YouTube Transcript:
البوصلة القرآنية في تربية النفس | د_نايف بن نهار | 159

Since I got to know more about Quran
I no longer can read other books
Is it a book of knowledge or ethics?
When reading Quran, we find out it is a straightforward book
The aim of Quran isn't just to memorize it
Rather to ponder it
But pondering is hard and requires work
I haven't finished Al-Fatehah yet
I found out why it is called Al-Fatehah (The Introduction)
And why there isn't a conclusion chapter
What's our problem today?
- Why are we lost? - Who convinced Muslims that Quran comes at the end?
The idea is that who get too deep
Even for our children, we fear extremism
The reality is that Quran amazes you on how it expands the more you research it
What's our duty as parents?
Our problem is that parents are busy with securing livelihood
More than with securing their kid's manners
But the world is dominated by this economic approach
After all, you must be part of this society
Is what's popular your standard or do you have your own standards?
- We have an authentic standard... - Yes, follow it and abandon what's popular
What's popular might lead to bad ends
Why do people fear standing up for what's right?
"But their hearing and vision and hearts availed them not from anything"
They have both rational and sensory knowledge sources
But this didn't help them, why?
"When they were rejecting the signs of Allah"
- Welcome Abu-Nahar - Thank you
The last time we had you, we discussed the topic of liberty
But our topic is different today
I think you're interested in the topic of education in Quran
Or the educational approach encouraged by Quran
But prior to that, we'd like to establish bases for this idea
So, we went back and read your writings
You had an article published in 2022
Which I quoted a part from it
It was a short article
In which you wrote...
"Most Muslims consider Quran as a book for blessing only"
"It is rare to find Muslims that consider Quran as a source of knowledge and building perceptions"
Which led me to a question that we can begin with
Is Quran a book of knowledge or for ethics?
Our perceptions about Quran are endless, Faisal
People have many countless perceptions about Quran
But Quran discussed an important approach which is fabrication
"And if he had forged a false saying concerning Us"
Meaning that we fabricate many things about Quran
Everyone states their perception about Quran
Some say it is a book of peace
Others claim it is a book of war and violence
Others say it is a scientific book or a book of ethics alone
Many perceptions, but don't depend on any of them
Unless what the Quran itself mentions
Otherwise, we'll be fabricating despite the warnings in Quran
That's why if we went back to Quran itself
We'll find that Quran tells us that it is a book for guiding the human knowledge
As Allah says "Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed. Guidance for humanity"
So, it is a book of guidance
But guidance for what?
The other verse clarifies as when Allah said
"We sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance"
"That the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice"
So, guidance of Quran leads people to enact justice
So, all requirement for justice to be enacted in managing humans’ affairs
Quran has the knowledge to guide people towards them
That's why Allah says "Indeed the Quran shows that way which is perfectly straight"
He didn't say "to a straightway"
Rather to what is perfectly straight
So, it came to guide the realm of thought
How to manage this huge society of humans?
With all their conflicts and views to what is perfectly straight
This is the main aim of the Quran
Away from the logic of Quran let’s look at its doings
And at the reality of Quran itself
When pondering at the scriptures of Quran
You'll find that Quran mentioned all cognitive foundations
That human knowledge should rely on
Whether in politics or economy
In education or societies
Or in management or psychology
Quran has set foundations for all cognitive fields
For example, in the cognitive field
When reading in chapter Al-Nahl
And in Al-Raad and Ibrahim chapters
You'll find the complete Epistemology theory mentioned there
It discusses the sources and limits of knowledge
And the mechanisms and methods of knowledge
It also discusses the obstacles of knowledge
Knowledge doesn't come only from intellectual interaction
It mentions everything regarding knowledge in these chapters
A complete cognitive model, as in the idea of doubt for example
Doubt is an important matter in the process of creating knowledge
Islam didn't forbid doubt
Rather, Islam legitimized doubt
Or that doubt is a means to achieving certainty
That's why Imam Al-Ghazaly said "who doesn't begin with doubt, will end up with it"
But what's the difference between Islamic doubt and modernity doubt?
Islamic doubt is an introduction to certainty
While modernity doubt is the opposite to certainty
- But in practice? - I mean, it's good if you doubted Islam
In order to achieve certainty
I doubt in order to find evidence
When finding evidence, it'll take me to certainty
While modernity doubt is a general characteristics of humans
When the whole life is built upon doubt
That's how the idea that truth is relative came
It came from the fact that humans should always doubt everything
While when reaching certainty, they're described as dogmatic
Who is a person that relies of certainties while they want life based on doubt
But this isn't correct as the truth isn't relative
Relativity is true, that's correct
There are relative opinions and it's a fact
But truth isn't relative, otherwise it won't be truth
What will be the difference between truth and opinions then?
If truth was relative, it'd have been just an opinion
That's why doubt in Islam is an introduction to certainty
I'd like to discuss the idea of knowledge in Quran
You mentioned how there is knowledge in Quran
But we now also have other types of knowledge
Knowledge about natural sciences that don't exist in Quran
I'd like to know what do you mean by knowledge here
Quran mentions all types of knowledge regarding human sociology
Quran also mentions all types of knowledge that require divine guidance
I gave an example on the cognitive model
I can speak for long about this point if I'm allowed
Like in the political model, there are hundreds  of versus regarding the political affairs
Like how many times the story of Pharaoh was mentioned in Quran
The story of Pharaoh is a political model
How many verses about war and peace in Quran?
As war and peace are the pillars of politics
The role of power and interests in the international relations
The balance of interests and principles and the international relations
The types of treaties
When to abandon or commit to treaties
The phases of international relations, all of this is mentioned in Quran
I mentioned many times the research I wrote 12 years ago
Or in 2012, where I said that the political verses in Quran are very few
Then I discovered how there are hundreds of verses related to managing the political affairs
Let me give you an example, Allah says:
"If you fear treachery from any people throw back (their covenant) to them"
Meaning that if you have a treaty with another party
Then you had doubts about this party but you aren't certain
It's different if you're certain, that's why it is "if you fear"
What to do at this situation?
When fearing treachery from this party?
Allah says "And prepare against them whatever you are able of power"
"And of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy"
So, we must depend on the balance of power
So, if you fear treachery from a certain party
The solution is by raising the level of your power
To what level? Quran says "To terrify"
To the level that terrifies the other party
As the balance of power is only enough when deters the other side
Why? because when he begins to fear your power
What will happen? there will be balance of deterrence
That's why the balance of power will lead to the balance of fear
Which will lead to the balance of deterrence
What will happen if the balance of deterrence occurred?
Peace will happen; that's why the next verse says...
"And if they incline to peace, then incline to it and rely upon Allah"
When was the option of peace mentioned? after the balance of deterrence occurred
This is all political instructions
But when we abandon all of this claiming that politics in Quran is just about Shura and general affairs
Abandoning all the detailed instruction of Quran about political affairs
How could we be aware of Quran then?
The same applies to the educational field that we'll discuss
There are hundreds of versus discussing the educational field
Quran also connects different sciences unlike we do today
Nowadays, there's a clear separation between sciences
This is delusional, when separating education from psychology
And psychology from sociology
And sociology from politics
And politics from international relations too
Quran doesn't approve of this
Quran includes all sciences together beginning from the human psychology
As the human self dictates all behaviors and actions
Therefore, we must revert to the Quranic method in analyzing the human knowledge
My point is that when looking at the reality of Quran
We'll find that it tries to establish a guided and sound human knowledge
As if you'd isolate this knowledge from the divine guidance, it becomes a nightmare
By taking an example in politics and comparing it to the department of politics in universities
You'll find that they teach a totally different philosophy
They teach bits of Marxism, liberalism
And other political philosophies
They're taught and compared between to the students
But as you are a university professor
Is there a presence to the Islamic political philosophy?
Does it occupy any space in the academic scene?
If not, why don't Muslims seek such knowledge from Quran in their departments?
For the first part of the question
It differs between universities, but the general theme as per my knowledge
Is that they stray away from Islam
And if Islam was taught, it is regarded as a phenomenon
Not as a source of guidance
We teach Islam as a phenomenon in the political relations
But not as a source of guidance
So, we don't attempt to extract the Quranic political knowledge
To be used in my political affairs, this doesn't happen
I've never seen it even in Islamic universities
I don't find it to exist
Rather, they teach Quran as a phenomenon like any other in the political affairs
Which is a result to our perception of our role
Which answers to your second part of your question
Why don't Muslims seek Quran to extract knowledge?
It's about how our perception of Quran as you mentioned earlier
Is that Quran is a book of blessing
Not a book of guidance and knowledge
That's why we believe that Quran is sacred
But we don't believe in its effectiveness
If we did, we'd have seen Quran in universities
And in the research and scientific institutions
We just like it in Quran memorization centers
Or in recitation and everything regarding the appearance of Quran
But when it comes to the context and content, we stray away
That's why people send their kids to memorize Quran
Where they keep memorizing as much as they could
But when it comes to universities, Quran won't be found
While Quran should guide us there, yet they refuse
As they are scientific and educational institutions while Quran is a religious book
Therefor it doesn't fit in the scientific institutions
Which is not correct, assuming the integrity of intention
- Why did we abandon it? - If they believe they were scientific institutions
Where Quran doesn't fit, who said that Quran opposes science?
Quran didn't come to oppose science
Rather, it came to guide science
There isn't a science that doesn't require guidance
It can't be, you could think of any science
Like in politics, as you'd mentioned
How to address the role of interests in the international relations?
This has nothing to do with science
The role of power in international relations? when to choose war or peace?
Science doesn't determine this, it depends on your culture
Your values and ethical reference controls how you use power
And how to find balance between values and interests?
This has nothing to do with science
Like if you were an anthropologist
How will you determine if a society is advanced or traditional?
The whole science of anthropology everywhere
Divide societies into either advanced or traditional
Upon which standard is that determined?
Your traditional could be advanced to me
And your advanced could be traditional to me
So, there's a need for values even if you were a sociologist
Sociology aims to study the social problems, right?
How can I determine that a phenomenon is a problem without a set of values?
For example, how do I get to say that premarital sex is a social problem?
Except if I had a standard of values
For non-Muslims, it is not a problem
Why non-Muslims don't find filial ingratitude a problem?
Some might see it as conflict between the person and his parents
This is why you can't judge anything, like tyranny for example
People whose values are consistent with tyranny won't find it to be a problem
While others might see it otherwise
That's why even the first step in sciences
Couldn't be taken without such values
That's why when you claim to be a scientific institution
That has nothing to do with Quran, this isn't correct
You didn't reject Quran from universities because it isn't your field
Rather because you have a different reference which is liberalism
That's why when studying economy curriculums in universities
Or in political sciences, sociology or education
They're all in perfect coherence with liberalism
In their vision of the role and aim of science
And their vision of the topics and limitations of sciences too
All such emerge from pure liberal visions
So, they didn't rule out Quran because it isn't their field
But because they see it as a book unrelated to science
Despite that they teach topics not related to science such as Machiavelli
Is he related to science? or Thomas Hobbes?
Or Nietzsche?
They are all ideas and ideologies; some are good and some are bad
So why do you teach all of this
And when Quran comes which is guidance for all humanity
We attempt to abandon it, that's why we live a dangerous state of separation
Between the productive Muslim mind and Quran
We have thousands of specialists in education or sociology
And in international relations and economy and all other fields
But they are separated from the divine guidance
They produce knowledge that's separated from this guidance
That's why we will hold a conference in the Ministry of Endowments in Qatar
That will start for the first time next year
About Quran and humanities and social sciences
- The first time? - Yes, we aim to connect them
And how to bring the researchers in these fields
And get them to merge with the divine guidance
With the Quranic scriptures to be reinvested in their fields
If we succeeded in doing so, it will pave an important road in the Arab world
To regain the role of Quran as reference in creating this knowledge
As we'd mentioned, over the three levels of research
Quran exists in all descriptive, interpretive, and normative levels
In order to describe a phenomenon, you must have a value standard
And to interpret it, you must have a value standard
And to evaluate it too, you must have a value standard
Your value standards must be existent
Since you claim that Quran is your reference
Then, we must see it embodied
How do we claim that Quran is our reference
Yet we don't find it in the institutions of research and thought?
This is a huge contradiction
That leads me to Alija Izetbegović's saying
It shook me when I first read it
"Muslims do not believe in the sanctity of the Quran as a method"
"Rather in the sanctity of Quran as an object"
This is a truth seen by the naked eye
When Quran is burnt, people get angry and that's good
They reject any insult to the Quran
But we insult Quran by excluding it from knowledge fields
But we accept it that without a problem
Imagine we have a very smart person
He applies for a job in two different entities
One rejected him
And the other recognized his talents and accepted him
When employed, he is assigned an office outside of the company
Yet it is the most luxurious office
But you don't get to work with them
You're in your office outside of the company where everyone greets you on their way
But I want to work with you? "No, no, you're very smart and good"
"So much that we gave you the best office outside the company"
This is how Muslims treat Quran
Some rejected Quran like non-Muslims
While Muslims accepted Quran
Why not allow it to exist in your reality then?
Let it exist in your educational institutions
Allow it to be invested in all knowledge fields?
No, you're too great to be used, that's why we'll just keep you in Quran centers
And only during Ramadan...
We'll read you whole for 20 times
But don't intervene in the process of knowledge
Isn't this an insult too?
What was the only complaint by the Prophet in Quran?
When he said "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur'an as abandoned"
We repeat the same thing by abandoning Quran
When you memorize Quran, this is important
It's important to memorize the Quran
But it doesn't mean that you still abandoned it
You might have memorized Quran yet abandoned it too
When you don't use or ponder in Quran
When reading Quran, we see that it's straightforward
The aim of Quran isn't to memorize it only
- Rather to ponder in it - Let's talk about pondering
I find it rather important as you are asking us today
To ponder and read Quran in a certain way
To extract knowledge from it, yet...
There are linguistic and psychological barriers
We think that we aren't qualified to read Quran today
Like in this verse that just came to my mind
"Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master)"
Not everyone knows what Al-Samad means
And "And from the evil of the darkening as it comes"
Not everyone understands it despite reading it almost everyday
How do you expect me to ponder in Quran
And extract knowledge from it
And use it in my daily life and to correct myself
Without resorting to the traditional institutions?
And the traditional Tafseers and methods that we admit that not all are bad
But I think you attempt to propose a different perception?
I'd like to understand your view about this way
No, I don't think it is a new perception it is what Quran said
Quran itself asks us to ponder
So much that Quran even ordered non-believers to ponder in it
Even the non-believers, how about Muslims then?
"Do they not seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them?"
This verse addresses the non-believers
It asks them to ponder, how about us Muslims then?
It's strange how we live in a state of contradiction
We give out copies of Quran to non-Muslims
Believing that it might touch his heart and lead him to Islam
But why don't you read it yourself? they claim to be unqualified
Then why do you give it to non-Muslims?
When you refuse to read Quran
Your examples are also very important
When you say that Quran's language is verbally hard
But how much of Quran is like that?
Maybe 10% or 20%?
Let's assume that 80% of Quran is hard verbally hard to read
Why didn't you ponder in this remaining 20%?
While the fact is that most of Quran is easy to read
Most of Quran is simple to ponder like Al-Baqara chapter
Or Al-Fatehah or Al-Hujurat, they're all easy to read
One of my university students when I asked them to ponder in Al-Hujurat chapter
To extract their ideas from it
Some objected and claimed that it's a hard task
And how they feel unqualified
While he managed to get 29 ideas just from Al-Hujurat chapter
Pondering in this chapter explains the social principles
And how to manage the society
In very clear words
Like in Al-Baqara chapter "This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard (against evil)."
"Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them"
How is this hard to understand?
Also, in Al-Hujurat chapter
"Those who call you from behind the dwellings, most of them have no sense"
"O you who believe! if an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it,"
"Lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done" it's clear
"And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two."
