Dr. Asad Zaman discusses the transformative power of Islamic knowledge, which once led the world in enlightenment but is now seemingly absent among Muslims. He argues that while Western knowledge is necessary for progress, it conflicts with Islamic teachings, creating a dilemma between adherence to the Quran and the need for modern education. Zaman advocates for a return to Islamic principles and the reformation of educational systems to produce a new generation of thinkers who can bridge the gap between Islamic values and contemporary knowledge.

1. The Complete and Perfect
Guidance from God
Lecture 12 of Islamic Economics: A New Approach
Sunday, 30th July 2023
Dr. Asad Zaman

2. The Most Important Lesson of Human History
1445 years ago, the complete and perfect guidance from God radically
changed the course of human history. See: Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi
“What the World Lost Due to the Decline of the Islamic Civilization”
http://bit.ly/azrdm
God provided mankind with knowledge they did not have. This
knowledge transformed ignorant and backward Bedouin into world
leaders, and created a civilization which enlightened the world with
knowledge for more than a thousand years!
History attests to the amazing power of this knowledge!

3. Many Questions Arise:
What was this knowledge, which had such revolutionary impact?
Muslims around the globe are once again ignorant and backward. Does
this knowledge still have the same revolutionary power which it
displayed 14 centuries ago?
If this knowledge has the same revolutionary power today, why do the
Muslims not use it to change their current dismal situation?
See: Islamic Knowledge: Still Revolutionary After 1440 Years!
http://bit.ly/AZiksr

4. Some Historical Facts
• The Islamic Civilization led the world in the production of knowledge
for more than a thousand years. This roughly corresponds to dark
ages of Europe.
• This thirst for knowledge was based on unique religious teachings
which challenges human beings to search for knowledge, and prizes
knowledge above all other gifts of God.
• But today – to all appearances – the situation is reversed. The
Enlightenment of Europe led to production of massive amounts of
knowledge in Europe, just as the Islamic Civilization fell into its own
dark ages filled with ignorance and superstition.

5. Critical Questions for Islamic Leadership:
What is the cause of Muslim decline? How can it be corrected?
Vast majority of Ummah believes that the cause is that we fell behind
the West in knowledge. The West made amazing strides in this area.
The remedy is to acquire Western knowledge.
We need in invest in (western) education systems, and expand them.
Do more research, invest in robotics, AI, and get to frontiers of
knowledge in chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, computer
science, etc etc etc.
BUT, this will take centuries !?!? It seems unlikely that the Ummah can
ever catch up to the West in production of Western knowledge.

6. Difficulties with this Diagnosis
Western knowledge is founded on messages asserting superiority of
the West (Eurocentrism). This is in conflict with Islam.
Conflicting Worldviews: Western and Islamic http://bit.ly/AZCWWI
Potential Solution: Islamization of Knowledge – De-toxify Western
knowledge and then educate the Ummah.
But, we still need Western knowledge to make progress today!

7. The Impossible Dilemma:
1. The Quran offers us complete and perfect guidance, until the last
day.
2. Western knowledge, acquired by Europeans over the past 3 to 4
centuries, is essential for Muslims to make progress today.
Because of the pervasive, minute-to-minute, impact of Western
knowledge on the lives of all human beings around the globe, it seems
impossible to deny the SECOND proposition. But this means that we
must reject the idea that the Quran offers complete and perfect
guidance

8. Standard Resolution of Conflict
• Islam requires us to pursue knowledge.
• We have failed in our duty to do this.
• Pursuit of Western knowledge is demanded by Islam.
In this lecture, we pursue the OTHER – apparently impossible – branch
of the dilemma.
WHAT IF the Quran is ACTUALLY complete and perfect, sufficient for
our guidance today?

