What’s Your Personal Brand? | LATEST Lecture by Dr. Omar Suleiman

Dear brothers and sisters, I remember there was this brother not too long ago who is a very famous athlete

that became Muslim and alhamdulillah as he was learning about Islam and especially in the wake of Gaza like so

many other people, he saw the people of Gaza and said, "I want to be like them.

I want to be one of them. Whatever they

have, I want. Whatever they're upon, I want to be upon." So he asked me, he said, "Do I have to do like this whole

public ceremony? Like is there a baptism

public ceremony? Like is there a baptism for me?" I said, "No."

for me?" I said, "No."

He said, "I want some time before I make my Islam public. Do I have to make my Islam public?

I said at some point it's ideal that you do, but right now enough people need to know for it to be valid and that's it. Take

your shahada. We can do it in the comfort of your home. And he said, "Can we do it over Zoom?" I said, "We could do it over Zoom. You have the people that you love around and we do it that

way." And he said, "Man, that's so

way." And he said, "Man, that's so beautiful.

It's like I always wondered why God needed me to do something that would be for everybody else. I don't want to make a show out of this. This is a deeply

personal transformation.

Alhamdulillah took his shahada and he said, you know, I feel like Allah has penetrated my

heart. Alhamdulillah.

heart. Alhamdulillah.

That's good. And then the next day, he sends me a picture of Allah tattooed on his chest.

He said, ' Not exactly what I had in mind.

May Allah forgive you. He didn't know any better. But that's how that's how he

any better. But that's how that's how he knew how to express his love. He wanted

to be branded Muslim. He wanted to take this to the next level. he felt this overwhelming zeal, but at the same time he's not yet at a point where he can

share it online or or feels like he can share it because of league sponsors and things of that sort. And of course you know they reminded me of the hadith of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam

which is of course a more extreme example but of the man who at the time of his death told his children to cremate him to burn his body to ashes because he was afraid of Allah subhanahu

wa ta'ala collecting him and then punishing him and the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam mentions that after that was done allahel gathered him once again

and Allah subhana wa ta'ala asked him why he did that and it was out of the fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and allahel forgave him for that. So

sometimes these things happen because of zeal and there's a beautiful emotion that I want to be on this team. I want

to be a part of this group of people and I want to express it in the most profound ways. And so I want to speak

profound ways. And so I want to speak about this ayah that I hope inshallah as we get to the month of Ramadan in a

month and a half Ramadan. Oh Allah allow us to live to see Ramadan and allow it to be accepted.

I hope that when you hear this ayah recited on the first night of it's going to have an entirely different meaning for you.

The ayah is the brand of Allah and what is a bra a greater brand than that of Allah subhana wa ta'ala now when you think brand I know that there are certain things that

come to mind but there isn't really a good translation for the word but I want to explain it in context in regards to how it was revealed

And some examples of what it means today when the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam migrates to Medina and the messenger of Allah sallallam

rightfully presents Islam as a continuation of the message of Musam.

A continuation of the message of Isaam that all of them were upon Islam. All of

them were upon to the submission to one God and receiving divine revelation and calling people to the worship of him alone. When the prophet got to Medina,

alone. When the prophet got to Medina, he was being scrutinized by the people of the book and mocked in some regards

because the measuring stick for what was authentic became their measuring stick.

And I actually want this to be a point for all of us as we deal with people of the book. As we deal with Christians who

the book. As we deal with Christians who claim Jesus peace be upon him or Jews who claim Moses peace be upon him or any group of people that claim someone that

we love as well. Why should the point of reference be your holy book when I'm discussing my dean?

that there is no reason why I have to begin on on the terms of how you understand Jesus peace be upon him or how you understand Moses peace be upon

him or the measuring stick becomes in the how we practice our scripture and so they scrutinize the prophet sallall alaihi

wasallam through that lens and one of the reasons for revelation of which is mentioned the original disposition of

Allah subhana t the religion of Allah is because there was this idea that there has to be some sort of ritual

in order for a person to transform from place A to place B to go from here to here you have to undergo this particular ritual and we know as Muslims that when

someone wants to take shahada or when someone wants to embrace Islam, it can be as private as that person doing it, you know, virtually over Zoom or whatever it may be with a group of

friends backstage or maybe publicly, right? It could be something where a

right? It could be something where a bunch of families get together and there's something that's done in the masjid and obviously that's the most beautiful when it's in front of a large group of people and the Muslims can

rejoice and that person can feel welcomed and validated. There's a

spectrum. But at the end of the day to become Muslim, it is simply the acknowledgment of it is coming into that realization. You

go take a shower that sunnah, right?

