"YOUR EXISTENCE IS NO COINCIDENCE" 22 November 2019 Dr. Abou El Fadl reminds that all of the Prophets of God taught the moral lesson of meaning. Meaning means knowing that our existence as individuals is not the result of a coincidence or accident. From the moment of inception, there is an intentionality to our existence, we exist because of a Divine intent for us to exist. Human beings often forget the monumental importance of that. If we believe that humans are the result of happenstance, it...
Dr. Abou El Fadl begins by reminding of the often recited prayer (du'a) taken directly from the Qur'an that asks God to not allow us to be a source of misguidance (fitna) to others, and especially not to be a source of misguidance to those who do not believe in God. He reflects on the deeper meaning of this Qur'anic verse, and the ways in which Muslims, despite all good intentions, could be a source of misguidance for themselves or for others--especially those who are not Muslim, or do not...
As we enter the month of Dhu'l Hijjah, the month of the pilgrimage, Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl begins by recalling the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and the Prophet Muhammad, and the wording that the Quran uses to reshape our collective consciousness. He delves into the meaning of the Arabic root word, Qiyam, which God in the Quran uses again and again to describe numerous acts, places, orientations and attitudes that are revealing to the core philosophy of the Islamic message. Although...
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl begins by summarizing the discrete lessons of the past few khutbahs, and continues to build upon the foundation of prescient ethical teachings of the Qur'an for our day and age. He adds an additional layer to the foundation by speaking of the role and import of acting as a moral agent for God on this earth. He recalls passages from the Quran that point to the state and condition of one's chest as a measure of spiritual well-being or health, ie. if one feels tranquility...