9. Prophets were called “madmen” by peers
ِ‫اح‬َ‫س‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬ َّ
‫َّل‬ِ‫إ‬ ٍ‫ل‬‫و‬ُ‫س‬َّ‫ر‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ‫م‬ِ‫ه‬ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬َ‫ق‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬َّ‫ال‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ت‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ َ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬ََٰ‫ذ‬َ‫ك‬
ٌ ‫ون‬َُُْْ‫م‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ ٌ ‫ر‬
Similarly, there came not to those before them any messenger except
that they said, "A magician or a madman."

10. Critical Assumption: The Quran is TRUE
Mu’tazila: We use our REASON to understand the Quran. So reason is
primary, and Quran is secondary.
Reason led Mu’tazila to accept Greek Philosophy on par with Quran.
Nearly all major points made by Greeks philosophers have been proven
wrong.
Today, the Modern Mu’tazila (http://bit.ly/AZtmm) accept Western
knowledge at face value: the product of reasoning and empirical
evidence. As such, it is on par with the Quran.

11. Reverse the Standard (Mu’tazila) approach
Standard Approach: If reason and empirical evidence conflicts with the
Quran, re-interpret the Quran to make it conform to our reason.
Radical Approach: Suitable for Madmen:
If our reason and empirical evidence conflict with Quran, reject
empirical evidence, and redefine “reason” to match the truth of the
Quran.
We take the Quran as the DEFINITION of truth, and change our
reasoning and our observations to match the Quran.

12. Start from ground zero: past ideas and
“knowledge” are obstacles to understanding
Alif, Lām, Meem
This is the Book about which there
is no doubt, a guidance for those
conscious of Allāh
ٓ‫م‬ٓ‫ل‬‫ا‬
ِ‫ف‬ ۛ َ‫ْب‬‫ي‬ َ‫ر‬ َ
‫َّل‬ ُ‫ب‬َٰ‫ـ‬َ‫ت‬ِ‫ك‬ْ‫ٱل‬ َ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬ََٰ‫ذ‬
ِ‫ق‬َّ‫ت‬ُ‫م‬ْ‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ى‬ ًۭ‫د‬ُ‫ه‬ ۛ ِ‫ه‬‫ي‬
َ‫ين‬
1. Fatiha is a prayer for GUIDANCE, and Quran is the answer.
2. There is no doubt about this book. We can be 100% sure of it.
3. It contains guidance, for those who are conscious of Allah.

13. Quran: complete and perfect guidance
"And We have revealed the Book to you which has clear explanation of
everything, and a guidance, mercy and good news for those who
submit." (Qur'an 16:89)
“Shall I then seek a Judge other than Allah? When it is He Who has
revealed to you the Book fully detailed?” (Qur'an 6:114)
“Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon
you, and chosen Islam as your way.” (Qur’an 5:3)

14. Does Quran offer complete guidance?
It seems that today we need a lot of knowledge of Western sciences,
which are not mentioned in the Quran.
In fact, the Quran side-steps a scientific question: why does the moon
have phases?
Forget about science, the Quran does not give detailed instructions
about how to do Salat! It does not even make clear how many daily
prayers there are, nor the timings for these prayers.
Obviously, what the Quran means by complete guidance is very
different from what WE think this means.

15. What Does Allah T’aala mean by guidance?
• Obviously, these are not step-by-step instructions on how to achieve
success – whether worldly or that of the Akhira.
• So, what is the sense in which “complete” and “detailed” is being
used? Obviously not in the sense that WE are used to.

16. An Analogy: Guidance is telling us the GOAL,
Not the step-by-step details for the journey.
GOAL: You must get to Arafat on 9th Zul-Hijja
Step-by-Step instructions would be different for each person, according
to where they are starting out from, and when they are starting out.
Billions of instructions needed, varying by time and place and person,
for step-by-step. WE think this is part of complete guidance.
Allah has given complete and perfect description – fully detailed –
about the GOAL. BUT, not about the journey.
GUIDANCE – in terminology of the Quran – does not give us detailed
instructions about OUR journey. It does describe the destination.