Perhaps you you wash yourself, but at the end of the day, it's an internal transformation that has external consequences.

And that should not be belittled as being insignificant because it doesn't have the bells on the outside.

It doesn't have the dress on the outside. Right? You don't have to start

outside. Right? You don't have to start wearing a particular type of cloth. It's

not like you go in and you got to change your name. You don't have to change your

your name. You don't have to change your name. You don't have to change the way

name. You don't have to change the way that you dress. Of course, you have to abide by Islam's rules of modesty, but I'm talking about the nature of the clothing. What you're exchanging is a

clothing. What you're exchanging is a belief system that's transformative.

And there's something deeply precious about that that Islam has a a brand. And

the talk about the difference between a and a label.

And this is where it gets really interesting in modern times.

A is something that you dye a garment with and it goes into the garment and then a

hue or a dye or a color appears as a result. So it fundamentally changes the

result. So it fundamentally changes the inside fabric so that the outside fabric shows its effect. There's something that changes on the inside that then

manifests something on the outside.

And Allahel through that as some of the speak about is chastising those who emphasize only the external change

without the inward reality transforming.

that if the label on the outside is inconsequential to who you are on the inside, if the change on the outside does not reflect a change on the inside,

then there is a problem with that. And

when you think about belief systems, I want you to think about one of the most deeply racist and violent ideologies of

our time, which is Zionism.

You're welcome to the Islamophobes that will take this and tweet it tonight.

This racist ethnosuppreist dangerous violent ideology known as Zionism.

And you can have someone who identifies as a Zionist, but at the same time says, "I'm an atheist. I don't believe in God." And as

atheist. I don't believe in God." And as some would point to the conundrum, you don't believe in God, but somehow you believe that God promised you a land and he promised you this place. The same God

that you deny the existence of somehow promised you this particular land and gave you the right to uproot an indigenous people violently in the name

of a religious claim, but you're not religious. It's a strange conundrum, a

religious. It's a strange conundrum, a weird manifestation that exists.

So there's an external reality that doesn't represent an inward reality.

Now when we come back to ourselves as believers, dear brothers and sisters, Allah subhana wa ta'ala expects of us a

deep transformation on the inside that has external ramifications. And I want you to think about what that look like in the public sense. Islam has symbols.

We have we have ritual. We have beliefs. We have

external markers. We have ways that we are identified. The prophet sallallahu

are identified. The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam mentioned that you know when you go to a place you would listen to hear if the adan was there as

said that that would be a distinct marker that this is a Muslim village.

There was the amin that would be said by the believers in unison that struck a deep sense of envy in other people that all of them say amen

together and there's something deeply beautiful and profound about that a mean that they say together there is what the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam taught us about the

marker of wul that has a particular distinguishing factor on the day of judgment There are these ways that the external

markers demonstrate something about us, but at the end of the day, they're only as good as the internal transformation that they're supposed to represent. And

so, I want you to think about what the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam did when he went to Mecca and Medina.

He took a people that used to identify by their tribe and racism and tribalism are extremely lazy ways of thinking. To

think that you have superiority bestowed upon you because of who your parents are or because of what the color of your skin is is an extremely lazy and

convenient ideology to those who can claim privilege as a result. If you just happen to be born into this family, you are entitled to this and you're entitled to that and you're entitled to this and

that and everybody else is inherently lower to you. It's convenient to those that get the better end of that stick, but it's so lazy when you think about

it.

The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam managed to take that identity that they had in Mecca where they would identify themselves by the markers of tribe and

change it into muajarin.

You are the muajarin.

