Islam helped shape America's foundations
“We need to educate the people out there about Islam, about their own history as well.”
Islam is not a foreign religion in America but has shaped the nation's intellectual and political foundations from its inception through Muslim influence on Europe, the Unitarian and deist convictions of the founding fathers, and the presence of early Muslim slaves and ambassadors.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Rejection of the claim that Islam is foreign to America and mention of anti-Muslim backlash like Quran burnings.
- Contrast between Trinity-based medieval European stagnation and the advanced Muslim world that attracted European scholars.
- Ottoman-French alliance and Muslim military, scientific, and intellectual influence on the European Renaissance.
- English scholars who studied in the Muslim world returned as Unitarians or 'Mohammedan Christians' and influenced universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
- American founding fathers as deists and Unitarians influenced by Islamic monotheism, religious freedom, and Jefferson's Quran.
- Early Muslim presence in America: West African slaves, the Tunisian ambassador's 1805 iftar, and Newton reading Arabic texts.
- Call on Muslims to educate their neighbors and co-workers about Islam and this suppressed history.
In the khateeb's words
“But this idea that Islam is foreign is far from the truth. Islam's impact starts from the inception of this country, from the beginning of this country.”
“And he said in his own autobiography that religious freedom is to be applied to the Jews, the Gentiles, the Christians, the Mohammedans, and even the Hindus and the infidels of every domination.”
“The reality is that we need to educate the people out there about Islam, about their own history as well.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah challenged the idea that Islam is foreign to America and emphasized that Muslims have been part of this country’s story for centuries. It highlighted the influence of Muslim scholars, books, and societies on European learning and political ideas. The khateeb also discussed early American figures who supported belief in one God and religious freedom. He encouraged Muslims to study their history, understand Islam deeply, and share that knowledge with others. The message closed with a call to take responsibility for conveying Islam with knowledge and wisdom.
- What is one thing you learned today about Muslims’ connection to American history?
- Why is it important to know both our religious history and our country’s history?
- How could you explain one Islamic idea respectfully to a friend?
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