Yasir Qadhi

Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi in this riveting and eye opening lecture, explicitly delves into the topic of unity amongst Muslims and how unity can be achieved when the Ummah is divided in their various interpretations of Islam as we speak.  The Prophet ﷺ said, "My Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects all of which except one will go to the Fire, and they (i.e. the Saved Sect) are those who are upon what I and My Companions are upon."   Using the above Hadith, many overtly enthusiastic and ill-knowledge youth and members of the Muslim community bring about various conversations that tend to malign the peace and beliefs of the Muslim Ummah leading to a natural divide and barrier that is very hard to annihilate. Even as we say so, one major question comes to mind - Are the majority of the Ummah misguided? does every deviation direct one to the Hell Fire?  And the final million dollar question along the lines of the aforementioned Hadith- Which group is ‘ The Saved Sect’?  Listen intently and get those doubts answered once and for all.

Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi acquaints us with the reality of Jinn in the Qur'an and Sunnah. What is meant by Jinn? What are the roots of Jinns? The mysteries surrounding these smokeless creations are elucidated upon in explicit detail. Characteristics of Jinn: Jinn was created before man.From what is it created? We have proofs in the Qur'an that Jinns are formed from Maarij Naar and Naar As Samooh.they do not have a particular shape or form and hence, take any shape they choose. They can enter our paradigm of living but we cannot do the same.They marry and have children. They also eat and drink. The speed and strength of Jinns is much stronger than man and they possess the capability to transform matter into energy and vice versa. They have much longer lives than and are much more in quantity than man. The story of Prophet Sulaiman RA and the Queen of Sheba is explained to highlight the aspect of Jinns. All the Jinns were subservient to Prophet Sulaiman RA. It makes for a very interesting listen. Intellectual characteristics of Jinns: They possess much less wisdom than man. Iblis and his progeny have an inferiority complex towards man. They eavesdrop on the angels. Forms of Jinn: Some are in the form of snakes and dogs. Some are flying in the air. Some camp and then go away. What is an Ifreet of a Jinn? It is a type of Jinn that has strength above that of other Jinns. The reality of Ghoul is also a topic that is touched base upon.

In this heart wrenching and motivational talk, Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi deals with the issues of humans being afflicted and swamped in sins and its after effects. O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when He calls you to that which gives you life! [Surat Al-'Anfal, verse 24] The gist of the lecture is that if we remain steadfast in the path of Allah SWT, then our physical and spiritual existence will be of significance and merit. But if we deviate from the path of Allah and the teachings of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then our physical and spiritual existence is doomed and it will culminate in the hardening of our hearts and we will be held accountable for it on the Day of Judgement. We should find comfort and solace in the belief that every predicament, calamity and distress will only be sent down such that we turn to Allah for guidance and help and He will not resolve it. These trials and tribulations test the true strength of a believer which is marked by his turning to Allah in humility and submissiveness and advocating complete Tawakkul in Him.

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi explicitly acquaints us with the benefits, blessings, sacredness and significance of the last two verses of Surah Baqarah of the Qur'an which is also known as Khawatim Baqarah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Recite the Quran, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for its reciters. Recite the two illuminated chapters, Surat al-Baqarah and Ali Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds, or two shades, or two flocks of birds pleading for their companions. Recite Surat al-Baqarah as there is blessing in it, there is sorrow in leaving it, and the sorcerers cannot defeat it.” Every single facet of Islam is explained in this Surah comprehensively. The last two verses are explained in vivid detail and should be adhered to religiously and should be said when we sleep in the night.

Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi and Dr. Nabil Bayakli discuss the history of Palestine from 1914 till the present day in this riveting lecture. The greatest real estate theft in the history of humanity has definitely got to be that of Palestine, no questions asked. The loss of Palestinian land from 1946 to 2000 is shocking and deplorable. The Palestinian struggle is a struggle for humanity, given that they have been at the receiving end of everyone’s betrayal, treachery and deceit. It is binding upon us to educate ourselves and those around us about the struggle of Palestine. We need to be more proactive regarding Palestine and speak about them at any occasion and at every opportunity.

Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi embarks on a meaningful, necessary,enthralling and enlightening journey to acquaint us with the occurrences a hundred years ago that preceded the beginning of the modern Muslim world. The year of 1914 was a landmark year of sorts in terms of abolishment of the Islamic Caliphate and the division of Muslim lands into the modern countries of the Middle East that we are well aware of. This happened primarily due to a series of catastrophic political and social changes in the world. As a lesson that we as Muslims need to imbibe and inculcate , is that we need to learn from our past mistakes that happened in those 100 years and make genuine efforts to refrain from repeating them. The deceit, betrayal and treachery of European powers and also by the local Muslim leaders of the time should teach us to get our act straight before it is too late.

