The Umma Suffers with Gaza

January 21st, 2009 by admin

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Umma Suffers with Gaza
Jabhat `Ulama al-Azhar 

By Allah! It is the Umma entire and not just Gaza, that suffers. But there is a big difference between the suffering of Gaza and the suffering of the rest of the Umma. Gaza suffers with the honour of the Umma and the religion, whereas Egypt and the rest of the bereaved Umma suffers with the final remnants of its dignity, pride, and humanity – after having been weakened by its loss of religiousness and dignity. It suffers with the final remnants of its dignity, seeing its heart broken and unable to do a thing. Its suffers with the final remnants of its pride as it hears falsehood uttered by its leaders and rulers day and night – unable to respond. By Allah! It suffers with the final remnants of its humanity as it sees its resources usurped by this criminal and is till now, unable to stop it. It suffers with the final remnants of its religion as the enemies of Allah and its enemies spur it on and it is either too drunk or heedless to do anything, or it is encompassed and surrounded at every turn.      

Millions from this Umma protest and yet they are still unable to force their leaders to listen and pay heed, responding to their wishes. They still say that they were democratically elected, but even still, the leaders rule according to their personal network and manmade laws. No matter how they came into power, they should be working for the Umma and its wishes; however their relationship to the Umma is a slave and slave master relationship, in which one is domineering over the other.      

As the Umma continues to suffer in its religion, today one of the official Muftis came out to say to it (as mentioned the website “al-Misriyūn”) that it is lawful to amass interest from banks (Saturday 1/03/2009). He choose to say this instead of awakening the Umma’s aspirations and issuing verdicts that are true to Allah and that will straighten out the Umma’s affairs; advising those who sit back and warning the rulers and leaders who seek to dissuade others. Rather, he choose to delve into a matter that will cause whoever acts on it, to earn the anger of Allah, and cause a delay in victory (unless someone takes him by the hand and leads him away from it).      

After the dangers of consuming interest have become clear to all and steps have been taken to eradicate it, we are not sure: did he purposely state this opinion at this exact moment, or was it simply a coincidence? We – along with the Umma that struggles – declare our innocence in front of Allah from this, just as we declare our innocence in front of Allah from all of the manifestations of inability that the ruling powers seek to force upon the Umma – things that have brought us nothing but failure after failure. In light of the fact that every barrier between the Umma and its awakening is a crime, and in light of the fact that we have an obligation upon us that must be fulfilled, we say: 

To the Muslims entire

1-      We advise everyone to listen once again to the Qur’ānic plan and its strategic and tactical aspects: the plan that Allah continues to call us to – to which there is no other alternative: (O you who believe! Fight those who are nearest to you among the disbelievers and let them find in you harshness. And know that Allah is with the pious.) [al-Tawba: 123] This verse is addressing the believers. All of the believers are addressed today – each individual among them – with this call. No organization or government should come between them and their responsibility that is a duty to Allah and then to history.     

In the tactical aspect of this, Allah addresses every individual – one-by-one: (O you who believe! Take your precautions and either go forth in companies or go forth all together) After this, He said: (And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if a disaster strikes you, he says: “Allah has favoured me in that I was not present with them.) [al-Nisā’: 71-72] 

2-      We advise everyone to oppose all of the media outlets that seek to weaken the Umma with their immoral programs that do not contribute to the honour of the Umma or assist the rights of the weak and the Mujāhidūn. Furthermore, those who seek to hold others back are the ones Allah spoke about when He said: (Indeed, the most evil of creatures with Allah are those who are blind and deaf who understand not. And had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them hear; and if He had made them hear [still] they would have turn away, while refusing.) This is referring to the hearing of guidance. 

3-      We advise everyone to benefit from the media outlets and channels that give proper coverage to the Mujāhidūn and the weak and oppressed who are suffering from the blockade. This is a form of encouragement that Allah ordered the Umma with when He said: (So fight in the way of Allah; you are not held responsible except for yourself. And encourage the believers; so that perhaps Allah will restrain the might of those who disbelieve. And Allah is greater in might and stronger -in punishment.) [al-Nisā’ 84]  

4-      We advise them to respond to the Imāms and notable figures, to set aside a day – starting from next Friday, Allah willing – for giving aid to Gaza; by going out to the Mosques with the intention of spending the night there [‘itikāf]: a long ‘itikāf that is not discontinued until Allah raises this affliction. Let it be an ‘itikāf with this intention. Let there be a similar intention in every other location, market place, and street. Let no one discontinue it until Allah raises this affliction from Gaza and the surrounding areas. Let this be done with an expectation of reward from Allah, the Exalted. Let this be in accordance with the words of the leader of the believers, ‘Umar b. al-Khattāb rādīallahu ‘anhu : “The nobility of the believer is in his piety [taqwā]; his religion is in his lineage; and his respectability is in his character. The coward shies from defending even his own mother and father, and the brave fights for the sake of combat, and not the spoils. Being slain is but one way of meeting death, and the martyr is he who seeks reward from Allah.” [al-Muwattā’] In other words, he is pleased to die in fighting out of obedience, even more than his hope for reward. 

To the Scholars

1-      The scholars must respond to the call of their teachers and Imāms; they must see to it that all their talks and speeches revolve around the issue of Jihād and the obligation of confrontation, while persisting in the qunūt supplication at every prayer. They should not become preoccupied with anything that distracts them from this obligation that is upon them. They must declare in front of all that Jihād in the path of Allah is an obligation on the neck of every believer. This is the customary sunna, without which life cannot go on: (And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by the means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is mentioned much therein. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in might.) 

