Sheikh Uthman Hadi - What is Islamophobia and How to Combat It?

Episode Date: June 9, 2026

Islamophobia refers to fear, hatred, prejudice, or discrimination against Islam and Muslims. It can appear in many forms. Sometimes it is negative stereotypes in the media.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sheikh-uthman-hadi--6689369/support.

Bismillah, and Rahman and Rahim, al-hambhah, Allaheim, and al-a-a-Rosulah, and al-a-Rasulah, and allahehi, and hishavah, and allahehah, and Aishabi, and allahe, and your brothers and sisters, I pray that everyone is doing well and having a beautiful day, and I ask Allah, Sophanahua-ta a God to forgive us for our sins of our shortcomings and girls of special mercy, not only in this life remaining the next. My brothers and sisters, we know that here in the West especially,

and around the world, ultimately, there is a challenge that we face as believers and as Muslims alike, and that is Islamophobia. And Islamophobia, if you don't know what it means, it refers to hatred, it refers to fear, it refers to discrimination against Islam specifically and against Muslims, right? So I want to make this point valid because I know we have, inshallah, about four minutes or so, we have about 14 minutes, sorry, I got that's time. We have 14 minutes, inshallah, until also time. But what I do want to let you know now is that we know that this propaganda of how Muslims are and how we treat others and what we have in our lives and who we believe in and who we worship, how we treat everyone has a conduct, right?

And what I want to mention here first, he says Muslims, it is important for us to understand that hatred towards Islam is not something new. Because even in the time of the Prophet of Allah, Allah, He wasa, they had a problem. as well because of what they believed in. Because we knew that Muhammad Allah a. A.u'llah a He waslam and all of the other prophets before him and the messengers before him all face prosecution and oppression just because they believe in one God and they believe in a completely different religion than everyone else.

We know that because the Prophet of Allah a. Believed in Allah suhpani and He believed in the message of Islam. He followed it, he practiced it, and he taught it, and he continued to spread it among the community. the communities and among the people there, especially there when he was in Mecca and he was in Medina. Those were the time especially as well in the beginning of Islam when people were having, they had oppression, they had hatred, they had fear of these people because they felt as though us as Muslims are harmful. We know that the things are happening in the world, that there is going to be harm and there's going to be dangerous. but if we have that phobia that they have towards us,

then we know that there is one thing that happens. And Allah, Supanahua Tallah mentions this thing in the Quran. And it specifically is evil. Evil. He mentions it millions of time in the Quran. Evil. When you have hatred towards somebody else and they have hatred towards you, it's just to go back and forth.

It just continues to go back and forth, right? And what does Allah, Supperahua Tala also mentioned? He says, repel evil with that which is better. So repel evil with that which is better. If someone is treating you and just be just. If someone is not being kind, be kind. If someone is angry, be happy. Show them respect.

Show them kindness. Show them generosity. Show them hospitality. And that is one of the greatest of ways to actually face Islamophobia and combat Islamophobia is actually through knowledge and through il. Because many people fear what they do not understand. And when you know, when people learn. the true teachings of Islam, its emphasis on mercy, justice, family values, charity, and

Ibadah and worship, they often realize that many of these stereotypes are false. It's ultimately just to go and start something. So that, oh, your neighbor is Muslim, let me go over there and start something with them, oh, you guys do this and you do this, right? This is what it is. Whenever you walk into a grocery store, how do people look at you? Right? And of course, you know, if you do care about that, one of the best things to realize is that

you're not doing it for these people, right? I just want to mention that first because some of us realize our dress code, you know, if I'm wearing a thaw and a kufi or a thau, a kufi and shahmah, and shaman into a store, and you wonder how people are going to look at you and how people are going to interact. Remember that one of the things that was the Prophetos Allahi al-a-Hu-Slam did was he wore his religion everywhere he went. This is one of the things he did is that he wore his religion, no matter where he went. He wore his religion. And yes, there are times in which we are not going to be able to always wear our religion in certain cases and scenarios, but try your absolute hardest, even if you're not actually wearing the clothes to wear that echelac and to have that beautiful conduct and a beautiful

