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Nuh
Sunaa’ al-Hayah
- Life
Makers -
Episode 37:
Handicrafts
Last week we talked about
industry and home business. We said that no revival can be achieved without
industries. Today we continue from where we stopped. Life Makers is very
similar to a puzzle; in the end, you'll get a complete picture of the revival of
our nation. As I said in the last episode, we began by talking about industry.
Today, we continue to talk about handicrafts, a part of industry. Actually, I
know the main problem we need to deal with in this episode, or rather the main
problem with handicrafts in general. It is that people look down on
handicrafts. I don't want to say that it's a look of contempt but maybe a look
of arrogance that implies that a handicraft is not proper work and that it has
no real value. Thus, people have two problems now; they look down on
handicrafts and they think they have no real value in our countries. In this
episode, we want to do three things; two with our minds and one with our hands.
What do we mean by two things with our minds? To change two of the conceptions
in our minds. What are the two conceptions that we want to change with our
minds? One conception is that handicrafts have no real value; the other is that
handicrafts are neither respected nor appreciated in our country. Therefore, we
come today to change these two conceptions.
The first conception is
respecting handicrafts. The second conception is that a revival can never be
achieved without handicrafts. These are the two conceptions which we have come
to establish in this episode. The idea to do with our hands is a project that
we shall agree upon in this episode, to wrap up the subject of this episode once
and for all. I want to say something about the conceptions discussed in Life
Makers. In each episode, we discuss a new topic and a new conception. Changing
conceptions is a tricky and difficult thing to do for many people now, but
actually, this is the best time to change people's conceptions, because all
conceptions throughout the Arab world are changing. The Arab world, in the
coming ten years, will be beyond imagination. I have said this before in the
beginning of Life Makers. No human mind can grasp what will happen. The coming
ten years shall witness ten times, and more, than what has happened in the Arab
world in the past hundred years. All of you; young men and women, you are the
Life Makers. You are the ones who will be in this region of the world 10 or 20
years from now. The conceptions we are trying to establish here are the
conceptions that shall remain, and you shall work and abide by them (and this is
actually the role of Life Makers). You shall live with those conceptions after
20 years. This is our role in Life Makers. We establish a very difficult
principle. We change conceptions, but this is the age of changing conceptions.
You, our youth, shall lead this, so let us begin after this introduction with
the first conception that we want to change.
Be aware that this episode is
addressed to all members of society. Maybe the small industries episode focused
on a specific category of society, but today I address housewives, parents,
children in primary schools, young boys and girls of intermediate and secondary
schools etc. I address university students or lecturers, men and women, and the
entire Arab world. I address officials responsible for education in our
country. In this episode, I'm speaking to officials responsible for media in
our country. I'm also talking to preachers in mosques and advocators. I'm even
speaking to the craftsmen themselves. This episode is addressed to all
categories of society. This is our first conception. I am sitting in front of
you now talking about a conception that must be changed in our minds. This
conception hasn't changed for a hundred years. Are we going to change it in one
episode? No. You shall take this episode and spread it everywhere in the world
so that this conception can be changed. We can do this. Allah willing, Allah
(SWT) will help us. I am saying here that we are going to change a
conception. Can you imagine the reward of this? We can establish in our
country, in the Arab world, in the nation, among Muslims, a conception that
pleases Allah (SWT) and our nation with which we can improve! Imagine my
reward and yours; those of you who will spread out and take action on the media
level to spread this conception to the people. How much can the reward be? Can
you imagine Allah being pleased with us because we were able to mend a
cornerstone in our society? It simply surpasses imagination. It is something
with which we can meet Allah with our heads held up high, so concentrate with me
to make this conception fill our hearts. Let us act by it after this episode
and try to spread it in the media and in all our communities, so what is the
first conception? It is how important handicrafts are in order to achieve
revival.
First of all, what is a
handicraft? A handicraft or a craft means a technical kind of job that relies
on using hands and brainpower. It needs practical training, but no scientific
theory that would take a craftsman a long time to study. Briefly, what does it
depend on? A technical job carried out by hand that needs brain and skills. To
acquire such skills, you must witness the work being done in front of you. To
sum up, what is a handicraft? Hands, brains, and skills; that is it. That is a
handicraft.
Like what? There are many
examples. Blacksmiths, fitters, welders, etc. What do they do? They make
gears, moulds and templates, without which every machine on earth would not
operate. Any industry in this world is operated and adjusted by a craftsman.
What does that mean? Take the interior design of this studio for example. This
interior design is made by the engineer who designed it, but who pressed the
metal sheets and adjusted them so meticulously and professionally and set this
and that? It was a craftsman. Therefore, no industry can ever succeed except
when finished by a craftsman who adjusts all these things. Thus, our
agriculture and industries, and even our personal lives are connected to
handicrafts. I want to say that each and every civilization in this world is
based upon skilled craftsmen. Can you believe that? The Pharaonic
civilization, for example, and its extreme attention to detail was all about
handicrafts, wasn't it? The Pharaonic civilization that remains until this day
is built on handicrafts. There is also the Islamic civilization and what it
left behind in Egypt, the region of Ancient Syria, Andalusia (Spain) and their
great impact. There is the European civilization in the renaissance period and
its marvelous museums - not only the museums, but the buildings as well. When
you go to France or Eastern Germany, you will be amazed to see the detailed
architecture and craftsmanship. Not only that; can you imagine that such
handicrafts carried out hundreds of years ago benefit us and our children until
this day? How is that possible?