Clear words
"The believers are nothing else than brothers. So, make reconciliation between your brothers"
It's very clear
"O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people;"
"O you who believe! avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin,"
Clear meanings
So, to intimidate and scare people
That we aren't qualified isn't correct
Many Quranic words are clear
And we seek knowledgeable people for what's unclear
But people mixed between two concepts
The concept of pondering and exegesis
Pondering is required of all people
Everyone should ponder in Quran as much as possible
No one can't do this
Allah says "Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed. Guidance for humanity,"
For all humanity, so everyone must have their share of Quranic guidance
There's no exception, as when I tell you
"Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then he, between whom and you there was enmity, will become a close friend"
It's easy to understand that if we had huge enmity between us
After a big conflict, one text message could change everything
For you to respond with one that's even better
So, Quran is easy to ponder for everyone
While for controversial verses, we seek scholars
Because they know about the contexts of Quran
They know the synonyms and rulings of Quran
The similarities, the verbal and present evidence
The causes of revelation, and the prophetic statements
And all other requirements of religious scripture studying
Yes, we seek the knowledgeable people for that but mixing between exegesis and pondering
It'll mean that the whole Quran is complicated while most of it is clear
Some parts are complex like Al-Saafat chapter
Where you'll feel the complexity of many verses
Only then you seek scientists, for verses you don't know
But we can't abandon Quran claiming that we aren't qualified
Today, when you speak with sociology professors
Or the professors of any human knowledge field
You can ask them about why they don't ponder in many Quran verses within their fields
Like hundreds of verses regarding the human psychology
Why don't psychology professors ponder in them?
To extract knowledge from them to recognize the challenges and traits of the human psychology
Such great investment of Quran psychology knowledge is rejected
Claiming that they aren't scholars
Who said that Quran is for scholars?
Rather it says that it's guidance for humans
Not guidance for scholars or linguists
Therefore, as a psychology professor, you can read
But with two conditions, the first is that when pondering
You must ask people of more knowledge than you
So, upon concluding a certain idea
It's advisable to ask a more knowledgeable person to assure
The second is when your idea is proven to be wrong, you retract it
But if you feel unique and don't hear from others
Where you favor your ideas and share them to others
Without consulting with your brothers and people more knowledgeable
- A huge problem is found here - It might lead to extremism
Of course, this includes all different sects
That's why both conditions are a must
To ask more knowledgeable people upon concluding
That's why Allah asked us to consult, to integrate with others' minds
Secondly, if you were proven wrong, you retract
By doing so, you'll be fine
But to abandon Quran claiming that you aren't qualified
This led to the separation of the Islamic mind from Quran
That's why I say that the greatest project in the 21st century
Is to establish the centrality of Quran
How to allow the Islamic mind to depend on Quran as a main source?
What does the centrality of Quran mean?
It means that Quran should be the first source for your perceptions
The first source for our legislations
The first source for creating and guiding our human knowledge
When Quran becomes so, we'll be on a correct and sound path
Yet the centrality of Quran doesn't refute everything else
But it means to revert everything else to it
Everything is important and valuable
But only if it is consistent with Quran
So, when we revolutionize the meanings of Quran and extract the principles of human knowledge from it
Only then we can say the Islamic mind is in a good position
But currently, the Islamic mind is distant from Qurna
And we're creating false and incorrect knowledge
That's why it feels now that the connection of Quran and knowledge is undeniable
We only need to change the way we see Quran
And we'll find all knowledge in Allah's book
And in its form
Because it is comprehensive on all levels
Not just in terms of descriptive and explanatory but also the normative
That organizes all knowledge in a guiding frame
Not just knowledge for the sake of knowing
While now, they convinced researches that they job is only to know the society
Not to evaluate it, but if we did so, who should evaluate it?
Yet they want only religious people evaluate or others
And we shouldn't evaluate as researchers
Nor intervene in evaluating phenomena which isn't correct
It isn't correct
What do you think about the phrase that Quran has many meanings
Some have this opinion
I discussed this previously but if that was true
The complete phrase which was accredited to Ali or others
"Yet take its best meaning"
So, it's true that Quran has many meanings
But not all of it, as hundreds of verses are definitive
With no possible other meanings, so the phrase isn't absolute
But some verses might have several meanings
So, we take their best meanings
Or what's most evident and proven
According to the rulings and context
And the objective unity of the chapter
All of this should guide you to the best meaning
Like "when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists"
Killing the polytheists could mean all of them or some
Or only the polytheists of Quraish, or who?
But by reverting to the context of the previous and following verses
You'll understand whom it meant
This is how we take the best meaning, but if Quran has many meanings
This will reduce the importance of Quran
Because if this was an excuse to stop referring to it
It'll mean that Quran doesn't have the ability to guide
Then how will it guide to what's best if it had many meanings?
So, I mean, even if they had good intentions about this opinion, they're wrong
And if they didn't have good intentions, it leads to abandoning Quran
And some have an excuse that they might make mistakes
Because it has many meanings, they say they might make mistakes
So, it is best to avoid that
Or not encourage people to ponder in Quran
That's incorrect, as who hadn't made mistakes in understanding Quran?
Even some of the prophet's companions made mistakes
Adi bin Hatem incorrectly understood the white and black line of the horizon
Until the Prophet asked him about his understanding
Then the Prophet told him that he has a wide nape
Joking him for his incorrect understanding
But the Prophet didn't forbid him from pondering in Quran
No, he corrected him to allow him to continue
If making mistakes was an excuse to abandoning Quran
We'd have all abandoned it as we are all prone to mistakes
No one can guarantee they won't make mistakes
So, mistaking isn't the problem
But the mistake is in abandoning Quran
Who abandons Quran in fear of mistaking
Fixes a problem with a bigger one
People fear extremism, Abu-Nahar...
There's an idea that those who get too deep
When trying to ponder or understand
Some fear even for their children to fall into extremism
Which causes them to be more cautious about this
What do you think about this aspect?
Extremists will be extreme in everything
Even in international law, America was extreme in understanding it
The invasion of Iraq was a result in extreme understanding of international law
They are extreme in understating many legislations
Like in the wars they wage under the name of democracy
They are a result of a wrongful exploitation of people's right to self-determination
So, America and the west were extreme in understanding the international law
So, extremism is found in the far right and far left
The solution isn't in abandoning the script
But in fixing such extremism
So, if someone was extreme in understanding Quran, should we all abandon it?
Because there are extreme understandings? no
The solution is by confronting this extremism
The same goes with manipulators on the other end
Some say that allowing people to ponder will let manipulators in
As if they are waiting for a permission?
Are they waiting for permission from scholars to enter?
They'll enter whether you agreed or not
Moreover, by forbidding people from pondering out of fear of manipulators
They will be the biggest winners
While the sincere people will be hurt the most
Because the sincere will avoid pondering out of fear from this
While manipulators will find it a chance to use the scriptures
In order to manipulate the minds of Muslims
We now see some of the famous manipulators
After entering the Islamic field, they won over big portions through their manipulation
Because Muslims cut ties with Quran by abandoning it
And in many cases, they no longer know many of the Quran scripts
Because they cut ties with Quran
Which led to making them easy to manipulate
They can be manipulated by any verse
Even Sharia professors fell for this
Why? because we are isolated from Quran
So, when we became scared of Quran
Then abandoned it, we became easy to manipulate
That's why manipulators are everywhere now
Why? as they realized how isolated the Islamic mind is
But the best way to fight manipulators
Is by encouraging Muslims and the youth
To read and ponder and know Quran
In order for a Quranic awareness to rise due to this
Which will be the best defensive line against manipulators
Otherwise, manipulators existed even during the revelation of Quran
They didn't just appear now after the social media
Rather they existed during the revelation of Quran as it mentions to us
"And those who disbelieve say, do not listen to this Qur'an and speak noisily during it"
They wanted to manipulate it "That perhaps you will overcome"
So, they wanted to manipulate it
That's why Quran ordered even the non-believers to ponder in it
"Do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts"
So, to warn people from Quran
And to put crippling conditions to be able to ponder it
Fearing the manipulators, this way you help the devil
In attracting more people to abandon the Quran
The devil wasn't just watching when Muslims fell into the trap of abandoning Quran
No, he convinced them by telling them they aren't qualified and could make mistakes
And how they are less than to interact with Quran
He would lure you to do so
At the end, he becomes happy if you abandon Quran
Using endless excuses
This isn't delusional optimism, but seen reality
That many youths are starting to return to Quran
The river of Quran began cutting its way through the Islamic nation in a good way
And in a coherent and authentic way
Which if continued
Such Quranic seeds will soon quickly bloom
For everyone to see what will amaze them from Quran in the human knowledge
Because if Quran was will reflected to the Islamic mind
You'll see an unimaginable Islamic knowledge
Which will be the most attractive element in the current Islamic civilization if we managed to do so
Professor, but pondering is a bit hard and tiring
When you try to understand and focus
But in return, do you find pleasure in finding what you've been searching for?
Out of your experience...
For me personally, the viewers might find it strange when I say that I almost abandoned reading
I no longer read, maybe one or two books a month
While I used to read a book every one or two days before
Since I got to know Quran, I no longer can read other books
Because this book amazes me
When I find a nice idea that's empty
Then when I attempt to develop it by finding what's missing
I find what's missing in another place
This comprehensive state of the Quran amazes me
I never found this in any other book in my life
And I don't want to belittle reading
But the fact is that Quran amazes you as it expands the more you do
I would always get bored after studying any field for a year or two
Because the ideas are repeated with nothing new
- Only few new ideas are found - The logic of idea is repeated
Yes, except for Quran, it makes you feel crippled
Every time I feel like I managed to understand a certain idea
I find out more depth into it
No god but Allah, when does it end?
The more I go, I find out I'm still at the beginning
I thought I'd reached the depths of the Quranic Sea
Only to find out that I'm still by the beach
Such amazement made me see my life as just a second
I wonder how does it work?
Like how the political model in Quran took me 10 years
10 years so far and I'm yet to finish it
I wanted to study the economic model in Quran
But I was attracted by the idea that Quran only describes humans negatively
It always criticizes the human, I didn't know why
Why is human always criticized in Quran?
When I began, I found out that there's a complete educational model in Quran
So, I stopped researching economy and studied the educational model which we are supposed to discuss
I don't know when will we begin?
So, if you managed to open the doors to Quran
Which open to everyone who knocks
But with patience, you must be patient with Quran
It isn't acceptable to be patient with Nietzsche and Hegel
And Francis Fukuyama and John Stuart Mill for years
Like how some of us read Al-Shatbi for years
While they can't be patient with a chapter of Quran for minutes
This isn't acceptable
I always begin...
Due to my human nature
I find an idea that Quran briefly discusses in one position
Then I find it to expand so much that it begins as a tweet
I plan for it to be a tweet
But it expands to become an article
Then a book, then I give up on it
The idea became too large
I remember a small example
One time, I wanted to focus with Quran on a certain political topic
I wanted to read the whole Quran to understand its perspective about it
So, I decided to travel for 4 or 5 days just for this idea
I wanted to dedicate my whole mind to it
So, once I got on the plane, I opened the Quran
I wanted to begin with Al-Baqarah as I'd thought that Al-Fatihah doesn't have much
But I decided to begin with it for its blessing
I ended up consuming my whole trip with Al-Fatihah alone
I wasn't able to finish it
I spent 6 months in Qatar after returning just to finish Al-Fatihah
Until I gave up and still didn't finish Al-Fatihah
I found out what it is called the Introduction
And why there isn't a Conclusion
I wondered why there's an introduction but not a conclusion
I found out why Allah said "And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of Al-Mathani, and the Grand Quran"
I wondered it mentioned them separately when they're part of the Quran
It says "Seven of Al-Mathani, and the Grand Quran"
As if they were two different things
But when you understand Al-Fatihah, you'll know the reason why
Which will amaze you
My point is that we should change our perceptions about Quran
If we did so, we'll find many things as the only deprived is whom deprived of Quran
Sadly, we have a tradition especially for professors of Sharia
That Quran should be left to the end of the life
You should study Fiqh and Hadith
You should study Hadith terminology and Fiqh rules
And the objectives of Sharia and language in its branches
Like Rhetoric and its branches
Like Al-Maani, Al-Badee and others
Then study the Fiqh of language and morphology and derivation
Then study all branches of Quran sciences
Then at the end of your life, you can ponder in Quran
You might be able to do so or you might die before that
Who convinced the human mind that Quran comes at the last moment?
Instead of raising the youth on Quran's ideas
We only care about it at the last moment
Before we leave this life, we seek out Quran
Then how will we embody Quran in our reality?
Didn't Allah order us to read Quran to establish life upon it?
Didn't he order us to read Quran to establish the society upon the principles of justice?
Why only seek it at the last moment?
That's why we commit a huge mistake
And in the Sharia colleges in general in the Islamic world
When you discuss some Quran verses with Sharia professors
They argue that they aren't specialized in Quran
And ask me to seek the professors of Tafseer
How so? they respond that they specialize in Fiqh or Hadith only
Not specialized in Quran
How strange, how do you become a Sharia professor if you aren't specialized in Quran?
Quran is the source of Sharia as Al-Shatibi said
"Then We put you on an ordained way concerning religion, so follow it" meaning Quran
How do you become a Sharia professor without pondering in Quran?
When you don't know the founding terminologies of Quran?
How is that possible?
You can specialize in Hadith or Fiqh...
Only after specializing in Quran
That's why all Sharia colleges in the Islamic world
To dedicate the first year to Quran establishment
As some universities dedicate a year to establish the English language
The first year should be to establish Quran
Aren't they Islamic universities and Sharia colleges?
Then we must begin with the foundation of Sharia which is Quran
In this year, we learn about the fundamental terminologies of Quran
Quran has a network of fundamental terminologies that we must learn
To learn the chapters of Quran and their main organizing topics
To learn the analogies, decisive and ambiguous verses of Quran
To learn the main contexts of Quran
To learn the main Quran ideas and its stance against the other
This is the main Quranic establishment
For one or two years before entering into other fields
If I had the choice, I'd make a full Quran course
For all university students
To learn all foundations of Quran's perceptions in all fields of human and social knowledge
So that when specializing in Sociology, Education, Economy or Politics
They would have a Quranic foundation used in their specialties
To guide them in their study of human and social topics
But we isolated Quran
When the time to harvest came
We abandoned it and sought another tree
We didn't harvest the Quranic tree
I'd like to begin with the topic of education
But you just mentioned Al-Fatihah chapter
Which raised a question as when you were speaking
It was as if you can see it differently
We read Al-Fatihah on a daily basis in all prayers
So, in order to attempt to ponder in Al-Fatihah
Or to read it in a way to find certain meanings
To help us be more attentive during prayers
I didn't want to move on from this topic
Before knowing how to ponder in Al-Fatihah in specific
The main idea is to follow what Quran says
Quran ordered us to ponder
Pondering isn't reading, it is by contemplation
Contemplation has a key which is the word "Why"
If you ask why
You'll see how Quran will pour its knowledge to you
Don't skip verses easily
In Al-Fatihah for example, what did Allah begin with?
"All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds"
Why does it say "praise" not "thanks"?
What's the difference between thanking and praising?
Ask this, why did it start with praising?
Ponder in praising and when it was in Quran
And how was thanking used in Quran
You'll know the difference between both
You'll find that praising is only used after an action
"Praise be to Allah who guided us"
"Praise be to Allah who fulfilled his promise"
"Praise be to Allah who created the heavens" and all other examples
There must be a verb afterwards
Then you'll understand to search for the action that led to Al-Fatihah
And required the presence of the praise
Then your pondering mind will begin work
"All praise is due to Allah, lord of the worlds" Why did it say lord not God?
What's the difference between both? search for the uses of each word in Quran
The idea of comprehensive understanding of Quran's terminology as advised by Al-Ragheb Al-Asfahani
You can revert to Al-Ragheb Al-Asfahani who is a master of Islamic history
Al-Raghib Al-Isfahani in his elaboration of Quran's meanings
In many times, he is really accurate in his definitions
As he depended on the comprehensive understand
Then continue with the Quran to see how God and Lord were used
And you'll see the difference
You can rely on interpreters when the difference isn't clear for you
You can benefit from them but you should try on your own at first
To have a direct connection with Quran
Don't cut ties with Quran
And notice "Lord of the worlds" not the people
What's the difference between them?