2-      This obligation that rests on the neck of every believer requires loyalty in the decisive hours. Without that loyalty, by Allah, there remains not even a mustard seed of faith. In the rigorously authentic Hadīth it states: “Whoever dies having not waged battle or even spoken to himself about waging battle, he dies upon a branch of hypocrisy.” It is sufficient loss for a man to be – as the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said : “Corrupt and  vile; stingy and cowardly.” [Ahmad and al-Tabarānī from ‘Uqba b. ‘Āmir with a good chain] 

3-      And to the organizations in the Umma that are prohibited from taking part in the awakening of the youth and their loved ones while they scream, we say to them: after what is said in the Qur’ān, do not wait for a book to come and tell you any different from what Allah said: (O you who believe! Take your precautions and either go forth in companies or go forth all together) This means that you should all go out as organized groups or all together. You should not go as disparate individuals as others lag behind. Take your precautions from the hypocrites and collaborators within the ranks of your organizations. Allah’s statement is the clearest regarding this: (And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if a disaster strikes you, he says: “Allah has favoured me in that I was not present with them.) [al-Nisā’: 71-72]       

Imām al-Qurtubī said that “those who linger behind” here refers to the hypocrites. So, take precautions regarding them in your religion and in your Jihād. Al-Qurtubī said: “The words ‘lingering’ and ‘to linger’ mean to hold back from responding to the call of Jihād and rescuing the weak and oppressed: it is the same whether they linger behind – meaning sitting back on their own, or caused others to lag behind with them.” [al-Jāmi‘ li- Ahkām al-Qur’ān: 5/178]           

The phrase “those who linger behind”, coupled with the phrase “And indeed, there is among you”, shows that those who linger behind are counted – outwardly – among the Muslims. By trickery, they seek to diminish the scale of their crime: the crime of lagging behind. With audacity and lowliness, they seek to diminish the scale of their crime as if their hearts are devoid of mercy; they are only concerned about their own selves and they have no other interest higher than their own selfish and cheap benefits. They do not look any further than their own lowly and limited selves. In their minds, the world revolves around them – even as the world burns or drowns all around them!      

They lag behind and hesitate, and they are not clear [in their speech]. They do this in order to hold the staff from the middle – as they always say and posit in their profit/loss worldview – and as the scholars of Qur’ānic exegesis say: it is a worldview the befits only weak and lowly hypocrites. (see Fī Zilāl al-Qur’ān: 2/706) (So let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter. And he who fights in the cause of Allah and is killed or achieves victory – We will bestow upon him a great reward. And what is the matter with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say: “Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper”?)      

Indeed, rescuing the weak and oppressed who suffer from a great – nay, the greatest – trial and test is an obligation that accepts no negligence or remissiveness. When it is absent, there is no respectability or good character.      

In conclusion, we say to the governments and regimes that have shut the doors of mercy in the face of the weak and oppressed who are waging Jihād for the sake of this Umma’s and this religion’s dignity (and even for the dignity of those governments, whilst they perceive it not): with this, you are restrained by the will of the butcher who will not show you any mercy if he defeats the Mujāhidūn. Do not cry when they do to you exactly as they do to those you abandoned. We sincerely hope that you listen to the words of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-sallam before this affliction strikes you. Abū Dāwūd and al-Tabarānī both narrated with good chains from Jābir and Abū Talha – may Allah be pleased with both of them. They said: “The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said: ‘There is no one who abandons a Muslim in a place in which his honour is maligned or in which his dignity is abused, except that Allah will abandon him in the place in which he would wish for His help. And there is no one who assists a Muslim in a place in which his honour is maligned or in which his dignity is abused, except that Allah will assist him in the place in which he would wish for His help.’”      

Ahmad and al-Tabarānī related from Sahl b. Hanīf rādīallahu ‘anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said: “Whoever witnesses a believer being humiliated in his presence and he does not help him, although he is able to help him, Allah – the Exalted and Sublime – shall humiliate him in from of all of the creation on the Day of Resurrection.”      

The whole Umma is seeking for your own sake first and foremost, and then for the sake of your legacies, that you take even one practical stand and open up the passageways and borders. If Gaza falls there is no honour. If Hamas is defeated then by the Lord of the Ka‘ba, shoes should be slapped on our heads in front of all. In that one hour, it will be the only acceptable action from the Jews – and your humiliating stance today is the only blameworthy extremism. 

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O Gaza! You have Allah!

January 16th, 2009 by admin

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
O Gaza! You have Allah!
Shaykh Muhammad Khayr al-Tarshan 

Words are unable to express the bitter reality that our brothers in Gaza are going through. They represent the real resistance. The time has come for us to own up to the faltering and neglect of the Arabs and Muslims towards Gaza. Of what benefit is crying and singing songs of mourning? O Gaza! The symbol of resistance and honour! From you, your children, your women, and your elderly we have learned the true meaning of patience, opposition, and sacrifice! O Gaza! You have Allah! They sold you for imaginary promises and counterfeit slogans. They have toasted with the blood of your children in cups of humiliation that exude the stench of conspiracy and deception!       

What can we possibly do? That is an oft-repeated question on the tongues of the sons and daughters of the Arabs and Islam who are burning with rage because of the painful and bitter situation we are witness to – as we take delight in the warmth emitted by the wide-screen televisions that take us from an entertainment channel to a music channel, and from a comedy channel to a soap opera! What can we do? What can we bring forward?       

