Ramadan, COVID-19 and Canada! - Sayed Ahmed Al-Qazwini || Interfaith Iftar 2022

6 المشاهدات· 23/04/15

Al-Rasoul Islamic Society
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Al-Rasoul Islamic Society || Halifax - Canada

أظهر المزيد

Transcript

[0:00]Rahim I begin in the name of the almighty God the compassionate

[0:19]the merciful respected guests elected officials Community leaders brothers and sisters peace

[0:28]and the blessings of God be with you tonight is a very

[0:35]special night and it's not just because we have you lovely brothers

[0:39]and sisters honoring us at our rasul Islamic society it's not just

[0:45]because we have people of different faiths come together to show the

[0:53]unity of the community but all of this is happening while the

[0:57]holidays of three major religions coincide it is Ramadan the month of

[1:04]Ramadan for Muslims tomorrow is Easter for Christians and likewise this week

[1:13]as Passover for the followers of the Jewish faith do you know

[1:18]how rare that is that these three major holidays these three religious

[1:24]holidays they coincide together do you know when the last time this

[1:30]happened according to a very credible Source Google the last time it

[1:38]happened was 33 years ago tonight is a special night I don't

[1:45]think this is a coincidence that members of different faiths meet when

[1:51]our when our holidays are meeting I think this is a message

[1:54]from God I think this is the plan of God that when

[1:59]he unites not just our holidays he unites our hearts and he

[2:02]brings us together and that's why this tonight this Gathering is a

[2:07]very blessed gathering tonight is a very blessed night you know the

[2:13]month of Ramadan as the respected Sheikh Imam mentioned and the other

[2:18]speakers mentioned is a very special time for Muslims for many reasons

[2:24]one reason that the respected Imam forgot to mention why we Muslims

[2:31]love Ramadan is because it's the only month of the year that

[2:35]we can have a lovely wonderful romantic date every night I mean

[2:40]the state so don't let your mind take you somewhere else so

[2:46]this is number one we come together and we break our fast

[2:52]together every single night number two more importantly while Ramadan is significant

[2:58]and special for Muslims is because Ramadan teaches us to appreciate the

[3:03]favors of God look around you brothers and sisters you are surrounded

[3:07]by an unlimited amount of blessings of God but how often do

[3:15]we take the the moment to thank God for these benefactions to

[3:19]appreciate them let alone recognize them many times we don't even know

[3:26]that we are immersed and overwhelmed and so many of God's favors

[3:29]this is what Ramadan is about we human beings have a tendency

[3:36]is that when a blessing is always there it becomes background noise

[3:39]we forget that we are blessed with it we take it for

[3:46]granted we don't appreciate it and we Overlook it you know when

[3:51]the when the pandemic began two years ago some members of my

[3:55]congregation in the U.S they came to me and they were asking

[3:58]this question over and over again and I think some religious leaders

[4:03]of other faiths can also share similar experiences they were asking me

[4:09]this question Imam is God mad with us is God mad at

[4:12]us human beings does he want to unleash his wrath against us

[4:16]he wants to destroy the human race and punish us with this

[4:19]pandemic you know like the stories we hear of Sodom and and

[4:22]Gomorrah and how he took them down and destroyed them with fire

[4:28]and brimstone is that what's happening I would hear this question over

[4:32]and over again many times and I used to always reply by

[4:40]saying this that my opinion the way I see it this pandemic

[4:42]is not punishment from God if God wants to destroy us he

[4:47]doesn't need this pandemic he has much more powerful tools so I

[4:51]don't think this is punishment from God then what is it I

[4:53]think this Falls more in line with a wake-up call from God

[4:58]God is telling us that I have given you so many blessings

[5:01]that you have forgotten about these blessings you have not appreciated these

[5:06]blessings he took them away so that once he gives them back

[5:11]to us we don't take them for granted we start to appreciate

[5:14]them once again you know covet is terrible so many bad things

[5:19]happen people suffered people died sickness trauma economies they fell apart but