Why did it say "Sovereign of the Day of Recompense"
What does the day of recompense have to do with the topic?
Then, why isn't Al-Fatihah accredited to Allah?
It's all accredited to the man
The one speaking in the chapter
"It is You we worship and You we ask for help."
"Guide us to the straight path"
It's all accredited to the man
It's the only chapter in Quran accredited to the man
Why? when you ask "why"
Things will begin to open up for you
Why does Allah say "O believers", "O people" or "O disbelievers"
But doesn't say "O Muslims"
Ask why then search for answers
But if you don't ask "why", how will you find answers?
Because "why" is the question of pondering
In order to ponder in something, you must ask about its reason
And why was it put in this way
We believe that Allah sent down Quran which is decisive
"a Book whose verses are perfected"
Therefore, each word and letter were written for a purpose
We must search and if you got yourself used to asking "why" then search in Quran
Using the method of comprehensive understanding, you'll find meanings
This is a simple method that any Muslim can apply
At least to create a state of connection with Quran
Then you develop yourself with Quran's books
About the sciences of Quran and known Islamic research methods
But at least, there must be a direct connection
You read Quran every day
But you don't feel connection to it because you don't search in it
You just read it formally
But you don't research the meanings
Here's the problem despite that Quran is easy to read
You just try and begin by asking
Then notice how they'll lead you to very big answers
And if couldn't find an answer you can seek scholars
Lead them to work with you on such Quran ideas
This is how you broaden the Quranic base
When I speak about this matter
I don't seek to make every scientist
No, I just want to broaden the Quranic base in the Islamic nation
But to separate them completely, this isn't right
You'll stay isolated and abandon Quran
Therefore, your knowledge about Quran won't develop
But you must develop by learning and asking
Overtime, you'll accumulate knowledge about Quran
To have a strong connection with Quran and it won't be easy to manipulate your mind
Not anyone that gives you an idea will deceive you
This is an easy method for everyone to learn
So, breaking the psychological barrier that hinders us
From having a direct connection with Quran
By just trying to read and ask
You'll find an immense joy
Ponder in Al-Duha chapter, for example
Take a paper and write your ideas while reading it
Notice how amazingly it is organized too
Notice "And proclaim the Grace of your Lord", the last verse
People think that this grace includes everything
So, show off all your money and belongings
Thinking that is the same as proclaiming
But if you search about Allah's grace in the Quran
It began with "By the Glorious Morning Light, and by the Night when it is still, Thy Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased"
"And soon will thy Lord give thee thou shalt be well-pleased"
Where has Allah spoken about giving in Quran?
"Surely We have given you the Abundance"
Link both verses together
You'll find how verses connect together in an amazing way
Just ask, read Al-Hujurat chapter and write down your ideas
Tonight, before sleeping, or Al-Furqan chapter
You'll find that you accumulate ideas
Today, you might write two pages when reading it
Tomorrow, you'll write four
And if found an idea, search for it in other places
How was expressed in different places?
In an integrative manner, not repetitive
Repetition sometimes happens to provide emphasis but in general, Quran ideas integrate
But not in one place, as a point might be in Al-Furqan or Al-Hujurat
Or in Abas or Al-Duha for the Quranic idea to be integrated
Like in Al-Mutafifen for example
When you read "Woe to those that deal in fraud"
Who are those?
Fraudsters are like the verse had defined
"Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure"
"But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due"
If they have a right, they seek it fully
But if he owes a right, he doesn't commit to it
He's strict in his rights and not in others
What's the opposite of them?
When you search, you might think it's unjust but its opposite is just
The unjust is who denies others’ rights
In the same chapter, you'll find the opposite meaning
If a fraudster is who seeks their rights fully
While not committing to others’ rights
Allah mentioned the Righteous to us
"Day, verily the record of the Righteous is (preserved) in 'Illiyin"
Who's a righteous person?
Righteous people are who fulfill others’ rights
Yet is tolerant in their rights
If I owe you something, I'll fully repay you
But if you didn't give me my full right, I might forgive you
That's why Allah described himself as "Surely He is Most Benign, Most Compassionate"
Why did Allah describe himself as the most benign?
Because Allah fully gives us our rights
You'll find all your good deeds with Allah without any loss
"Whatever good they do shall not go unappreciated" you'll find everything
But if you neglected in Allah's right, He forgives
That's why He's the most benign
This leads us to talking about filial piety
Why does it ask to be piety not just?
To give them their full rights
But if they neglected your rights, you should forgive
My relationship with my parents isn't built upon justice
Rather it a relationship of piety
I don't use the logic of repaying the deeds
As they aren't like your friends
They are your parents
The logic of treating your parents is different
Notice how connected the verses get
We were talking about righteous people which led us to The Most Benign
Which led us the filial piety
Quran connects in an amazing way
That's why whoever says that Quran isn't from Allah
From whom then? it's impossible for a book to be as coherent and integrated
Which is connected to each other like this
How can we understand Quran's position on education?
We wanted to begin talking about this topic
How can we understand education in Quran?
Quran used a strange way in the topic of education
It didn't head start by guiding humans
Rather, it dedicated a number of verses
Just to explain the human nature
And the properties of the human psychology
It began with a perception so you could understand
Sometimes I used to wonder about the benefit of some verses
Which are mentioned as depictions only
While Quran is for guidance so it should do so
No, it brought many verses just to explain the properties of human psychology
John Dewey, the American educational philosopher
He's a pillar of educational philosophy in the 20th century
Said that each philosophy must begin by understanding the nature of human psychology
Which is what Quran had done
As in "Nay, surely man transgresses"
"Because he considers himself self-sufficient"
It didn't judge, just explains
It explains the human nature if he began to imagine
If he began to imagine that he's self-sufficient
It's an indicator that he'll soon transgress
- A human nature - Yes
Once you see indicators of self-sufficiency
Trust that he's about to transgress
Whether in politics or education
You could appoint someone as head of department
When you find him to criticize his manager openly
To show off his power
It's clear, even if by his tongue slips
When he appears to feel self- sufficient and egoistic
This is an indication of transgression and how we extracted the elongated arm theory
And we tried to explain Hamidti's actions in Sudan using this verse
And Vagner's phenomenon in Russia and the Janissaries in Ottoman empire
How such entities were formulated but when their managers
Began feeling self-sufficient, they transgressed
We can also add the idea of prevalent majority
Both models create the theory of the elongated arm
By which I mean...
The militant arms created outside the traditional military
In order to protect the authority from the powers of the traditional military
As when Al-Basheer brought Hamidti
And the same with the Ottoman empire with Janissaries
You'll find indicators of self-sufficiency when you watch Hamidti
His indicators of self-sufficiency were apparent
Vagner's president was a cook
Then he suddenly began criticizing the minister of defense and others
His indicators of self-sufficiency began early since 2014
After intervening in Ukraine then expanding in Africa and South America
His self-sufficiency indicators were apparent too
Quran explains this
Which is descriptive knowledge
"Truly man was created very impatient"
This is information without judgment
- It is a fact - Yes, man was created very impatient
"Fretful when evil touches him, And niggardly when good reaches him"
This is the nature of human psychology
Quran gives a full diagnostic
It didn't aim to cure the human psychology
Rather to diagnose it first
That's why all depictive verses
Must be considered as diagnosis of human psychology
The problem of the modern educational system
Is that it doesn't use a correct understanding of the human psychology
Our schools and universities and education system
They don't seek to teach teachers about the human psychology
In order to manage kids and students correctly
You can't create correct education without a sound understanding of human psychology
Right?
So, without using such sound understanding
We won't achieve correct education
There are researches conducted by scientific universities
- Such as in America or Britain... - It's a human understanding
They're attempts to understand the human psychology
But when we prioritize education, we bring teachers
And tell them how to interact with students
But we don't sit with the teachers
To explain the human psychology to them
In order for them to understand and manage it
When it says "Truly man was created very impatient"
You must explain what impatient means
And the meaning of fretful and niggardly...
Quran mentioned around 15 negative traits in humans
Impatient, fretful, niggardly, hasty
Stingy, despondent, unjust, ignorant
Adversary, exultant, boastful and all others
All these characteristics aim to  diagnose the human psychology
Those are humans’ traits, not all appear by necessity
Yet every human has those characteristics
But some of us have only 3 or 4 of them
Or 5 or 6 apparent ones
While the others are latent or hidden
You have them but they aren't activated
When are they active? when you engage in an environment that develops them
Let's assume I have four of those traits
But I don't have the trait of being adversary
The adversary is one who argues with false arguments
You know you're wrong yet you still defend yourself, isn't that your nature?
- You stickle - Even in gatherings after knowing the truth
They still stickle in order not to be embraced among others
They still argue as "but the human being is a most argumentative being"
He will always argue and defend himself
Or if I wasn't stingy for example
But when I engage with an environment of stingy people, I'll slowly become one
I'll become stingy
This is how if you, Faisal, had some negative traits
And I had some too
And another one too
We'll feed them to each other without knowing
That's why Quran only had negative mentions about the human being
Because it means the people with such traits
And when Allah said "For man was created Weak"
Why is man weak?
Because he has those negative traits
Which makes you weak
When will you become strong? when you move from the human model
To the belief model
When you become a believer, you change
You will have different characteristics
That's why Allah always says "Except for those who believe"
"Except for those who pray" which is another level
That's the education model in Quran
Aims to transform humans from having those negative traits
Into another model of the believer who has the opposite traits
All the traits that I'd mention previously
Quran mentioned their opposites
In the model of the believer
- So, we must know such traits - Your educational project must be...
Since you first go to school
Education begins with cleansing the human psychology of those 15 traits
One by one, and Quran had mentioned the psychological motives of each
And mentioned their challenges and behavioral traits
And mentioned their properties
In order to learn and acknowledge them
Then mentioned the opposite characteristics
And the challenges that hinder your progress towards the positive traits
Both diagnosis and treatment are found in Quran
We need to embody this educational model in schools
If you managed to cleanse me from those negative traits
Even if not all of them
If you only instilled one of them in me
Out of all those 15 characteristics
Which is the characteristic of being grateful
Imagine to raise a student to be grateful since the beginning
Do you know what it means?
To be grateful is to appreciate
When you are grateful, you appreciate
Allah is known to be "The Thankful"
Which means He appreciates our deeds
"Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow"
"Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative"
Forgiving of our misdeeds and appreciative to our good deeds
That He appreciates them
When a human is grateful, he's also thankful
Being thankful means to use Allah’s grace according to His will
Allah graced us with things, right?
You must use them according to His will, otherwise you'd be ungrateful
You can be either grateful or ungrateful
In order to be grateful, you must use each grace
That Allah had given to you according to His will and guidance
For example, if Allah granted you a position which is a grace
You either look at it as a trophy
Then use it to benefit your friends and close one which is dominant sadly
When you use the position in this way, you become ungrateful
And some people are like that
When you ask him why he'd appoint a person that's a disaster to the society
He answers that he did it to please him
Why not make him run your own companies? No, he'll ruin everything
- He'll fail me - Yes
Then why do you burden the society with him? it's okay
This is betrayal to the country, not just by allying with its enemies
It's a type of betrayal
Another type of betrayal which is sadly popular too
Is by appointing unqualified people which trouble the society
And waste the countries energies
That's why you can either look at the position as a trophy or as a responsibility
If it was a responsibility, it'll be a tool to all that's good
Then I'll support each project in the country
And each success so that it grows and flourishes
Because it's my responsibility in this position to support each person to succeed
I'm responsible for everyone to succeed in my field
This is the aim, to facilitate good and repel evil
And if I'm rich and wealthy, I must dedicate that to what satisfies Allah
How so? many projects include many charity aspects
And many businessmen, sadly, cling hardly to their wealth
Even the old ones, I frankly don't understand this logic
When you're 70 or 80 and clinging to hundreds of millions
I saw strange people like this
They prefer to have their money as numbers in the banks
Rather than seeing it as happiness in people's faces
Or than being put in projects that help people
Why is that? on the contrary
The peak of happiness is when you see how your wealth made others’ lives better
To develop our communities and guided people to the righteous path
Keep enough to live a luxurious lifestyle, I don't oppose that
But most of our money is just numbers in the banks
I swear, if some spent a million Riyals every day, they won't run out of money until they die
Despite that, they cling so hard, which is a type of being ungrateful
When you keep your money which is a grace from Allah, this is being ungrateful
While the grateful is who spends it according to Allah's satisfaction
Even your mind is a grace
Some have great analyzing capabilities, but where have they invested them?
Some are well-spoken, but how was it invested?
So, when you raise a child to use each grace according to Allah's will
How will the equation change if just I was to become grateful?
Since primary school until graduation from university, you instill being grateful in us
Nevertheless, the other positive characteristics mentioned in the Quran
Let's just take gratefulness
In the negative traits, only fixing being withholding is enough
When Allah mentioned the people who withhold
He said "A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful"
Notice how accurate the phrase is
In another place he said "Preventer of good, aggressor, and doubter"
Notice how Quran describers’ preventers of good as aggressors
- Despite that he only prevents good - Yes, which is aggression against others
For example, I know you're applying for a job you're qualified for
And when the employer asks me about you
When I want to prevent good from him, I'll claim that Faisal has problems
Trying to spread lies about you, which is an aggression against you
- This is how Quran describes it - For which you are held accountable
Of course, that's why in Al-Qalam chapter in Quran
"So, they set out, while lowering their voices"
The garden owners
"There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person"
Withholding good from others
Then when it was burnt, what did they say?
They said, "O woe to us; indeed, we were transgressors."
Transgressors are who take others’ rights
So, what happens when you withhold good?
Then you transgress against others
Some think it's just a word
Now you find officials specialized in withholding good
Their only job is to become like a stick in a bicycle
Wherever they see working projects, they hinder it
- Because they aren't their own - Without feeling it
Yes, if the project was mine, I'd support it
But if it is another official’s project, it's different
I must hinder it so it stops
But they don't intend to do so rather caused by fear
- There's no sane person - He prevents good
No, many people hinder success if it wasn't theirs
Either it is mine or I'll oppose it
This is far from Allah's saying "And cooperate in righteousness and piety"
On the contrary, if you had a successful project, it's mandatory for me to cooperate with you
If had the ability, I must support you
While those who prevent and withhold good
Eventually become like a stick in a bicycle
Whenever the wheel of good moves, he stops it
As came in the Prophet's Sunnah
That you should be a facilitator and when you are raised upon this idea
Wherever a good project is found, you must contribute to it
And whenever a bad behavior is found, you must contribute to stop it
Like if you were in a gathering that speaks ill about someone
Change the topic then
Change it so you can be a preventer of evil
You prevented an evil and misdeeds from happening
By speaking ill about a friend
Just change the topic without arguing and shut the door
Like when knowing a fault in an idea of a project
That will cause problems, then be a preventer of evil
Advise them on how to solve it and prevent the evil
Always make sure to be supporter of good and preventer of evil
Imagine if our education system evolved around this idea
On the idea of children to become supporters of good and preventers of evil
I'm afraid we could make mistakes...
Only if you were certain by having experience
But I don't mind making mistakes
Even when ask me for something that I have which is needed for your project
When I think of myself as a supporter of good, I'll help you
But if I thought about how I won't gain nothing from your success
Then the equation will differ drastically
That's why you should act according to being supporter of good and preventer of evil
Education should emphasize such concepts with different exercises every year
Until they are firmly instilled in the children
I compare the education model to an example that might sound weird
But I find it the best way to describe the educational model in Quran
When you read the educational verses in Quran
It is almost as if the human being in the Islamic perception
Wasn't born in the middle of an easy road
An easy path like this table
Rather, he is born in the middle of a mountain path
No one is born at the top of the mountain
Nor in the bottom
We are all born in the middle of this mountain path
The Quranic mission and the divine test to humans
Is how to achieve the top
You have two options as "Then He showed him what is wrong and right for him"
You have the ability to ascend or descend to the bottom
It's your choice
Allah shows us that we have two main enemies
Both seek to drop you to the bottom
You'll try and attempt to ascend
But you have two enemies, the devil and the self
The devil has a clear mechanism explained repeatedly in Quran
It begins with "And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah."