Some of the Arab and Muslim youth have hastened to supplications, prayers, and fasting and they have sent text messages calling for unity, supplications, and congregational fasts and prayers. Well, what happens after that? Blood continues to be shed and our youth are slaughtered one by one!      

Yes, dear brothers! We can draw up a well thought-out plan that we can attempt to carry out. That way, we can counter the inability of some of the rulers and leaders who are silent and subdued in humiliation, working for false slogans. They will not gain anything but the curses and insults from the people that we hear on television and radio.      

First and foremost before anything else, we must see to it that we truly embody Allah’s words: (Do not become weakened or saddened while you are the uppermost if you are truly believers.) [Āl-‘Imrān:139] If we realize true faith then Allah willing, honour and power will remain with us. Secondly, the jurists have explained to us the importance of the qunūt prayer when afflictions rain down; let us therefore turn to Allah, the Exalted, in our prayers, so that perhaps Allah, the Exalted, will answer the prayers of those who are truthful among us.      

Thirdly, we must look to those who are guarding the frontlines and realize that they are the ones mentioned in the words of our liege lord, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-salam  – as was narrated by Abū Umāma radiallahu ‘anhu: “There shall never cease to be a group among my nation that is victorious in the religion and overpowering their enemies. They shall not be harmed by those who abandon them – except the injuries they receive – until the affair of Allah [the Last Day] comes and they are upon that.” They [the Companions] asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Where are they?” He replied: “They are in Bayt al-Maqdis and its surrounding areas.”      

If any of them fall as martyrs, then Allah willing they will go to Paradise. If they are steadfast in the face of what afflicts them, then we should take a lesson from them on steadfastness upon the truth. Fourthly, each of us should work in his sphere of influence, ability, and specialization. For instance, it is the lawyer’s obligation to do what he can locally and internationally to put a stop to this genocide and holocaust that the Zionist enemy is engaged in. The journalist can take part via audio, visual, or textual means: exposing the conspiracies and collaboration taking place.      

Those in the field of Islamic invitation can teach others the responsibility the Umma has in assisting and helping those who are downtrodden and oppressed. The normal every-day citizen can take part in protests and demonstrations, and he can go to the nearest blood-bank and donate blood for the wounded inside the Palestinian hospitals – let this take the place of his inability to physically fight Jihād in Palestine.      

In conclusion, let us read the poem of Dr. ‘Abd al-Rahmān al-‘Ashmāwī and contemplate its meanings: perhaps it will move those who have yet to be moved. 

O brother in Allah! Tell me, when will you get angry?
When our women were violated
And our signposts were wiped out you did not get angry!
When our gallantry was killed and when our honour was trampled upon
And when our day of judgment occurred you did not get angry!
Tell me, when will you get angry?
When our resources were plundered and misfortune struck our institutions
When our Mosques were demolished
And al-Aqsā and our Jerusalem were appropriated
You did not get angry!
Tell me, when will you get angry?
If you do not get angry for the sake of Allah
And then for the sake of Islam and that which is sacred
Then tell me, when will you get angry?
You saw scenes of terror
And you saw blood spread about
You saw elderly women burying dead children
You saw subjugation in different colours and shapes
And you did not get angry!
Tell me, when will you get angry?
You saw death raised above our heads
And you did not get angry!
Be upfront with me without fear:To what nation do you ascribe?
If what we are going through does not inspire you to seek vengeance
Do not tire yourself out!

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Joint Statement

January 16th, 2009 by admin

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Joint Statement
Mufti Dr. Ahmad Badruddin Hassoun
Minister Dr. Muhammad `Abd al-Sattar
Bishop Luqa al-Khouri 

(Those to whom the people said: “Indeed the people have gathered against you, so fear them.” But it increased them in faith, and they said: “Sufficient for us is Allah and He is the Best disposer of affairs.” So they returned with favour from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the Possessor of great bounty.) [Āl-‘Imrān: 173-174]      

We, the Muslim and Christian religious figures in Syria, strongly condemn the barbaric aggression of the Israeli occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip – those who are imprisoned and besieged. We strongly rebuke the international silence in the face of the incessant killing and destruction that has engulfed Gaza in this barbaric war and Zionist aggression – an aggression that is unprecedented in history; targeting women, children, elderly, and the young; destroying Mosques, schools, universities, and even mere stones.      

We demand that the Arab and Islamic nation and the international community use all of the means at their disposal to put pressure on Israel in order to put and immediate end to this aggression. This attack is a wholesale slaughter of an entire people that first started with a blockade, forced starvation, and terror, and concluded with the mass targeting of the land and its people. It [Gaza] has been abandoned by the so-called international legal resolutions, and it is facing internal and external conspiracies because it refuses to succumb to the occupation or surrender to humiliation and siege.      

The Arab and Islamic people seek to awaken the consciences of the feeble Arab regimes that have colluded with the Zionist enemy. They seek to awaken them from their heedlessness while they witness Palestinian blood being shed for the sake of honour and what is right, and for the sake of the Mosques and Churches.      

What is taking place in Gaza illustrates the feebleness and cowardice of these nations, and is a practical example of Allah’s words: ( Those to whom the people said: “Indeed the people have gathered against you, so fear them.” But it increased them in faith, and they said: “Sufficient for us is Allah and He is the Best disposer of affairs.”) History will show no mercy to those who take part in shedding the innocent blood of the besieged Palestinian people.      