[5:24]at the same time there were many Lessons Learned because of covet

[5:27]you know in the U.S when the pandemic began the most basic

[5:36]necessities of life that we took for granted became luxuries I'm I

[5:42]don't know if this happened here but I'm sure you saw the

[5:46]videos of how people were fighting for bottles of water in the

[5:53]United States of America this is not Africa or India I'm talking

[5:56]about the richest country on Earth people were fighting for their lives

[6:00]for bottled water people were standing in long lines for bread I

[6:04]witnessed it and experienced it milk became scarce I have a sister

[6:09]who has a young son he drinks milk every day right his

[6:13]father my brother-in-law had to go for two three hours from grocery

[6:18]store to grocery store and find all the shelves empty in the

[6:20]United States of America this was a lesson from God that don't

[6:24]take these basic things for granted because I can easily take it

[6:28]away from you don't think that these things just happen in the

[6:31]poor countries even in the richest countries in the world if you

[6:34]take it for granted and don't appreciate it I will take it

[6:38]away from you and of course the toilet paper crisis that is

[6:42]funny and sad at the same time no our grandchildren will laugh

[6:47]at us at what we did people were punching others for one

[6:50]roll of toilet paper there was an underground Market in the beginning

[6:56]of the pandemic where you'd have to pay hundreds of dollars for

[6:58]for one roll of toilet paper isn't that sad it's sad and

[7:03]it's funny at the same time there was a funny video that

[7:04]they sat you know which was reflecting on what was happening in

[7:09]the US and I'm sure also many parts of the world when

[7:10]you want to you know find a roll of toilet paper it's

[7:15]like you're buying drugs you go to this parking lot and this

[7:17]guy you meet him he takes out something from his jacket he

[7:21]gives it to you he takes the stash of money and you

[7:22]leave toilet paper became a luxury in the United States of America

[7:30]now here in Halifax I don't know exactly what happened but I

[7:33]am sure the crisis also affected you you know why you know

[7:38]how I know that because my dear friend and host who's like

[7:41]a father to me I used to come here before the pandemic

[7:44]and in the apartment that I used to stay there used to

[7:48]be stashes of of uh toilet paper now there's no toilet paper

[7:54]in fact there is a toilet day now so he's telling me

[7:57]look we have a crisis you see how God can change everything

[8:00]overnight this was a lesson this was a wake up golf a

[8:06]wake-up call from God you know in the midst of the pandemic

[8:09]when we were stuck at home bored thinking when will this end

[8:14]where is the light at the end of the tunnel and listening

[8:16]to the uh funny and also sad uh everyday briefings of President

[8:23]Trump living in the U.S I mean it's it's real sad it's

[8:25]funny for you here in Canada but it's sad for us that

[8:28]this you know we had that president during the pandemic and he

[8:31]was telling people I don't to go and probably drink uh you

[8:34]know Clorox and whatnot and all that stuff most of the panda

[8:40]pandemic my family members and I asked them a question we ask

[8:46]question this the question is this when the pandemic finishes what do

[8:49]you want to do what is your wish and to my surprise

[8:54]and maybe to your surprise no one said when the pandemic finished

[8:57]for my family members I want to go on an exotic vacation

[9:02]to Hawaii no one said I want to go to the Maldives

[9:06]no one said I want to go for example to a very

[9:08]exotic Safari in Kenya somewhere the wishes and dreams of my family

[9:14]in the U.S was all what the most basic things in life

[9:18]one of them said I wish I can just go and have

[9:22]coffee with a friend at Tim Hortons no offense to Starbucks but

[9:27]I'm in Canada you know you got to give credit having coffee

[9:30]with a friend became a luxury that we what that we yearned

[9:37]for one of them said I wish I can just go to

[9:37]a restaurant and have food this became a far-fetched dream in the

[9:42]U.S and in Canada and I'm sure over here too another one

[9:48]said you know I just want to travel anywhere I just want

[9:51]to meet my friends my son said I just want to go

[9:53]over to my friend's house these are the most basic favors of

[9:58]God that we had overlooked that we had taken for granted God

[10:02]took it from us for a couple of years thankfully now life

[10:07]is getting much much better right at slowly going back together and

[10:10]because of that we become more appreciative you know there's a famous

[10:17]joke I'm sure you've heard about it of how a Muslim a

[10:19]Christian and a Jew they got together one day at an Interfaith

[10:25]program they got together and each one was speaking about their experiences

[10:30]with God a miracle they saw so the Christian he said I

[10:32]was about to die one day the plane was about to fall

[10:35]and then I turned to Jesus you've heard it but I want

[10:37]to get to the point that I turn to Jesus and Jesus

[10:41]saved me the Muslim said that I was one day you know

[10:45]I was lost in a in a desert one day and then

[10:48]I turned to God and Allah saved me and the Jew said

[10:50]that I was one day lost and my Lord saved me the

[10:53]point is this joke has a new addition covet Edition have you

[10:56]heard about it so the joke says a Muslim a Christian and

[11:01]a Jew they get together for an Interfaith program during the pandemic

[11:05]and what happens what happens they get arrested and fined for breaking

[11:11]the lockdown rules so even Interfaith programs became something that what became