A suggestion or a thought that occurs to you
You might think it's a minor one
Then he convinces you with it "When Satan made their deeds pleasing to them"
Let's assume you have an inheritance
And your sister is young
You might think that she doesn't know and that you spend on her
Only a suggestion that if you sought refuge to Allah, it will end
And you'll decide to give her Allah, full right
But if you accepted this suggestion, it'll begin to be pleasing to you
I'm the one spending on her, and where would she spend it anyway?
I'm her brother and what's good for me is good for her
And so on until you love this sin
Each sin will be followed by another until you drop to the bottom
It's easy to descend as with any mountain
That's why the Prophet said "Hellfire is surrounded by lusts"
Descending is always favored by man
Some have a wrong perception that if you are doing well then, you're good
This is untrue
Easiness isn't an indicator of good or bad
Easiness might mean you're on the wrong path
The act itself is what matters
I have a divine validity on whether the act is good or bad
While easiness or hardship isn't an indicator as a good path might be hard and vice versa
That's why Allah says "We will ease him toward difficulty"
Some people are eased towards difficulty
Meaning that the wrong path is facilitated to them
Due to the accumulations of mistakes
Allah facilitates the sinful path to him
So, when we say that a person's affairs are facilitated
That doesn't mean he's on a right path
Sometimes this easiness is due to descending
Ascending is hard that's why Quran uses the idea of Jihad many times
Because to strive is to make effort
But what drops you completely in the bottom
A free fall to the bottom not a gradual one
The free fall is polytheism
If you became an idolater, you've free fallen
Which is an expression from Quran "And he who associates with Allah is as though he had fallen from the sky"
Notice the expression "As he had fallen from the sky"
A free fall "snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place"
There's no escape or survival from it
Because polytheism is the end of your chance in life unless you've repented to Allah
But whoever falls into polytheism will cause all his good deeds to end
You are no longer in the competition
In order to clarify the concept of polytheism
Some asked about the meaning of polytheism in the last episode
Polytheism is to worship another god with Allah
Ibn Hayyan says it is agreed upon by the majority of interpreters
That polytheism is to worship another god with Allah
What does God mean?
A god is whatever you totally submit to
Total submission to whatever he asks you to do
Whether it opposes Allah or not, you'll submit
This god can be in the shape of an idol
Or a person like when Christians claimed that Eisa is God
It could be your superiors that you submit to
Why did Quran describe the people of the book as polytheists?
Even though they claim to be monotheists
Because "They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah"
But Christians and Jews don't pray to their scholars and monks
So, the rest of the verse says "Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him"
Because they sanctified and completely submitted to them
You could submit to anything as some Arabs did to Jinn
When Allah described them as polytheists "Yet they make the Jinns equals with Allah"
So, polytheism is by submitting to another god besides Allah
Regardless, anything you submit to is considered polytheism
But it's important to define the nature of sin in Islam
Regarding the topic of ascending and descending in education
When you read in Al-Baqara chapter
In the page where it says "I am placing a successor on earth."
This page explains the types of human sin
All of our mistakes are among three types
Either a mistake of negligence
Or a mistake of weakness or rebellious
- Negligence, weakness or rebellious - Yes
There is no fourth type
The mistake of negligence is the mistake of angles
When He said "I'm placing a successor on earth"
They said, “Will You place in it someone who will work corruption in it, and shed blood"
What did Allah reply to them with?
He won't explain and justify to them
Rather He said "I know what you don't know"
They made a mistake with this objection
Because if Allah wanted something, we don't get to question it
"He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned"
It's a requirement of worshipping Allah not to question his will
Like why did Allah create us or such
Allah created you and that's everything
Allah isn't your partner for you to question
You aren't partners, you are a worshipper of Allah
Therefore, you must accept Allah's will which is the logic of worship
That's why when the angels questioned Him
Allah warned them here
That's why warning in enough for negligence
So, they said "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us"
Once they were warned, they knew
The mistake of weakness is Adam's mistake
Adam weakened against Iblis's luring
He was weak, that's why Allah said
"And We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination"
So, he didn't resist Iblis's temptations
He was weak therefor made a mistake
The biggest problem is in Iblis's mistake
Because he sinned as a result of rebellious
It wasn't weakness or temptation yet he refused and took pride in himself
"He was proud and was one of the disbelievers"
Notice when Iblis refused to bow down
Allah asked him "Were you arrogant, or were you among the haughty?"
I used to ask about the difference between being arrogant or haughty
The arrogant is haughty
No, arrogance is refusal of the order
While being haughty is to refuse the one who orders
Let's assume you work in a ministry for example
You're a district manager and below you is a department manager
The minister decided to seat the department manager before you
If you refuse because he's a department manager while you are a district manager
Here, you weren't haughty
You refused the order but not the minister as he's your boss
But you refuse the order as it is wrong
On what basis should he be before me?
So, you refuse the order not the one who gave it
While when you reject the one who orders
That's why Suliman told the people of Yemen upon inviting them
"Be not haughty with me but come to me in submission"
Meaning that you shouldn't think your superior to me
And that I should order you
Rather you should come and submit to me
So, when He asked Iblis "Were you arrogant or were you among the haughty?"
Iblis wasn't normal and said "I'm better than him"
His problem is with the order as he thought he was better than Adam
"You created me from fire and he from clay" so I'm more knowledgeable than him
Here's the problem, so what did Quran mean by all this?
To show humans that all their mistakes are among those types
Either a mistake of negligence and its solutions is by knowing like what happened with the angels
Or a mistake of weakness and its solutions is by repenting
"Then Adam received from his Lord words, and He accepted his repentance."
Or a mistake of rebellious which is debauchery
Debauchery is a gateway to polytheism
Sadly, many Muslims...
Fall in Iblis's mistake
Adam's mistake is a sin
Allah was accurate in Quran
When He described Iblis, He said "he disobeyed the command of his Lord"
While He described Adam as "Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred"
He disobeyed, not debauched
Because debauchery is a result of rebellious
He sinned out of rebellious
Which is our problem, man usually sins as a result of negligence and desire
For example, they advised me that a certain deal is haram yet the gains are high
After I'd entered and won money, I regretted
This is okay, he could repent to Allah
Or if one drank alcohol then asks for forgiveness
This is a sin out of desire
But some prolong in such state
Claiming that alcohol isn't clearly haram in Quran
Or that there's no clear evidence in Quran
Or questioning why usury isn't haram as he and the bank benefit
So why is it haram?
Notice how we moved from feeling guilt and needing repentance
- To legalizing a sin - He legalized it
This is how man is, after committing a sin he feels ashamed
So, what does he do to stop feeling so?
He goes and legalizes the sin
- Rebellious - Just like Iblis did
He legalized his sin by justifying it
This is the problem, so when a person seeks such logic
Will find himself at the gates of polytheism
By moving from a normal sin to rebellious which is Iblis's sin
So, there's a difference between Adam's sin and Iblis's sin
Adam's sin was because of weakness which is common among humans
That's why Allah mentioned both examples of Adam and Iblis to clarify to us
That Adam's mistake is normal and all humans are prone to it
With an easy solution of repentance
"The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance"
"And then repent soon after."
He did it and repented and that's all
But the mistake of rebellious is the problem
For example, when Al-Aqsa flood happened
Many people said that we can't do anything
Every time they say the massacres they feel guilt
In order to get rid of this guilt
They legitimize their despondency
- How so? - By blaming them
Why would they want to free their country?
When Israel is strong and can't be confronted
- They don't want trouble - This causes trouble
If they sat down and did nothing towards it
And accepted the daily killing and torture
They don't mind slow killing but refuse mass murder
As if you'd count those who die every day
Like in the West Bank and how many are killed every day under the Iron Wall operation
A number is killed every day but it's okay
Just don't kill them all at once or I'll be hurt
But it's okay to kill them gradually, this is how some people think
My point is that they'll always justify
Why would they fight? Isreal is a nuclear power
Isreal is backed by the west and as such
According to this, you must allow them to occupy your country
If Isreal tried to occupy your country, you mustn't resist them
As they are stronger and will commit genocide to you as it did in Gaza
- The same logic - That's why you should accept
So, we moved from a sin of weakness to a sin of rebellious
The biggest mistake a Muslim can make is when Iblis moves him from spontaneous sins
To deliberate sin resulted by rebellious
Then you fall into the problem of debauchery
Which will gradually take you to polytheism
If you sin, you must always remember
"Indeed, those who fear Allah, when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember"
Those who fear Allah when tempted by the devil
No one is infallible in Islam
"And at once they have insight."
Let's return to the example of the mountain
Humans will always repent but once they reach the level of debauchery
They will free fall to the bottom
So, the Quranic education model that our systems should follow
In our current age and within our Islamic world
Should be on how to assist the student
And the young to ascend to the top of the mountain
Reaching the top doesn't mean the end of work
There are conditions to stay at the top
That you must follow as long as you live
We'll talk about the metaphor of the mountaintop
This top is I understand is heaven
- You will... - No, it's the assured self
You'll find peace and tranquility
To facilitate worship
- I thought the top is the last place - This is after death, life has no heaven
I mean that by taking this path, when you die
No, when a person is used to worship
And used to taming Iblis and preventing him
And used to stopping his misdeed-seeking self
After a while, he'll feel comfortable with obedience to Allah
His self got used to it after a period of training
The more you train it, it'll get used to it
The same is in many things like in diets after 2 or 3 weeks
People get used to the new food diet and continue
Everything requires a period of time for the self to get used to it
So, when you are used to obedience, you'll reach peace
Walking in the right way, but this too has conditions
To continue in this state of peace
This is it; you'll always fight until Allah takes your soul
So, education is a continuous process
My point is that teachers in the education process
Must realize that they seek to take the students from the middle to the top
Then they'll find joy in this process as he'll be rewarded too
Abu-Nahar, if we had a school that applies the Quranic educational system
Compared to the current educational system
Because you just said, if only one trait is taught
On how to be thankful
Schools today teach students on how to thank others
And how to appreciate others
But it is totally different that the idea you'd mentioned
So, if we did so and taught children many Quranic concepts
On how fix himself compared to the current concepts
Which also seem good, as when kids go to school
You don't feel like they teach children anything negative
Like how to be a good person or apologize
And to thank others, which are somehow good traits
Compared to Quranic characteristics
How can we imagine a child that has been taught in your model?
He'll be totally different
I appreciate the positive aspects you'd mentioned
But the Quranic education model can't be compared if applied
With any modern model no matter how good it was
Let's assume a child went to a school that truly applies the Quranic model
He will graduate as a person free in his mind
As Islam forbids sanctifying others
When people love, they add great characteristics to them
To glorify them, which the Quran refuses
Quran asks the Islamic mind to follow the evidence all around
"Produce your proof, if you should be truthful"
"Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us?"
The human mind usually tends to glorify the masses
And to follow the majority
While Quran doesn't care for the majorities
"And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's Path."
Yes, respect and value the majorities
But don't glorify nor submit to them, rather I follow the evidence
Moreover, Islam frees the human mind from its desires and prejudice
Even your desires, so it frees you from yourself
Allah says "O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves"
You must admit your wrong deeds even if on yourself
You must admit, as when I argue with you
If I'd discovered that I'm mistaken, I must admit
As I'm free even from myself
Which is objectivity in its finest forms
Even if you didn't know
Even if the mind doesn't know, what does Quran order it to do?
It orders it to stop and "And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge"
Imagine a child graduation with such mentality that he's free in his mind
Doesn't submit or take anyone for granted
He respects others but only submits to proof
How about such mind? how will it be like?
This is the mental level, but on the psychological level
He's firm, calm and strong-willed in himself
Why? because Allah orders him not fear anyone but Allah
He orders people not to fear except Allah
And not to seek but Allah
People have wealth but I don't cling to it
People have abilities but I don't fear them
In case of a disaster, I don't give up
If I had wealth, I don't seek more and prevent from others
Which is the human psychology nature in Quran
Monotheism gives you courage
While polytheism gives you humiliation
There's an amazing verse that explains this image
Allah says "We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve"
Why? " For what they have associated with Allah"
It is as their polytheism caused terror to be casted upon them
As if polytheism prepares you for fear
- Fragile - Yes
That's why monotheism breeds courage as with Gaza fighters
Where did they find such courage?
This is the courage of monotheism
He realizes that what hit him wouldn't have mistaken him
And what mistaken him wasn't going to hit him
That's why you might find a group of isreali soldiers
With all their technology
While the soldier in Al-Qassam or Saraya Al-Quds
Doesn't have 1% of what they have
But their bravery and stability
Causes them to run with all their technology
We'd seen many scenes like this
So, humans will find peace from within
If we raised children on the Quranic educational perception about the human psychology
He'll grow to be stable and in peace with himself
This is when it comes to arguing with others
Now, they encourage dialogue with others
Quran says "debate with them in the most dignified manner."
Only debate with others in the most dignified manner
So, if you had a good or a better way, use the better one
Because during dialog, conflicts might arise
So, the better you kept your manners, the most likely for you to win
That's why Quran asks us to use what's best
In general, it orders you to only say what's good
For people to only hear good from you
"And speak kindly to all people"
This how such child will only speak kindly to all people
Regarding history and the past
Allah tells us that we aren't responsible for the history’s mistakes
Allah says "That is a nation which has passed on. It will have what it earned, and you will have what you have earned."
"And you will not be asked about what they used to do"
You won't be blamed for the mistakes of history
Muslims aren't responsible for the mistakes of the past
Yet, He still orders them to learn from it
"So, take warning, O people of vision", so we read history in the logic of this duality
We move on from all mistakes but we learn from them
This way we aren't imprisoned in our history
And at the same time, we benefit from it to our future
Regarding sacrifice when interacting with others
Allah orders us to sacrifice
"But give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation"
Students will learn to sacrifice and be selfless
While if he was full of himself and interests
Even when interacting with enemies
"And let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice."
"Be just: that is nearer to piety"
Students will treat their enemies fairly
He'll admit to a good thing about his enemy
And he'll admit if he had mistaken his enemy
Because Quran orders us to be fair with them
Do you know who this verse was meant for? the disbelievers of Quraish
The worst enemies of Islam
Yet He orders us to be fair with them
If David Hume says
That humans are rare to be fair with their enemies
This is with normal enemies, how about the worst of them?
Quran orders us to be fair with them
Loyal to his partners, doesn't betray or deceive
Because Allah ordered him to fulfill covenants
On the level of protecting people's honor
They don't accept talking ill about others
They don't accept spying, which all protect people's honor
Imagine if a student graduated with such traits?
Regarding spending, they don't spend and show-off
"Eat and drink but waste not by extravagance" and be modest in spending
Regarding the relation with the weak ones in the society
They don't limit their relationships with the wealthy class alone
When you advise some people to find who are poor to donate to them, they don't know anyone poor
How so? what kind of life you live?
You don't have a relation with the weak?
Even though Quran always connects both as a standard
Your relationship with Allah is determined by your relationship with the weak
The weaker it is with the weak, it does the same with Allah
That's why you might find it strange how He mentions orphans
Orphans and poor people are always mentioned
Because no one cares for them
And He wants to constantly connect you to them
Regarding your parents, you must be obedient to them
Allah asked us to "And lower to them the wing of humility"
To show humility before our parents
Regarding the relationship with the partner
In case of separation, He says "And do not forget graciousness between you"
By activating the positive memory in each breakup
In the culture of breakup, like if we were business partners
After breakup, we should "not forget graciousness between you"
We must activate the positive memory between us when we breakup
While people are now used to remembering the bad deeds when breakup
"He did so at this situation..."
