World peace (presentation at THE 38th ANNUAL INTERFAITH FORUM SERIES)

 (As salaamu 'alaikum. Greetings of peace. Below is our presentation at the Annual Interfaith Forum series sponsored by the Interfaith Council Of Southern Nevada. In addition to the text, video and photos of the event are to be found. Many thanks to the Muslim community for its support as well as the SGI Buddhist Center for hosting the event.)

                                            

WORLD PEACE

                                              Can Peace be our future? 

(Presentation at the thirty-eighth annual Interfaith forum series, sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada, October 26, 2025 Las Vegas, Nevada.)

In the name of God, The Compassionate, The Ever-Merciful

Our topic can be viewed as theoretical, yet it  can also be seen as the most important topic of this  era, particularly in a Western context, where we have viewed ourselves as  largely immune from the conflicts and turmoil experienced overseas. Recent events in the  contemporary  political climate have placed those sort of assumptions   into question. 

“Peace” as a word, can carry diverse meanings in the minds of people. For most, the popular meaning is the end of war. Yet, wars are fought for both good and bad reasons. The African-American theologian and social reformer Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (d.1968) has famously written “ True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” 

Islam has placed great emphasis on justice. Peace is a by-product of not only justice, but a correct mentality. It stands against racism in the strongest terms. It calls for economic justice, the removal of oppression, a healthy and sober society in which  the environment and natural resources are protected, where  minorities are not subjected to exploitation and abuse. It is  when these conditions are addressed, peace will naturally follow. 

The Qur’an says “ And God invites towards the abode of peace, He guides to a straight path whom He wills.” ( Q 10:25). The ultimate “abode of peace” is in the next life. This world will always have some sort of problems, but we do our best to bring forth what is beneficial to mankind. The Qur’an says “Indeed, God orders justice and excellent conduct, giving to those closest to you, He forbids immorality, repugnant acts and wickedness. He gives you admonition, so that perhaps you will take heed.” ( Q 16:90).

The Quranic verse cited last is actually very important on this overarching topic. It presents the foundations for authentic peace, be it within a person, society, or between opposing sides. “Justice” (Al-’Adl) is the proper balancing within all situations, “Excellent conduct” (Al-Ihsaan) denotes beautiful embellishments, of people and places, of the soul and body. The Qur’an says further to “give to those close to you.” This doesn’t mean charity only, it denotes having an attitude of communal benefit,  which captures  the big picture of human needs , not just individualistic or limited interests. Much of the impediments to peace, even the peace of a person’s soul, is linked to lack of true balances, failure to engage in authentic introspection, and the unavailability of a support system. These impediments can be caused not only by individual trauma but also emerge from structural injustice.

These points cannot be ignored if we are serious in seeking peace, be it the peace within an individual or between different groups of humans in our world. There is a global trend today, heavily represented within political discourse, which obscures the realities which we have shared by resorting to scapegoating, xenophobia and calls to irrational behavior. We have to be strong enough and have enough education to resist that trend. There are things all of us can do  for our own selves, which includes activities such as attending sessions of this kind, reading physical books, travel to diverse areas, and of course spiritual efforts and a baseline moral foundation. We have the ability for growth, we say that God has placed the capacity within us. 

We say that if a proper mentality is instilled deep within us, through the examples of effort which was highlighted earlier, peace will come to us as individuals, and if justice is truly the interest for those who yield power, peace on earth is attainable.

Thank you.

Click here for video

Which of your faith's or tradition's beliefs do you consider to be universal?

 We recently participated in a panel discussion with representatives of various faiths, sharing beliefs or values deemed universal. It was well-attended, with a robust question and answer session. 

Timestamps of the program are found below.

35:15- Aleda Nelson opening remarks 

42:40- Moderator Elham Roohani opening remarks, introducing the speakers and format.

50:43 Michael Gobaud (atheist)

59:00 Pastor Kelcey West (Christian)

1:04 Imam Shamsuddin Waheed (Islam)

1:13 Martine Hubbard (Baha'i)

1:21 Rev.Claire Summerhill (Center for Spiritual Living)

1:30- Q and A session.

The link to this program can be found Here

Some photos can be found below.

We must acknowledge the gracious hosts from the Baha'i center of Las Vegas for their hospitality. 

Sacred spaces/ Holy places Panel discussion video

 Salaam.

Please see below panel discussion from the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada's forum on the subject "Sacred spaces/Holy places".

