Usuli Khutbah: "Jahiliyya and the Murder of George Floyd," 29 May 2020

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl delivers the Friday #VirtualKhutbah at The Usuli Institute. He discusses how Islam came as a message to distinguish between jahiliyya (ignorance, darkness) and the opposite. He elaborates of a well-known story of the Prophet and how he was reprimanded by God in an entire surah (chapter) of the Quran for turning his attention away from a poor blind man who called upon him as the Prophet was in the midst of speaking to the powerful elite of Mecca. Dr. Abou El Fadl illuminates the moral lessons from that story that Muslims do not usually hear. He discusses the jahiliyya of racism and injustice in our day, particularly in regard to the murder of George Floyd this past week and the ensuing public protests, as well as other victims of police brutality. He presents the jahiliyya of modern Muslims who promote inaction and ritual practice in the face of injustice. He poses the question of whether one is a Muslim by name and commitment to action against injustice; or whether one is a Muslim by name only, believing their best course in the face of injustice is to focus on patience, passivity and perfecting one's own ritual practice. A powerful commentary on how Muslims, as the Prophet taught, should never be silent in the face of injustice. www.usuli.org