Then question the intentions too
For the devil to begin to show me all your bad deeds
But Quran refuses this and urges to activate the positive memory
Remember everything good between us in the moment of breakup
Whether as business partners or marriage or any other type of partnership
Separation has a culture in Islam
Just like agreement has a culture
Both agreement and separation have a philosophy that we must learn
The same also with confrontation or avoidance
My point is that you'll graduate students free in their minds
Stable in themselves, and obedient to their parents
Advising to their society, fair to their enemies
Loyal to their partners, helpful to the weak
Protecting of others honor
What more could you ask for?
Yes, don't compare Quran to others
Like other educational systems that fail to produce students with half such characteristics
Now, students in the schools are a bit too sensitive
- Especially this generation - This is psychological fragility
- They didn't describe it as so yet - This is due the lack of stability established by Quran
For if we applied such teachings to the human
How will he become?
We'll find that Quran which is a written text
Will be embodied for us to see
Even the concept of trust and how not to fear the future
Yes, when you trust in Allah, it's over
Allah will take care of your affairs in the future
That's why if a student embodied such characteristics
He'll turn into a visible Quran that we can see
Because he embodied the Quran teachings
As Aisha said about the Prophet that "His character was the Qur'an"
He embodied the teachings of Quran which gives complete immunity
Which is the difference between the education model of Quran and elsewhere
So, if a child grew up with such traits
He'll have full immunity
We care today about the physical immunity
That's why we use vaccines and other things to protect the health
But where's the psychological immunity?
What's the system that provides it to me?
Quran provides it to us through trusting Allah and what I mentioned previously
When it makes you thankful and humble
We must know what the humble is in Quran too
All such characteristics create my psychological immunity
When I only fear Allah and ask only from him
This creates the psychological immunity
It also gives me mental immunity
By refusing to follow the culture of the herd and as such
And gives me evidence which creates mental immunity
That's how the Quranic model creates a comprehensive immunity
Mental and psychological immunity
But the self is the foundation of all this
What about other subject in school?
A child must learn language, math
Chemistry and others, where do they fall in your model?
Or do we just learn Quran and that's it?
No, I'm talking about the educational aspect not the cognitive one
You must provide all knowledge to them
But I'm discussing the educational aspect
Which is the responsibility of the school too?
Of course, as you spend half of your time there
So, the educational aspect isn't just exclusive to the family
Some say that the family should educate
We are talking about how the school is responsible of two things
The first is knowledge and learning
And I don't need to explain it
As they all compete on it
I'm talking about the other forgotten aspect which is education
Education is sidelined
But I'm talking about what if we applied the Quran educational model, how will we be like?
- So, you want it to be the main thing - The foundation for everything
Because we want a person that's built upon the educational model of Quran
If you succeeded in that, you'll find stability in your community
But, Abu-Nahar, to say that the traditional learning system
Doesn't it provide what we want? what's our duty as parents
And as brothers to give the space of Quran to our children
Which doesn't exist in our education system so, what do we have to do about that?
As a parent, you're responsible for your child before the school is
The Prophet said "All of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards."
Your duty as a parent to embody the Quran educational model
To seek to have the traits we mentioned in yourself
And to learn them one by one
And to get rid of the negative traits mentioned in Quran
In order to ascend from the human model to the belief model
Then, you transfer this model to your children
So, if schools lack the educational aspect
Parents are supposed to handle this role
But the problem today is
That parents are busy with securing livelihood
More than with securing their kids morals
They only care about sending them to the best foreign schools
To take pride that their kids are in such schools
But if you ask them about the education situation of your child
What about the moral situation in the school?
They'll belittle the matter until they grow older
But now he at least knows English and other things
But when the child grows and the father notices his irresponsibility
And how he neglects his parent's rights
And his family and is distant from his siblings
Evolved around himself and his own interests
Then the father will begin to regret and complain this situation
About his children didn't grow up as he expected
Which is normal, for what have you planted?
You won't harvest anything but what you've planted
You can't plant a palm tree then expect it to give apples
If you wanted apples, then plant an apple tree
But you don't plant incorrect education
Then expect good results later on
That's why you should work on education
This is what matters, while it is not so bad if the child grew with less information
- Not so bad? - Yes, he can make up for it anytime in his life
Now using the internet, you can learn about all types of knowledge
But the problem if you grew up lacking education
I always say raise me with less information but not less education
I can make up for the information in any way
To learn what I'd missed
But with less education, this will shake a whole community
So, the essence is education which is now clear
But if we wanted to dismantle the current education system
How to do so in order to practically look into it
In order to find the difference between your model
And the current model, how to do so?
I don't deny the current educational efforts in the schools
There must be huge and immense efforts
But they aren't in the image we hope to see
The error is massive, not small
For me, I see that the main problem in the educational system
Is that it relies on the idea of intelligence
Since the childhood of the students
They just gather information and thinking skills
With all different types of mental skills
Analyzing, understanding, criticism, comparison and others
While the pillar of education in Islam isn't intelligence
Rather it is Rationality
What's the difference between both?
Intelligence is the wide mental capabilities
When you have broad mental abilities like analyzing and as such
If intelligence is the broad abilities...
Then Rationality is how to best use those abilities
Islam doesn't deny intelligence
But it requires rationalism along with it
So, when you find this word in Quran
You'll see how it's tied to good behaviors
"If then you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them"
When an orphan has sound judgment, give him his money
So, the educational system in Islam evolves around rationalism
In order to develop the mental abilities
And the scientific capabilities
At the same time, to develop your awareness of them
Not just to fill you up with information
During all school years as if you are a machine
Then I let you be
Intelligence alone isn't enough
It is just a tool that could be used in good or bad
That's why Quran never praised intelligence
Why? because it is a tool, and Quran doesn't praise tools
Unless when they aim to lead to higher purposes
- Which is rationalism... - Yes, look...
The modern age is about tools not purposes
Such as liberty and science which are tools that became purposes
Intelligence is a tool that became a purpose
But Islam doesn't compliment tools at all
Except if it led to the noble purposes
So, you could be very smart but not rational
You could be smart and reckless too
You could be a genius but reckless
For example, despite your intelligence, you could be racist
Like a very big physics scientist who is racist
Or a great physician that goes to demonstrations to allow children to change their gender
- Doesn't that exist? - Or a zionist too
Or a zionist, or a misogynist too
Intelligence isn't connected to rationalism
This is the problem of our modern educational system
It thinks that intelligence is enough
Therefore, it focuses on intelligence
There is an educational side but the primary focus is on intelligence
The gateway to get into these schools
All focus is on intelligence
That's why they seek to graduate intelligent students
While the Islamic perception aims to graduate ration students
Rationalism doesn't deny intelligence but includes it within a bigger process
In order to use this intelligence well
That's why the educational process must transform
From evolving around intelligence to rationalism
In order for our work to be beneficial
If you notice in Al-Rom chapter in Quran
When it discussed the Byzantine civilization
It mentioned just one verse that tore it open
"They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware."
It proved to them that their knowledge isn't beneficial
When science isn't tied to noble purposes, it becomes useless
Islam doesn't praise science because it is science
Rather when it is a responsibility
Why does Quran specify the beneficial science?
Because it is the responsibility, while we consider science to be a status
Today, as an academic, I don't consider my position as a responsibility
That's why you find many academics detached from their society
I even heard an academic official saying that as academics
We aren't supposed to go down to the level of the society
Imagine that...
Even the race of universities to be ranked is to seek status
Universities seek to be ranked more than to benefit the society
Which made science to be a status not a responsibility
I consider science as a status as an academic
To have a superior look down at the society
Which allows me to get social benefits
This is how science became
While science in Quran is different
Science is a responsibility that if you didn't do it right
It'll turn into a curse against you
That's why Quran criticized the scientists of Bani-Israel
Why? because they didn't fulfill their purpose
That's why we must return back to the first square
What's the purpose of science?
Today in the midst of such huge rush towards science
The Quran criticism is now applied to us
When it criticized the Byzantine civilization
It meant that they sought the tool not the purpose
We do the same thing today in the Islamic world
They know "what is apparent of the worldly life" and graduate generations of the same
While "but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware."
We teach them, but for what?
You want a good engineer, but for what?
You want a good physicist, but for what?
All this science can be used badly
When Daesh appeared, they didn't lack knowledge
They had experts from all over the world
And they had technical abilities that sometimes surpassed some Arab armies
And some of the best university graduates joined Daesh
So, the problem wasn't with science
What does it mean to feed me information then leave me ignorant on how to handle them?
Science is a tool, something we don't realize in college
We look at science as a purpose and that we should excel in it
But what's your real role with it?
They could use some apparent reasons
But we don't focus on the purpose of science in our reality
As a primary standard
Even the race of artificial intelligence
People are racing now to reach the best technologies
Which leads me question as when we were talking before the episode
On why are they racing for AI?
What's its reason and what does it aim to?
You also mentioned another thing about rationalism and wisdom
I'd like for you to comment on the second part at first
Yes, Quran said "whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good."
Whoever is given wisdom, not intelligence
It also said "It guides to the right course" not to intelligence
So, Quran always ties Muslims to the purposes
Not to the tools, contrary to the modern civilization that does the opposite
That's why we should always question what we see
We should ask about the purpose of everything
You want liberty? why? in Islam, it is tied to justice which is a noble purpose
Science is tied to spreading good and responsibility
But now, tools have turned into purposes
Money itself, we take pride in the abundance of it
Everything aims to glorify those means
To turn them into purposes
The first problem is the problem of intelligence
The problem of depending on inelegance not rationalism
Which is a result of different perceptions
What's Islam's perception towards humans?
It sees him as a person that wants to do good
That's why rationalism should be his first step
- Towards this greater goal? - Yes
While in the modern perception
Humans aim to maximize their interests
That's why intelligence is the standard
For the economic standard
When the perceptions changed, the pillars changed
The prioritizes intelligence to make humans into economic beings
While Islam prioritizes rationalism to make righteous humans
So, when the perceptions changed, all foundations changed
You can see it for yourself without telling you
Look at the schools
Do they depend on intelligence or on rationalism?
Is the idea of rationalism existent for the educational decision makers?
I don't think so, but we hope that there's a good movement
We began to notice after people started feeling the problem
You feel like there's a movement, right?
Yes, I don't deny how some officials began complaining from the current situation
And the current crisis in the educational system
And there are considerable efforts
In Qatar, a new educational transformation happened several months ago
Which people are optimistic about
And I notice some change in some countries too
But we are still trying to find a way
We still haven't found an educational system of authenticity
While this rush towards science and riches
Must stop a little so we can see the purpose of it
But the world works according to this economic pattern
You must cooperate with others
Is the world your standards or do you have one of your own?
- I have an authentic one - Yes, follow it and leave the world
The world might be headed towards a disaster
Throughout history, many lifecycles led humanity to disasters
That's why Europeans aren't our standard nor the Japanese or the Chinese
Develop your standard according to your own culture and value system
Then you won't be responsible of what others do
You just have to give advice if they were wrong
And benefit if they were correct
But not the other standard
We do this because the French did it
Or as the Germans did
We can't deny the role of western scientific and research development
I didn't say that we shouldn't benefit from them but don't make them your standard
I'm always accused of opposing the west
I oppose how we made the west our reference
I want us to use the western ideas as tools
Meaning, we take them if they were beneficial and leave them if they weren't
But today, we import the western ideology as a reference to us
They might claim to be benefiting from it
But they are turning it into a reference
For example, when you bring democracy in
Democracy is a western idea
You might find it okay to accept democracy
But if you wanted to change a certain thing about it
Like if I had a better idea than the separation of authorities
No, no, you can't do that as it is not used
Democracies don't do that
You said that it was a tool, so let's develop it?
No, the house of freedom or entities monitoring democracy indexes
Say that this isn't democracy, which makes the west our reference
After we just wanted to benefit from them
I don't mind the idea of importing
But I oppose its concept
On what logic do we import western ideas?
Even the universities today, what is their reference?
Why universities exist?
Let's modify the university system
It takes 4 years, but what if we made it 1 year?
Or 1.5 intensive years in a different way?
Or 6 years, which is more?
They'll oppose any change in the system
Every idea about the system is rejected
Until the west changes it, then we do the same
We discussed this in the first episode
The problem is that they manipulate us
They claim to bring just the mechanism of the western ideas
But gradually, they turn into a reference to us
And when any Arab official tries to change
He will find vicious resistance from the traditional entities
Because such academic institutions turn into hard templates
That prevent any outer movements
We'll return to this idea to explore it more
About our problem and why we feel lost
Are we weak?
Do we lack ideas?
We'll return back to this
But I'd like to finish dismantling the current educational system
Whether it was imported or not, but the one we follow
We discussed how if evolved around intelligence not rationalism
This is the first problem we discussed
Which caused the separation of education and learning
Which is used in a narrative
Maybe not all European countries do it
But some of them like France
That education is a private matter while learning is a general matter
The country's job isn't to educate people
Rather to teach them
Some Arab and Islamic countries were influenced by and separated both
Because we are only responsible of teaching and thus separated them
But this is dangerous
When you say that education is the individual’s responsibility
This means that only the family should educate
Which leads us to realize that each family is capable of providing correct education
Which isn't true, as many families are incapable of providing correct education
And many families are the source of trouble to their children
The parents might have many wrong perceptions
Where the children learn many negative perceptions
Therefore, the role of the school is to educate them
So, when we say that education is a private matter that only concerns the families
This leads us to thinking that all families can provide correct education to their children
Which isn't correct in reality
Also, by separation education from learning
It means that the state doesn't have an educational perception about the good citizen
Countries always repeat how they want good citizens
But the term "righteous" is a cultural and educational concept
Righteous according to what standard?
Faisal has a standard to what's righteous and Naif does too
And others do too, so...
What values does the European have?
What values make him righteous?
So, if a state isolated itself from education
It is as if they admit to not having a standard on how a citizen should be righteous
Which is a very big problem
The righteous citizen is who follows the law
Or doesn't break it, this might be the concept of a good citizen
When he follows the laws of the country
But not everything about the law
Law governs the apparent behavior
But what about the ethics?
For example...
Your perception of a good citizen is whom sacrifices to his country
But the law doesn't require sacrifice
The law addresses the rights and duties, nothing more
Therefore, in order to instill good education
And how to make people beneficial to their society
This is a totally different educational system
The country must have an educational vision on how citizens should be
Otherwise, the state admits to not having such vision
The danger in feeding students as if they were machines
Feeding them with information without righteous education
Then, science will be used in different ways as we'd discussed
Which reminds us of the Prophet's hadith that "The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it to others"
When some hear this hadith
They question it
As other things might be more important
Like medicine, engineering and others
Is it true that Quran is the best science? yes, it is
Because it provides you with divine guidance
Which is more important than science
Because science without awareness turns into a dangerous weapon
A very dangerous one that might turn against humans
Wasn't the person who invented the atomic bomb intelligent?
Yes, wasn't who invented all illegal weapons intelligent?
Yes, but he exterminated humans with them
How many were killed using such weapons?
Millions of people were killed
That's why the question is, what's more important? science or awareness?
Awareness is, but where do we get it from? not from science
Science has nothing to do with awareness
Science gives you information
But awareness is how to handle this information
Here comes the role of Quran that guides humans on how to handle their psychological and mental abilities
- In their lives - Critical thinking
- Doesn't it increase awareness? - No, it improves your abilities
But what are you criticizing for?
So, when I criticize...