Have you forgotten that there is
an occupation which attracts millions of pounds to the country? Millions of
people work in it - the tourism industry. Do you know what the main part of
tourism is based on? People travel from one country to another to see works of
art made by other civilizations. Who made them? Am I right or wrong? Examples
are Khan el Khalili, or the old quarters in Tripoli. Can't you see that
all of this is a handicraft made by creative artists who used their hands
skillfully in a manner beyond comprehension? What do you mean by this? What I
want to say is that great civilizations were related to handicrafts. Look at us
now and how we disregard handicrafts and fail to appreciate their importance.
Can you imagine that great civilizations were built on handicrafts? I want to
say that we even studied in history when we were kids that the Ottoman Empire
took skilled workers from Egypt and Syria to Astana (modern day Istanbul).
Didn't we learn this at school? They did this to build the Ottoman state. This
affected the revival process. I studied this in history. Do you know why this
affected the revival process in Egypt and Syria? Because skilled workers moved
to Astana. This left Turkey the way we see it now. Look at tourism in Turkey.
They tell you, “Can you see the Solaiman Mosque? It is awesome!” When you see
the Solaiman mosque, you look in amazement at its creativity. People say the
Egyptians did this and that, and the Syrians did this and that. They tell you,
“There is the Egyptian market of Turkey. This is where Egyptian craftsmen
lived.” You go inside and you see tourists from all over Europe and the world
who pay Turkey until now millions of dollars to be amazed at the work of
professional Egyptian and Syrian craftsmen.
This means that we are earning
our own living until this day from works of craftsmen who worked hundreds and
perhaps a thousand years ago. We live on their doings and at the end, all we
say is, ‘What is this ‘handicraft’ thing?” No, I want even to go further and
tell you that the issue is not just about building, as with all the examples I
have given so far. I want you to look at craftsmen and the huge leaps they made
in the progress of our country. Without them, these leaps would never have
taken place. In Egypt, an airplane was built in 1963 called al-Qahira
(Cairo). It was the first airplane to be built completely in the Arab world.
In 1963? This plane was designed for training purposes and it actually flew.
The Egyptian engineers designed the plane and made everything. Then what
happened? If Egypt didn't have topnotch craftsmen at that time, the plane would
not have taken off. The plane took off and flew; but then came the setback of
1967, and the dream vanished, but without those craftsmen, the plane would not
have taken off. We all know about the crossing of the Suez Canal in the October
1973 war (known as the Yom-Kippur war). Sinai was occupied and crossing the
canal needed a bridge to stretch from one shore to the other. How could we
cross? We had to build a bridge! Build a bridge? However, planes would come
and bomb it, so these bridges had to be built in minutes from one side to the
other. The entire army and its tanks would then be able to cross it. Can you
imagine this? We have extremely high capabilities, but we only have to
appreciate what is called ‘manual labor.’ Let us talk about handicrafts and see
how a revival would not have existed, nor would we have achieved the success of
the October 1973 war, without them. This success was made only by those
craftsmen. I want you to appreciate craftsmen while watching this movie.
A movie showing the crossing
of the Suez Canal in the October 1973 war
What we saw shows a civilization
built by craftsmen; a tourism industry based on craftsmen, industries built by
craftsmen, planes made by craftsmen; victories and battles based on craftsmen.
However, what is the status of craftsmen these days? People look down upon
their profession and think it has no value. Last episode we talked about small
industries, but can those young men and women make such projects without having
craftsmen to do the work for them? What I said last episode is that we must
start producing small industries. I gave you several examples of small
industries (those examples were not obligatory). The obligatory thing here is
to look for the competitive element in these projects. This is the role of the
experts. They will say to our young men and women what makes them earn more and
succeed over other competitors. However, at the end, what does the young man
making a small project need? A craftsman. Without a craftsman, he won't be
able to do his work.
There is no industry without
handicrafts. Accordingly, no revival can exist without handicrafts. Handicrafts
are the cornerstone of industry. Revival is based on it, because a craftsman
has the main role in industry and agriculture. He must be available or else no
industry and no agriculture can exist; he is the keystone. This was the first
conception. I wonder if I have managed to help change it! The first conception
is extremely important. Did you see the film, and the civilizations made?
Without handicrafts, no revival will exist. We shall make use of what we said
and spread it. To all of you, young people of Life Makers, Life Makers clubs,
all of you, both men and women; some people tell me, “I can't help in the
program.” Well, your media role is enough to be contributing with us in Life
Makers. Let us all be a part of this, contributing together and agreeing with
our Prophet (SAWS)
and with Allah (SWT). Let us vow with them that we shall stand together
to help in the revival of our country.
Ladies, try and change with me
those conceptions because this is the age of changing conceptions. The future
is all yours, young people. This is the first conception. Let us discuss the
second conception after the break, Allah willing.
The second conception we want to
establish is to respect handicrafts. We have to see it as an extremely great
and appreciated work. What is the common opinion of it nowadays? We all know
of course. We look down on it. No, I can't be a craftsman. The most important
thing for me now is to graduate and gain my certificate. Regardless of whether
I'll work after it or not, the most important thing is that I'll hold a
certificate and hang it on the wall at home. I'm a graduate of so and so. This
for us is the most important thing, but to have a handicraft to do would seem to
be nonsense. This is contemptuous. No, no, not me! Never! My family and
social level won't accept such a thing. I can't do this. Nowadays, you find
that all a mother's concern is, “Oh son, you must graduate first in order to get
married to a good, beautiful girl from a reputable family. You will go to them
with your certificate if they ask you about the university you graduated from.
