Scholar to Muslims: Worry for the People of Your Country

 For three weeks in the winter holidays of 2015-2016, the DC Metro was graced with the presence of Shaykh Muhammad Ya'qub ibn Yusuf Al Dehlavi of the Islamic University of Madinah. He was teaching an intensive class on Sahih Muslim (Al-Musnadu Al-Sahihu bi Naklil Adli) at the Madinatul Uloom in Virginia, a full time Islamic seminary in Woodbridge, VA and lecturing in local masajid.
 
Shaykh Muhammad al-Dehlawi was born in Makkah Mukarramah and raised in the Madina Munawwarah. He is the former Chairman of the Islamic Judicial Law Department at the Islamic University of Madinah and has been teaching there for the past 37 years. He is also an alumni, receiving his bachelors, masters and PhD from the institute. Some of his areas of expertise are fiqh, labor law and executive power. He has published several books in Arabic on women’s rights and shariah law.
 
The shaykh currently trains active duty judges and qadhis in Saudi courts, as well as teaching and traveling for speaking engagements. From criminal law to inheritance law, he lectures on a variety of topics. He speaks fluent Urdu and has lead taraweeh at historical masajid such as Masjid Qiblatain (the mosque of the two qiblahs) and Masjid Quba (the first masjid whose foundations were laid by the Prophet (peace be upon him) He often leads Jumaah at the Masjid Khalil in Madinah, a masjid which he constructed. 
 
Shaykh Ya’qub’s family immigrated to the Saudi Arabia in the early 1900s, from Delhi, India. His father built a masjid there that later became a part of Jannatul Baqi. He has six daughters, whom he talks about with pride. One of his daughters, currently a resident of Vienna, VA,  is a candidate for her doctorate in Psychometrics at Morgan State University, and completed her masters from the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah.
 
When asked to give advice for American Muslims, the esteemed shaykh made three points:
 
“Live life according to these verses of the Quran:
 
You are the best community that has been raised for mankind. You enjoin good and forbid evil and you believe in Allah." [Aal-e-Imran, 3:110].
 
There are three kinds of people I have observed here: those who have completely assimilated into society and have lost the brilliance of their Islamic identity. Then they are those who are concerned with their own ibadat and muamalaat (worship and dealings) and don’t even worry about their children, neighbors or community, blocking their akhirat, included in this group are those who adhere to Islam but seclude themselves from society. The third kind are those who do fikr. Be people of fikr (concern)— worry for the state of the people of your country. Your duty is not just for yourself, it is to the people. Allah says that we took you out for the people. Whichever mu’min does good deeds, Allah promises  them a pure life in this world, not a good life but a pure life. ‘Who is more true than Allah?’ When you do fikr about others than Allah makes a good life for you. Remember that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was is worried about the people. 
 
Be an example. Fix your Adaab and your dealings with people.
 
Don’t worry, if there are only a few of you; don’t give up. Don’t let the current climate affect you. The Muslims have faced far worse.
 
Be people who are beacons of light for the masses. In your quest for comfort and a better life, don’t forget the reason why you are here. “
 
“Stay connected to the masajid, to the mahad (religious institutions of learning). Populate the mosques, don’t leave them. You are doing yourself a favor by serving the masajid, schools, and  Islamic organizations—by donating to Islamic causes you're giving a loan to Allah.
 
No other religion on this Earth speaks of unity more than Islam. We are instructed to meet each other 5 times a day, to meet our community at least once a week, meet our larger community twice a year. Why is this? So you know about each other, this is unity which will bring purity. 
 
Stop the infighting, do ta’awun (cooperation); no one is asked what are you in Makkah and Medinah.  You need to stop asking for party or grouping before meet people properly, this causes ikhtilaf. If differences are highlighted  your roob will vanish, you will fail to inspire awe. Differences will occur but you are still brothers and sisters.”
 
He was happy to hear of news of many people who accept Islam everyday but said that we have worry about keeping them in Islam. He spoke about how he has met converts who say Islam is great but many Muslims have left behind the teachings of humanity, egalitarianism. “Don’t be the people that turn people away from Islam with bad dealings, alcohol, bad suluk (mannerisms),” he said.
 
“Don’t lose hope— Muslims have gone through much worse times, they were in a much worse state in 656 Hijri. He related the history of the Muslims in Iraq when the Tatars attacked Baghdad and the main square was red with blood of the entire population of the city and the rivers black with ink from the books that were destroyed.  They burnt the libraries and the schools but Muslims didn't die. American Muslims, as long as they remain on the path of Allah, will survive this.”
 
[On the need for women scholarship and importance of Islamically educating girls in current times]: One girl with understanding of deen is a whole institution in herself. One mother with understanding of the religion affects the home, family and community.”
 
The young women who took Sh Ya’qub’s session on Sahih Muslim were honored to have a scholar of his calibre, someone with 37 years of experience teaching, give them ijazah in 1118 hadith. “Whatever he taught [the students]  was full of wisdom and knowledge; his stories moved and inspired us,” said Ustadha Humaira. “There was so much barakah in his time, we sat through an intense and long classes with him without feeling like it was so long,” she said. “He teaches from the heart,” shared A.A.