It is good to improve my critical abilities
What then? as criticizing has purposes and aims
This is also linked to the idea of awareness too
Okay, so, to have intelligence as a foundation
And the separation of education and learning
But to be honest, if I wanted to get my child into school
With all respect to all teachers
But I don't trust them to educate my children
I think in the Quranic system
There's a shortage even in teachers
They might have problems that they'll transfer to our children
And I'm protective of my children as many parents are
That don't consider schools to be a place for education
No, I don't believe in such generalization
Some school put great efforts on education
And some are exceptional in the education aspect
Schools differ, as some have very little contribution to education
And some contribute greatly
It differs, especially with the private schools
Each one has its own educational method
But the lack of Quranic education
This is a general widespread case
If found, it is in rare examples
That's why you can only find few such exceptional schools
- Correct - Yes, not the original state
That's why it is required of our countries to make it into the original state
Quranic education is the original state
So, we have separation, intelligence prioritization
The separation between education and learning
Also, you mentioned the difference between teaching and practicing
- I'd like for you to define both - I say that education
Is in essence a matter of practicing than it is of teaching
Meaning that you don't learn education in classrooms
It is a matter of practice learning
That's why you can find education more in the playground than in the classroom
When you play football with children
You'll find all the educational problems
Which is the biggest place of educational correction
When kids play football, even the adults too
But try with the children
You'll find the selfish ones
Those who attempt to always keep the ball
Even if they will lose the ball, they only care about keeping it
Even if the other team scores
I prefer to waste the chance rather than another scores
You'll also find the self-sufficient
Those who celebrate alone when scoring
Ignoring who helped him to score
You'll find lying
When the ball goes out of the line, he'd swear that it didn't
When it has gone out
But he has this trait
You'll also find the reckless
Once the other team scores a goal
He spreads negativity in his team
You don't know how to play, it is my mistake to have joined you
Until his whole team is frustrated
While they are still in the middle of the match
- Don't you see such examples? - I play a lot of football
I always say that the team's personality appears when losing not winning
We might accept mistakes when we are winning
But if we were losing, the same situation leads to a different outcome
Like when someone gets angry for not being passed to
As you'd said, I think one person could affect the whole team
Yes, losing is a great chance to practice correct education
When losing, frustration and hopelessness spread
Blaming and ill thinking begin
It is a chance, that's why I say that education begins in the playground
Education should happen in the practical situations
While learning happens inside classrooms
That's why we should separate both processes
Education must in essence happen through practice
While learning happens through its different methods
That's why Quran trained us, it didn't give us theoretical knowledge
Quran ordered us to be piety but didn't stop there
It gave us an annual training course
"Decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you" why?
"That you may become righteous"
Why does the month of Ramadan come every year?
Some say in order to feel the poor or other reasons
Those are correct but as secondary reasons so, what's the reason Quran mentioned?
"That you may become righteous" what's being righteous?
Being righteous is to commit to Allah and others
If you committed to Allah and others, you're righteous
Even to other people, as Allah says
"The ones with whom you made a treaty but then they break their pledge every time, and they do not fear Allah."
Or don't commit to agreements
That's why Allah's fear is mentioned along with treaties
"So as long as they are upright toward you, be upright toward them. Indeed, Allah loves the righteous"
So, the purpose from fasting Ramadan is to get used to being righteous
Didn't Allah want you to commit to his guidance so you could be a successor on earth?
But committing is hard for the human self
That's why it is an annual training course
Where you are forbidden from your most loved things
And you will commit to that for a whole month
And if you stopped what you love for a month
You could stop other things too
All the sins you claim to fail to abandon
When you fast, you stop even drinking water
- True - For a whole month
So, if you wanted to commit
This is a training course to learn to commit for a whole month
Which gives us an educational aspect
That fearing Allah alone isn't enough
Rather He gave us an annual training course
In order to train on how to be righteous
Even in many other verses like...
"Then when Talut set out with the army, 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 hand."
This is a trial, a training
Why they can't drink but one handful?
It is a trial and a training
Allah gives us signs in Quran on the important of training to achieve education
Then, Talut won in the battle
Here you should ask yourself
When schools teach children about the importance of honesty
And being humble and thankful
What exercises have they provided for them?
What are the daily training practices?
Training on educational ethics should be a daily routine
- So, they are instilled - They must be put through different situations
In the playground and other places
Or through demonstrative short clips
They must see the value of being thankful every day through different ways
- Honesty too - In different ways
In situations without knowing they're demonstrations
But by driving them to certain situations form which they learn
And people are innovative in creating different training methods for the students
Which are educational methods to instill such characteristics
I'm trying to understand it a bit more
To transfer it from theoretical learning
To practicing and learning
So, education can't be taught in a theoretical manner
Rather by practice, while schools usually teach but not train
On different ethics
- This is true - Are there other problems in the current educational system?
There's the problem of not considering the psychological side as a gateway to knowledge
We treat humans as a mind only
Where they accept information by learning about it
Which isn't correct
Quran tells us that it is not true
Rather by providing the mental and sensory knowledge
Despite that you might not accept the facts
Allah says "We had assigned them the (faculties of) hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and hearts"
"But their hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and their hearts availed them nothing "
Despite having the mental and sensory knowledge
Yet they weren't beneficial, why?
"Since they used to deny the Ayat of Allah"
Which is a psychological problem
If the self didn't accept the knowledge sources, they fail
They don't work, look...
Mind has a barrier which is the self
Each information you get
If it didn't convince the self, it mostly won't enter the mind
That's why when you hate someone, you don't accept their facts
- Even if they were correct - We don't accept them
Why? because yourself hates them
That's why Allah orders us to argue with what's best
Because if you manipulated the other's self
What will happen? he won't accept the facts
If you offended him with your words, it's over
That's why if a person responded to you badly
This will provoke you
And you'll provoke him and it'll turn to a competition of provocation
Then no one will benefit anything
The truth will be lost, but we argue to find the truth
And to find the truth, we must flatter the self
Because if it got angry, it shuts down the mind
And it won't accept any knowledge
You must satisfy the self so the mind can accept
You must win the self over
As to what Allah said to the Prophet
"And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you"
All despite being a Prophet with the absolute truth
He still warns him that they'll abandon you if you were severe and harsh-hearted
Who will abandon him? the best people after the Prophet
Those are the best of the Ummah
Despite that He warned him from being severe and harsh
Despite that the Prophet has the absolute truth
Being harsh will cause people to abandon him
While he has the absolute truth, how about us then?
We only have opinions that could be right or wrong
Despite that, we argue them harshly
Some justify this behavior for being protective of the religion
But if you really were protective of the religion, you'd have followed it
The religion didn't ask us to argue harshly
Rather by what's best
Why? because Allah created us and knows best
And knows our ways
He advised us to first win over the self
Notice how if someone had spoken well with you
You'll accept his ideas
Because flattering the self will open up the mind to you
And once you provoke the self, it'll shut down the mind to you
It is a very clear matter
But we don't prepare student's selves to accept the facts
Even if they contradicted the mind
For example, when I hear a person with bad attitude
I might close the video and not listen to him
But I must get myself used to that not everyone has good attitude
Not everyone can deliver ideas in a good manner
Not everyone accounts for the human self
That's why you must attempt to separate
As a receiver of information
But not a sender
When I send out my ideas, I care about how to deliver them
And to express them in the best way
But when I receive ideas
I must be aware that not everyone delivers their ideas in the best way
Therefore, I must urge myself to be patient and tolerant
To ignore the method and accept the facts
Even if that was hard for the human self as I'd said
If the Prophet would have been abandoned by his people if he was harsh
How about normal people?
That's why we need to stabilize the human self
To accustom the human self to accept the facts
Because if the self was straightened, the mind will too
Notice in Musa's mother's verse
Allah says "And the heart of Moses' mother became empty"
"She was about to disclose [the matter concerning] him"
"Had We not bound fast her heart"
He assured her heart and her mind followed
She almost lost her mind due to the absence of Musa
She almost disclosed what happened to him
But he assured her heart so her mind properly worked
That's why the fearful can't think
Like those anxious people who whenever hear bad news
Will begin thinking about bad outcomes and complicate the matter even more
The first thing is to have psychological stiffness
By doing so, you'll think properly
That's why Allah said
"O you who have believed, when you encounter a company [from the enemy forces], stand firm"
Without firmness, you won't think straight
Like in Gaza when they were promised hellfire if they didn't release the hostage by Saturday
Open all hellfire as you want
What do you think we are? we are firm
Right? at the end, they were forced to allow caravans and aid as the resistance demanded
This is being firm, but if they hastily responded, they'd have demanded more
That's why psychological firmness is the first requirement
That's why it's important to raise student on how to be firm
So, their minds don't distort
And not to be carried away with any good or bad news
As either could cause humans to be reckless
Is it different than being kindhearted?
If a person is kindhearted
His affairs will be facilitated even among people
He'll win people over and win their selves before their minds
Which is important as you might see some people
That are kindhearted and easily liked
But where do we get this firmness from?
Which is another topic, being firm
Does it come through...
Moving from a human to a believer?
When you practice your role?
Or what's the gateway to firmness?
Is it the belief?
The matter requires practice and giving in
To give in for whatever the fate brings you
The good I received wasn't going to mistake me
And the bad wasn't either
You must trust this
Trust that Allah is your trustee and guide in this life
Then you should fear or worry
Knowing that whatever evil that happens is a test from Allah
The same also what the good too
Tests aren't just the bad things but the good ones too
"When his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him"
Yes, it is both in good or bad
Some say Allah doesn't test them
For they are healthy and in a good financial status
With sound mind and attractive looks
But those graces are tests too
"To test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful"
When Suliman was graced
Then saw the throne setting next to him
"And when [Solomon] saw it placed before him"
he said, "This is from the favor of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful"
This a grace but a test too
That's why if you keep in mind that life is a test
Your aim is to succeed through patience
And gratefulness towards graces
By this role, you'll be graced with firmness
As what else could happen?
Everything is written
Therefore, don't fear or worry or seek these things
So, in order to finish this topic
Again, have we forgotten anything regarding the problems of current education?
Before moving on to the next topic
The problems of education are many, Faisal
If we'd talk about the modern problems, as I compare to Quran
I compare to the Quranic educational model
To see the gaps between it and our educational reality
This doesn't end if we opened it up
A thing that just occurred to me
In the matter of separating ethics from perceptions
It's a general problem but also exists in education
Quran doesn't separate between ethics and perceptions
It doesn't introduce ethics separated from their existential perception
Nor from the conditions that follow them
As in, why should a person be honest?
Or to be just?
Or to be kindhearted?
There are existential perceptions justifying them
For example...
Allah says "and spend out of that in which He has made you successors."
Notice how He first clarified the perception to you
He urged you to spend
But not from your money
This isn't your money, it is Allah's
You are a successor of it
Then what happens when you correct my perception?
Practice becomes facilitated to me
As when I give you 100,000 Riyals as a gift
But then ask you to give 10,000 of them away to the poor
It's normal, because I'm the one who gave you the 100,000
It'll be easy for you to give 10,000 away
But if the 100,000 were yours
You earned it from your salary or business or anything else
Then I asked you to give 10,000 away
It'll be so hard for you to do
That's why Allah said "spend out of that in which He has made you successors"
A reminder that this money isn't yours
Which is true, if Allah gave me this money
It'll be easy for you to give it away
- So, it links it... - With a higher perception
In order to facilitate doing good, as they'd be hard without perceptions
How to convince a person to be honest?
You must urge him using higher perceptions
It is true that he might listen and become honest
Or truthful
But when you link it to existential perceptions, it becomes more established
Not just perceptions, but with limits too
The ethics limits of legal obligation
Like when He required us to do charity because we're successors
In another verse, He said "O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury"
Which is a limit to do charity without bestowing or hurting
Bestowing is obvious, when you mention everywhere
That you'd given away 100,000 to Faisal
Or anyone else
- Or to remind him every time you see him - It's clear
But hurting is by hurting his feelings
To hurt his feelings
Some people when helping you with a certain sum
After a while, they ask you for other things
Because you now owe him
And he has a favor on you
Like asking you to hire his cousin
In a certain position
Or that he wants something or his brother
He begins to ask you for things to embarrass you
Or to give you the money in an offending way
That's why Quran focused on the feelings of the needy at the end of Al-Baqara chapter
Don't miss with them by filming them
Like those who film themselves giving poor people charity while they don't want that
If they agree to it, it's okay
But if they don't or accepted just for the money
This is offending and hurting them
This way your charity will be invalid
Why? because it turned into hurting
The aim of charity is to remove hurt not to add it
That's why Quran is very accurate in this
Regarding their feelings
I ask all listeners to read Al-Baqara chapter after this verse
To see how the verses care for the psychology of the poor
We must consider their psychology
And to respect them and their feelings
In order not to ruin the aim of the charity
As it aims to help and aid
Not to add psychological pain to you through such things
That's why when Islam proposes its rulings
They are linked to existential perceptions
And moral limits
Do we present ethics in the same manner in the education system?
Regarding their existential perceptions and moral limits?
We need to establish such thing
True, I thought how we don't link them
Even if such link doesn't exist
Can a person commit, but...
Sometimes there is linking but in a different way
Like if a person is honest but went through hardships, without existential perceptions
- He will abandon it - Yes, as he will think...
That he will win more by not being honest
After all, you'll never eradicate corruption from earth
By applying the Quranic education
Corruption must still be found on earth
Otherwise, why does Iblis exist? if Allah wanted earth to be free from evil
He'd have ended Iblis at once
But He kept him and evil to test humanity
But we should reduce corruption to the lowest level
To reduce it as far as possible
As much as the human limit is
That's why when saying Islamic political regime
People assume it'll be angelic and free from mistakes
No, there must be mistakes, otherwise we won't be humans
Only when the rulers are angels, then there won't be mistakes
But since we are humans, we'll carry out Islamic financial experiments that are prone to mistakes
Islamic political experiments that are prone to mistakes
Or Islamic educational experiments too
This happens and we accept that, but...
The best thing about the Islamic system is that it corrects itself
If strayed away, Quran has auto correction
It brings us to the best path
Now, the west strayed away regarding liberty
We all see this, but what is their auto correction method?
They don't have any
Because they don't have a higher reference
While Quran auto corrects us
Like if we went through a racist path
What will we do to Allah's verse "the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you."
Which is a clear auto correction
The more we stray away, definite scriptures will bring us back
Which they lack without a correct and sound higher reference
That's nice, I'd like to end this topic now
No, don't, I have one final point to wrap up with
Which is the idea of the compass
I always repeat this idea
That the greatest thing a man needs in his life is what he lacks in the education system
For during all the years of education until the PhD
Or the Bachelor’s degree
This whole system doesn't provide me with a compass to my life
How to manage this life and when to confront or not?
How to argue or avoid?
How to criticize or ignore?
How to end my relationship with others?
And how to establish new ones?
How to treat my friends?
Such topics that matter to all humans
If ignored, they might cause depression and misery to you
The things that control your psychology until you die
Are the things we don't learn in schools
Schools feed you with information
But they don't provide a life compass
Through which you manage your life
Which is the best thing about the Quranic education system
It provides you with a compass that you can use to run your whole life
Which is a very clear compass
I can mention 20 examples of it
Regarding the embodiment of the Quranic compass
An example...
Previously, I used to argue with everyone
I used to argue with any one
But when reverting to Quran
It tells you that you shouldn't argue with everyone
Because people are of two types
One that loves truth and one that hates it
Some hate the embodiment truth as it is a responsibility
And the responsibility requires work
And work has a cost
While humans hate cost and prefer rest
So, they don't want the truth so they don't have to bear its consequences
So, you shouldn't argue with those as they don't want the truth
While arguing was only advised to deliver truths
But if the other doesn't want it, why will we argue then?
Which is clarified in the beginning of Al-Baqara chapter
Allah says "Indeed, those who disbelieve - it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe"
Then why call them back to Allah?
If there's no hope for them?
No, He meant the denying type
Those who disbelieve means who deny
Those have no hope, so leave them
But later on, you find other verses
That address all people who seek the truth
The ones that strayed away and lost the truth
We can argue with those "And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto"
Which is a dialogue with those who want they truth but don't know it
But those with negative attitude towards the truth as they don't want it
Don't argue with them
Which relieved me
I must first recognize the motives of the person
If he shows signs that he doesn't want the truth
Like those who personify the matters
Like when they adore and a certain public figure
They won't argue with you in logic
Because they completely support this figure
Then leave them be and don't argue your ideas with
Because their standard isn't the proof but this person
Since this person said it, then it must be true
The same also in political views too
When they support a certain country that never lies
Or never makes mistakes
Whoever is evolved around things or people, not the evidence
Are useless to argue with
That's why Allah ordered us to ignore them
So, do that
One thing that the Quranic compass is beneficial for
Which helped me personally, is the idea of when to confront or not
When to confront and when to back down
We used to think that we should always confront evil
But Quran tells us that evil has two types
Evil that dies when confronted
And evil that dies when ignored
Some evil dies when confronted
While some evil flourishes when confronted
Let me give you an example
Remember Salman Rushdi in the early 80's?