They will not accept you with any another certificate.” Consequently the boy
continues studying to gain that certificate, but afterwards he has no work to
do. In this way your son becomes unemployed and the girl; she passes thirty
without marrying because no working man was able to propose to her, because her
father would not accept an unemployed man and at the same time he cannot make
his daughter marry someone who doesn't have a decent graduation certificate.
Suppose someone learnt a craft and made a small, successful project, which he
earns plenty of money from. He is also very well behaved. I know so many
people have some reservations with regards to the behavior of craftsmen.
Suppose we are in this program, Life Makers, making
enlightening programs and a craftsman who is very well behaved comes to
propose to your daughter. Are you going to accept or are you going to wait
until she passes the age of thirty and prefer instead the man who graduated from
university with a certificate in his hand?
I swear that we cannot work like
this. Not only that; the ideal mother who relentlessly raised her children and
stayed up late at night, and the prizes given to ideal mothers (of course we
admire this), but they sometimes bring them on TV. She says, “I raised my two
children in spite of our bad conditions. One of them graduated as an engineer
and the other a doctor.” However what do they do now? This is another issue,
but we thank Allah.
Of course I'm not belittling the
role of mothers and their efforts. Quite the contrary, they are the best thing
that happened to us. In the end, this is how we think of it. I exerted a great
deal of effort to raise him and get him the certificate. Why do we never say,
“I worked hard and he became a productive person in society?” It does not
happen. What's more is that the craftsman himself says that he can never bring
his child up as a craftsman. “He must go to college,” while he himself is
working and succeeding and earning his living well to bring up his child to
become an unemployed man. Can you imagine this?
Did I not tell you that we have
come today to change conceptions? Our reward, all of us Life Makers who shall
work with me is that we shall change these conceptions. This is our time. Use
your mind and beware that all those graduating from colleges do not learn
anything because the capability of the university professor cannot meet the
requirements of the two thousand students sitting in the lecture hall. The last
three rows play cards. I know what happens at the back because I was a student
in those lecture halls and I know it happens. Cards, or even chess for the
smart ones and the professor can never see them all because he is talking to two
thousand students. Where is the education in this?
Let me tell you a nice joke.
Three men graduated from high school and they are on their way to the Graduate
Management office. This office is responsible for deciding the universities to
which any student can apply. This story is real by the way. It happened in an
Arab country, without mentioning any names. Of course, when they go in with
their papers to decide on the university which they want to apply to, the queue
for the employee is very long. They finally reach the office and enter to see
the employee. He looks at the papers and says, “Which college do you want to
apply to?” One of them says, “Faculty of Science.” The employee says, “Sorry,
it's all booked.” The boy replies, “So what can we do now?” The employee asks
him to hurry up because the line is still very long. The boy goes on, “Then
what do you have?” The man replies, “I have Faculty of Arts and Faculty of
Commerce.” The boy then looks at his friend and says, “What are we going to
do?” His friend replies, “I'll tell you something, let's apply for anything as
long as we’re together. Go ahead man.” They go to college. Should I proceed
with the joke? It is not a joke, it is a tragedy. They go to college. They
study things that are not at all related to the job market. They graduate to
find themselves with 16 million other unemployed graduates in the Arab world, as
calculated at this moment.
This way of thinking must
change. What does this mean? Of course right now we have a father watching us,
with his son beside him, telling me, “Do you want me to get my son out of
college and let him go and study in some technical institute? Go switch off
that TV, son. By Allah, this guy is …” No please, may Allah (SWT) bless
you, don't. We're now settling upon our conceptions. I haven't explained the
project yet, so do not you switch off your TV, because you might like the
project. However first, we have to agree that this can't work. Prophet
Mohammad (SAWS) used to say, “O Allah, I
seek refuge in Thee from the knowledge which does not benefit.”
Think about this and of the nation nowadays. Imagine this Hadith when you hang
it inside your house for your children to see. I beg you to raise your kids on
the principles of this Hadith. I am not asking you any more than this.
“O Allah, I
seek refuge in Thee from the knowledge which does not benefit.” What is wrong
in bringing up your child so that he can open a print shop? Then it would grow
to become a publishing house. Why not? What's wrong when a woman or a girl
learns how to make dessert and owns the largest dessert store in the country and
becomes famous? Aren't those trades and crafts?
This conception must change. We
must respect handicrafts. We must appreciate the importance of handicrafts.
Let me ask you a question. When you listen to this Hadith,
“O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the
knowledge which does not benefit,” what do you think of? How are you going to
face Prophet Mohammad (SAWS) when he seeks refuge in Allah (SWT)
from this matter? “O Allah, I seek refuge in
Thee from the knowledge which does not benefit.” Let me tell you another
thing. What caused our nation to become the way we see it now? Why do we have
this idea of looking down on handicrafts in this way? Do you know why? I'll
tell you why. It is because of colonization. What do you mean? When our
countries were occupied by the Europeans, they were very keen to remove
discipline from our lives. A man called Dunlop set education policies for many
Arab countries. Do you know the basis on which he wanted children to be brought
up? He employed his thinking. He knew the product that would come out of this
type of education. He wanted to produce employees, and not workers or craftsmen
or people with vocations. Why? Because the occupier is supposed to market
products made by craftsmen and workers from their own countries, in order to
market them in our countries. Am I right? Isn't this the reason behind
occupation?