17. Why does guidance NOT include step-by-step
detailed instructions?
‫َا‬َُ‫ل‬ُ‫ب‬ُ‫س‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬ََُّ‫ي‬ِ‫د‬ْ‫ه‬ََُ‫ل‬ ‫َا‬ُ‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬ ۟‫ُوا‬‫د‬َ‫ه‬َٰ‫ـ‬َْ َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬َّ‫ٱل‬ َ‫و‬
As for those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our
ways
Struggle will generate knowledge/guidance!
Experiential knowledge cannot be transmitted in words – it comes from
experience.
Quran gives us complete and perfect guidance in HOW to struggle, in
ways that will generate guidance.

18. Radical Change in Perspective
Focus on the Struggle, Not on the outcome of the struggle.
Only a very specialized method of struggling with the challenges of life
(struggling for the cause of Allah) leads us to guidance.
Guidance is not necessarily victory over opponents.
Guidance is definitely not having more wealth and technology than
enemies.

19. Prophecy About our Prophet Mohammad SAW
Bible: John 16:12,13,14
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all
the truth.
He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears,
and he will tell you what is yet to come.
The TRUTH is deep, difficult, and radical – more than most can
bear to hear! This TRUTH was revealed by our Prophet
Mohammed to the Ummah. This TRUTH is just as revolutionary
today as it was when it was first revealed.

20. Critical Lessons From the Quran
57:20 And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion
This verse compares the life of this world to a rain that causes plants to
grow, which eventually wither away and become debris. This world is
short and temporary, while the Hereafter is forever.
87:16,17 “But you prefer the worldly life, While the Hereafter is better
and more enduring.”

21. Love of Struggle Above worldly Successes
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If your parents and children and siblings and spouses
and extended family and the wealth you have acquired and the trade
you fear will decline and the homes you cherish—˹if all these˺ are more
beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and struggling in His Way,
then wait until Allah brings about His Will. Allah does not guide the
rebellious people.
Three LOVES must be prioritized over all others. These are the three
questions of the grave. These are the contents of the hearts.

22. Real Success is on the day of Judgement
(2:5) They are on (true) guidance from their Lord, and they are
the successful.
(9:72) Allah has promised to the believers, male and female, gardens
beneath which rivers flow, where they shall live forever, and good
homes in gardens of eternity. And Allah’s pleasure is above all. That is
the supreme success.
23:102,103 Then those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] -
they are the successful. But those whose scales are light - those are the
ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally.

23. Guidance: How Can We
Get Supreme Success?
The Quran offers us complete and perfect
guidance on How we can get supreme
success.
Western knowledge offers us ways to get
a temporary illusion of success, which
turns to dust in our mouths when it is
achieved.

24. The Final Message of God to Mankind:
Revolutionary today as it was 1450 years ago
Questions:
Why does the Ummah FAIL to recognize this message as being
revolutionary?
Why does the Ummah FAIL to implement the teachings to launch a
revolution?

25. Answer: Colonization and Imperialism
Colonization can only be sustained by conquest of minds.
Small minority cannot rule large majority without conditioning their
minds to believe in their power.
At the start of the 20th Century, most of the homelands of the Islamic
Civilization were colonized.

26. Western Education: Toxic Knowledge
CRITICAL: Colonization destroyed indigenous educational systems –
which were capable of producing thought leaders for a revolution.
It replaced them with a Western educational system DESIGNED to
produce admiration and awe of the West, and contempt and hatred for
Islamic heritage and civilization.

27. Macaulay’s Minute on Education
a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native
literature of India and Arabia
We must at present do our best to form a class who may be
interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern, --a class of
persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in
morals and in intellect.

28. Western Education => Macaulay’s Children
We are trained to believe that Western Civilization is the most
advanced civilization on the planet.
Knowledge produced by the West is the most valuable knowledge
produced by mankind through human history.
Our own intellectual heritage of more than a millenium is of ZERO value
in the modern world.
The Quran does not provide us with guidance for our modern world.
Instead, we must turn to the West for solutions.