You are the people that migrated for the sake of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Your

brand is that you are the muajarin.

There's a value that was manifested into a reality that because of their principles, they learned to take pride in that label. Not and not a pride of

arrogance.

Not a pride that meant that they felt like they were superior to anyone else.

A pride in a circumstance that other people would look down upon because it was done for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Likewise, when you come to Medina, people identify by markers. They

identify by tribes. I belong to this tribe and that tribe. I'm from O. I'm

from Khaz. I'm from all of these subtribes as a result. And they're

changed into the Ansar.

They're now branded as the Ansar, the helpers.

And there's a value that is there. They

are those who take people in and who demonstrate selflessness with the refugee, demonstrate selflessness with those who migrated for the sake of Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

They spend they prefer others to themselves even if that means harm to them. The marker of the ansar, the brand

them. The marker of the ansar, the brand of the ansar is based upon a value that's being practiced. And so you

always want to keep that label. That

label is a brand that is based upon how you treat people. You sacrifice for the sake of Allah subhana tala. You prefer

others to yourself. You spend upon others from that which you love seeking the pleasure of Allah subhana wa tala.

There's a value there. The prophet

sallallah.aii alaihi wasallam when he walks into a tribal dispute, one that's extremely consequential and we all know the story that they were

disputing over who was going to place the black stone where they placed it.

And when they saw the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam walk in they said amina the trustworthy one we're pleased the

trustworthy one al was an earned brand a title that represented a reality of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam a private

reality of integrity that demonstrated itself publicly as well and consistently over time to where you could not question the integrity of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam the honesty

of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam he was we're pleased and I could go on and on and on external markers when allahel

talks about the hijab allahel mentions why that they would be known and they would not be harassed that there's a that there's a symbol of honor that comes

with the hijab when the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam talked about the command meant to grow a beard, right? There's a distinguishing factor

right? There's a distinguishing factor that comes there with that. So, all of these are meant to demonstrate a value.

All of them are meant for a purpose. But

here is what I want you to think about.

What's your brand?

What's your brand? Every single time you come across a group of people that are praised in the Quran or the Sunnah,

there is an opportunity for you to lean into a brand. And all of that comes under who is better than the one who calls to Allah subhana t and works righteous

deeds and says I am from the Muslims. It all comes under the brand of Islam, the greater brand of Islam. But what's your brand within that and not a label?

Something that is deeply inside of you, imprinted inside of you and that manifests itself publicly. See theat

mentioned this about the hadith of the prophet that many of you have heard that he said sallallahu alaihi wasallami

they are my brothers. They are my loved ones. Who are they? the muajin or the

ones. Who are they? the muajin or the ansar. No, no, you already have a

ansar. No, no, you already have a branch. You already have a distinction.

branch. You already have a distinction.

You are my companions. May Allahel allow us to be companions of the prophet in Jenna and companions of the companions.

You've attained something. You've lived

up to a reality. You've manifested a reality. You became companions of the

reality. You became companions of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam. And

what a noble distinction. And we know as non-companions that no matter what we do, we will never reach the level of the companions of the prophet sallallahu

alaihi wasallam. But he said, "But

alaihi wasallam. But he said, "But they're my brothers. Who are they roo?"

And he said, "Those who believed in me and they haven't even seen me." But the hadith doesn't stop there.

They said, "How will we recognize them yoolah? How will you recognize them?

yoolah? How will you recognize them?

They come later on. You haven't seen them either. How will you recognize

them either. How will you recognize them? And the Prophet sallallahu alaihi

them? And the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam gives this example of a horse's stable where you have a black horse but

with a distinct white blaze on its forehead. And he explains

forehead. And he explains that the marks of wul will be on them. So he'll be picking them out, identifying them on the day of

judgment.

And these aren't just people that like to take showers. These are people that did wudoo properly and they prepared themselves for the salah. And when they prayed, they prayed earnestly for that moment to be a moment of pleasure of

Allah subhana t reunion with the prophet sallall alaihi wasallam. And so there's a distinguishing mark. There's a brand the wul will brand on the day of judgment. Listen very carefully. On the

judgment. Listen very carefully. On the

day of judgment, private acts of worship become public distinction. I'm going to say that again. On the day of judgment, private acts of worship become public

distinctions. Your am your salah, your

distinctions. Your am your salah, your mark of your your all of these become marks of public distinction on the day of judgment.