We have our own industries, so
if you become craftsmen, it will not make sense. Right? Of course not. Do you
remember the film that told the story of Gandhi? His sole cause was to prove,
“We are craftsmen. We shall make products in our own country.” Dunlop made a
brilliant education system to bring up employees so that their only managerial
work would enable them to market products coming from outside. Ok, Dunlop has
gone now, and so has colonization. A hundred years have passed now and the
education systems have still not changed! Why haven't we changed our
viewpoints? Besides changing education systems, Dunlop even caused more damage
than that. All the money and budgets were dedicated to education in
universities and what about vocational education? He totally neglected it. Not
only did he neglect it but the system even stopped providing them with cultural
awareness and correcting their behavior, so craftsmen were brought up without
being accurate in their work. A craftsman becomes embarrassed of what he does,
and not only that. He is also neither culturally aware nor disciplined.
Therefore, the society started looking down upon him even more and all of that
wasted any chance of revival. This cannot work. All of this must change and
this is our role. I know that what I am saying is difficult, but the coming
days shall witness many changes. You can change this. Look what happened
because of what we said? When you see Europe, you will find that both
university and vocational education are paid a great deal of attention. Why?
Because they complement each other. It's just like a puzzle, as I told you
before. The pieces are integrated together, and no industry can ever exist
without the two. Therefore, when you look at Europeans, you will find a
respectful man saying, “My son graduated from a technical school. He's working
now and earning his own living.” If you watch talk shows in Britain; when I do,
I am astonished. I really am. You find one of those high standard shows. The
guests are a doctor, and beside him a mechanic. They both talk on the same
social level and discuss the same culture. Why? Because the mechanic was
fostered financially and has received the same quality of education as the
doctor.
When we start with the episodes
about education, we shall take huge steps in this matter, with Allah’s will, to
correct the situation, but this conception must be established. What is it
again? To respect handicrafts. What made things worse is that the media,
which, instead of trying to spread discipline among them and to educate them
culturally and to solve their problems, in order to set a good example to
society, made it worse. What did it do? It started to joke about them and
laugh at them; talking about young child mechanics, making fun of them, so
parents started saying, “No, I don't want this.” Isn't this what happened in
our countries? Ok, I come here today to change this. In this episode, we must
change this conception, using Qur'an, and Islam. Listen to what the Qur'an says
regarding craftsmen. The Qur'an mentioned the craftsman in a way that makes you
admire him. Also, what did Prophet Mohammed (SAWS) say about craftsmen?
Change conceptions using Islam. We have something that we can refer to called
religion. Islam is great. It's not just about praying and fasting. It tells
us how life goes on. This is Allah’s will. Listen to this ayah (verse)
where Allah says what can be translated as,
“Indeed We have already sent Our Messengers with the supreme evidence (s), and
We have sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that mankind may keep up
equity…” (TMQ, 57:25)
Qur'an, and religion, and then what? Listen to the rest of the ayah where Allah
says what can be translated as, “…
And We have sent down iron …” (TMQ,
57:25). The book, the balance and iron. He set the two things beside each
other, “… And We have sent down iron, wherein is strict violence, and
(various) advantages for mankind …” (TMQ,
57:25). How does it have advantages for others while it is still new?
What is the Qur'an talking about? About the shaping of iron. How could there be
any benefits without welders and fitters? Can you see the picture? This is
about iron.
Let us talk about another thing:
building and construction. Listen to this ayah when Allah (SWT) talks
about his numerous blessings bestowed upon people. Allah
says what can be translated as, “And
remember as He made you successors even after Aad and located you in the earth,
taking to your selves palaces of its plains, and hewing (its) mountains into
homes; so remember the boons of Allah …” (TMQ,
7:74). He considered it a blessing to learn crafts, a blessing that he
has bestowed upon them. Can you see now how crafts are described in the
Qur’an? Listen to this ayah as well, about a craft that led a whole country to
faith. The whole of Yemen became Muslim because of a craft. What craft was
this? Glassmaking. How? The following ayah, where Allah
says what can be translated as, “It was said
to her, “Enter the tower.” …” (TMQ,
27:44). When Queen Balkis of Yemen
went to Prophet Solaiman (AS) (Solomon), he told her to enter the tower;
where was the tower? In the water. A house built in water, but there is water
between her and the house. Then, Allah says what can
be translated as, “…Then as soon as she saw it, she reckoned it a pool
…” (TMQ, 27:44). She thought the whole way to the house was
full of water, so she lifted up her clothes slightly so that her legs would not
get wet. Allah says what can be translated as,
“… and she uncovered both her shanks …”
(TMQ, 27:44). “This man wants me to cross water. I can never say no
to such a king.” She was embarrassed and lifted her clothes up a little to pass
and when she stepped with her feet, she found herself standing on hard ground.
The water surface was covered with a glass layer. Can you imagine such a
craft? Do you know who did this? Craftsmen. In the rest of the ayah, Allah
says what can be translated as, “… He
said, “Surely it is a tower smoothed of crystal.”
…” (TMQ, 27:44). “Don’t worry, it
is not water, only glass.” She stood amazed and thought how they were religious
and craftsmen at the same time. Then, after she had seen the craft, she said in
the ayah where Allah says what can be translated as,
“… She said, “Lord! Surely I have done injustice to myself, and I
(now) surrender (i.e., I am a Muslim) with Solaiman to Allah, The Lord of the
worlds.” (TMQ, 27:44). This is a
craft that caused Islam to be embraced. Can you see how the Qur'an glorifies
this issue? Let us talk about another aspect. How did the people of Nuh (AS)
(Noah) survive? I'm talking here about ships.
