Ammaa bad, Believing brothers and sisters, Allah (swt) has not created the heaven and earth

and everything therein for mere amusement, nor has He placed mankind on earth without a purpose; far exalted is He above such triviality, as He says: And We have not created the heavens, the earth, and all between them, merely in (idle) sport; We have not created them except for just ends, but most of them do not understand. (44:38-39). And as He says: Did you then think that we created you in jest and that you would not be returned to us (for reckoning)? Far exalted is Allah, the King, the Reality: there is no God but he, the Lord of the throne of honor. (23:115-116). Rather, he has subjected everything in the heavens and the earth to the service of mankind, and has sent guidance to them, So that they may live in peace and harmony by establishing justice and maintaining a balance in every aspect of their existence. He (swt) says: And verily We have sent our messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice (59:25) In order to achieve this end, Allah, the all-knowing, the all-wise, has given to mankind the most ideal system of life, that is suitable to every time, place and nation; a guidance that caters for all of the needs of people, and provides the best and most practical solutions to every problem they face, in a way that is incomparable and unparalleled by any other system, regardless of how advanced and modernized it claims to be. Allah says: Verily this Qur'an guides to that which is most right (straightest) (17:9). He also says: Do they then seek after a judgment of (the days of) ignorance? But who, for a people whose faith is assured, can give better judgment than Allah? (5:50) Since Allah knows the nature of man and what is best for his physical, moral and spiritual wellbeing and reformation, He has established the general principles which guarantee this end in the most ideal way. These include: peace, justice and no oppression, freedom, human dignity, morality and prevention of lewdness and vulgarity, love and brotherhood, mercy, ease, alleviation of hardship and harms, enjoining right and forbidding evil, and the general permissibility of that which is wholesome and beneficial to people. These and many others, are all principles which remain unchanged and applicable to all people, despite the varying circumstances and peculiarities of different times and places. Islam provides solutions for mankind, by taking human nature into consideration; it works to build a foundation of faith and god-consciousness, which will prepare the person to respond to the promise of reward and the threat of punishment. At the same time, it addresses his intellect to understand and indulge in what is beneficial, and to avoid and forbid what is harmful to him. In this way it provides the most practical solutions to the problems of mankind. For example, in dealing with the problem of zina (adultery/fornication), it does not just say that zina is prohibited, expecting people to refrain from it because of the mere prohibition; rather, it takes all the necessary measures to ensure that whatever eventually leads to zina is also avoided. So whilst striving to strengthen our eman by doing good deeds, the following measures have also been taken: we are commanded to dress and act modestly according to the dictates of hijab, and not to do so in a provocative and seductive manner. We are commanded to lower our gazes so as not to arouse and nourish our base desires. We are prohibited from being in seclusion with a stranger of the opposite sex, let alone, coming into physical contact with him/her. We are encouraged to get married when we have the means or feel the need to do so. In addition, Islam has instituted the punishment for zina as a deterrent from committing the crime.

Similarly, Islam deals with every problem in this most logical, practical, and realistic way.

Believing brothers and sisters! Islam solved the most chronic problems of Jahiliyyah; problems such as shamelessness and immortality, violence, bloodshed and carnage, tribalism and racism, oppression and abuse, prostitution and vulgarity, etc., all in a short period of less than 25 years! Most certainly, Islam has the solutions to all of todays problems; we just have to learn what they are. All other systems have been tried and found wanting. We must return to the deen of Allah (swt) to see the beauty in it. May Allah grant us the knowledge and understanding of His deen and help us to implement it in our lives, aameen.

Second Khutbah Believing brothers and sisters, the activities of IAW are geared towards placing the spotlight on the Islamic solutions to the problems we face in society today. Come out and participate in these activities, so that we can work together with clear insight to bring positive change to our communities inshaallah.