May Allah make us amongst those that are standing under the best of banners that have long necks like the people of Adan that have shiny limbs like the people of

that have marks on our forehead like saga from the saga that we made when no one else saw us in the middle of the night. You know, subhan Allah, my my

night. You know, subhan Allah, my my six-year-old, she came up to me yesterday. True story,

by the way. She said, "Baba, I'm going to draw something on you." All right, so she took this pen and she drew something on me. She said, "Where is it?"

on me. She said, "Where is it?"

I was like, "I don't know." Then she turned the pen around and she shined a light and it showed the heart that she drew on me. And I was like, "Jacan, you

just gave me my talk for tomorrow.

It could only be seen by that light, right? She drew something on me and then

right? She drew something on me and then it could only be seen by a light that she flashes on me." And I thought, "Subhan Allah, what a beautiful parallel

to the day of judgment." See,

is not necessarily the mark of is not necessarily that when you're making sag you grind your head into the ground try to make sure you get a really really

neat identifying mark there by the way that is actually there for some people there are some the mark of sujud is so obvious for some people I'm not denying that it exists I'm saying

that it's not essential that it exists in this world for it to exist in the next that someone could have no physical mark or public mark in this world but on the day of judgment have the shiniest

forehead.

The private acts of worship become public acts of distinction.

If you remember that in this world private acts of worship manifest themselves through public behaviors not

public distinctions.

Private acts of worship manifest themselves through public behaviors.

Explains the tongue to the heart. The

relationship of the tongue to the heart.

No one can say I have a good heart if they have a nasty tongue. Because the

tongue is like a spoon into a plate of your heart. If you have an abusive

your heart. If you have an abusive tongue, you have an ugly heart. You have

a dirty heart. You can't claim I have a good heart. No, you don't.

good heart. No, you don't.

There's a representation. There's a

manifestation. The the transformation of your heart has not happened to manifest itself in a particular type of public behavior. That doesn't mean that we are

behavior. That doesn't mean that we are perfect beings or that we're we have to be flawless to say that we have a good core.

That means that you can't have a filthy outward behavior and discipline and then claim a pure disposition on the inside.

And that's why when the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam was told about the woman that used to pray her prayers and fast

her fasts and give extra charity but she had an abusive tongue to her neighbors. The

prophet sallall alaihi wasallam said there is no good inside of her. By the

way I want you to think about this for a moment. If that's an abusive tongue with

moment. If that's an abusive tongue with the neighbors, imagine someone who has an abusive tongue with their parents.

Imagine someone who has an abusive tongue with their spouses or even with their children or with their siblings.

If that was enough to doom her for her abusive tongue to her neighbors, what about the tongue with everybody else? So

the is a transformation that has to happen on the inside that then manifests a public reality.

Otherwise, it's not real. Otherwise,

it's not authentic. On the day of judgment, that's your public distinction. You're not seeking a public

distinction. You're not seeking a public distinction here. If there's something

distinction here. If there's something that appears of your religiosity publicly in this dunya, it's because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commanded it

to be so. So, we also don't deny the public visibility of Islam. No. Again,

we have it. We have our rules. We have

our external obligations. We have all of these things, but those are consequences.

They're not sought.

You're looking for the pleasure of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. You're looking for the light of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. So

when I ask you, what's your brand?

What's your what's the thing that is true of you privately that has public behaviors associated to that private that private quality that you've been

working on your entire life because when you read about the Ansar you should want to be like the Ansar and ask yourself how did the Ansar becomes when you read about the Muajarin how did

the Muhajarin become Muhajarim how did Abu Bakr Sudik become a sudik how did Omar

become how do I become what they are how did they earn it and what's my distinction what's my brand what's something about

me to put it to you simply when you walk into the room as an individual is it is it that that's a trustworthy person

we're pleased is it alhamdulillah that person walked into the room. So now we know that we're not going to backbite.