The Zionist enemy that is gathering all of its barbaric military might – of both land and air – in this open war in attempt to force Gaza to agree to its conditions will reap only regret and loss. They will not weaken the resistance of a people who pursue freedom, security, and peace. Even though today Gaza is on fire and its skies are filled with black smoke and the exhaust of missiles, the day will inevitably come when the sun of freedom will rise upon it and the spring of victory and aid will come.      

Defeat lies not in the martyrs who have fallen or the great material losses; defeat lies only in surrender, humiliation, and losing one’s moral compass and way. Triumph lies in giving victory to the correct beliefs: faith in Allah, martyrdom, resistance, and aiding the principles of truth and justice.      

May the people of Gaza and all of the resistance fighters and frontline guards be congratulated with the glad tidings of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-salam who said: “There shall never cease to be a group among my nation that is victorious in the religion and overpowering their enemies. They shall not be harmed by those who abandon them – except the injuries they receive – until the affair of Allah [the Last Day] comes and they are upon that.” They [the Companions] asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Where are they?” He replied: “They are in Bayt al-Maqdis and its surrounding areas.” In another narration, he said: “They shall fight near the gates of Damascus and its surrounding areas, and near the gates of Bayt al-Maqdis and its surrounding areas. They shall not be harmed by the abandonment of those who betray them, and they shall be victorious until the Last Hour.”      

As scholars and religious figures – both Muslim and Christian – we strongly urge our Arab and Islamic nation in these dark days to unite upon a common word, and assist our people and our brothers in the Gaza Strip. This entails giving victory to the land of Palestine and both its Islamic and Christian sacraments, and liberating Jerusalem, al-Aqsā, Bethlehem, and the sepulchre from the impure Zionists – in accordance with Allah’s words: (If they seek your help in the religion, then you must help them.) [al-Anfāl:72] and in accordance with what is found in the Bible.      

Furthermore, we strongly urge the people of Syria entire – both men and women, young and old – to participate with their brothers in their Jihād by defending them with supplications and humble entreaties to Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, that He grant them patience and steadfastness, and that He makes this event a proof for them and not against them on the Day of Judgement. We also encourage the people to participate and aid their brothers in Gaza with their wealth, and to remember the words of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-salam: “The believers in their mutual love, mercy, and affection, may be likened to one body: if one part of it suffers, the rest of the body suffers with fever and sleeplessness.”      

We value the stance of Syria, under the leadership of President Bashar al-Asad; a stance that has called and continues to call for a unified Arab stance, and for a unified Arab and Islamic position on the world stage in order to work out all possible solutions without allowing the Zionist entity to increase its occupation and wipe out the spirit of resistance. The smallest step that can be taken is a complete severing of all relations with this entity, in addition to the President’s call for an emergency meeting of the Arab Summit in order to take the appropriate measures to stop this aggression against the people of Gaza.      

We ask Allah, the Exalted, to make firm the hearts and feet of our brothers in Gaza, and to grant their mothers and wives patience, and to accept their martyrs, and to make them the key to this Umma’s victory – and that is easy for Allah. (Indeed, Allah defends those who believe. Indeed, Allah does not like every treacherous and ungrateful person. Permission to fight is granted to those who are fought because they were wronged, and indeed Allah is able to grant them victory. They are those who have been evicted from their homes without right – only because they say: “Our Lord is Allah.” And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, Exalted in might.) [al-Hajj:38-40]

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The Qualities of Those Who Struggle For Allah’s Sake

January 14th, 2009 by admin

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Sifāt al-Mujāhidīn
The Qualities of Those
Who Struggle For Allah’s Sake
Shaykh Dr. Mahmūd Abūl Huda al-Husaynī 

Dear beloved brothers! There are two verses in the Book of Allah, the Exalted, that are interconnected: one of them is a condition for the other. In the first verse, the Master, Exalted is He, mentioned a contract that the people of faith hope to attain. In the second verse, He mentioned the conditions that must be met for that contract to be accepted. The first verse was presented in an astounding way that draws the people of faith to it, and the second verse detailed the conditions by which contract is accepted.            

It is astonishing that our Umma reads these two verses and separates between them. To separate these two verses from each other is to present an proposal and contract without mentioning its conditions. The Umma reads these verses and frequently uses each of them separately, and most are ignorant to the reality that both verses are interconnected and inseparable.      

Dear brothers! These two verses are located in Sūrat al-Tawba and most of you have memorized these two verses. Let us read them together and contemplate them so as to know this contract and its conditions. (Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. It is a true promise upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’ān. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And that is the tremendous success. The repentant, the devout worshippers, those who [of Allah], the travellers, those who bow and prostrate, those who command the good and forbid the evil, and those who guard the limits of Allah. And give glad tidings to the believers.) [al-Tawba: 111-112]        

Yes, dear brothers: (Indeed, Allah has purchased…)! A purchase is a mutual exchange. He, the Glorified and Exalted, is the Owner of everything; however He affirmed a figurative ownership for the servant and then sought from him that he sells. (Indeed, Allah has purchased…), so where are those who wish to sell? It is nothing more than an ephemeral thing that is given to the King of kings – the One in complete control of the universe; He who grants authority to whom He wills and removes authority from whom He wills; and the One who honours whom He wills and abases whom He wills.      

It is a contingent and passing thing granted by the One in whose Hand is all goodness. He requites every soul for what it earns. In whose Hand are the forelocks? Who is the One who is worshipped in the heavens and worshipped on the earth? Who is the One who deserves worship and no one else, and who is praised in reality besides Him? In whose Hand is our entire affair and unto whom is our return? (Indeed, Allah has purchased…) Once, a Bedouin Arab passed by the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam as he was reciting this verse. He asked: “Whose speech is this?” They [the Companions] replied: “This is the speech of Allah.” The Bedouin then said: “In that case, by Allah, the transaction of Allah is profitable; I won’t diminish it one bit.” He then went out in Jihād and returned only as a martyr being carried.       