Regarding the story of Prophet
Nuh (AS), Allah (SWT) says what can be
translated as, “And work out (i.e., make) the Ship (s) under Our Eyes
and by Our revelation, and do not address Me concerning the ones who have done
injustice; surely they will be drowned.”“
(TMQ, 11:37). Who made the ship? Craftsmen of course. Be aware
that the people of Nuh (AS) used to say this about craftsmen. Allah
(SWT) says what can be translated as, “…
and in no way do we see that anyone has closely followed you except the ones who
are the most decrepit of us...” (TMQ,
11:27). Which kind of people? Those with the ‘lousy’ jobs. Unfortunately,
they also looked down upon craftsmen. They told prophet Nuh (AS), “We
can see that your companions have lousy vocations. “…and in no way do we see
that anyone has closely followed you except the ones who are the most decrepit
of us...” In reply to this, Allah
says what can be translated as, “And work
out (i.e., make) the Ship(s) under Our Eyes and by Our revelation ...”
(TMQ, 11:37). ‘Our Eyes and by Our revelation’ to help the
craftsmen. What do you think? Do you see the words of the Qur’an regarding
this matter?
Moreover, we have a Surah (chapter) in the Qur’an that talks about six or
seven types of skilled workers in five or six ayahs. Thulqarnayn was a just
king. He really appreciated handicrafts, and considered it to be the basis of
success. How? Thulqarnayn passed by people who were weak and poor. They did not
have social security. They were weak because they used to be attacked by people
stronger and tougher than them. Those people were called Yajuj
and Majuj (Gog and Magog). When they saw
him, with his strong army, “They said, “O Thulqarnayn! Surely Yajuj
and Majuj (Gog and Magog) are corruptors in
the earth; so shall we make for you a tribute on condition that you make a
barrier between us and them?” (Literally: between us and between them).” (TMQ,
18:94). They lived between two mountains (or cliffs). They asked, “Can we
give you some money to block the gap between these two mountains?” He refused.
“He said, “That wherein my Lord has established me is more charitable; (i.e.,
what I have from my lord is better than your tribute) so help me with (your)
power …” (TMQ, 18:95). “Don’t be so bossy and arrogant! Come and work with
me!” Thulquarnayn had an army and could have taken money in return, but he had a
principle. It was to work and learn. There is no problem if you have a
university degree and work in a job that needs manual skill. Those who only see
my words as black and white, you can do both. What is important is that you
have a handicraft and respect it.
What did Thulqarnayn do? He did a very strange thing. He blocked the gap
between the two mountains. Picture the two mountains; behind these mountains
are Yajuj and Majuj (they are still locked behind them until now by the way).
Thulquarnayn wanted to lock them. They cannot get out of their mysterious
place in the world because it lies between two large mountains with a barrier
between them, so how did he make this barrier? Try to picture this with me; he
got blacksmiths. They started to cut the iron and make it of the same size as
the gap between the two mountains. They put the pieces of iron on top of each
other until they connected between the tops of the two mountains. Allah says
what can be translated as, “Bring me ingots of iron…” Give me blocks of
iron. “Until, when he had leveled up between the two cliffs, he said,
“Blow!”…” He started to light a fire with the iron. “Until, when he made
it a fire…” What does it mean that he made it a fire, until the iron became
red in color? “He said, “Bring me, that I may pour out molten brass on it.”
(TMQ, 18:96). The moment the iron became red, he had containers of copper
(or brass) that had reached their melting point. The copper was poured over the
iron, and it started to fill in the gaps in-between the iron, melting together
until they formed a strong, smooth alloy. Listen to the ayah in which Allah
says what can be translated as, “So, in no way were they able to surmount it,
and in no way were they able to bore it.” (TMQ, 18:97). They couldn’t climb
it because it was smooth, and they couldn’t penetrate it because it was so
strong. Can you imagine the perfection? The melting point of iron is not the
same as that of copper. He was able to plan it such that at the same moment the
iron became red, the copper was melted. What skill! He divided the people into
teams. Those were the people who were too arrogant, who didn’t know how to
work, like those with high degrees. He told them that it is ok if you have
degrees, but you must also work. You will form teams, a team for iron, a team
for copper, a team to pour, a team to adjust the iron, and a team to build.
Until now this work is perfected, perfected, perfected. I say it three times
because today it is still locking Yajuj and Majuj as the Qur’an stated.
Tell me, by Allah (SWT); are the pyramids greater or the barrier of Yajuj
and Majuj? Are the skyscrapers greater and more powerful or the barrier of Yajuj
and Majuj? Which is the strongest and most lasting? This is a Qur’anic example
to illustrate the importance of appreciating handicrafts. The people of
Thulqarnayn were weak, they were afraid of their enemy. They thought that money
would solve their problem, but Thulqarnayn taught them that a skill that you
master is what will make you succeed; it will save you. He is teaching them and
us a very important meaning. Work with your hand and succeed; it is nothing to
be ashamed of. The Qur’an is proud of Thulqarnayn who filled the earth with
justice. His justice was because of skills he had. Muslims must read the Qur’an
this way. That’s why we read Surat al-Kahf every Friday, so that on your
holiday, you know what is required of you all week: a success, like that of
Thulqarnayn. That is why the Prophet (SAWS) tells us to read Surat
al-Kahf every Friday, in order to learn these meanings.
The Prophet (SAWS) tells us, “Surely, Allah loves the professional (or
skilled) believer.”
See how he highly considers handicrafts! He said ‘believer’ so that the person
would have good ethics, instead of a skilled worker with bad ethics and morals.
He also said ‘professional,’ or ‘skilled.’ Nowadays we use ‘professional’ for
soccer players or singers, even though the root of the word ‘professional’ is
‘skill.’ Have you forgetten that our families were proud of their skills? There
are many family names, like the family of al-Haddad (blacksmith), whose family
name is derived from the skill; the family of al-Sanea (maker or worker) in
Kuwait; the family of Saqqaf (roof-maker); the family of Najjar (carpenter).
