So That (All) Abu Flah Campaign Donations Don't Go to Waste
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah
Introduction to Abu Fella's Campaign
For those who are not familiar with the topic, Abu Fella is a YouTuber in the gaming field who is followed by many young people. He launched a fundraising campaign for Syrian refugees, collecting a large amount to hand over to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which sparked controversy over how the donations were divided and what the UNHCR would take from them.
What makes Abu Fella different from other gaming YouTubers? The young man has a religious sense, mentions Allah in his videos, and talks about the importance of sincerity. However, in this campaign, he said a word that his followers are not used to hearing from him. He said, "What does this have to do with religion?" and said, "We embraced humanity, then we embraced religions, then embrace whatever religions you want."
So, you left all the good things he said, he and the donations he collected and the noble purpose, and focused on this word? Yes, I will focus on this word because my goal today is not to evaluate Abu Fella or judge him, but to advise him and his followers and discuss this sentence that represents the thinking of many people who do not realize how dangerous it is.
I thought about discussing this sentence without mentioning Abu Fella so that the topic would not be personalized, but I want the word to reach him and reach his followers. No one says, "So you are holding onto the words of a simple YouTuber as if they are dangerous statements!" His words ultimately reach millions and affect their way of thinking.
We will not respond to those who say, "You do the same as they do before you criticize," as if every time I do good, I will show it to you and publish it publicly to prove to you that I do good, or as if it is allowed for someone like me to collect donations publicly to send them to refugees in a way that I am convinced of.
Analysis of the Statement "Embrace Humanity, Then Embrace Whatever Religions You Want"
I will start by focusing on this sentence: "Embrace humanity, then embrace whatever religions you want." Let's break it down and see if it is true or false. Okay, what does this have to do with the title of the word? You will see in a moment.
Cooperation with People for Good in Islam
Some people, when they hear "embrace humanity, then whatever religions you want," understand that we should cooperate with people for good and bring them good no matter what their religion is. In reality, this is not the meaning of the phrase "embrace humanity, then whatever religions you want," which we will explain its meaning.
But let's first see this principle that some people understand, the principle of cooperating with people even if they are not of the religion of Islam, cooperating with them to help the needy and lift oppression, and the principle of bringing good to people even if they are not of the religion of Islam. Is this principle present in Islam or not?
The Prophet, peace be upon him, praised the Alliance of the Virtuous, which was an alliance in the pre-Islamic period in which the Quraysh agreed to help the oppressed to get their rights from the oppressor. So, cooperating with others even if they are not Muslims, cooperating with them to help the needy, this is from Islam.
The Companions hated to give charity to the polytheists hoping that these polytheists would become Muslim, so Allah the Almighty revealed: "It is not upon you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever you spend of good - it is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the countenance of Allah." Meaning, when you give charity, you give it for the sake of Allah the Almighty to whoever asks you from every religion.
What a beautiful meaning, dear people, what a beautiful and true meaning you will find in Islam. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Have mercy on those on earth, and the One in the heaven will have mercy on you." "Those on earth" thus in general to the people of all religions. So what is the thing that humanity adds so that we embrace it before we embrace Islam?
The Concept of Humanity as a Religion
Secondly, what does this phrase "embrace humanity" mean? It means that humanity is the motivator and the driving force behind your actions, it is your standard for looking at and judging people, actions, and principles, it is the reference point. Okay, what is this the definition of? This is exactly the definition of religion. Religion is the motivator and the driving force, it is the standard and the judgment on everything, and it is the absolute reference point. So, Abu Fella, what you are saying is that we are required to embrace the religion of humanity?
Here, several questions arise: This phrase is often used to mean "set religion aside in dealing with people, do not deal with them according to the standards of your religion but according to the standards of humanity." Is this what is required? Then what is the religion of humanity? Define it for me, define this religion. Is there a book comparable to the Quran called "Religion" or "The Book of Humanity"?
Is humanity the Western humanity that sees sexual relations between a man and a man as humane, sees a woman carrying a child from what is forbidden does not contradict humanity, sees her aborting her fetus which has a soul within it does not contradict humanity? Or is it the Chinese humanity that sees burning humans after their death does not contradict humanity? Do the meanings of humanity change among people? What was not humane yesterday has become humane today.
Is not all good in what is called humanity but from the remnants of the true religion and natural instinct? Otherwise, people will change their standards of right and wrong when they move away from the true religion and natural instinct.
Humanity and Other Religions
Similarly, when you say: "Embrace humanity, then embrace whatever religion you wish," it means that whoever embraces humanity is saved. Whoever enters humanity is safe and has no fear or sorrow, no matter what religion they embrace, even if they associate partners, worship humans, stones, cows, fire, or rats?
Thirdly, since we have clarified that embracing humanity in this context means actually adopting it as a religion, making it a driving force, standard, and reference, what remains for Islam? Does humanity contradict Islam or is it the same as Islam? If it is the same as Islam, how can the people of other religions embrace it? And if humanity contradicts Islam, how can I embrace it and then embrace Islam?
I mean, when I donate, do I intend in my heart to donate for the sake of humanity and then for the sake of Allah? If so, in the hadith narrated by Muslim, Allah, the Most High, said: "I am the most self-sufficient of partners regarding shirk. Whoever does an action in which he associates a partner with Me, I will leave him and his shirk."
