What Actually Draws People to Islam?
The Power of Islamic Distinction: Why Islam Spreads Through Difference, Not Similarity
Summary
Sh. Ali Mashhour continues his discussion on seeking forgiveness from Allah by analyzing the final verses revealed in Surah An-Nas and Surah Al-Kafiroon. He explains how Allah instructs the Prophet to glorify His perfection before seeking forgiveness, illustrating the profound distance between Allah's absolute perfection and human imperfection. Sh. Ali Mashhour notes that Surah An-Nas was revealed just weeks before the Prophet's death, and the Prophet thereafter made seeking forgiveness a constant part of every prayer. The lecture emphasizes the strategic placement of Surah Al-Kafiroon immediately before Surah An-Nas, demonstrating that Islam's appeal lies not in conforming to other religions but in its bold distinctiveness and moral clarity.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Alhamdulillah. Continuing in the book of the book of seeking forgiveness, seeking pardon from Allah. The author mentions the third and final verse. He cites the third and final verse of surah which we discussed yesterday last night in which the prophet sallall.aii wasallam said instructing the prophet Allah says instructing the prophet sallall.aii Allah says, "Then glorify and proclaim the perfection of your Lord and seek his pardon and forgiveness." Notice how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala made seeking the forgiveness of Allah something that is to be done after one has properly and fully glorified Allah. So it is we glorify the perfection of Allah and we seek forgiveness for our imperfections because what is a Subhan Allah. When a person says subhan Allah, they are essentially saying Allah is free of any imperfections. But then when a person turns around and says I seek Allah's forgiveness, what are they saying about themselves that they are very imperfect? They are proclaiming the greatest of distances between themselves and Allah. Allah is free from any imperfection. He's perfect in every way. And I am imperfect in every way. And I seek Allah's forgiveness for those imperfections because perfection will only come from Allah. He is the author of perfection. He is the owner and sovereign king of perfection. None is perfect but he and so I seek forgiveness from Allah. And then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala describes himself saying that indeed Allah verily is ever forgiving and accepting of one's repent repentance. He is forgiving and accepting of of one's per repentance. So this verse was revealed and it said this is the last chapter of the Quran to be revealed altogether. That the final and last chapter to be revealed as a full chapter altogether is surah nas. And this was revealed a few weeks or a few months at most two months before the prophet sallall.aii wasallam passed away. This is one of the last things that were ever revealed. The last chapter to be revealed is He will f and the last verse to be revealed is in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says and prepare care and fear a day when you all shall be returned to Allah. And upon such return, each shall be recompensed his full measure based on what he or she has earned with his own hands, and none will be oppressed on such a day. And so we notice that when this chapter was revealed, the prophet sallall.aii wasallam was narrated by Muslim to have never prayed a salah after this chapter was revealed. Once it was revealed, every single salah, he was overheard in saying in every salah after this chapter was revealed because he knew that he was coming close to his death. So he was preparing for his death. And what's interesting about the placement of this chapter is that comes right after which surah in the order of the mus right is very very harsh and very very clear in its dissociation from the disbelievers. Say, "Oh disbelievers, indeed you do not worship what I worship and I will not worship what you worship, etc. To you your actions and to me my actions." A person may say, 'Well, if we don't try to bridge the gap between us and the disbelievers, if we don't try to make ourselves relatable to them, then how will Islam spread the very next chapter? Don't worry about that because people will enter the religion of Allah in droves. They will enter into the religion of Allah in droves. Not because we are relatable, but especially because we are different. That is what draws people to Islam. Not because we are just the same as everyone else, but because we are positively different in every in every meaningful way. Look at the innovations that have accumulated over time. The innovation of unifying the religions and it said the Abrahamic religions meaning the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. We're all Abrahamic religions, right? Or said divine revelation religions. So, we're all really distant cousins at most and brothers and sisters at best. Right? That's the idea. Who has ever entered into Islam based on that da? No one. Absolutely no one. Why would you? Why would you? If the if Islam is being presented as just everyone else, we're exactly the same. There's nothing different about us. You may see us on the outside. We look different, but we're really we're just the same as you guys. Then what's so special about you? Absolutely nothing. That's not what brings people and draws people to Islam. What draws people to Islam is its difference. It's unique. It's bold. And it is un and and it has no shame or shyness in the controversy of being different. It thrives on that difference. And the more we proclaim our difference and clarify the aspects that make us different, the more what happens, the more people are drawn to Islam, the more people will enter into Islam.
[Silence]
Hallelujah.