We're not going to talk bad about people. Now we know we're going to get a

people. Now we know we're going to get a person whose presence is subtle but uplifting, who speaks good words, who makes people feel better, who's always thinking about how to better the world

around them rather than tearing down their brothers and sisters. Someone who

has lofty ideas but helps us all aspire to those ideas. What's your presence when you walk into a room? What's your

presence as a community?

And then I come to the that raza taught us.

The raza taught us.

These kufias are in print now. You've seen more kufias in the last

two and a half years than you've seen in your entire life probably.

You see them worn in streets around the world.

And I actually want to have a bit of a conversation about this for a moment.

What is the of what is the print of Gaza?

Let me try to put it in a very personal way.

Allah subhana wa ta'ala blessed me with parents from the land of Philstine.

My father was born in Philstine before the creation of the state of Israel. He was already born in

Israel. He was already born in Philistine. He had a Palestinian

Philistine. He had a Palestinian passport, Palestinian residency. He's

Palestinian.

But I also understand that being of Palestinian lineage, being a Palestinian does not make me better than any other

person in the world. Being committed to the cause of Philistine is what makes a person noble because it's a noble cause.

But being a Palestinian by lineage, by blood, is not something that's going to get me to Jenna. It's not something that I can make a claim of. We got a bunch of Palestinian sellouts.

You got Palestinians that sold their own own people out. You have Palestinians that collaborate to harm the Palestinian cause. And you have people that don't

cause. And you have people that don't have a shred of DNA, a shred of Palestinian blood that have dedicated their their lives to the upliftment of a people, to the removal of oppression

based upon human conscience or faith or both. So it's not that. What's the

both. So it's not that. What's the

of that we've all been taught?

And I would argue and I'll take it this way. I was talking to uh Robert Martin. Robert Martin who um many of you might have followed. I

just did a recording with him, an interview with him. Australian activist,

been to Philistine multiple times. Um

joined the flotillaa. Someone that has subjected himself for a noble cause to great harm. But in

his own words said, I was an atheist. It

was just human. I was enraged by what I was seeing of the occupation of people and the indignities that they were being subjected to. And he talks about his

subjected to. And he talks about his transformation.

I was talking to someone like Robert and he said, you know, Gaza gave us all a bit of an edge. It gave us a swag. It

gave us the spirit.

I was like the word that you're looking for is resistance, resilience.

The of was that you can stand in front of someone who utterly wants to destroy every single element of your existence,

your name, your identity, your universities, your masjid to make sure that Gaza is uninhabitable and that Gaza

becomes a story that is buried under the rubble physically, emotionally, historically, sociologically and in

every the other way. The of this kufia could die a heart, if this could flow through us today, what it represents is

a newfound confidence in the Muslim community globally and people that ally themselves to this noble cause to stand

in front of oppressive powers whether they are oppressive physically or ideologically and to say we will not move from our Grant

we will not depart from our existence that we stand fully in what has been given to us and that you will not remove

it from us or remove us from it.

Gave us a gave us a renewed spirit of confidence.

Gaza gave us that.

And these 2 million people managed to inspire almost two billion to start to look

within themselves and to ask themselves if they were not willing to relinquish what is theirs externally because of

something that is deep internally then why would I relinquish what Allah subhana wa ta'ala has given to me and my principles and my dignity.

and everything else.

When a people have proven that if you really believe in what you have and it's deep in your heart, there is absolutely

no external force in the world that could take it out of you.

They stood with pride. Not the same pride that we're used to in terms of nationalistic pride. It's not a

nationalistic pride. It's not a tribalistic pride.

And I can say this and and again you can watch the interview that I had with Robert and that's one of the reasons why Robert embraced Islam and many people like him. I can tell you that if the

like him. I can tell you that if the people of Gaza did not believe in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala they would have lost

Gaza and themselves a long time ago.

It's the fact that those same bodies and souls that were bombed had over 600 pages of the Quran committed to memory. all 600 pages

committed to memory and 100% embedded in their hearts. It's not an accident.

their hearts. It's not an accident.

It's not an accident.