[11:21]a luxury if we would have had this Interfaith program I think

[11:24]would have all been fined last year right I think the elected

[11:26]officials they can attest to this so Ramadan is about not taking

[11:36]these favors of God for granted I fast for 15 hours I'm

[11:41]hungry I'm thirsty but at the end of the day I know

[11:43]when I sit I know there is delicious food that's waiting for

[11:48]me just like delicious food is waiting for all of you tonight

[11:50]you'll see I know that when I said I'm gonna have so

[11:54]much delicious food Ramadan inspires me to think that there are millions

[12:01]of people that fast the whole year not by choice but because

[12:03]they have nothing to eat at iftar time they have nothing to

[12:06]eat at Sunset when they come to their dinner table there is

[12:11]nothing for them to find that's if they own a table a

[12:13]dinner table they're lucky to even own that table so Ramadan teaches

[12:19]us even the basic things in life don't take them for granted

[12:24]because God can easily take it away and God did take it

[12:26]away from us but thankfully he gave it back if God was

[12:31]angry and he wanted to destroy us the pandemic would have just

[12:33]gotten worse and worse and worse thankfully it's getting much better I

[12:36]think God sent his message and hopefully we heed and understand to

[12:43]the message and to the sign of God you see many of

[12:47]us here many of you may have been born and raised in

[12:53]Canada and when you're born and raised in this country you don't

[12:56]realize how great this country is you don't realize what a privilege

[13:02]it is to be in this country I travel a lot because

[13:04]I'm a preacher I travel and I speak in many countries and

[13:10]traveling comes with many benefits obviously one of them the miles that

[13:12]you get the points right but one of the benefits of traveling

[13:18]is that you get to see the disparities of this world you

[13:20]get to see the deprived areas of this world people who are

[13:23]deprived of their what of their freedom of their rights they're deprived

[13:29]of food of water of the basic necessities of life I have

[13:33]traveled to 40 countries Brothers I even have a hap an app

[13:38]where I track it by the way 40 countries in the world

[13:40]and I am certain when I tell you that Canada is one

[13:45]of the greatest places on Earth to live because I've traveled I've

[13:48]seen different countries and I'll give you the reasons I'll tell you

[13:54]why number one one of the favors of God in Canada that

[13:59]we take for granted here is freedom of religion the fact that

[14:04]everyone can practice whatever they preach you know in some Muslim countries

[14:07]I'm not allowed to preach if I want to preach there I

[14:13]have to submit my lecture first it has to be authorized then

[14:15]I can preach there because I am from this school of thought

[14:18]I'm not from their school of thought while you come here in

[14:23]this country who cares what what you say what you believe in

[14:25]every night we have a program here does anyone ask me what

[14:29]I believe does anyone ask me believe in this or do this

[14:31]freedom of religion is a Priceless gift it's a Priceless favor of

[14:38]God that every single one of you has Here My Dear brothers

[14:41]and sisters don't take it for granted because many parts of the

[14:46]world they are deprived freedom of religion number two the economic opportunities

[14:51]in here you saw what covet did so many economies collapsed but

[14:54]many people here because of their what their kind generous officials and

[14:59]the government what they received all these in the U.S they called

[15:02]it the stimulus I don't know what you call it here right

[15:06]they gave away so much money isn't this uh isn't this one

[15:08]of the favors of God one of the benefactions of God one

[15:11]of the blessings so many countries in the world people stayed home

[15:14]and they received nothing I stayed home in this country while the

[15:17]Czechs were coming the stimulus the payments were coming don't I have

[15:22]to thank God for this benefaction my friends you know I mentioned

[15:25]this to my congregation a couple of days ago two months ago

[15:29]I was in a Muslim country so I took out an Uber

[15:33]ride with a taxi that poor taxi he was a poor guy

[15:37]from one of the an immigrant from one of the poor countries

[15:39]so we had a conversation he was taking me to the airport

[15:42]I asked them a question I told him what's your dream what's

[15:46]your dream in life you know what he told me truly my

[15:51]heart broke and I realized how lucky we are he told me

[15:56]my dream is to go to Canada I swear to God he

[15:59]didn't say the U.S if I'm I'm an American I should be

[16:01]biased and say he said America he did not say America maybe

[16:05]Trump has to do with it by the way that my dream

[16:09]is to go to Canada I asked him why he says because

[16:13]here I make two dollars an hour I heard in Canada I

[16:17]can work as a taxi driver and make twenty dollars an hour

[16:21]every single one of you lives the dream of millions of people

[16:26]other places but do we appreciate it do we thank God for

[16:28]this brothers and sisters isn't this truly a gift of God that

[16:35]we Overlook many times look at the education here people come from

[16:38]all over the world so that they can study in the universities

[16:40]look at the health care some people all they do is they

[16:44]complain I'm sick I'm sick thank God that you have the best

[16:46]health care in the world and it's free thank God for that

[16:51]look at the bright side I can go on and on as

[16:55]the respectful mayor said the peace and the security that you have

[16:58]here in the in the Canadian Society you're not afraid for your

[17:01]life look at what happened what's happening in Ukraine look at what's

[17:04]happening in Yemen unfortunately Yemen we've become deaf to Yemen it's all