You might say: "No, I am humane for the sake of Allah." In the verse you recited about spending on people of other religions, Allah the Almighty said: {And you spend not except seeking the countenance of Allah}, not for the sake of humanity, but for the sake of Allah. If you want to do good for the sake of humanity, let this humanity bless your life and bring you into its paradise. But if you want the sake of Allah, then Allah has specified what He accepts and said: {Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam}, and He said: {And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam will not have it accepted from him, and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter}.
Whoever embraces humanity, his donations will not be accepted, and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter. In Sahih Muslim, our mother Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "O Messenger of Allah, Ibn Jud'an in the pre-Islamic period used to maintain the ties of kinship and feed the poor. Will that benefit him?" The Messenger of Allah said: "No, it will not benefit him because he never said, 'O my Lord, forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgment.'"
Ibn Jud'an's good deeds did not benefit him, even though he was humane, because he did not intend the sake of Allah alone with these good deeds.
So there are three possibilities: for Allah and for humanity. Allah is the most self-sufficient of partners regarding shirk, and your work from the side of Allah is rejected. Or for humanity, this fluid and changing concept, which sometimes means that we do actions that are forbidden in the religion of Allah, and we approve of the people of evil on their evil, and we equate the Muslim and the disbeliever in all rulings. At that time, let humanity benefit you. Or that we do good deeds for the sake of Allah, and this includes all good.
Indeed, when people do good for the sake of Allah, this is the most assured way for it to continue under all circumstances, because they hope for Paradise with it, fear a Fire, and draw near to their Lord with this good. While when you do good for the sake of humanity, tomorrow when economic circumstances tighten, you may find many humanitarians ready to steal and plunder, for them {It is only our worldly life}. Humanity is no longer their Paradise to sacrifice for. And if they do good in difficult circumstances, what remains for them from the teachings of the religion and the effects of innate disposition.
When the Prophet, peace be upon him, brothered between the emigrants and the helpers, they loved, the helpers loved those who emigrated to them and preferred them over themselves, even if they were in need. They did not treat their emigrant brothers as refugees, but as brothers who shared their wealth with them, even if they were of little money and even if they were in need. This wonderful model was driven by the work for the sake of Allah, not humanity.
Look when the companions hated to give charity to their polytheist relatives, Allah encouraged them to this charity. What did He say at the end of the verse you recited? He said this is the greatest guarantee for the continuation of good with all people.
Islam as a Comprehensive Religion
Fourthly, Islam is a religion, a religion means to be bound by it, meaning to submit to it so that it is the sole judge. When you say: "Embrace humanity, then embrace whatever religion you wish," it is as if Islam is subordinate, a secondary need. If you embrace humanity, then Islam is extra, like Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and the worship of cows. The saved are those in humanity, and Islam has no necessity.
The religion of Allah is not like that. Allah the Most High said: {O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely}, meaning enter into Islam in all its legislations and particulars. And He said: {And We have sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what was before it of the Scripture and protecting it}. Islam means submission and surrender to Allah.
The dealing with the people of other religions is legislated by Islam. Allah the Most High said: {And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims}. And he, peace be upon him, said: "Islam has given the Muslim his right, and the disbeliever his right, and the people of other religions their rights." The matter of dealing with others with right and justice is present in Islam, and you will not find it in the religion of humanity.
The Danger of Equating Islam with Other Religions
Fifthly, it is never permissible to put Islam and other religions in one basket. A religion describes Allah as befitting His majesty, the religion of truth, and it is not to be placed in a basket with religions that describe Allah as sleeping, resting, screaming like a drunkard, and wrestling with Jacob until Jacob almost overpowered him. It is not permissible to flatter the people of other religions and thereby do wrong to our religion in this manner. The etiquette with the religion of Allah is more deserving.
And if someone says: "We need to put aside the religions or put them in a secondary position because injustice and killing have been practiced in the name of religions without right," we say to him: All of this is attributed to the wrongdoer and does not wrong Islam itself. It does not wrong Islam itself. And to know how detachment from Islam loses all beautiful meanings, follow the series "Be Noble with Your Islam."
When there is a blurring of Islam, O Abu Falah, and calls for what they call the Abrahamic religion, and Abraham, peace be upon him, is innocent of it, it becomes necessary for you to be careful with every word you say that falls into these agendas.
The Effect of Intention on the Acceptance of Deeds
The Importance of Sincerity to Allah and the Story of Ibn Jud'an
In conclusion, our speech is titled "So That All the Donations of Abu Falah's Campaign Do Not Go to Waste." What is the relation of all that we have mentioned to this title? People were angry when the Refugee Commission announced that half of the donations would be allocated to support the Commission's efforts to reach the refugees, so what if all the donations go to waste?
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Actions are but by intentions, and every man shall have but that which he intended." If the intention is for humanity and then for Allah, then Allah is self-sufficient from it, and it will not benefit its possessors in the Hereafter, just as Ibn Jud'an did not benefit.
Conclusion
I ask Allah to guide and grant success to Abu Falah and his followers to do good and righteous deeds that are pure and accepted. Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.