasonable and reflective. I was later surprised to face iron striking walls that reflect their individuality.
So, we are deceiving ourselves. We think we are constructors. We deceive ourselves before deceiving other people.
There should be a bond in the moque.
There should be a bond among people in society.
There should be a bond at work.
There should be a bond among you.
“I am pleased with Allah as God, Islam as religion, Qur’an as leader, and Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) as prophet and messenger.”
We do not have to find names for these bonds, as God says: “He named you Muslims before, and in this (Qur’an) .” (Al Hajj 78) This is the most sacred bond, but we unfortunately do not like it. We do not glorify it. Other people create bonds on the basis of viciousness, trivialities, moral dissolution, and absence of virtues. Still, they have bonds among them.
What reflects our present state is God’s saying: “They are fluctuating in between as they adhere to neither party.” (Sura and its number unkmown)
We do not want to actualize God’s saying: “Cooperate with all in what is good and pious.” (Al Ma’idah 2) I have heard this verse a lot from my teacher who is my benefactor and educator, who used to repeat it day and night: “Cooperate with all in what is good and pious, and do not cooperate in what is sinful and aggression.” (Al Ma’idah 2)
The bond leads to cooperation which is conditioned by the bond. The bond does not exist if we do not exceed our desires. The ego does not leave a space for the bond, because the individuality shreds the bonds and all other relations.
May God gracefully bring us back to His religion. May He make us follow the best of what is said. I say such words and I ask God’s forgiveness.