29. The Ghazali Project
For countering the toxic effects of our education
1. Strengthening our faith – removing doubts about Islam.
2. Learning to see through the facade of Western wisdom.
3. Rebuilding the stock of human knowledge on Islamic foundations.
Two aspects to this project.
ONE is the individual level – creating an inner transformation within
our selves.
TWO is institutional: Changing the educational systems throughout the
Islamic world.

30. This Talk is Individual Level: Addressed to You!
But the series of lecture aims to create a textbook on Islamic
Economics.
Economics is the religion of capitalism. It is ESSENTIAL to sustain
capitalist economic system. This is currently being taught throughout
the world, to Muslims students.
We need to replace conventional economics textbooks by Islamic
alternatives. This course is intended to be JUST ONE of an entire set of
courses, designed to teach REAL economics – as a branch of moral
philosophy – to students in the Islamic world.
To create INSTITUTIONAL changes. All teachers are invited to join.

31. Does the Quran offer us complete and perfect
guidance for today, for our modern lives?
YES. It tells us how to lead our lives so that we can get supreme success
on the Day of Judgement.
Subsidiary Question:
Is it helpful in our current daily lives, on an individual basis?
Is it helpful at a group level, in terms of helping improve the condition
of the Ummah?
Can we improve the condition of the Ummah WITHOUT central focus
on Western Education?

32. Unlearning Western Lessons
Epistemology: Knowledge comes from observations and evidence.
This is the book in which there is no doubt. It contains guidance for the God-
fearing. Those who believe in the unseen ….
The West rejected Christianity – because it led to more than a century
of deadly warfare between factions.
Western scholars had to rebuild knowledge on new foundations,
starting from ZERO. They said we can only trust observations and logic,
and NOT our intuitions and our heart.

33. Our Hearts Are Imprinted with Knowledge of
God
َ‫أ‬ َ‫و‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫ت‬َّ‫ي‬ ِ
‫ر‬ُ‫ذ‬ ْ‫م‬ِ‫ه‬ ِ
‫ور‬ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ظ‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫م‬َ‫د‬‫ا‬َ‫ء‬ ٓ‫ى‬َُِ‫ب‬ ۢ
‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫ُّك‬‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬ َ‫ذ‬َ‫خ‬َ‫أ‬ ْ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫و‬
ُ‫ك‬ِ‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬ِ‫ب‬ ُ‫ت‬ْ‫س‬َ‫ل‬َ‫أ‬ ْ‫م‬ِ‫ه‬ِ‫س‬ُ‫ف‬َُ‫أ‬ َٰٓ
‫ى‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫د‬َ‫ه‬ْ‫ش‬
ْ‫م‬
ۖ
ۛ َٰ
‫ى‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ب‬ ۟‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬
َٰ‫ـ‬َ‫غ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬َٰ‫ـ‬َ‫ه‬ ْ‫ن‬َ‫ع‬ ‫ا‬َُُّ‫ك‬ ‫ا‬َُِّ‫إ‬ ِ‫ة‬َ‫م‬َٰ‫ـ‬َ‫ي‬ِ‫ق‬ْ‫ٱل‬ َ‫م‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫ي‬ ۟‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬‫و‬ُ‫ق‬َ‫ت‬ ‫ن‬َ‫أ‬ ۛ ٓ‫ا‬َُْ‫د‬ِ‫ه‬َ‫ش‬
َ‫ين‬ِ‫ل‬ِ‫ف‬
And ˹remember˺ when your Lord brought forth from the loins of
the children of Adam their descendants and had them testify
regarding themselves. ˹Allah asked,˺ “Am I not your Lord?” They
replied, “Yes, You are! We testify.” ˹He cautioned,˺ “Now you have
no right to say on Judgment Day, ‘We were not aware of this.’

