Inferiority ComplexJumma' KhutbahInferiority ComplexBismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-RaheemAll praise is due to Allah (swt), the Rabb of the whole universe, the Rabb of all the worlds.We pray to Allah to forgive all of our sins and mistakes. I bear witnessthat there is no one worth worshipping, except Allah (swt), and I bear witnessthat Muhammad (pbuh) is the last and final Messenger and Prophet of Allah (swt).Allah (swt) says in Surah Fater (English Meaning):"He who seeks the Izzah (prestige), dignity, glory and honor, let him know that Izzah belongs to Allah"In Surah Munafiqoon (English Meaning):"And the Izzah is to Allah, His Messenger and the Believers, but the Munafiqoon ( Hypocrites ) do nor know or believe in this"It is very clear that Allah (swt) tells us that there is only one sourcefor our Izzah (prestige). Only by following Allah's orders we can getthis Izzah. No one else can give us this Izzah. Within this context, it wasreported that Umar bin Al-Khataab said: "We are people who get honoredby Islam, if we seek the honor through any other thing, then Allah willhumiliate us."Keeping this in the minds and believing firmlythat Islam is the Deen revealed from Allah, and believing in what Allah saidin Surah Saff (English Meaning):"He is the One who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Religion of the Truth, so that His deen will dominate above all other ways of lives"If we had this in our minds and hearts, there is no way we would feel inferior at all. Simply because Islam is the Superior Deen since it came from the Sovereign, the Creator, Allah (swt). The Sahabah believed inthis and as a result they never developed a defeated  mentality nor didthey have an inferiority complex. When the delegates of the Prophet (pbuh)met the Roman, Persian Emperors and other Kings and rulers,they carried the Message to them without such feelings. Within few years,Muslims controlled most of Asia and Africa. Of course, we must keep in mindthat they never sought national sovereignty. Also, their objective was not tosecure jobs for their citizens nor toexploite the other people. Their only objective was to save the peopleand get them out of the darkness they lived in to the light of Islam.When the Crusader wars occured, Muslims were defeated in the battlefield,but, they never felt inferior. At the end, Muslims were not only able tokick the Crusaders out, but also started their mission of carryingIslam to the world, including Europe itself.  When Europe saw this happening, theyrealized that Muslims cannot be defeated in the battlefield as long asthey believed in Islam. Thus a new well-studied and planned campaign was initiatedby the Europeans. This time using different weapons and a different approach.The ideological invasion and  missionary invasion started, attacking Muslims intellectuallyand Ideologically. Secret associations were established in the Muslim lands and manyindividuals were recruited. Soon Muslims no longer had the trustin Islam. Now they started carrying many wrong ideas such as nationalism.Muslims started looking up to the western culture. Muslims now became overwhelmedand stunned by the industrial revolution and the western culture. Muslimsstarted feeling inferior for the first time.I will bring you two recent examples: In the ISNA Convention, Muslimsprayed in the park with men and women praying next to each other in twoseparate sections. They did not pray with men in the front row and womenin the back rows. The way Muslims kept it since the days of the Prophet (saaw).Sunnah of Prophet (saaw) did not mean anything to those who prepared the set up. There is one reason forthis: the inferiority complex. They are thinking that the guests will notlike seeing women praying behind men. They were thinking that this maygive a wrong message to the non-Muslims attending; the wrong message being that we do not honor women by having them behind men.What organizer are missing is the trust in presentingIslam as-is. In this case, having women in the back rowsis an honor for women. The Prophet (pbuh) said that the best rows of womenare the back rows. Furthermore, it is this Social System and Ibadah ofIslam which honored women. While the western way of life humiliated thewoman, exploited her and changing her to a sex object. Now claiming thatIslam permits this set up in some cases such as in the Hajj, or clamingthat it was not possible to have the normal set up is nonsense. This methodis transmitted to us generation by generation. it is well known all overthe world.Another example is that many Muslims claim that "Islam and Democracy are compatible and complementary".  Do you know what doesthe word complementary mean? Webster’s Dictionary gives the following twomeanings:"Something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect." The other meaning is:"Mutually supplying each other's back."Allah (swt) says: "Today I completed for you your deen" and Amercian Muslim Council saysotherwise. Who do we believe?  Why do we have to say this? Don't webelieve that Islam can by itself prove its correctness? We must believethat Islam does not need cosmetic surgery. Democracy failed in solvingman's problems and after all, it is a man made system. While Islam provedthat it solves man's problems and after all, it is from Allah (swt). Howcan we think that Islam is missing some parts? Astaghfer ul-Allah.One may ask what is the cause for this? Briefly speaking, due to manyfactors which I mentioned, some of them earlier in this khutbah, Muslimsfell in the trap of defense. We no longer study Islam from its sources,nor do we accept for the text (the Qur'an and the Sunnah) to lead us.  Now we study Islam basedon the Orientalist’s views. We think that we have to get rid of any opinionattacked by the Orientalists. We no longer talk about the Penal code inIslam the way it should be.  We started thinking that these punishmentsare irrelevant and they can be changed.  We no longer talk about Jihadas a mean through which Islam was carried to the others.  We no longersee that War complements Diplomacy and both together constitute Jihad. We no longer say this.  We claim that Jihad is limited to a defensivecase or claiming that Jihad is the inner struggle for virtue. We say thisfor no reason but to avoid the Orientalist attack as someone put it clearlyonce.What is the solution?It is simple and easy:  Just study Islam as-is and believe thatIslam as-is can solve our problems.  Feel the Izzah (prestige) nomatter how weak we are.  Believe that no one can grant us the Izzahnor we should beg the Izzah from others.  Otherwise, as Umar put it,we will be humiliated.  May Allah save us from the humiliation.