When he published the book "Devilish verses"?
I had a professor that was a colleague of his in London at that time
When he published this book, no one noticed him
Nor heard anything
People ignored him
As he is an unknown writer that no one knows
Until Al-Khumaini released a Fatwa that justifies killing him
Then he became the talk of the world and was hosted in all international stages
And won international prizes and became widespread in the world
He gave him free advertisement
Which falls into aiding evil and aggression
As you'd contributed to his fame
You contributed in the spread of this evil with wrong confrontation
So, he became known and famous, why?
While if you had ignored him, it'd have been over
Notice what the zionists did with Al-Masiri
Al-Masiri, may he rest in peace
- Abdulwahab Al-Masiri - Abdulwahab Al-Masiri
One of the finest Islamic minds in our time
In 2000, he published his encyclopedia
About Jews and zionism
Seeking their reaction to it
What will they say about him?
Will they write books and articles and hold conferences?
They didn't do anything
They totally ignored him
So much that Al-Masiri called it the conspiracy of silence
They ignore it so the project dies
Because if they confronted it
People will be eager to read it
What is it? what did he say? what are his ideas?
They will be interested in the book
Yet they ignored it
Which angered Al-Masiri greatly
But they had applied what we are advising
Confrontation doesn't apply to everything
We don't confront for the sake of it as a show of strength
Like with trivial people in the media platforms
Hosting such people might cause his triviality to spread
And sometimes, ignoring such people or ideas...
I'm trying to practically understand it even for my work
Those celebrities who depend on triviality
And those who depend on spreading bad things
Why do they become popular?
Because of our attention to them
If we didn't pay attention and ignored them
They won't be able to continue
- They might reduce too - Our attention is their fuel
Our attention is their fuel
Like a car, no matter how luxurious it is, it won't work without fuel
You must add fuel for it to work
The fuel of those is attention, without it they don't work
That's why they seek to attract your attention
So, what does he do? when he doesn't have anything positive to give to people
Then he begins doing bad deeds and making money out of anything
Out of his money or even his family
Just to get some attention
But when you talk about him to warn from him
By doing so, you promote him
He wants such attention
The matter goes back to people's evaluation in essence
Because if the evil was too widespread, we must confront it
But minor evil can end by ignoring it
That's why we must understand the philosophy of confrontation in Quran
Because it determines when you confront or ignore
In many times, you might face fake battles
Which you guarantee winning, yet you ignore them
Sometimes you have a main goal in your life
But anyone with a main goal in life and succeed in doing so
They find enemies that open up side battles
But if you'd confront each one of them
Even if you guarantee winning, it will consume your energy
It'll consume the energy you should spend on your main goal
Overtime, the side battles will become your main goal that you'd forgotten
- By being busy... - I saw that with my own eyes
I saw people who began major projects in their lives
But when confronting with their enemies
It led them to forget their main goal
Dedicating their lives to side battles
Until the age of 60 or 70 when they realize their mistakes
That's why if you don't understand the philosophy of confrontation in Quran, you'll get so tired
Nothing is easier than side battles
And nothing is more attractive than the desire to win side battles
When believe that I can win this person
Like when an official has an enemy
You can win him, but it'll take your energy
You should think about his value compared to your main project?
Then ignore him, and if his mistake didn't lead to general damage in the society
Then ignore him, especially if his damage only affected me as Naif
If he wronged me and I got the chance of revenge, I'll ignore
But if his mistake affects the public affairs
I'll face him then as this will lead to the benefit of the public
But if it was a private matter and a desire for revenge, then no
I'll ignore because if I were to take revenge from everyone, when will I be over then?
The devil also always tempts you that you're capable
And humans like to see revenge in others
If you'd offended me, I'd like to see how you will be like after...
And how to respond to you
But people should be strict about this
Because the desire of revenge is lethal
While the compass of Quran guides us to such things
As in schools, you don't discuss such topics
They're far from such things that we need in our lives
As you might burn away your whole life
And waste your only chance in life because of such mistakes
Which isn't taught in our current education system
So, we should teach kids when to confront or ignore
Because many will wrong them, should they confront all of them? no
You must know when to confront or ignore
To learn such things
Another thing that the Quranic compass guides to
Is the idea of when and how to criticize
We like criticism, it isn't a bad thing
It's important but it has its own time
Criticism is a virtue which has its own time
A virtue in the wrong time isn't a virtue
- Like how fasting is good, right? - Yes
- But fasting the day of Eid? - Not allowed
It's not allowed and wrong
Fasting is a virtue, but when it is not in its time...
It became wrong
Reading Quran, is it a virtue or not?
It is, but if read during Sujood, it isn't the time
Or during Rukoo', it isn't the right time
Criticism is the same, it's an important virtue to fix the human path
But in the wrong time it becomes negative
Such thing we learn like in the battle of the Flood
Some people used to criticize during the battle
What is the benefit by doing so?
What do you want from the fighters if they'd heard you criticizing them?
To put down their weapons? after the battle has begun?
If your criticism is that the Flood battle shouldn't have happened
You can say it after it had ended but not during the battle
We only have two options now
Either we put down the weapons and allow isreal to occupy Gaza
And displaces all of its people
Or to resist hoping to break the isreali military establishment
Let's try the second option
And we have seen how the fighters for 1.5 years
Managed to cripple the isreali military from ending Gaza
As a fighter from Gaza whether in Al-Qassam or Saraya Al-Quds
When I hear someone criticizing our battle
And how the beginning was wrong and how we should have waited
Or else wise...
I'll doubt the legitimacy of my actions
Then, I'll lose motive to resist
Then I'll put down my weapon
Allowing isreal to occupy Gaza
Which is a free defeat
That's why it is wrong to criticize during the battle
What did Allah say? "O you who have believed, when you encounter a company, stand firm"
During confrontation, nothing to be said by to stand firmly
As "Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a structure joined firmly."
During the battle, standing firm is the priority
You could criticize before the battle
Many criticisms were said about the resistance in Gaza before the Flood
Many articles were written even by Islamists
And after the Flood, we must open its files too
Why so and so? even the negotiation’s phase too
Despite that we didn't provide anything for them so we can question them
But at least if that benefits them
So, criticism before and after is okay and is required
But during the battle, why criticize?
By doing so you contribute in damaging the will to resist for the fighters
You damage their motive to fight and resist
Which will lead to a free defeat
That's why we blamed who criticized during the battle
During the battle, no voice is louder than fighting
And keeping the lines until it is over, they we could talk
That's why Quran talked about each battle after it was over
After the battle of Badr was over, it discussed it
The same with the battles of Uhod and Hunain
Criticism is needed after each event
In order to learn and not repeat the mistakes
But to open the files during the battle
It is similar to aiding the enemy against our brothers
That's why Quran provides you with a compass
To know when to criticize, that's the importance of the Quranic compass
Which is what we lack in schools
When and how to criticize or confront
Even the idea of giving up
Previously, you give up if you lose hope
When there's no support, even with the Flood
What can we do then?
I see massacres happening everyday
So much that some muted anything related to Gaza
Claiming that they can't do anything about it
- Yes, some do that - I have nothing to do about it
But when reading Quran, you find that giving up isn't an option in Quran
- Not an option? - Not an option
- What about tactical withdrawal? - To give up everything isn't allowed
When Muslims in Makkah were under siege in She'b Abi-Talib
It was a tight siege that they had to eat earth's grass
You can't find a single verse that excuses the hardships and allows surrender
For a year or two until better regional or international circumstances occur
Or until a breakthrough happens or a suitable environment
Not a single verse that allows surrender
Because there's no hope
You work as much as you can  "So have Taqwa of Allah as much as you can"
"On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear"
Work within the limits of your work
I might not be able to help with weapons or money
But I can help them with technology
I can lead media campaigns in the west
To damage the zionist narrative, so work on that
- By donating - Or I can make movies
About the atrocities of the zionist regime and promote them in the west
I can support the families of fighters
Those who fight and resist in the battlefield
They have families, right?
Some families might live outside of Gaza too
I must support and check on them
So, everyone can contribute
We might just deceive ourselves
To get rid of feeling guilt
That's why some decide to stop watching the news
Thinking that it is a smart move
By not watching the news, I'm now safe
But this is wrong according to Islam
When you have the Quranic compass
It'll tell you that there is no surrender
If you can't do level one, move to level two
And so on until you find what you can do
There are many levels of contribution
It is not that you can fight in Gaza or do nothing
There are many levels in between
- Duaa' is the weakest of faith - Yes
You must contribute at any level in everything
Even now when discussing the educational model
All establishments could ignore us
But we work in any field, as this podcast now is part of my work
Or in any other field, as some people create animation films
I sometimes see some educational content
Some people create short clips
Just do your work
But the idea of either having all means available
Like I want or I won't work, this doesn't exist in Quran
That's why it explains the hardships the Prophets went through
And the righteous people, yet they all kept working
Which is what we should have been brought up to in our childhood
Children must know there's no losing hope
- You must work in any means - As long as Allah is there
- Nothing stops you - Your job in life is to work
Giving up isn't even an option
That's why this should be part of the educational process
Let me give you another example of the Quranic compass
Despite that their endless examples regarding it
I hope to have a university subject called the Quranic compass
Where a number of professors would meet
To revolutionize the knowledge needed by humans
Or by students in order to manage their lives according to the Quranic compass
Let me give another example about the Quranic compass
Despite that there are endless examples
Like the cancel culture which is rooted within people nowadays
Once a person makes a mistake, he's cancelled
I discussed it many times before but...
In Quran, it doesn't believe in this concept
At all
People end the person's life if he made a mistake
While Quran tells us that humans begin after a mistake
If he repented to Allah
When did Adam's life begin? after the mistake
After he wronged and repented, a new life began for him
Quran tells us that repenting starts a new life
And a new chance, but people don't do that now
If you tell them that a person is good
They will respond "but he did so and so"
But he stopped doing so...
No, he still did it previously though
Even if he wrote one wrong tweet, they'll cancel him forever
Just one tweet despite a lifelong of good things?
They will remove all his good deeds because of one mistake
While Allah does the opposite
If you repent, Allah removes all of your sins
And they still dig out this mistake for you
- Which is part of this culture - They chase you to destroy you
But you shouldn't care about them
Don't give in to their attempts
People tried to destroy even the prophets
As when Pharaoh tried to destroy Musa
"And you did your deed, which you did. And you are one of the ingrates."
When he killed the Egyptian man
What did Musa reply to him? he said "I did it then, when I was in error."
Meaning that I made a mistake and Allah will forgive me, what do you have to do with it?
What did the people of Saleh say?
"O Salih, you were among us a man of promise before this"
You were important to us before bringing your message
What did Saleh reply to them with?  "You would not increase me except in loss"
I'll only lose more by following you
So, don't listen to them as they can do nothing to you
Keep this fact before your eyes
No matter how hard the people tried to break you
As long as Allah had risen you, you won't fall
No matter how they try to raise you, if Allah had fallen you, you won't rise
Allah is the one who raises and drops
So, keep Allah before you
If you work according to the divine standard, don't listen to the people
No matter how bad you've wronged
No matter how much you've sinned
Make sure that at the moment you repent to Allah
All those people will have no power over you
As whom will I be confronting at the end?
The people or Allah?
Allah, so it is over
We present an episode a week, but we always say
That one episode can precede 160 or 170 other episodes
One episode might lead the people to negatively judge the whole program too
To cancel the program because of a mistake
- So be careful - Yes, that's true
But a mistake doesn't mean the end
Exactly, which encourages me
That we can...
- How many episodes have you published? - Almost 160
Okay, if in the 161st episode...
Not my episode, but the next one
If a mistake happened at that episode
What will happen? will you lose all of your good deeds?
Will all of this knowledge go in vain?
Will you lose all the good you'd provided?
If you'd kept Allah by your side, you'll be fine
Because Allah has everything kept
And nothing goes to waste
But for people's standards...
They change their minds everyday
People have no fixed standards
According to their mood
Show them respect and appreciation
But don't glorify them
Some people worship the crowds
Don't do that, yet still respect and appreciate them and their views
But they aren't your standard
Like if they asked you to bring a trivial person so you bring him
Or to follow what they want
Rather, find what benefits the people
Don't be like a trader
Traders show what the people like not what benefits them
This item isn't beneficial but people like it, so I sell it
Right? this is the logic of traders
While the intellectual and reformers don't have the same logic
I'll bring the idea that benefits people even if they didn't like it
I am not a trader to show you what you want
I'll bring you what benefits you, according to my Quranic compass and standard
Which brings us back to the Quranic compass
The standard is what benefits people
If they liked it, it's good, if not, you must insist
The prophet’s call wasn't liked by the people
That's why some prophets come alone in the judgment day
But because they didn't like it, it doesn't mean it's wrong
That's why we should fix our compass to fit with the Quranic compass
What other ideas regarding the Quranic compass?
I liked the idea of the Quranic compass
Are there more ideas regarding it?
As it is a good topic that we can go in depth with
I will try to remember now
I had written many ideas about how the Quranic compass
Really did save me
It saves you because it gives you a clear path
Okay, now I remember
The illusion of neutrality
I published a tweet several days ago
About the hero Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu-Safiya
Who stood with our people in Gaza for 1.5 years
Now he suffers all kinds of torture in the israeli prisons
I wrote a tweet about how we should support him
An academic friend from France sent me
That I'm not an activist, but an academic
And academics shouldn't intervene in such cases
Only activists or journalists should take these cases
As an academic, it isn't your job
What did he want to do? he wanted to give me a different compass
He wanted to guide me in a certain way
He wanted to create me a false status
As an academic, I shouldn't discuss the matters of my Ummah
As an academic, you're above your society's matters
But we have the Quranic compass
Allah orders you to stand with what's right
That's it
You don't set my standards for me
I have a divine compass
Even if the whole world agrees on a different compass
That opposes the Quranic compass, I won't submit to it
"You are the best community that ever emerged for humanity: you advocate what is moral, and forbid what is immoral"
But to tell me that as an academic I should stay in my office
Just aiming to publish research in magazines
Like the classified magazines as Q1 or Q2...
This isn't my purpose in life
I publish what benefits people
I'll stand with what's right if it needed me to
As much as I can
I'll do that wherever I can
If I don't support the people of Gaza because I'm an academic
Then let all academic life go to hell
After all, I must support the right as my purpose in life is to set justice
Allah gave me this mission
And everyone else is the same
"We sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice"
How do you create another job for me?
It is a long story, but I mean if you have a Quranic compass
This illusion won't trick you
This illusion of neutrality, because you can't stand in between what's right and wrong
There's no middle area between them
If you don't support right, you support wrong
If you don't support justice, you support injustice
There's no middle area
That's why the American philosopher Ayn Rand in the 1950's
Has a very nice saying
She says that neutrality is a temporary stage
Afterwards, you will gradually get used to the vice
So, if you said that you have nothing to do with what's right or wrong
Overtime, in order to satisfy your conscience
You'll gradually accept the vice
You'll get used to it
So, neutrality is closer to the bad than the good?
You can't be neutral between right and wrong
If this area existed
It would have been easier
But you must stand with the right
Even if only by your heart if you couldn't speak
But to decide to be neutral towards the matters of your society
And that I only care about publishing research
This is a different story
So, if our compass is Quran, we'll aim to spread justice
Justice in universities, education
In communities, and in countries
And for individuals and families
It's a comprehensive concept for me as a successor on earth
I might not be able to do everything but I'll do what I can
I'll help with what I can
What do people fear standing with what's right?