34. The Central Importance of the Heart
Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and
blessings be upon him, said:
َ‫و‬ ُ‫ه‬ُّ‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬ ُ‫د‬َ‫س‬َْْ‫ال‬ َ‫ح‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ص‬ ْ‫ت‬َ‫ح‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ص‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫َة‬‫غ‬ْ‫ض‬ُ‫م‬ ِ‫د‬َ‫س‬َْْ‫ال‬ ‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫و‬ َ
‫َّل‬َ‫أ‬
ِ‫ه‬ َ‫و‬ َ
‫َّل‬َ‫أ‬ ُ‫ه‬ُّ‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬ ُ‫د‬َ‫س‬َْْ‫ال‬ َ‫د‬َ‫س‬َ‫ف‬ ْ‫ت‬َ‫د‬َ‫س‬َ‫ف‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬
َ‫ي‬
ُ‫ب‬ْ‫ل‬َ‫ق‬ْ‫ال‬
Verily, in the body is a piece of flesh which, if sound, the entire body is
sound, and if corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 52, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

35. Re-Learning to Trust the Heart as a source of
guidance and wisdom.
“Do they not travel through
the land, so that their
hearts (and minds) may thus
learn wisdom and their ears
may thus learn to hear? Truly
it is not their eyes that are
blind, but their hearts which
are in their bosoms.”

36. Critical Western Mistake: Epistemological!
• Faith is a Noor in the Heart – it does not come from logic and
argument.
• Those with blind hearts make the most ridiculous arguments for
atheism.
• The universe is created. It was NOT, and then it came to BE.
• So “Who created the universe?” Or “How was it created?”
• Whatever the process of creation, it is outside the possibility of
observations and logic - and therefore outside scope of Western
knowledge.

37. So Far, We have NOT discussed the Message!
We have discussed why Muslims no longer TRUST the message, or use
the message for guidance. Instead, they turn to the West for guidance.
The cause is a Western Education, which has the following toxic hidden
messages:
There is no God. There is no Life after death. There is no Judgement
Day. Man is just a type of animal. Goal of Life is pursuit of pleasure and
power. Human society is governed by survival of the fittest.
All of this is packed into “rationality”. Because it is irrational to believe
in the unseen.

38. Building Faith
• This requires connecting our Hearts to God. This is done by sincere
Dua, coming from the heart. Conversations with God, done in
darkness when all is silent, is also a powerful tool.
• Going out in the path of Allah is a practical method for struggling in
the cause of Allah – As per promise, Allah T’aala will guide those who
struggle to His pathways.
• Some convert stories touch the heart, and are powerful.
Conversion Story: Dr Lawrence Brown http://bit.ly/AZbrown

39. Rejecting Western Fallacies
Enormous amounts of obvious errors, flaws, and contradictions within
the Western intellectual tradition.
An easy way to spot these is to look for disagreements with our own
intellectual heritage. (But we do not know our own heritage!).
Central concepts of Statistics and Econometrics are Probability and
Causality. Neither can be defined via a logical positivist approach. This
continues to cause enormous difficulties.

40. Rebuilding Human Knowledge
For us as individuals.
Collectively – communities, families.
Institutional: Introducing courses in universities – and eventually
replacing the ENTIRE Western syllabus by course built on Islamic
Foundations. Further, replacing classes/grading/degrees by Islamic
methodology for teaching.
Teachers/Students who wish to participate in launching a revolution in
education should contact me at asad.zaman@alumni.Stanford.edu

