Imam Zaid Shakir in the Eid Event “Islam and the Global Future: Community and Chaos”, discusses how Islam is the solution to the chaos and an answer to a bright Global Future. Below are some highlights from the lecture:

Islam: The basis of a Moral Vision predicted on Peace and Brotherhood: Islam presents a vision of a universal family – brotherhood or sisterhood. Allah says in the Quran: “We have honored the sons of Adam” [17:70], and “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female..” [49:13] There is no basis for the racist theories that people are directly or indirectly attempting to revive right now. We have to move beyond the idea of fragmentation and segmentation of the human family, and look forth to the idea of one human family.

We have to move away from power-centric, self-serving attitude, and advance towards other-serving politics. As Muslims we believe in Ithar, giving preference to others – even though the “self” suffers from the consequences. Ithar is a communal aspect – as in the sahaba. They sacrificed their food, clothing for the others, while they were in need for the essentials too.

Reestablishing Moral restraint to Military thinking: Advice of Abu Bar (ra), successor of the Prophet saws: When he sent his army, he instructed them not to kill trees and not to destroy crops or cattle, except what is absolutely essential to feed yourself, otherwise leave it, guard the sanctity of lives of non-combatants, whoever they may be. Protect the sanctity of their lives.

Humanity as Part of the Natural Order: The world around was just seen as something that protects and sanctifies our life – they were loved as a friend by us. When the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) passed by the Mountain of Uhud, he said, this is a mountain that loves us, and we love it. When the Prophet was not standing by the tree stump to deliver his oration, the tree stump moaned on the pain of separation from the Beloved Prophet.

The trees, wind, the flowers, and the bees all beautify the world we live in.

Meaning Based on Being and a Relationship with God :Our value should be assessed by our relationship with the Creator. If ancient man said, “I think, therefore I am” and the (post) modern man said, “I consume, therefore I am”. We have to introduce “I worship, therefore I am”. As our Lord teaches us that “I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me” [51:56]. The Prophet, peace be upon him said: “Ruined is the worshiper of gold, silver, money, clothes.” None of these are permanent.

Development of the Soul on the Basis of a Transcendent Methodology: We try to purify ourselves, so that our satisfaction and our fulfillment comes from the within, not from the outside. Allah swt informs us, “Truly he succeeds that purifies it” [91:9] and “But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart;” [26:89]

We can go from the “soul that commands us towards wickedness” (alnnafsa laammaratun bialssooi [12:53]) and we refine it through our worship and move towards “contented soul.” (alnnafsu almutmainnatu [89:27])

Book Recommendations:

Islam and Ecology (World Religions and Ecology Series) by Fazlun Khalid and Joanne O’Brien
The Myth of Muslim Barbarism and Its Aims by S. E. Al-Djazairi
The New Crusades: Constructing the Muslim Enemy by Emran Qureshi and Michael A. Sells
Dominance by Design: Technological Imperatives and America’s Civilizing Mission by Michael Adas
The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time by Antonia Juhasz