(Indeed, Allah has purchased…), so the servant gave up his life and wealth, and in return, Allah granted reward, recompense, and Paradise, the breadth of which is as wide as the heavens and the earth – and the good-pleasure of Allah is even greater.      

(Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers…) because those who are not believers do not understand anything but transactions of wealth.

(Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers…) because the non-believer sells his self and wealth for an ephemeral delight or physical or non-physical gain. There are great number of people in this day and age who sell their souls and wealth. They do not sell them for Allah. No, they sell them to other slaves who do not possess any ability to cause harm or bring benefit. It is nothing more than blinding desires that have blinded them.      

(Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers…): this quality is only accepted from those who have realized true faith and conviction in their hearts; to the point that they are more confident with that which is with Allah than that which they possess; those who are attached to the unseen and who hold firm conviction in it and have more certainty in it than that which they feel and perceive with their senses. (Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise., so they kill and are killed…) The Chosen One sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam used to say to his Companions: “No one among you is wounded in the path of Allah – and Allah knows best who is wounded in His path – except that it will come on the Day of Judgement with the colour of blood and with the fragrance of musk”, so not every person who is injured is injured in the path of Allah, and not every person who is killed is killed in the path of Allah: “…so whoever fights in order that Allah’s word reigns supreme, he is in the path of Allah.” This meaning does not accept the possibility of false interpretation; it is detailed, explicit, specific, and precise. “Whoever fights in order that Allah’s word reigns supreme, he is in the path of Allah.” (…They fight in the cause of Allah…) Here, the Qur’ān gives us the conception of the future – from the time this verse was revealed until Allah inherits the earth and all that is upon it. Fighting is a must. The verbal form used in this verse is yuqātilūn, which falls under the form mufā‘ala, which indicates two sides.[1] It is said that the first thing Allah, the Exalted, revealed when He legislated fighting was the verse: (Permission is granted to those who are fought because they are wronged…) [al-Hajj: 39]      

It is our destiny and decree that we fight. It is decreed for the people of the truth. It is decreed for the people of the straight path. It is decreed for those who do not sell their souls for this world. It is decreed for those who elevate the words: “They do not fear the blame of the blamers”: they fight!       Why doesn’t the so-called “authority” fight for the sake of the blessed land of Palestine? It is because its allegiance is to the resolutions of the so-called “security” council. This council is nothing more than a council of fear and terror, striking fear into the weak. It is nothing more than a council that shields the so-called “chosen people” who were chosen by Satan to fulfil his bidding in the earth.      

How many resolutions have they passed under the rubric of what they call international law – that is lawless in reality? It is deaf and mute and unwilling to carry out any of their resolutions. Why it is that war not waged against those who are called the “authority” and who gather in that tight and restricted place? What is the secret behind that? One group sold their souls and wealth for Allah, and the other group sold their souls and wealth for other than Allah.       There is a world-wide fear. A truthful group has come together, seeking Allah’s pleasure alone. The spectre of an Islamic emirate terrifies [their opponents]. They say: “It might become and Islamic emirate! I might become a field in which there is no compromise!” Alas, do not succumb to the invitations to compromise.      

Dear brothers! The believer is scary! He is scary because he seeks one of the two goods. He read the verse and saw only two things in the contract: (… so they kill and are killed…). He didn’t read in this contract: “…so they kill and gain wealth”, or: “…so they kill and gain war booty.” He did not see anything in the contract that mentioned him getting an increase in wealth; he did not see anything in the contract that mentioned him getting more items; and he did not see anything in the contract that mentioned him getting more pleasurable things.      

In this contract, he only saw: (…They fight in the cause of Allah.). So, we understand that if we are upon the truth, then we must fight, and that the enemies of Allah will never accept us wherever they are. O believer! You must understand this – far removed from all sorts of fawning flattery, generalities, lies, and hypocrisy. We are tired of lies and fawning flattery. The enemies of Allah – who are upon falsehood – are not ashamed, whereas the people of truth lower their heads in humiliation. I swear by Allah! This is not pleasing to Him, the Exalted. Speak the truth and do not be afraid of what comes after it. Why are you afraid? Listen to the words of the leader of the believers, our liege lord ‘Alī rādiallahu ‘anhu . He taught us a lesson on martyrdom: On which of the two days shall I flee death?On the day it wasn’t decreed or the day it was?I fear it not on the day it wasn’t decreedAnd on the day it was, caution will save me not (They fight in the cause of Allah so they kill and are killed.) They have tried to feed us the so-called peace process and we almost swallowed it, and the simple people who believe what is said to them almost fell for it, but Allah’s command interdicted their plan. He opened the world’s eyes and the people opened their eyes to witness the wholesale slaughter of children, women, and the elderly.      

Yes, we fight. And when we fight, we observe rules of warfare that are higher than those found in the Geneva agreement. Our standard is higher: we do not cut down trees and we do not kill the elderly, women, or children. What do those loud-mouths have to say when thousands of children and women have been either killed or injured?      

Having said this, a school was demolished, which resulted in large meetings, and out of anger, some – even of our people – have held gatherings in schools. While we are not pleased with the demolition of a school or any other facility, and while we admit that knowledge is sacred, we have to ask: why have meetings and gatherings taken place inside of schools because of the demolition of one school, and we haven’t seen gatherings take place in the Mosques even though over eight Mosques were destroyed? Why is this?       