41. Some Revolutionary Insights from Quran
ِ
‫ز‬َُۡ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬ ُ‫ء‬ٓ‫ا‬َ‫ش‬َ‫ت‬ ۡ
‫ن‬َ‫م‬ َ‫ك‬ۡ‫ل‬ُ‫م‬ۡ‫ال‬ ‫ى‬ِ‫ت‬ ۡ
‫ؤ‬ُ‫ت‬ ِ‫ك‬ۡ‫ل‬ُ‫م‬ۡ‫ال‬ َ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬ َٰ‫م‬ َّ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬ّٰ‫ل‬‫ال‬ ِ‫ل‬ُ‫ق‬
ُ‫ء‬ٓ‫ا‬َ‫ش‬َ‫ت‬ ۡ
‫ن‬َّ‫م‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫ك‬ۡ‫ل‬ُ‫م‬ۡ‫ال‬ ُ‫ع‬
ٓ‫ا‬َ‫ش‬َ‫ت‬ ۡ
‫ن‬َ‫م‬ ُّ‫ز‬ِ‫ع‬ُ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬
ۡ
‫ن‬َ‫م‬ ُّ‫ل‬ِ‫ذ‬ُ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬ ُ‫ء‬
ُ‫ء‬ٓ‫ا‬َ‫ش‬َ‫ت‬
ٌ ‫ر‬ۡ‫ي‬ِ‫د‬َ‫ق‬ ٍ‫ء‬ ۡ‫َى‬‫ش‬ ِ‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬ ‫ى‬َٰ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ َ‫ك‬َُِّ‫ا‬ ُؕ‫ر‬ۡ‫َي‬‫خ‬ۡ‫ال‬ َ‫ك‬ِ‫د‬َ‫ي‬ِ‫ب‬ ؕ
ؕ
﴿
3:26
ِ‫ل‬ ۡ
‫و‬ُ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬ ِ
‫ار‬َ‫ه‬َُّ‫ال‬ ‫ى‬ِ‫ف‬ َ‫ل‬ۡ‫ي‬َّ‫ال‬ ُ‫ج‬ِ‫ل‬ ۡ
‫و‬ُ‫ت‬ ﴾
‫ى‬ِ‫ف‬ َ‫ار‬َ‫ه‬َُّ‫ال‬ ُ‫ج‬
ِ‫ل‬ۡ‫ي‬َّ‫ال‬
َ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫ت‬ِ‫ي‬َ‫م‬ۡ‫ال‬ ُ‫ج‬ ِ
‫ر‬ ۡ
‫خ‬ُ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬ ِ‫ت‬ِ‫ي‬َ‫م‬ۡ‫ال‬ َ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َّ‫ى‬‫ـ‬َ‫ح‬ۡ‫ال‬ ُ‫ج‬ ِ
‫ر‬ ۡ
‫خ‬ُ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬
ِ‫ـى‬َ‫ح‬ۡ‫ال‬
ِ‫ح‬ ِ
‫ر‬ۡ‫َي‬‫غ‬ِ‫ب‬ ُ‫ء‬ٓ‫ا‬َ‫ش‬َ‫ت‬ ۡ
‫ن‬َ‫م‬ ُ‫ق‬ُ‫ز‬ ۡ
‫ر‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬
ٍ‫ب‬‫ا‬َ‫س‬
(3:26) Say: 'O Allah, Lord of all dominion! You give dominion to whom You
will, and take away dominion from whom You will, and You exalt whom You
will, and abase whom You will. In Your Hand is all good. Surely You are All-
Power-ful. (3:27) You cause the night to pass into the day and the day to pass
into the night. You bring forth the living out of the dead, and You bring the
dead out of the living, and You give sustenance to whom You will beyond all
reckoning