It's no coincidence. It's not because they're hard-hearted. It's not because

they're hard-hearted. It's not because they're hard-headed. It's because

they're hard-headed. It's because they have fully imbued what Allah subhana wa ta'ala has given to them and manifested it in a way that the whole

world could admire. Even a person who doesn't belong to them and doesn't belong to their brand and doesn't belong to their faith can look at them and say, "Man, I wish I had what they had." You

know how many empty people have looked at the people of Gaza and wondered, "Why do they have what they have? Why don't I have what they have? What can I do to

get what they have?"

If the kings of the world know or were to know what we have in our hearts, then they would fight us with their

swords to try to take that clarity and that certainty out.

Gaza is not just to physically stand as a Muslim community and as a community of faith and to insist on existing as

Muslims. when forces become more oppressive and repressive. Gaza is to stand with your full clarity when confusion bombards you and to say this

is my this is who I am. This is who we are as a Muslim community. to take pride not in our creation

but in our religion, in our faith, in our being, in our values, in our dignity and to insist

upon our right to exist fully as Muslims transformed and transforming in all of the good ways, inspiring other

people to find what they have found wall. Dear brothers and sisters,

wall. Dear brothers and sisters, there are people from that are missing every single limb of their bodies,

their arms and their legs.

Yet still their hearts are more full than any human being in the world.

That's the transformative hue. That's

something that goes inside and then manifests outside. Then imagine, imagine

manifests outside. Then imagine, imagine with me when those limbs are regrown on the day of judgment.

Imagine that child that you only saw with their missing legs and their missing arms walking on the day of judgment. When the prophet

judgment. When the prophet sallallah.aihi wasallam teaches us that

sallallah.aihi wasallam teaches us that the marks of shahada, the wounds of shahada will be musk and perfume flowing musk and perfume on the day of judgment.

What will it be like, dear brothers and sisters, to see Hindu Rajab walking on the day of judgment?

>> All of that Allah Akbar is not for me.

It's for them.

It's for them.

But here's the question.

They're my brothers. They're my sisters.

They're my loved ones.

We don't wish for bad things on ourselves.

We might not return to Allah subhana wa ta'ala with the same bullet holes.

We might not return to Allah subhana wa tala with missing limbs.

We don't pray for adversity upon our community here in the UK or anywhere else.

We might not witness the oppression and the repression in our lives. And we

don't want repression and oppression, but we can pour into our hearts what was poured into theirs.

And just like we can't be with the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam, but we have to aspire with every single moment of our lives to be like the prophet sallallah.aii

wasallam.

We have to do our absolute best to be with and like the people of Gaza.

Dear brothers and sisters, many of you have heard of imposttor syndrome. Maybe

when I meet people from Gaza, I feel imposttor syndrome.

Oh, you're from Philistine. Where from

Philistine? Which family? Which home?

And I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, I didn't go through what you went through.

I didn't bear what you bore.

And it took a journalist from Gaza to say to me, "Alhamdulillah, you were not here because you were more useful there."

useful there." It was hard to hear that because sometimes you almost wish because of the pain that you feel watching these people go through that

you were with them physically. You

almost wish that you could bear it because the guilt of not bearing it with them is more painful than the physical burns and bruises.

But Allah subhana wa ta'ala put you and I here for a reason. We're on the outside for a reason.

We have to live those values. We have to channel that dignity.

We have to try to be like those whom we could never be in the physical sense. We have to try to be like them

sense. We have to try to be like them spiritually and to be their support on the outside.

Dear brothers and sisters, the brand of Allah and what is greater than the brand of Allah. May Allah

subhana wa ta'ala penetrate our hearts with faith and may Allah subhanaa tala allow us to manifest with all of what he has given us with faith. And may Allah

subhana wa ta allow us to be selfless, courageous, dignified people that are inspired and inspiring

and that guide and lead humanity to that which is best for it in this life and the next. And may Allah subhana wa

the next. And may Allah subhana wa ta'ala give victory to the oppressed in Gaza, in Sudan, in every single part of the world. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala

the world. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala elevate them and alleviate their suffering.