character of a true Muslim, a true Muslim. I was going to say Muslim and Muslim and a true movement. And another way, one of those ways, like I mentioned before, I just mentioned the second ago, to actually combat Islamophobia is through good character. And like I said, the promise of Allah a. by the He was known as the truthful and the trustworthy, even by those who disagree with him, right? And our manners can be one of the strongest forms of da'wa. And when Muslims are honest, kind, patient, and respectful, and helpful to their neighbors

and to their brothers and their sisters, they become living examples of Islam. And we should not try to respond to them with ignorance and anger and that which assaults them. And Allah's upon which I actually mentions this in the Quran. He says, and the servants of the most merciful are those who walk upon the earth humble. And when the ignorant addressed them harshly, they say words of peace. They say words of salam. They say words of peace in that which is pleasing to Allah, suhphanu's al-a-wa-a-a-law. So many brothers and sisters, even though we might have hard words towards us, we might see things

that are horrific that people are doing to us as believers, as Muslims, just because we believe in one God, just because we believe that Islam is the truth, just because we follow the Prophetosah aloha'u-a-hu-sahlam does not mean that we need to change who we are, how we act. Because one simple act of kindness, of how you treated someone, maybe it was that you gave them something. Maybe it was that you showed kindness. Maybe, you know, if you're out and about and someone is trying to go by when you're driving, you let them go by, right? That right there could be something that makes them look into Islam and ends up granting them the ability to look more into Islam and become ultimately a Muslim. And for anyone who is looking into Islam, I ask all of Allah,

Allah, Supanahatah, to guide all of us and to guide you, especially to continue to keep you on the straight path and to allah for us to always be on his straight path. Now, one of the other things I want to mention about Islamophobia as well is that this does not mean, even though you are to be, you know, peaceful, you are to treat them kindly, this does not mean that remaining silent in the face of injustice is okay. We should stand up for our rights through lawful and respectful means. educating others, support organizations that defend religious freedom, and speak the truth with wisdom. With wisdom. Okay, I mentioned it with wisdom.

Because we must understand and we must learn that, you know, that strength that we have is what the true connection of Islam. The true connection of Islam actually is. And Allah, Sufano, His Aura, has also told us in the Quran as well that they, the disbelievers will believe one thing in You will believe another thing and even though we believe different things, you might tell them one thing, oh, this is right and that's right, and you have your arguments and your debates, but you believe your religion and they will believe their religion and nothing is going to change it except for Allah, Siphanahua'u'u'a'u'a so even if you try your absolute heart, you give them Quran, you read to them Hadiths and you give them the truth and you

tell them this is actually right and that's wrong and this is right. And what they're telling you is wrong. Allah, Sufanahāra'u'u'u'u'a'u'a'a'a'a'a is the one who opens the eyes and the ears and the heart ultimately to the truth. So do not forget by your brothers and sisters that ultimately Allah Supperu-Sahpana hua is the change of the hearts. And if you're trying to give da-a-wa, give da-wa through your character, not dawa through your speech.

Because sometimes, that way through your speech can be a little harsh because we don't know how to properly give da-a-a-and-so we'll talk about as well. But one of the things I do want to mention here when it comes to giving da-wa by your character is showing kindness. Because sometimes people make arguments about certain things. when it comes to things in Islam, do not go and respond back harshly to them saying, oh, this is right and this is wrong and whatever you're saying. But be kind, speak kind words, and ensure that no matter what you are doing, you're doing it for Allah suhpana or

with true sincerity and intention in your heart. And finally, we must remember that guidance is in the hands of Allah and some of the greatest of enemies of Islam in history, because some of its greatest supporters after learning the truth they became the greatest of supporters sorry i meant they wrong but they came to some of the greatest of supporters of Islam and they became among those who actually decided to come and believe in the message and help spread the message right so do not forget many brothers and sisters that even though we might be in difficult in which giving tabl can be difficult and we might you know have different protests going on different things are going on around the world Islamophobia ultimately should

not be something that we go back and attack other people with and say oh well we're gonna have phobia of other people and because they don't they hate us we're gonna go back and hate them because this is what they ultimately want and this is ultimately what Allah suhpana huatala is pleased with we ask Allah Suu Suhpana huathe to forget with all my brothers and sisters I apologize for if you know if I said anything wrong or if I made mistakes by the way just to let you INshallah, the Sala-a-a-Sala al-a-Saraabhāri-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-aude. But, brothers and sisters, may Allah, suhahua-haw-taq

I think of your body of those sisters.