In this lecture, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi gives a detailed account of Al Mahdi which is one of the most oft discussed topics of Islam. What is the meaning of the word Mahdi? Who is Mahdi? The Mahdi is a title and it means the one who is guided and who guides others. His name is Muhammad Ibn Abdullah and he is from the Ahlul Bayt. He is one of the signs of the Day of Judgement. The coming of the Mahdi is the link between the minor and major signs of the Day of Judgement. Where shall the Mahdi come from? No one has a clear idea and one should not estimate. What will be his location? The Mahdi will come from Madinah to Makkah. He shall fight the forces of Dajjal and will be the leader of the Muslims and they will stand united as one Ummah until the arrival of Prophet Isa AS.

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi now divulges details on a very important incident in the life of the Prophet ﷺ - the 'Ilaa'. What is Ilaa? It's an oath made to Allah, wherein the husband can choose to stay away from his wife in the event of a marital dispute or clash for a period less than 4 months. Allah revealed Qur'an because of this incident where the Prophet ﷺ took abstinence from his wives for a month. This was when he was married to all 9 of his wives - Sauda, A'isha, Umme Salama, Juwayriyya bint al-Harith, Zainab bint Jahsh, Umme Habiba, Safiya bint Huyay, Ramla bint Abi Sufyan and Maymunah bint al-Harith RA. For want of a better lifestyle and mode of living, the two wives of the Prophet ﷺ - Aisha RA and Hafsa RA - went to him and pressured him into leaning towards their idea. This resulted in the rumours doing the rounds after some time about the Prophet ﷺ having divorced his wives. This news made its way to Umar RA was was flabbergasted and made a rush to the home of the Prophet ﷺ to inquire into the matter. The Prophet ﷺ was housed in the attic room of his house where after seeking permission from the servant for the third time, he gained entry into the room. After some conversation, he understood that the Prophet ﷺ had taken an oath to Allah that he would abstain from his wives for one month. After the duration of this one month had finished, he made a visit to the house of A'isha RA. And he asked her a few things based on the revelation that the Prophet ﷺ had received in Surah Ahzab verses 28-29. What was it? Listen intently. Based on that, the Prophet ﷺ asked his wives to make a decision. That what was their preference? A lifestyle of richness and bliss (which would be theirs but in exchange for the loss of the companionship of the Prophet ﷺ) or a lifestyle of humbleness and servitude, which could only be achieved with the Prophet ﷺ by their side and they would be blessed with rewards in this life and the Hereafter. It was obviously a no brainer for the wives and each one of them chose to stay with the Prophet ﷺ.

Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi delves into a topic that is marred by uncertainties and it is Salafism. In this lecture, he takes on the challenge to dissect the doubts in our mind regarding the Salafī movement and we are also provided with answers on how to maintain unity in the wake of this predicament. In earlier era,the term 'Salafī' resonates with an Islamic methodology whose primary motive is the emulation of the Prophet ﷺ. In this, the era of the Prophet ﷺ, his teachings, the Revelations and similar facts are put into use to perfect the pure and perfect religion of Islam. Despite this, the people who follow make or break a methodology as is the case here. The textual ideals of Salafism devoid of imbibing practicality in the real world we live, makes it a problem and errors are bound to surface. This is exactly what has happened over the years  and these inconsistencies have cost the pillar of Salafism to be surrounded by doubt. Hence, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi implores the followers of Salafism to adopt a more ecumenical approach so that their heritage doesn't crumble and holds firm.

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi now moves on to discuss the predicaments that were a part of the life of the Prophet ﷺ. The major part of this lecture is focussed on yet another tragedy in the life of the Prophet ﷺ - the death of his son, Ibrahim. The mother of Ibrahim was Maria RA. Who was Maria or Maria bint Shamun? She was gifted to the Prophet ﷺ by Juraih ibn Mina who was the king of Egypt. The reason for this gift was in reply to the letter that the Prophet ﷺ had sent him to convert to Islam. The king sent two sister slave girls - Maria and Sireen. The Prophet ﷺ gifted Sireen to Hassan ibn Thabit RA and this union resulted in a son named Abdur Rahman ibn Hassan ibn Thabit. Though the Prophet ﷺ was gifted Maria and she also bore the Prophet ﷺ a son, we do not as Muslims view her as a mother of the believers.the reason being she was a concubine initially, who when bore a son, got upgraded to the stature of Umm Walad. This meant that she was a wife to the Prophet ﷺ and her son was a valid inheritor of the possessions of the Prophet ﷺ. And, after the death of the Prophet ﷺ, she was free. In Dhul Hijjah of the 8H, Maria gave birth to Ibrahim. But this happiness of the Prophet ﷺ was only short lived. Ibrahim lived for a year and four months only and sickness got the better of him. The Prophet SAW prayed his Janazah and he was buried in Jannatul Baqee where he remains till this day. Numerous controversies and issues cropped up relating to Maria RA and a few make the cut in this lecture. Among them, is with regards to Aisha and Hafsa RA. what happened? Why were verses revealed in the Qur'an about this issue? What was the result of this issue? Shaykh Yasir Qadhi explains.