Aren’t these the family names in our Arab world? It was a source of pride for
them to be named after their skills. The Prophet (SAWS) advised us with
this meaning by saying, “Surely Allah loves.” You must all be proud, ladies and
girls, fathers and mothers; your son must learn a skill and perfect it so that
Allah (SWT) will love him. Is this Islam? Yes this is Islam.
It does not stop at that. The Prophet (SAWS) once saw a man with rough
hands, a worker whose hands were rough from working. The Prophet (SAWS)
looked at him and touched his hands, saying, “This is a hand that Allah and His
Messenger love.”
This hand; this rough hand. Now when we see a worker with a rough hand, we
hesitate to shake his hands, but the Prophet (SAWS) did not do that; this
is Islam, he holds his hands, and touches it, and says that Allah (SWT)
loves this hand. You are all free not to like handicrafts, and to be arrogant
and look down on them. It is sufficient for you, craftsmen, to know that Allah
(SWT) and His Messenger (SAWS) love you; what else could you want?
Be proud of your work.
Amr Ibnul-Aas was a butcher. Khabab Ibnul-Aratt was a blacksmith. Saad Ibn
Abu-Waqqas, the leader of the battle of Qadeseya, of whom we all are proud and
name our kids Saad after him: what did he do? He was a rope maker. There is no
shame in this. The Prophet’s son, Ibrahim, was nursed by the wife of a
blacksmith. The Prophet (SAWS) was happy with this, as if he is sending
us a signal: look who is nursing my son!
A carpenter made a new thing called the mimbar (the stairs on which the
Imam stands for preaching). It was not prescribed by Qur’an or Sunnah. The
carpenter said to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS), this is something for
you to stand on so that the people can see you. He used his work and skill to
give Islam a great service. This is Islam, and this is skill. This is its
value in Islam, this is our religion and this is our vision. We want people to
be like that. The West is like that. Nixon, the ex-president of the United
States, said very strange words in his resignation speech. He said, “Leaving my
position as a president doesn’t mean that I will stop serving my country. Just
like the United States needs a president, it needs carpenters, electricians and
plumbers, we are all honest and respectable, whatever our position is, as long
as we serve our country.”
This is one of the secrets of the success of the West. We look at it, and keep
falling more and more. No revival will ever happen until our preconceptions
change. We have to respect this kind of work. The current president of Brazil
has a very strange story. This man was a mechanic who entered the school of
mechanics at the age of 14. He then grew and become the president of the
worker’s union. Then, he grew and made the Labor party. He grew more and
entered the elections. Now, he is the president of a country. He was not
ashamed in front of the whole country to be a skilled worker. There is no shame
in that.
Note that you can get a great deal of money if you have a skill. How do you get
a great deal of money? Here are examples of people with skill who succeeded
exceptionally. Have you heard of Chanel and their stores? Chanel earns billions
of dollars each year. Who is Chanel? Madame Chanel is a dressmaker. She had a
sewing machine, which turned into a store. Look for your sustenance, working by
your hands is better than waiting in the unemployment line. Aren’t you looking
for solutions to unemployment? Resort to skilled work. Even beside a university
degree. You are free, as long as you perfect your work and succeed in it.
Another strange story is that of Azza Fahmy. She owns one of the largest
jewelry stores in Egypt. She graduated from university, but she realized that
her degree was of no use. She went to al-Saghaa (a district well-known for
jewelry-making). She spent three years looking at the workers making jewelry.
She worked with her hands, and broke her fingernails in order to learn. Now,
she owns the largest jewelry store chain in Egypt. There is no need to talk
more about this point because of taxes and envy and so on, but she really makes
jewelry that reflects our culture and civilization.
There is a person sitting among us today who is a barber. This young man is
Hossam. When the civil war started in Lebanon, Hossam like many other youth
moved to Britain. Youth who did not have skills and professions were lost, and
they could not find work. Hossam was a good barber. He worked in Britain and
earned good money as a barber during the war. Hossam now owns a big barber
salon in downtown Beirut. He was never ashamed of being a barber. It was to the
contrary.
Many young people in the Persian Gulf area are now thinking this way because of
unemployment. I will show you a short movie made by the Saudi Arabian branch of
the Toyota Company, may Allah (SWT) reward them. They were concerned
about this issue, and they looked for patriotic businessmen. We really need
businessmen to help us in Life Makers. Let us watch the movie by the Toyota
Company called ‘I am proud.’ It is a great movie, “I am proud to be a
handicraftsman.” We thank the Toyota Company for donating this movie to us. Let
us see the movie.
= MOVIE =
This is another possible idea.
To all life makers out there,
you can download, watch and read this episode online. Our objective is to tell
everyone what we say and do in these episodes.
However, we also want to start
with ourselves first and learn a handicraft. The ladies and the mothers can
also learn a handicraft and be part of these projects. These projects are for
everybody. By the way, once you have learnt a trade
and have worked in it, you will progress so much that you will become an expert
in it.
Ad-Dhurkani is a man who started
his life as a simple craftsman who designed machines. He had continued his hard
work with a great deal of patience until he became one of the experts in
designing machines. His next step was to become a Muslim scientist. He did that
and became one of the most important Muslim scientists
in history. Thus he started as a simple craftsman then he improved in
his own field to become an expert and then a great scientist. He invented the
astrolabe which was a significant invention during his time. It was used in
astrology to see the movement of the stars. The Muslims were the first to
invent it and discover how stars move. It is ad-Dhurkani’s invention. He was a
Muslim.