42. Allah T’aala is ALL powerful
َّ‫خ‬َ‫س‬ َ‫و‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ي‬َّ‫ٱل‬ ‫ى‬ِ‫ف‬ َ‫ار‬َ‫ه‬َُّ‫ٱل‬ ُ‫ج‬ِ‫ل‬‫و‬ُ‫ي‬ َ‫و‬ ِ
‫ار‬َ‫ه‬َُّ‫ٱل‬ ‫ى‬ِ‫ف‬ َ‫ل‬ْ‫ي‬َّ‫ٱل‬ ُ‫ج‬ِ‫ل‬‫و‬ُ‫ي‬
ُّ‫م‬ ٍۢ‫ل‬ََْ ِ
‫ِل‬ ‫ى‬ ِ
‫ر‬َْْ‫ي‬ ًۭ
‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬ َ‫ر‬َ‫م‬َ‫ق‬ْ‫ٱل‬ َ‫و‬ َ
‫س‬ْ‫م‬َّ‫ش‬‫ٱل‬ َ‫ر‬
َ‫س‬
ُ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬ََٰ‫ذ‬ ۚ ‫ى‬ ًۭ
‫م‬
ْ‫م‬َ‫ي‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ ‫ۦ‬ِ‫ه‬ُِ‫ُو‬‫د‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫ون‬ُ‫ع‬ْ‫د‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬َّ‫ٱل‬ َ‫و‬ ۚ ُ‫ك‬ْ‫ل‬ُ‫م‬ْ‫ٱل‬ ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ُّ‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬ ُ َّ
‫ٱَّلل‬
ٍ
‫ير‬ِ‫م‬ْ‫ط‬ِ‫ق‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ َ‫ون‬ُ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬
He causes the night to enter the day, and He causes the day to enter
the night and has subjected the sun and the moon - each running [its
course] for a specified term. That is Allāh, your Lord; to Him belongs
sovereignty. And those whom you invoke other than Him do not
possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed.

43. No One – except Allah – Can Harm Us or Bring Us
Benefits

44. Practical Implications
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rested
under a tree and hung his sword on it. He narrated that: A Bedouin
took his sword while I was sleeping and when I woke up, I found the
unsheathed sword in his hand and he challenged me saying: 'Who will
save you from me?' I said thrice: 'Allah.’ The sword fell from the
disbeliever's hand, whereupon the Prophet took it and said: "And who
can protect you if I want to kill you?“
Having complete faith that someone holding sword over you has no
power to harm you, except with the will of Allah.

45. If Allah T’aala is all powerful, then only one
thing matters in our life:
How to build our relationship with Allah.
GUIDANCE refers to what is needed to earn the pleasure of Allah.
The Quran provides complete and perfect guidance.
All of Western knowledge is a distraction – it turns our attention to the
power of the West, and creates doubts in our faith and trust in Allah.
Is this ALL we need to do? Don’t we need to worry about our worldly
affairs, separately from our connection with Allah?

46. Harm and Benefits are from our own deeds!
‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ُّ‫ر‬ُ‫ض‬َ‫ي‬ َ
‫َّل‬ ۖۡ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫س‬ُ‫ف‬َُ‫أ‬ ۡ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ۡ‫ي‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ ْ‫ا‬‫و‬َُُ‫م‬‫ا‬َ‫ء‬ َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬َّ‫ٱل‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ه‬ُّ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬َٰٓ‫ـ‬َ‫ي‬
ۚۡ‫م‬ُ‫ت‬ۡ‫ي‬َ‫د‬َ‫ت‬ۡ‫ٱه‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬ َّ‫ل‬َ‫ض‬ ‫ن‬َّ‫م‬
O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves.
Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been
guided.

47. Some Events
• Hunain
• Moosa AS and the Jews, as slaves to Fir'awn
• Ashabul Ukhdood
• Afghanistan
Only ONE thing matters: Good Deeds.
Individual and Collective

48. Process Thinking
• Success lies in fulfilling the orders of Allah at this moment.
• It is not related to outcomes.
• Everyone can achieve complete success at ALL times!

49. Concluding Dua
Dua At The End Of A Gathering/majlis In English Transcription
Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, ‘ash-hadu ‘an laa ‘ilaaha ‘illaa
‘Anta, ‘astaghfiruka wa ‘atoobu ‘ilayka
dua at the end of gathering /majlis In English
Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise is to You. I bear witness that there is
none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent
to You. Abu Dawud: 4859