The Shaykh urges the abandonment of dependency.

The Shaykh : Abandon dependency and strive for self-reliance in our religion, the markers of our religion, and everything that Islamic honor demands of us, which is embodied in that unique personality. As for looking at what these nations are doing, being dazzled by them, and panting after them to pick up the vices of character they leave behind, this is never what befits us. What is obligatory for us is that we be the leaders. I do not say leaders by our achievements, because we have not even started yet, nor reached the first stage. But we are leaders in our morals, in our religion, in holding fast to it, and in being zealous for it. It is not because it is our religion. It is amazing that some people recoil from the word "religious zeal," even though we have not been zealous; rather, they are the ones who lagged behind what we are zealous for. For this religion is the religion of whom? It is the religion of Allah, the religion of our Lord and their Lord. It is obligatory for them to hold fast to it. So our zeal for it is to strengthen it, because it is the religion of Allah, and they are the ones who lagged behind it. If we had brought something we made with our own hands, one might say, "Our bread is for us, and their bread is for them." But this is something our Lord and their Lord legislated, so it is obligatory for them to be zealous for it just as we are zealous for it. Otherwise, we take pride in being zealous for our religion because we believe, and we ask Allah to keep us firm upon this faith and increase us in it. We believe that it is the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and that there is no religion for humanity other than it. So why do we not take from ourselves a strong personality that sees all people following it? There is no harm in us taking pride until we see people following us, while they are lagging behind Islam. Had we truly applied Islam in its entirety, these people would not have preceded us, not even in industry. But do you know what happened to Islam in the Middle Ages? The ideological and social trials that led to the Muslims' delay and fragmentation. Then these disbelievers entered upon them from every side and destabilized them. So I say the true timing is the timing of the Creator, which He established for His creation, and that is the lunar months until the Hour stands until the Day of Resurrection. The month does not change; it is either twenty-nine or thirty days, and there are no months other than these for all people. This is what is obligatory for us Muslims. If we wish, we address ourselves in the name of Islam and say, "This is the history of Islam." If we wish, we address ourselves in the name of the Arabs, though I dislike that, for this is the timing of the Arabs, because the most eloquent of the Arabs were those in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who were the essence of the Arabs. And they agreed in the time of the Rightly Guided Caliph 'Umar to make this timing the timing of the Muslims. And if we address ourselves in the name of universality, the universal timing must be the timing that Allah established for His servants: for whom generally, not just for Muslims and not just for Arabs . In any case, this issue is not more important than matters of creed, but it destabilizes Islam, because a person feels that he is following a power stronger than himself. And if a person feels this feeling, what will happen? He will become weak and humbled. But we must know that it is our right to return to the true leadership by looking at what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were upon, what they were doing, what their creed was, and how they treated people, and we follow that. Victory is for us, by the permission of Allah, because Allah says: Victory is not that we compromise, remain silent, and submit. Victory is that we take pride in our religion and do not deprive anyone of his right, because our religion commands fulfilling contracts and covenants. But we must make ourselves feel that we are a unique power, and all people are dependent on us, whether they accept it or hate it. For if they rebel against dependency on Islam, they are rebels; otherwise, they are supposed to be Muslims . So this is a word in which I may have gone beyond the topic of commenting on al-Bukhari, because our discussion of al-Bukhari is not an explanation as it is in some recorded tapes, but a commentary. So I say to my brother 'Abd al-Rahman al-Rustam, do not call it an explanation of al-Bukhari; call it a commentary, a commentary on al-Bukhari.