Hence, the astrolabe is the logo
of this program. In the past, people have wondered about the logo that we have
chosen for this program. They could not understand the reason behind our
choice. This logo is the astrolabe, the invention of ad-Dhurkani. We have
chosen it to stress the fact that we, as Muslims, were great scholars even if we
have started from scratch.
Let us quickly watch a video
about ad-Dhurkani’s invention. You will see how he started as a simple
craftsman and became a very significant scientist with the great invention of
the astrolabe.
= MOVIE =
We need a design of which we can
be proud. I am very proud with the invention we have just seen in the video. I
am very proud of a person who starts as a simple handicraftsman.
Our next video is about a unique
city. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Egypt. After you watch
this video, you will wonder why other cities do not do the same. We all know
about the high unemployment rate in Egypt; how then is this city able to keep
its unemployment rate low? You will find that the whole city is based on
handicrafts.
In this city, a young man
finishes school and then starts work in the same workshop his dad works in, so
that he learns the handicraft. Usually the grandmother is also working in the
same workshop. This city is made up of a productive society where every one is
a handicraftsman. This city is Damietta, Egypt.
= MOVIE =
After having watched these video
presentations we must come to an agreement.
Firstly, we have to know that
handicrafts are the basis of any social revival. It is the backbone of industry.
If it is not supported, there will be no revival of our society.
Secondly, we need to change our
mentalities towards being a handicraftsman. We need to be proud of having a
handicraft as a productive skill in society. We should tell everyone that
handicrafts are the foundation of social revival. Not only should we change our
view towards handicrafts but we should teach our children this mentality.
The project which we will
introduce in the next section fosters this mentality. We will see it after we
take this break.
Therefore, we have come to agree
that our thinking towards handicrafts have changed, by Allah’s will.
I hope that this change will
also be transmitted to everyone else out there. We can help to do that when we
distribute the video presentations you have just seen today to everyone out
there. You can download them from the internet. These will hopefully change
the mentalities towards handicrafts.
Next, we need a project so that
we can initiate it ourselves. We will not end today until we have a small
project in place which everyone can contribute to; young children in primary
school, teenagers in high school and young adults at university. All of these
people can participate in this project.
A word to the parents out there,
you can start straight away with this project. You can decide that from
tomorrow onwards your child has to learn a handicraft. This is how you go about
it. You will get three or four tables to set up a workshop, which also needs
special space to be assigned to it at home. Then, you will ask a well mannered
and trustworthy handicraftsman to teach your children his skills. You can also
invite your neighbor’s children to come and learn with your own children.
There is a person who lives in
Masr al-Gideeda (Heliopolis) in Egypt, who makes sure that every Friday
and every school holiday, his son spends time with a mechanic learning his
skills. Meanwhile, he does not deprive his son from playtime with his friends.
There is also another man who is
a lecturer at university. He is doing almost the same thing. He makes sure
that he sends his 10-11 year old son during the summer holidays to Germany to
learn a handicraft so that when he grows up, he would have a handicraft
available to him.
We need to emphasize this
mentality to everyone in our community.
We, as parents, will start
immediately. We will divide our children’s time so that they can learn a
handicraft and have playtime too. They can learn a handicraft and go to
swimming lessons. They can learn a handicraft and play football. We can start
now; we do not have to wait until the summer holidays come. Even our daughters;
they can encourage their brothers to learn a handicraft while learning one
themselves.
I hope that the parents who are
listening today will follow through with this idea and insist upon it so that
their kids can start learning a handicraft immediately.
Governments have known how
precious handicrafts are to a social revival. They decided to establish 3 to 4
subjects at school that target handicraft learning. The education systems in
Lebanon, Egypt and the Gulf area established handicraft subjects in their school
curricula. Some of these subjects are repairs, technology, handicraft,
maintenance and home economics.
This implies that the government
has already fulfilled its duty. It provided our children with the appropriate
school subjects to learn a handicraft. These subjects provide our children with
hands on experience and teach them how things actually operate.
What happened next? We, as
parents, teachers and school administrators have downgraded the importance of
such subjects. Since they are perceived as unimportant, the students waste
their time and mess around during their lessons. It is obvious that they do not
regard them highly. Meanwhile, the science teacher chooses to miss out these
subjects because they are unimportant. Then he/she has enough time to cover
other material in the school syllabus; the more important material.
The parents also tell their kids
not to study such subjects because they do not help in getting the high mark to
enter university.
If one looks at the books of the
students who do such subjects, one will find them blank. Therefore, how can the
students pass an exam? They plagiarize. Who is responsible? Everyone is. The
school system, students and parents are all responsible. A parent might say, “My
son hasn’t written anything in his books for this subject. However, he must
write something in the exam even if the marks do not count towards the total
marks needed to enter university.” Therefore, this parent will help his son
plagiarize by giving him the notes.
This is how the Ummah
(Islamic nation) and society are lost.
What am I after? In the English
newspapers of today we found the picture of this girl on the front pages. This
girl is a Muslim Pakistani who has won a case, in Britain, to wear her hijab.
