Usuli Institute Khutbah: "The Dalil (Evidence) of Love," 3 May 2019

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl delves deeper into the theme of love in Islam. He addresses negative responses to his recent khutbahs, which demand dalil (evidence) and juristic references to justify the centrality of love in the Islamic tradition--demands that arise from obstructionism and an insistence on legalistic details over obvious moral and ethical fundamentals of the faith. He explains why Islam is the only religion that makes sense, and how God calls upon followers to understand that to love God is to love beauty and justice and to live in a constant state of resistance to oppression and despotism. He discusses a number of important Quranic verses and hadith (Prophetic traditions) that describe the reciprocal love between God and God's beloved; that the path of Islam is the path of love; and the promise that God will replace those who do not love God with those that do love God and that God loves. He shares traditions that emphasize the centrality and importance of love, and the non sequitur of being Muslim and not being in love with God. He asserts that Muslims are at a crossroads--Muslims must choose whether to follow the Islam of ugliness, colonialism, harshness, despotism, oil and gas, big money, bitter hearts and angry souls; OR the Islam of justice, equity, love, beauty, and light. A powerful and passionate khutbah. Delivered 3 May 2019.