Why are they playing games with us? More than eight Mosques have been destroyed but we have yet to hold any gatherings in the Mosques, yet when a school is demolished we see gatherings in schools. This is because in the secular system, schools are given precedence to Mosques. According to us however, it is the Mosques that graduate scholars, brave heroes, leaders, and decision makers. When Mosques are demolished in Gaza, the land of martyrs, the world is silent. (Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed.) We have already surrendered to the fact that we will both fight and be killed; do you think that this is restricted to Gaza alone? No, it is not, by Allah! There is no one who is truthful and who raises the standard of the truth except that he is included in this verse. It is the Sunna of Allah with respect to the believers. The Prophets fought, and how beautiful indeed is the meeting with Allah, the Exalted, if you are upon the truth. You can either hold fast to the sullen world with humiliation and abasement, or you can have love for the meeting with Allah in order to be in a station of truth with the All-Powerful King. (Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. It is a true promise upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’ān.) This is similar to what He said regarding fasting: (Fasting is decreed for you just as it was decree for those before you…) [al-Baqara: 183] The legislation of physical fighting and Jihād is from the laws of old. (And who is truer to his covenant than Allah?) Do you think that Allah will violate the covenant He takes with His servants? Do you think He breaks His promise?  (So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted.) Receive glad tidings if you are among those who sold their souls and wealth for the sake of Allah. In other words, manifest you happiness, because glad tidings comes from the manifestation of happiness that shows on the face. Show your happiness if you are among those who have prepared for martyrdom in the path of Allah. Beware of showing any signs of sadness! Show the happiness on your face because you are soon going to your reception! (So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And that is the tremendous success.)      

After this, Allah began to explain the qualities of those who are included in this transaction. In the contract He only mentioned one quality: that of faith, however in the second verse, He mentioned qualities in detail so we may know that those who appoint themselves for Jihād are ineligible until they fulfill the conditions found in these qualities mentioned in the Qur’ān.      

(The repentant): the repentant one is he who returns to obedience after having been in disobedience. The repentant one is he who takes a covenant with Allah that he will not take the path of disobedience. The repentant one is he who takes a covenant with Allah that his behaviour will be upright upon the Sacred Law of Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam. The repentant one is he who places Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam directly in front of him.  (The repentant): so you have no share in this covenant until you announce a clear and sincere repentance. If you do not, you will remain in a state of lying, false pretentious claims and vain hopes and desires.      

Do not let your emotions take a hold of you and do not think that each of you are selected for Jihād. It brings great pleasure and happiness to see the Prime minister of Gaza standing in the tarāwīh prayers, leading the people and crying before Allah. For the longest, we have not seen a politician leading the Umma, leading them in prayer and raising his hands in the qunūt and humbling himself before Allah.      

(The repentant): those who realized true purification in their selves and in their behaviour. They repented to Allah from every act of disobedience and odious deed: in transactions, in acts of worship, and in the unlawful matters – in everything!      

(… the devout worshippers…): here, this refers to worship according to its broadest understanding and not just prayer – as prayer was mentioned in this verse separately. This refers to the broad understanding of worship in which you do every act, intending thereby to obey Allah. It is the broad understanding of worship that is grasped when you sense the meaning of vice-regency mentioned in the verse: (Indeed, I am placing a vice-regent on the earth.) [al-Baqara:30] You are entrusted with the atmosphere, you are entrusted with the water, and you are entrusted with the trees and the stones. This verse is speaking about the worship that is mastery and perfection of every action; every movement that is done with the intention of obedience to Allah, the Glorified and Exalted. This is worship.       

(…those who praise [Allah]…): praise means lauding. For how long will we continue to praise other than Allah? For how long will we act with hypocrisy? For how long will we praise those who demand bribes? How long will we praise thieves, liars, and con-artists? Those who praise know who truly deserves praise. Where are the free men? Where are the men who truly understand the meaning of praise? We are the Umma that was described in the previous scriptures as the nation of those who praise. We are those who praise and who say repeatedly: “all praise belongs to Allah”, so where is this description in us now? Is it even possible for you to praise Allah and praise others along with Him?      

It is not possible. You can praise Allah and praise Allah’s servants by Allah’s praise; so whenever Allah praises something you too praise it because you are particular with your praise and you don’t praise other than Allah. And what Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, allowed for you to praise is demonstrated in the clear scales by which He praises His servants. He praised a king named Sulaymān a. He said: (What a good servant he is, indeed he is oft-returning.) [Sād:30] He praised him only on account of his slavehood and return to Allah. He praised another servant of His named Ayūb a: (What a good servant he is, indeed he is oft-returning.) [Sād:44] He praised him because he was patient with the affliction and his heart turned only to Allah.      

(…the travellers…): I prefer the interpretation which states that “travel” here refers to Jihād in the path of Allah. To interpret it – as some have – as fasting, changes the outward meaning to a less obvious meaning, not to mention that ‘Atā’ (the famous Qur’ānic exegete) said: “Here, (…the travellers…) are those who wage Jihād.” His proof was the narration of Abū Umāma, which states that a man sought permission from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam to travel [and the word used here comes from sayyaha which means to travel the earth], and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam replied: “The tourism [siyyāha] of my Umma is Jihād in the path of Allah.”      

