The Yusuf Estes Experience...
So alhumdulillah we had the Yusuf Estes event at the Uni like we had planned but of course, it did not go without incident.[background info]
We invited Shaykh Yusuf Estes of www.islamtomorrow.com and www.islamalways.com to come and give a talk entitled "What would Moses and Jesus say to Muslims today?". The brother who booked Shaykh Yusuf (may ALLAH reward them both) implied to us that there would be no need to set up any extra equipment. Now I felt like this could not be true so I asked the bros if in fact he would be bringing EVERYTHING he would need for his presentation. I was reassured again that he would be taking care of his technical needs. [/background info]
So we're waiting for the Shaykh to get there, the seats are slowly filling up and hes a half hour late. Of course hes coming from light years away and a brother from our MSA's father is the one who picked him up so there isnt too much for us to be agitated about since it is our own problem.
When the shaykh finally arrives he gives me a new revelation: He doesnt bring all his own equipment. We didnt set up any microphone or speaker system for him and he is a little blown. Hes not angry, but obviously frustrated by the fact that we dont have everything set up for him to begin. He calmly makes me pee in my pants by saying "no mic, no speech".
Ok so now we're scrambling.
One brother goes running to find a mic and in the meantime we pray Maghrib. I ask the Shaykh if he would lead (since he is arthritic and I didnt know if he would rather sit) so he asked who usually leads and I respond affirmatively so he makes me lead.
I decide to recite ayaat from surah Saff seeing how the verses pretty much answer the question posed in the topic.
"And remember, Moses said to his people: "O my people! why do ye vex and insult me, though ye know that I am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you?" Then when they went wrong, Allah let their hearts go wrong. For Allah guides not those who are rebellious transgressors.
And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of an Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, "this is evident sorcery!"
In sajdah i made sure I made dua for the mic and alhumdulillah by the time we finished the brother got the mic. I told the people to help themselves to refreshments as we set up the A/V equipment and they complied. Of course after people fill their plates with cake I am told that we dont have any spoons. Barrrrrr.
So the talk finally gets under way an hour after its supposed to precluded by me apologizing for the delay and directing everyone to throw their shoes at me by taking the blame for all the problemos.
If you have ever heard Yusuf Estes speak you know that the angle from which he approaches Islam is an angle impossible for us to imitate. He began by commenting on the fact that I had recited ayaat about what Moses and Jesus said to their respective people.
Moses called his people to the oneness of ALLAH. He said that this was the message of those before him as well.
He then went to Jesus PBUH and quoted from the bible left and right proving that the message Jesus brought was actually Islam. Not one place in the bible does it mention the trinity. Not once. Yet the bible says not to call the son of man God. Subhan Allah, this is exactly what trinity'ers do by calling Jesus God. He then went one by one through the different metaphors that are given to describe the trinity and refuted them all. The apple which has skin, flesh and a core. He pointed out the fact that this metaphor always perplexed him since an apple has about 17 seeds in its core. The egg with a shell and flesh and yoke. But what if it has a double yoke? What if its rotten?
He then went on and said that we as muslims do not brainwash our people with ideas that they have to 'believe', we tell people to think. He told the non muslims "I am not telling you what to think, im telling you TO think". Subhan Allah why else does ALLAH swt ask us so many questions in the Quran?
So after his presentation that I gave absolutely no justice in my short synapsis, He entertained questions.
This girl named Allison who had come to Jummah before with her muslimah friend caught Shaykh Yusuf's eye. He pointed out the fact that she had been taking notes as he was talking so he gave her chapter and verse after chapter and verse in the bible for her to study. He asked her if she believed in God. "Yes". He asked her if she believe God was one. "Yes". He exclaimed excitedly, "Thats exactly how I started."
Then another guy named John asked him about salvation, and he asked such a loaded question full of assumptions about ALLAH swt that Shaykh Yusuf took about half an hour just clarifying our position on his assumptions about ALLAH.
John thought that ALLAH demanded for us to be 'Godly'. Shaykh Yusuf dismissed the notion that ALLAH is anything like the creation by going through the asmaa' wassifaat.
John thought that since ALLAH was perfect that it would take a perfect soul to be sacrificed for us to be saved. Shaykh Yusuf clarified to John our stance on repentance being directly to ALLAH and not through the need of any intermediary.
He asked John about the theory of Jesus PBUH 'dying for our sins'. "Why would Jesus continuously say in the bible 'let the cup pass by me' which means that he didnt want to partake in what was going to happen, if this was something that was planned? "Why would Jesus yell out 'God God why have you forsaken me?' if this was a plan?" "Wouldnt he be singing and dancing since mankind would now be saved?"
Subhan Allah I wish i remembered all of the points that Shaykh Yusuf made because they were absolutely brilliant.
After the question answer session John and his wife went up to Shaykh Yusuf and had a conversation with him that the Shaykh described to me as 'Amazing'. After they left he told me that we need to stay in contact with him because he is very close to Islam. He gave me alot of advice as to how we can get more da'wah events that aren't just lectures. Insha Allah we can do em.
So we narrowly avoided disaster and were actually extremely close to having a successfull event. We learned alot about what we need to do to have a successfull event and I pray that this coming Saturday our Eid dinner will be better organized and successful.
May ALLAH preserve Shaykh Yusuf Estes and accept from him all his good deeds and multiply them, and forgive him his bad deeds and make a distance between him and them the distance between the heavens and the earth.
May ALLAH guide Allison, Laura, John and his wife to the truth. No one can be guided except those whom you guide ya ALLAH guide these 4 to the truth.
Ameen
PS: Shaykh Yusuf recorded the event and said that he will most probably use the lecture in an upcoming CD as well as web hosting it on his site. I will keep checking to see if he puts it up and post it here insha Allah.
posted by Iboo LaL @ 1:37 PM
Comments: 4