[17:08]Ukraine Ukraine my love is to the people of Ukraine but yeah

[17:12]men are also human beings and they're suffering and they're getting bombarded

[17:16]by whom by some unfortunately countries who are allies of the West

[17:21]now fortunately for Canada they cut their ties or that country cut

[17:27]their ties with with Canada but at the end of the day

[17:31]as we speak there are people who are suffering and dying in

[17:34]Yemen thank God that you live in a society you don't fear

[17:37]for your life and finally brothers and sisters one of the greatest

[17:41]aspects of this country Canada and that's why I say this is

[17:46]one of the greatest countries in the world is because of the

[17:49]multi-culturalism that you find in this country you see the different cultures

[17:53]living together converging together living in peace and Harmony you know there's

[17:59]a beautiful verse in the Holy Quran where God says oh human

[18:04]beings we have created you from one male and one female meaning

[18:10]you all have one father and mother Adam and Eve we're all

[18:13]one big family tonight we're not having an Interfaith dinner we're having

[18:17]a big family dinner you're all my relatives because we have one

[18:20]father and mother Adam and Eve correct so when I say my

[18:24]dear brothers and sisters I'm not just being polite I'm not just

[18:26]trying to be nice no you are my brothers and sisters we

[18:30]have one father and one mother so the Quran is saying treat

[18:32]each other like a family because you are a family and then

[18:36]the Quran says and then the Quran says and we have made

[18:43]you into Nations and tribes ethnicities God says I have created multiculturalism

[18:48]why some people take multiculturalism to divide racism correct different races put

[18:54]people in classes the Quran says I have made multiculturalism so that

[19:00]you may know each other you learn from each other at the

[19:05]end of the day each Society each race each nation has their

[19:08]own wisdom their knowledge their benefits their experiences when we don't join

[19:12]together this is when we become prosperous because we can all benefit

[19:16]from each other's experiences this is what the Quran says about multiculturalism

[19:21]and the Bible speaks about the multiculturalism the Bible in the first

[19:27]chapter of Corinthians and the I'm sure the Christian leaders can they

[19:31]can correct me if I'm wrong the first book of Corinthians Chapter

[19:37]14 verse 10 the Bible says that there are many different languages

[19:42]in the world and none of them as meaningless all of them

[19:48]have a meaning all of the different languages have a meaning meaning

[19:52]the Bible is saying multiculturalism has its benefits and if you want

[19:57]to see multiculturalism in this country come every night to AR rasool

[20:00]Islamic Society you will find the Arab sitting next to the Persian

[20:05]sitting next to the Afghan sitting next to the Canadian sitting next

[20:07]to the British sitting next to the Indian sitting next to the

[20:10]Pakistani all having a meal and every single night come and see

[20:16]and this is where the beauty of Canada lies because you know

[20:18]Canada was the first country on Earth to declare multiculturalism as an

[20:25]official policy in 1971.

[20:26]that's not just Google I I went back to the official sources

[20:30]the first country on Earth to declare multiculturalism as an official policy

[20:35]is Canada this is indeed a great land my friends many of

[20:40]you may be your immigrant or you are the children of immigrants

[20:42]your belonging is to Canada now because Imam Ali the successor of

[20:47]the prophet he says your Homeland the best land is the land

[20:52]that serves you is the land that gives you Freedom rights dignity

[20:58]respect our belonging is to this country because this country embraced us

[21:03]gave us our rights gave us dignity gave us our honor and

[21:06]treated us like human beings when we came here and that's why

[21:11]in the same way that this country served us now we have

[21:13]to serve this country there's a tradition from one of our imams

[21:17]one of the successors of the Prophet where he says if you

[21:20]do not thank the created you have not thanked the Creator you

[21:24]want to thank God thank the people that God uses to help

[21:31]you so you have to contribute unfortunately sometimes when we come to

[21:35]this country we just want to take and take and take I

[21:37]think now it's about time that we give to this Canadian society

[21:41]and we may get better we make it stronger we make it

[21:44]more productive because indeed Canada is a great country let's keep Canada

[21:51]great oh no I sound like Trump anyway you get my point

[21:58]take care of Canada brothers and sisters God bless you thank you

[22:01]so much for coming tonight it was truly our honor to have

[22:05]you it was an honor to address you tonight happy Easter to

[22:09]everyone happy Passover happy Ramadan God bless you and God bless Canada

[22:16]good foreign

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Ramadan, COVID-19 and Canada! - Sayed Ahmed Al-Qazwini || Interfaith Iftar 2022

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Ramadan, COVID-19 and Canada! - Sayed Ahmed Al-Qazwini || Interfaith Iftar 2022

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