The enemies have divided us and cut us off from each other and laughed at us, all the while the rulers of the Islamic world are their guards. The Malaysian is other than the Indonesian, the Indonesian is other than the Pakistani, the Pakistani is other than the Emirati, the Emirati is other than the Algerian, the Algerian is other than the Jordanian, the Jordanian is other than the Palestinian, and so on. We are one Umma. We are the travellers who go about in the earth in pursuit of knowledge or in its dissemination, or in elevating the word of Allah. The best interpretation for “travel” in the verse is travel in pursuit of knowledge or travel for the sake of Jihād in the path of Allah. We are one Umma without borders! (…those who bow and prostrate…): those who do not bow or prostrate before anyone besides Allah.      

(…those who command the good and forbid the evil…): their tongues are not severed; they command the good, which is obedience to Allah. They forbid the evil, which is all that Allah detests and hates. The word “good” is not a figurative expression; it is a legal term that is explicitly defined and described.                      

(…those who command the good…): those who command the people to stick to the commands of the Sacred Law of Islam in economic matters, political matters, social matters, and in acts of worship. Our religion has not left a single facet of human life except that it has legislated something for it. Let the secularists realize that when we speak of the religion, we speak of its sphere in all facets of life; we are not speaking of singing hymns in a Church or Synagogue or chanting in a Buddhist temple. Our religious discourse stems from our conception of the world; our religion has not left anything small or large out except that it has detailed it. (…and forbid the evil…): and how many indeed are the evils that have entered into our behaviour, causing us to fawn flattery so that they go unnoticed! (…and those who guard the limits of Allah…): those who steer clear of falling into that which Allah made unlawful. (And give glad tidings to the believers.): give glad tidings to them if they understand this lesson.      

As our Shaykh, al-Qaradāwī – may Allah assist him – called for a day of anger for the sake of Gaza, I say to him: O Shaykh! Let us make it a day of anger for Allah’s sake because of Gaza! Let us make it a day of anger for Allah’s sake. The time has come for this Umma to become angry for Allah’s sake for one day – let the cause of this anger be Gaza. We are in need of anger after it has become forgotten in our character. We have become used to shallow laughs, all the while we are being torn apart inside! How long can this continue? How much longer will it be announced on the official channels, after news of four missiles being fired from Southern Lebanon, that “We are not involved”? Like someone saying: “I wasn’t involved in my prayer”, or: “I wasn’t involved in my fast.”      

All of us have become like that, saying in front of the people: “I am not involved or entangled by being a Mujāhid.” O what humiliation and shame! If only he had sufficed himself and said: “I have not been honoured with that.” If only the news report would say: “I have not yet had the honour, and I hope that someday I will.” That is the least that a weak person can do. Saying: “I am not involved” shows a humiliating state, said by someone who can strike but refuses to do so.      

The borders surrounding Palestine are guarded and rifles are pointed at Gaza. Palestine shall remain. We will never recognize the Zionist entity, no matter how much the West or the East, North, South, or inside or outside want us to. We will never recognize the Zionist entity. We do not accept for this criminal entity to reside in our Islamic land. It is obligatory for it to be wiped off the map!      

If these words will result in imprisonment or murder, then how sweet it is in the path of Allah! We will never recognize this entity, this entity of criminals … Even in Medina they are eradicating the personal effects of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam yet they are safeguarding the relics of the Jews! In Mecca, the Prophet’s house is wiped out of existence and taken down; it is said that the Prophet’s house might become a cause for idolatry! However, the relics of the Jews must be preserved and protected!      

In this stage, I do not wish to offend or go into sensitive issues; at this dangerous stage we should not get into sensitive issues about Salafiyya or other than that. No. All of us are Salafīs in that we follow the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam and adhere to the methodology of his Companions. All of us are the people of ihsān when we worship Allah as if we can see Him. We do not wish for internal conflicts. The real conflict is between Islam and anti-Islam.      

Dear brothers! The Book of Allah calls us to offer aid. If you are unable to offer aid except through wealth, then give victory to your brothers with wealth. If you are unable to offer aid except through supplication, then aid them with your supplication: (Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear.) All of us are in our own particular battle-trench. What I don’t want, dear brothers, is for us to remain after this in a state of play and jest and laziness and heedlessness. We must assert our identity and understand what it means to be committed. O Allah, cause us to return to Your religion in the most beautiful of manners. And make us of those who listen to the word and follow the best thereof. I say this statement of mine and I seek Allah’s forgiveness. 

Notes:
[1] Verbs that fit under the generic verbal form of fā‘ala/yufā‘ilu/mufā‘alatan usually indicate that the action is shared between two people or more [mushāraka]. The Shaykh is saying that the verb yuqātilūn indicates that the fighting is two-sided and takes place between two opposing sides. [t] 

Posted in Shaykh Dr. Mahmud Abul Huda al-Husayni | 1 Comment »

Wilful Denial of the Hijra and its Lessons

January 13th, 2009 by admin

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Wilful Denial of the Hijra and its Lessons
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Sa‘īd Ramadān al-Būtī

All praise belongs to Allah, all praise belongs to Allah; all praise belongs to Allah who guided us to this, and we would not have been guided had Allah not guided us. All praise belongs to Allah for His showering of bounties; all praise belongs to Allah in all states. We seek refuge with Allah from the state of Hell’s inhabitants. All praise belongs to Allah on account of Him placing us in the Umma of Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam  – the best of creation. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah – He is alone without any partners – and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger; His choice-elect and intimate friend; the best Prophet sent forth. Allah sent him to the world entire as a bringer of glad-tidings and a warner. O Allah! Send Your abundant prayers, peace, and blessings upon our liege lord Muhammad, and upon the family of our liege lord Muhammad: lasting and inseparable peace and prayers until the Last Day. I advise you, o Muslims, and my sinful self, to have fear of Allah, the Exalted. O servants of Allah!      

