The Struggle for Leadership and the Illusions of Faith

This Khutbah was recorded on November 4th, 2016 in Malaysia. The most talked-about nation in the Quran, says Nouman Ali Khan, is Beni Israel. But this is no coincidence. Allah uses the trials and tribulations of the Israelites as a point of reference for Muslims to prepare us mentally for what we will go through and to learn from their mistakes. In Surah Al-Baqarah, through the story of the 12 tribal leaders, Prophet Samuel and Taloot, Allah evokes a peculiar chapter in that history to draw the line between religion and politics. As an Ummah we learn that there will be politicians who will try to manipulate religious scholars, seeking their endorsement to legitimize their undeserved authority. This is why scholars must be politically savvy and are commanded to give trust and responsibility only to those who deserve them, otherwise they will create chaos.