Timestamps of speakers are below:

15:36 Candace Kant/Pagan

25:38 Rabbi Sanford Askelrad/Judaism

36:37 Imam Shamsuddin Waheed/Islam

44:22 Upinder Singh/ Sikh

55:13 Doug Hedger/ CLDS

1:00:04 Q and A session

Holy places panel click here

Sacred Spaces/Holy Places

 Salaam,

Please see flyer below for panel discussion tomorrow night., 11/7/21 @ 7:00 P.M. (PST) . All are welcome,  registration is required.

Forum flyer registration

Las Vegas Muslim Community Unites In Response to Covid-19 Virtual Town Hall

This past Thursday the Muslim community had a "Virtual Town Hall", the first of its kind, which brought together politicians, Imams, and medical professionals.

The Video description below has all the presentation details.

2:55- Congresswoman Susie Lee . Shares government initiatives meant to address the Covid-19 Virus and the fallback from it.

15:23 Dr.Asher Shahzad. Infectious diseases, shares commonly asked queries on the virus.

19:50 Imam Manzarul Islam- Fiqh of funerals, narrations on plaque in the early Islamic period.

31:55 Imam Fateen Seifullah- Experiences of funerals for victims, community safety.

43:24-Imam Shamsuddin Waheed- Islamic guidelines for addressing depression, anxiety, as well as how to observe Ramadan without a mosque.

1:03-Dr Faisal Suba- Mental Health, coping mechanisms during self-isolation.

1:16-1:58- Q and A session.

Virtual Town Hall YouTube video

In case YouTube is not accessible, you can also view this from Facebook.

Virtual Town Hall Las Vegas Zoom/Facebook link

Methods And Goals Of Contemplative Practices In My Faith (Panel Discussion )

(The following is an edited version of my presentation for the 2019 Interfaith Forums, organized by the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada, held November 10th, 2019 at Masjid Ibrahim.)

Introduction

The Qur'an tells us "Indeed, prayer restrains from immorality and repugnant actions" ( Q 29:45). The word translated as "prayer" is "Salaah". In our faith, it is observed at least five times daily, during specific times of the day. The Salaah ritual has therein recitation of Quranic texts, bowing and prostration. God does NOT need that we do this, or any other act of worship, rather, it is we who need it.

The Salaah ritual is regulated, offered in a particular fashion, and is deemed a religious obligation. The spiritual and physical benefits of Salaah have been widely recognized. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) identified it as the main exercise which distinguished between faith and lack of faith.

The Qur'an reminds us that there will be a time in which we are held accountable before God, and the salaah essentially reminds us of that, therefore it becomes important to do as much positive works as we can. Thus, the Qur'an connects the ritual of salaah to the giving of a portion of one's wealth to the benefit of worthy causes, such as uplifting the poor. Similarly, the Qur'an expresses criticism of those who do ritual worship, yet are neglectful of needy human beings.


Dhikr- The remembrance of God

Another ritual act done is known as dhikr! Traditionally, this includes the recitation of  God's names, formulas of praise and glorification. As a ritual, it is not deemed in an obligatory sense- the important exercise is the mental one here. The Qur'an says "The remembrance of God is the greatest (source of inspiration and power)" .

Dhikr as a ritual often takes place after the Salaah, and can be offered at any time without any preconditions. If we engage in this act (be it in a ritual or non ritual fashion)- it helps us to internalize the very hopes we seek from God. In other words, if we invoke and recall God as The Ever-Forgiving (Al-Ghaffar), forgiveness should become a part of our character as well.


Miracles

The actions of Salaah and dhikr produce a sort of barrier against mental and spiritual attacks, and is the main ways by which we connect ourselves to the Almighty.

With that said, what is perhaps most curious on this point is that miracles and mystical experiences are NOT the goals of these actions! THIS does not negate that miracles can take place, and that people can experience mystical moments, yet the fact of the matter is is that such things are subjective and ultimately do not provide any evidence beyond an individual level.

This is illustrated in the experiences of the 12th century figure, Shaikh Abdul-Qaadir Al-Jilani.  Once while he was praying, a voice comes to him, saying "I am your Lord".  The Shaikh replies "Are you God?" After repeated questioning, this voice says "I am making  lawful for you what I made unlawful for others". The Shaikh replied "You are Satan, because I know God would not make lawful for me what He has made unlawful for others".

Miracles are not what we need, because they can themselves be misleading. What we need is the inspiration derived from worship to be able to recognize truth and produce in this world, that is the formula for success in this life, with springs to enjoy in the life to come.