Each has his own situation, I can't ask all people to do the same
Some have great psychological energy
That's why Allah says "Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope"
Some have psychological firmness
They could resist evil and ignore criticism
While I saw people that became sick because someone criticized them
Some people can't stand this, so keep in another field
According to your abilities, status and firmness
Some have better social status than others
Then his responsibilities will be more
When the fundamentalists spoke about the responsibilities scope
They discussed the mind and other conditions
But we must also widen such idea
Like how the Muslim's responsibility differs according to his social, political, financial and psychological conditions
According to your condition, if you had power, your duties are larger
If you don't have power and a minority
You'll have less responsibilities, according to your energy
According to your abilities
You can't treat everyone the same
You must divide people according to their conditions
As "Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope"
Find your psychological, mental, financial scope
Or socially and politically, even the countries
Their responsibilities aren't the same
A big country isn't like a small one
A threatened country isn't like a safe one
A country surrounded by regional threats
Is different than a country without threats
A rich country isn't like a poor one
A country with many challenges and minorities
Isn't like a unified country
Without internal threats
Each country or individual has a different condition
There's no generalization, but all must work as much as they could
This is the general fixed rule
So, I understand through what you said
That no one is excused today
All must work according to his available space
And the energy he can dedicate for what's right
- Right, professor? - According to the Quranic compass
Allah ordered us to do so in his Quran
So, I don't determine when to work or not
Or when to abandon a ruling or not
Quran clarified this matter
So, if we continue with the Quranic compass
Each human will work according to their abilities
This is how the Quranic compass is general to all life's fields
I mentioned many examples and I could mention even more
One other thing too is the idea of cooperation with the enemies
I used to get it mixed up
Sometimes you are enemies with some people or movements
Or countries
Yet you will sometimes work with them
What to do if you cross benefits with them?
For example, in the world cup
We were against the left
Regarding homosexuality and others
But when the Flood happened, we stood with the left against the right
While we stood with the right during the world cup
So, we turned around
And when the Syrian regime fell
The left stood against us
Because it opposed this idea
And many leftists supported Al-Asad
Then we stood against them, notice how we changed
We change according to each matter, and I don't mind that
I don't find myself contradicting
Because I stand with them as long as they support the what's right
When they abandoned it, I oppose them
Allah says "Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness"
Not with the good and righteous people
The other side should necessarily be good or righteous
In order to cooperate with him, as long as the mission itself is righteous
As long as it doesn't lead to bigger damage
Like legitimizing it
No, we work together on this matter
Because you're right about it
If you stray away in another matter, I'll oppose you
For example, I oppose Russia in Libya
But I support Russia in Sudan
Against Hamidti, for example
And I oppose Russia in Syria
And I oppose China about the Uygur's matter
But I can benefit from the Chinese lobbies in Europe in favor of the Palestinian cause
It's all about the different files, I might oppose in the third file but support you in the fifth file
Because here, you are with the right while here you support the evil
So, I support you on what's right and oppose you on what's wrong
This way, my compass is clear regarding treating others
While people make definite judgments
I'm against Russia in one topic then I must oppose it in everything
Even if I could benefit from Russia in another field
But no, I won't cooperate with Russia
Because I oppose it in the file number two
This has nothing to do with logic or religion
If I opposed you once, I'll burn you always
Or if I oppose the left in about the ethics
But I work with them regarding the Palestinian cause
Why ignore their efforts? rather I should benefit from them
I agree with the right regarding ethics
But oppose them regarding zionism
It's okay
Just don't legitimize them through your support
They know that you support them here because they are on the right side
As not only Muslims stand what what's right
The whole humanity support justice even if they aren't Muslims
Therefore, I support everyone who supports justice in this case
- For being a Muslim - But if they support what's wrong, I oppose them
This compass should be clear for you
Regarding cooperation with the enemies when you correspond
And this won't conflict with your religious conscience
Be at peace with it because Allah made it clear regarding this
Also, check out the matter of investing in others
In the past, you might have tried to work with everyone
But when reading Abas chapter
You'll find out that people aren't the same
People are of two types
A barren land
That doesn't produce or can be farmed
And a fertile land that produces
"When We send down upon its rain, it quivers and grows."
What does Abasa chapter say?  "He frowned and turned away"
"Because there came to him the blind man" who is Ibn-Maktum
"But what would make you perceive, that perhaps he might be purified"
Didn't the Prophet turn away from him?
He might seem to him to be nothing in the society
But he might change and left the Islamic idea
So, focus with those who produce and seek goodness
"As for he who thinks himself without need, to him you give attention."
"And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified."
You have nothing to do with him if he refused to purify and accept the truth
Who feels to you if he is self-sufficient and full
And doesn't accept anything more
Some think they're complete and full
Don't waste your time with barren lands
Work with the fertile lands
Some people like the truth
They like to produce and do good and are everywhere
Great young people everywhere
Dedicate your time to them
While another type of people
Their job is to hinder others and spread negativity
Through envy, jealousy and putting obstacles
Stay away from those
Don't waste your time that they might work and produce
Don't waste your time with this type as Allah advised
Don't try with them, let them be
Work with the productive people
Some people waste time with the unproductive
Rather than those who produce
They spend years trying to make them productive
While turning away from those who are ready to produce
When I read Abasa chapter, I understood it
So, I began focusing and monitoring everyone around me
I work only with those who produce
And only with those who show results
While I turn away from those who don't as life isn't long enough
So, I choose the people who want to do good
Who support what's good upon recognizing it
I will dedicate my time with this type
And I don't waste my time with the other type
I learned this from Abasa chapter
So, Quran always gives us guidance
Imagine that you spend 16 years in education
Since primary school until graduation
Then you graduate without a clear compass in your life
Isn't that unfair?
So, even the people who have some negative characteristics
You avoid dealing with them, as I understand
I don't mean all negative traits
I mean those who don't produce
Who feels like they're self-sufficient and full
Those who don't want to work
Don't waste your time there
But the people with usual negative traits
On the contrary, according to the Quranic compass
The first was about investing your time and effort
- With the productive people - Yes, regarding investing...
- Yes - And the second thing...
Regarding people with negative traits which is all of us
The traits that don't hinder him from production
Like if a person is angry or stingy
Or always comes late
Such negative traits don't oppose my idea
Which happens when a person feels self-sufficient
Which you should turn away from
But the Quranic compass guides us on how to treat people with negative traits
As Allah says "We have made some of you [people] as trial for others - will you have patience?"
Allah trails us with each other
You have negative traits
Your family has negative traits
Your colleagues have negative traits
Your friends too, everyone does
Allah put them in us to test us with each other
He said it "We have made some of you [people] as trial for others - will you have patience?"
Will you be patient towards each other?
What does patience mean?
Being patient doesn't mean accepting the negative traits
But to seek to improve them
The idea that we should get rid of who annoys us isn't correct
If my friend has negative traits, I'll be patient in helping him get rid of them
And he'll do the same with my negative traits
- So that we could integrate - But "turn away from what harms you"?
This is only if you lose hope with him
But if a person is always late, so I abandon him
Or for being stingy or else
Not all negative traits require you to abandon the people
Where is the role of reform then?
Whom will you reform if you turn away from everyone with negative traits?
So, you must work to fix others
You must attempt to fix your family, partner, friends
Collogues, business partners
You'll find negative traits which is a test from Allah
Now, when I see a negative trait in a friend, I know it is a test
Allah wants to see how I interact with such negative traits
Do I work patiently to fix them?
Or should I abandon them because of this?
If we all abandon him, who will fix him?
If you all abandoned me for a negative trait, who will fix me?
So, it isn't a correct logic to turn away from everyone with negative traits
No, we must be patient with each other as the Quran commands
"We have made some of you [people] as trial for others - will you have patience?"
We think as gulf countries that we don't lack anything
We have all financial resources
We have openness to the world
Like Qatar, Emirates, Kuwait and even Saudi too
There's openness to the world but at the same time
We lack having a project
That we might notice in the education field
But I feel like we miss an essence
Could it be this project you're talking about?
At least regarding the identity?
Currently, the identity discussion is strong in Kuwait
Also, Qatar in the world cup established the identity
So, we do have the Arab and Khaligi identity
But we haven't established it in our management of projects
What scares me in the gulf model
That I feel like there's an attempt to recreating the economic human
For humans in the Gulf to be guided by the economical aspect
You feel like everything aims to satisfy the materialistic values
Everything is about the material alone
As if modernity is exclusive to the wealth in the investment funds
Or about increasing the income per capita or about the area of skyscrapers
Or the tourist attractions and elsewise
But this is not modernity
These are signs of wealth, not modernity
And I think the officials in the Gulf
They evolve around such points
They talk about this every day in absence of the human
To develop the authenticity of the human itself
They don't begin with the human rather from materialistic standpoints
As if they were modernity which isn't true
They are indicators of wealth, not modernity
That's why we aren't developed in understanding modernity
If we thought that modernity is just in the material aspect, then this is wrong
It's dangerous as it creates the man of plunder
Who only acts according to plunder and wealth
He loves his country as long as he can plunder
He supports it as long as he can plunder
From which he plunders and benefits
But once he feels like there's a cost, he'll abandon it
By teaching me such materialistic values
Where I'm filled with such values, what do you think I'll become?
I'll become like this
When you ignore my social and cultural aspects
You wipe away my authenticity and historic roots
With the excuse of caring about economy fields
By this, you wipe away my authenticity
You don't focus on feeding me as a human
The attractive aspect in the Gulf is the social model
As when a foreign friend visits you
He doesn't get impressed by the skyscrapers
Nor by the tourist attractions
Nor by our nature
He might have seen better elsewhere
But he gets impressed when you take him to a gathering
Where he sees your friends
And your nephews
And your cousins
Who are they? why are they gathered?
Is it a wedding? no, it is just a daily gathering
They get impressed by how many gather
The social connection and solidarity
The strong social relations among the individuals
This is what the world lacks today
The world doesn't lack wealthy countries
It lacks authentic countries
With authenticity and depth
Where you feel your existence as humans belong to authenticity
They don't belong to the extravagant state that the world is driven to
What scares me about the Gulf is such transcendentalism towards economic man
And the attempts to establishing it
If we believe in the logic of establish materialism
I don't need to know the unknown to see our future
We could go to Japan and see how the establishment of materialism
Affected the Japanese society
The Japanese used the material aspect to establish the human
Look at the results now
A real state of misery in Japan
Their suicide rates exceed 20,000 cases annually
Imagine that last year, 520 children committed suicide
Where else do children commit suicide?
500 children suicided by throwing themselves in front of trains
I was puzzled about that when I visited Japan
But they'd throw themselves in front of trains to end their lives
The strange thing that I saw only in Japan
It might exist in other countries but I saw it only in Japan
There's a department of Tokyo's municipality
This department is dedicated for those who die alone without anyone noticing
Imagine that old people die in their homes
Without anyone noticing until their smell appears
Then the neighbors notice and complain
So, there's a department in the municipality that visits the elderly every month or week
To check up on them, which is a big phenomenon
Tens of thousands die alone
That's why there's a price now for properties based on death incidents
If the person died there for less than a week, the price goes down by 20%
While if the person dies there for a month or less
The price might go down by up to 50%
Because the body would decay and produce a smell
But if the person is dead for months without anyone noticing, which happens
The price goes down by 80% and the property might not get sold
Imagine that people die alone without anyone noticing for months
While here if elderly got a fever
All the relatives know about him
And they call him to wish him well-being
Everyone comes in solidarity
I dare you to find a person alone in the hospital
They don't leave you during a passing illness
Imagine dying for a month without anyone noticing
Is this the culture we'd like to achieve?
Ask the Japanese about how they got there
The materialistic tendency and considering humans as machines
To only encourage financial and economic gains
And the development of economy and increasing income
And the increase of the whole economy
After all, I'm just a human
I have a social life before anything else
I want to feel stability
I want to feel happiness
I don't want to commit suicide if I failed in my job
I have relatives that support me
And help me
Every time I face a challenge; I have who support me
If you want to create a human model that attracts the whole world
I must first work on the psychological aspect
The psychological education should be the basis
And the social and cultural education
So that everyone can see the difference
To see that this human didn't submit to modernity
Not to materialistic gains
Not evolved around himself and interests
A person who values himself and his community
And his family and values, this is the attractive model
If you want to compete in wealth, everyone is doing the same too
Like how the Norwegian sovereign fund is much bigger than ours
But look how depressed Norwegians are
And the depression rates in Sweden
The Swedes come to the Gulf or Egypt
In order to escape depression
The current indicators measure how modern a country is
According to its economic situation
But in the modern countries...
I don't feel safe when visiting them, honestly
I just came back from London a while ago
I saw all the robberies happening there
While London is considered a modern place
Compared to the Gulf countries
No one can say the Gulf is more advanced than London
Or than Britain to be specific
Except when seeing the amount of crime there today
A massive amount
So, I always ask this question
Are modern countries measured by their population and safety
By the peace you feel upon arriving there?
Or by the skyscrapers and technology it has?
- What do you think? - We now have skyscrapers and technology
The governmental service performance in the Gulf
Sometimes is better than some European countries
Now, you can finish your paperwork in the Gulf much faster than France or Britain
- This is true - The digital service in the gulf...
Is so advanced
But this isn't the question as the word modernity is dangerous
Because it is reduced to the material aspect
When you say Europeans are more advanced
Advanced in what?
Show me exactly, as they are worse than Africa in some aspects
In the industry
This is a certain materialistic aspect
Turkey is better than half of Europe in the military industry
Why don't we consider Turkey as developed?
For example...
But, look...
The Europeans excel in one main thing
Which is the sovereignty of law
Which is the most important thing
When a country has sovereignty of law
You'll be assured that you'll have your rights
But if the law itself is bad, this is another problem
But at least there's sovereignty of law
You can work and form a majority
Overtime in order to fix the law
But the problem if the law wasn't sovereign
Which is an intuitive idea in Islam
The Prophet said "If Fatima had stolen, I'd have cut her hands"
Is there any better sovereignty of law? which is found in the basics of Islam
But we've lost it now
But if you ask me about the best thing in the west
It is their sovereignty of law
This is the best thing about them
For me, when we discuss the standard for modernity or regression
I think the Omani people are more advanced than the French
- How so? - Try to live in France and Oman
I see a huge difference
In France, racism is found unjustified
Even if you hadn't done anything
Sometimes they get angry if you don't speak French
What about the cultural diversity and respect of others?
Must I speak your language so you don't get mad with me?
Go to Oman, it's a strange thing
Even with Asian nationals that people usually don't treat well
You find the upmost respect
The best way to treating others
A kind and friendly nation
A nation with very high values
Why do we look at the French people as modern?
Because in our mentality
We consider Europeans as more advanced no matter what others did
No matter what you do, even if you were richer than France
- France will stay better - But this is recent, professor
Yes, Ferguson says...
If you asked the Europeans 500 years ago if they think they'll be more advanced than other, they'd have laughed at you
They didn't think they'll be so
Which is hard to imagine today
Now we began progressing
In the Gulf populations
A great progress occurred despite the gaps
That we should work on fixing
But in many fields, the Gulf is highly advanced
This isn't my opinion but many of foreign professors we have
They seek to permanently stay in the Gulf
Because they find better advantages here
Safety is the most one
The thing foreigners mostly appreciate is safety
The safety of their daughters, siblings...
They don't find a problem here
The second is the social relations where occasions happen on a daily basis
Where we go to different occasions
So, you feel like you belong to the society
Especially with the openness
That allows others to benefit from this in the Gulf
Especially that the Gulf is an international society
As in Qatar for example
More than 80% are non-Qataris
Foreigners that came from everywhere
Some people find that to be negative
- How the Qataris are less - Yes, many do that
On the contrary, I find it to be an advantage
When you seek out experiences from all over the world
I have a complete diverse international community in Qatar
Including thousands of professors from all over the world
You can find professors in any field from any country
We tired you out, Abu-Nahar
You are welcome
- Thank you - May Allah bless you
For accepting the invitation
We'll publish this episode in Ramadan
So that people could benefit
- Thank you - You are welcome
Thanks, Muniera