Hamza Yusuf: If you don't wake up for Fajr, then don't wake up at all

A democracy is predicated on an educated citizenry. You cannot have a democracy with people that are more interested in what Nicole Kidman is doing or whoever the latest fashion model is.

Hamza Yusuf

democracy fashion people

There's a statement in the Quran: There should be "absolutely no compulsion in religion."

Hamza Yusuf

compulsion quran should

There are 20,000 Muslim physicians in the United States, Americans putting their lives in the hands of Muslims every day.

Hamza Yusuf

physicians united-states hands

Muslims are peace-loving people generally. Among the young, yes, there are some militant attitudes. But a lot of it arises out of chivalry.

Hamza Yusuf

chivalry attitude people

In the Communist period, the revolutionaries, the leaders were almost always - Che Guevara, people like that - they were always from the middle class and the educated. And empathy is a very powerful emotion.

Hamza Yusuf

powerful class people

I think that's deeply rooted in Muslim consciousness, the idea of not submitting to anything other than God. "You can abuse me, but you're not going to win me over. But if you treat me with respect and dignity, I'm going to fall in love with you. I'm going to sing your praises all over the world because you're powerful and you treated me with human dignity."

Hamza Yusuf

falling-in-love powerful love-you

Muhammad Ali put an end to the idea that you can't be an American and a Muslim.

Hamza Yusuf

muhammad ends ideas

America has an immense amount of power, but it doesn't use it in any benevolent way. It uses it to maintain a status quo.

Hamza Yusuf

use america way

I'm amazed at the courage of the journalists on the frontlines in Iraq, but we need intellectual courage in our community.

Hamza Yusuf

iraq community intellectual

I don't have the power to issue papal decrees.

Hamza Yusuf

decree issues

Without discipline, Religion would be impossible

Hamza Yusuf

discipline would-be impossible

Muslims have been an almost entirely benevolent force in the 20th century. They did not wreak the havoc the Western powers wreaked on the world. They have not come anywhere near to the environmental degradation that we've done to the planet. So I think Muslims need to be seen in the proper light. They're mostly decent, hardworking people, people with deep family values, and they want to live in peace.

Hamza Yusuf

light people thinking

The vast majority of Muslims would never accept the lawfulness of an active homosexual lifestyle. I don't see that happening. But there is also no authority in the tradition for any individual to take things into his own hands and impose their version of the religion on someone else.

Hamza Yusuf

majority tradition hands

Knowledge is taken from breath, not lives in a book

Hamza Yusuf

taken wisdom book

There's no specific punishment in the books of fiqh (Islamic laws) that relate to homosexuality per se. They apply to any illicit sexual relations, including prohibited heterosexual acts like adultery. And the punishments are strong, but they are legal fictions because they are impossible to prove. You need four witnesses to say they witnessed (sexual) penetration. In what circumstances are you going to find someone to testify to that?

Hamza Yusuf

islamic strong book

If you had one word to describe the root of all this rage, it's humiliation.

Hamza Yusuf

humiliation rage roots

There are irrational fears. If you see a woman wearing a hijab and fear is your first thought, something's really wrong.

Hamza Yusuf

irrational-fear hijab firsts

I know that people can live celibate lives, I did it myself for many years.

Hamza Yusuf

knows people years

I definitely have sympathy for people who are struggling. I've met with young Muslims who have told me about their struggles.

Hamza Yusuf

mets struggle people

America is about choices, including those to live certain lifestyles.

Hamza Yusuf

lifestyle choices america