Nuh

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.

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[1]) 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.”[2] 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) [3] 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.”[4] 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.”[5] 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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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:

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.

[1] Sala-llahu Alahi Wa Salam = All Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon him.

[2] Narrated by Muslim

[3] TMQ = Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.

[4] Weak Hadith, al-Albani, 1043.

[5] This Hadith is one of Al-Riqaq (narrations that endear to the Muslims the merits of righteous deeds, yet no legislative regulations can be derived from them). It was mentioned in the “History of Baghdad” – part 2, page 282. The exact citation is, “No fire shall ever touch this hand”.

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Episode 37: Handicrafts