She won her case against the British tribunal after she was asked to take off
her hijab at school. Do you know why she won the case? The Muslims there have
causes which they are ready to pursue until the last breath, such as the cause
of the hijab. Sometimes they win and at other times they lose. They are still
ready to live their whole lives defending such causes. However, there is
another cause, a cause that would make our revival, and nobody is ready to
defend this cause. I am not asking you to go and fight at the schools. I am
not asking you to threaten them by taking legal action. I am only asking you,
school students and parents, to go to the school principal and ask him to listen
to this episode. I am sure that you will find him as patriotic as you are. You
will find him as loving to his religion as you are. You will ask him to put
this subject in the syllabus so that it would be taught to your children. I
want all the parents to go tomorrow to the school principals and tell them that
you want your children to learn this subject. If they tell you that they have
no one to teach it, tell them that they are obliged to find teachers. Tell them
that you are ready to go and search for teachers in other technical institutes.
Germany sent us technicians and
handicraftsmen to study in our technical institutes as a grant. You will ask
the principal to get technicians; you will ask him to get highly mannered
technicians. You will insist that your children learn handicrafts. In the same
way this Muslim girl defended her right to wear hijab, we will defend our right
to make our revival. We want all our schools to teach this subject. If you go
to the principal and he tells you that they will look into this issue later, you
will go again and again and again, until your son gets this subject in his
syllabus. Your sons will also insist on this, I am sure that the school
students listening to me now will go and do this. University students must also
learn a handicraft, for nobody knows where their sustenance will come from.
Allah says what can be translated as, “…so walk in its territories and eat of
His provision…” (TMQ, 67:15). Hence, you will eat “His provisions”
after you “walk in its territories.” This means that you have to walk
from east to west, to move, to work, to search. Solving the problem of
unemployment is hinged on this.
Mothers and fathers; we have now
changed the misconceptions, so start working. You were asking for a project in
which we could all participate and here it is. The whole Arab world (mothers,
fathers and children) can work in this starting from today. This is what you
will do at the schools, but what if the teachers do not respond? You have to
find a handicraft for your children to learn. You have to do it. The hand must
work so that the brain can function.
This is our first project, so
are we going to succeed? I know that what I am saying is difficult but nothing
is easy in the Arab world anymore. As long as we have our youth, our men, our
girls and our ladies, we have hope. We have great hope in the women who know
how to pursue their ends. They will hand the torch from one generation to the
other; they will be adamant and they will succeed, so this is our first project.
The second project is directed
to everyone who owns any form of media structure. We want to uplift the image
of handicrafts and trades. We want to culture our craftsmen, to teach them good
manners and to respect them. I pass this message to all the media figures;
celebrities, scenario writers, lyric writers. I pass this message to all those
who give the Friday sermons (Jumua’a sermons). I pass it to all those who are
concerned with the media in the Arab world. I am asking the viewers to take
this episode and to try to get it to all the celebrities, to all those who own
cable TV channels, to all the speakers at the mosques. Ask them to listen to
the tape of this episode. Download it from the website and spread it all over
the world. Our message is to respect the vocational work and understand its
value for revival. I am asking all the viewers to teach their children a
handicraft.
The third project is that we
want businessmen. We really want their help in Life Makers. We want you to
teach the youth some handicrafts in your industries. One of you might have a
tile factory, why don’t you get some youth and train them? Why don’t you have a
training center? Why don’t our businessmen participate? On the website
www.amrkhlaled.net we have a special mail (businessmen@amrkhaled.net)
and we ask all the businessmen to participate. Are you ready or not? How many
are you willing to train? Are you willing to open a training center with one of
your associates, to train the youth that will later work in your factory?
Believe me, you will profit at the end. Why don’t you follow Toyota’s example!
Why don’t you do what the company of Abdul-Lafif al-Jameel in Saudi Arabia
does? We need all this in Life Makers.
This is a project for the
parents and students, and also a media project. We need the media in all our
work. We need to change the misconceptions. I’m asking for something like what
Life Makers of Jordan did – they posted adverts in all the newspapers in Jordan
for three weeks (every Tuesday), announcing the time of the episode. Something
like what the Life Makers in Sudan did – they broadcast the episodes on their
television. The message of the media is highly important. If the ladies are
unable to participate in our projects, then they can at least help us by
spreading the program.
I am asking for something like
all the things the Life Makers in Egypt are doing. We have a report on the
website that I want you all to see. The report will tell you everything the
Life Makers have done through the media in the past two weeks; in Jordan, Sudan,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and elsewhere. Read the report and follow their example.
I have finished today’s episode,
so have we agreed on our projects for this episode? We need to establish two
conceptions:
1)
Handicrafts are essential for the revival.
2)
We have to respect handicrafts and esteem them.
We have agreed that parents will
go to schools, and they will find principals just as ready as you are ready to
listen. The students will go to the schools and ask to learn handicrafts. We
want them to take it in the very next class.
We want the children to learn
while they are at home. We want university students to learn handicrafts. We
want to start tomorrow. Contact us on the internet and tell us what you do.
Contact us through our e-mail addresses, our fax, and our phone numbers and
tell us your achievements. Let us feel that the stagnant water has started to
move and that the people have started to work.
Imagine the thawab
(reward) that we will all get! Let us remember the Prophet’s words, “Allah
loves the skillful believer,” “Allah and His Messenger love this hand.” Are you
all with me? Will the businessmen help us?
We are done with this episode,
and we gave you all our input. Just one last thing remains, and it is a present
in celebration for Mother’s Day. We presented to you Sami Yusuf, in the episode
of arts and culture, as an example for the art we would love to have. Today
Sami Yusuf is acknowledging our gesture by giving us a present. This program is
actually one of the sponsors of this song. We will end our episode today with a
song for the mothers and at the same time by sending our felicitations to Sami
Yusuf who weds right now as we speak.
We will wait for
your achievements. I hope you enjoy Sami Yusuf’s song .
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