We were expecting the Islamic world to greet the new Hijra year with a renewed covenant with Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, and an increase in applying the lessons of the Hijra and its counsels that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam left with us. How unfortunate it is that we have been taken aback by the exact opposite. We have been taken aback by seeing that most of the leaders of the Arab and Islamic world are in wilful denial of the meanings and lessons of the Hijra. They have turned away from it in belittlement. Through his Hijra from Mecca to Medina, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam advised us and taught us to sacrifice the world entire: the outward trappings of leadership in it as well as all types of desirable things and passions that stand in the way of human values and fundamentals that Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, honoured us with.      

We see that most of the rulers are doing the exact opposite of what the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam advised: they are sacrificing humane principles and lofty and firm values for the sake of base desires and passions, and for the sake of cementing their thrones and seats of power. Through his migration from Mecca to Medina, his declaration regarding Islamic brotherhood, his effort in strengthening its roots in the first Islamic state, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam ordered us to be guardians over this brotherhood and to fulfil its rights. When we look, we see that most of the rulers in the Arab and Islamic world are in wilful denial of this brotherhood and command of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam. They sacrifice the brotherhood of Islam for the sake of cementing their thrones and for the sake of gaining more fanciful and ephemeral desires, vain passions, and wealth.      

The words of Allah, the Exalted and Sublime: (The believers are nothing but brothers; so make peace between your brothers.) are simply forgotten; they are recited yet the opposite is done; and they are heard, yet they are belittled. Servants of Allah! The current killing that engulfs women, children, the elderly, and every innocent – killing that has become a bloody-wound that refuses to heal – is not because of a particular piece of land. The targets of this operation – an operation planned in advance, as is not hidden to anyone – are not just the people of Gaza, but also the entire Islamic world. The people of Gaza are simply the sacred symbol of the Islamic world entire. The Mosques that were destroyed and the Qur’āns that were torn to bits in Gaza were not for a particular piece of land. It is symptomatic of [their desire] to put an end to the religion of Islam wherever it is found and wherever its sun has spread and wherever its light has shined. In this operation, the people of Gaza are simply the sacred symbol of the Islamic world entire!      

The forces of evil and the perfidious beasts that lurk and lie in wait for the innocent are not restricted to a lowly group of people. Nay, they are found in all sorts of groups the world over, who have all united in their enmity towards Islam and come together in their efforts, motivated by their intense hatred and desire to put an end this radiant light [Islam] that has spread across the world. Israel and its cowardly cohorts are nothing more than the lowliest symbol of this force doing its dastardly work today.      

There are two symbols. The first symbol is that of Gaza, the sacred symbol of the Islamic world whose destruction is sought; the sacred symbol of Islam, the light of which some seek to extinguish. The second symbol is that of Israel and its cowardly cohorts. Israel is the symbol for the forces of evil that collude together across the world. These forces have agreed and decided that Islam and its supposed danger is to be dealt with wherever it is found. They have decided that they will rid themselves of the instability they suffer from that is a result of the dangerous spread of Islam here and there.      

Servants of Allah! In the dawn of this new Hijrī year when the Islamic Umma remembers the migration of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam and the first peaceful Islamic state established by him, we look and what do we see? We see the counterfeit mask of Islam dropping from the faces of those who openly professed – and perhaps continue to profess – Islam. Today, those counterfeit masks are dropping on account of this Divine test: the test of invitation to and assistance of Islam, moral values, and peace that our Lord called us to by sending the Messengers and Prophets.      

Islam calls upon us to aid our oppressed brothers who are murdered and whose blood is shed day and night. When we look, we see those with the counterfeit masks joining the ranks of the enemy. When we look, we see the masks of Islam dropping from their faces – masks that have for so long fooled us time and time again!  It is as if they are saying – with either their tongue of statement or tongue of mute-statement – to those who urge them to fulfil the covenant and duty placed on their shoulders: “And who told you that we represent this Umma over whose chest we have erected our throne? Nay, we represent the forces of evil; we represent Israel – the lowliest and vilest symbol of evil the world over!”      

Servants of Allah! This test has both an inner and outer aspect; it has a manifest aspect and a hidden aspect. Its manifest aspect is in the suffering that breaks our hearts. I don’t think that our Islamic history has ever recorded a test like this one. The Islamic world has faced many a plot, be it in the east or the west, however never has a plot reached this extent. That is the outward and manifest aspect of this test. The inner aspect of this test is a bounty from Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, in order to make clear and distinguish the truthful person from the liar, and in order to rent asunder the masks of hypocrisy.      

With regards to Gaza and its people, from this position of mine I am unable to send them anything but one condolence that is represented in two verses from the Book of Allah, the Exalted and Sublime. It is my hope that both of these verses reach the ears of our brothers there who are observing steadfastness and patience. The first verse is Allah’s words: (If a wound should touch you, a similar wound has already touched the [opposing] people. And these days [of changing conditions] We alternate between the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and may take to Himself from among you martyrs. And Allah does not like the wrongdoers. And that Allah may purify the believers and destroy the disbelievers.) The second verse is Allah’s words (and it is as if it was revealed today addressing them in order to cool the fire of their hearts): (If you do not aid him, Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieve drove him out as one of two when they [the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam and Abū Bakr d ] were in the cave and he said to his companion: “Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us.” And Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers (Angels) you did not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest. And the word of Allah – that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and All-Wise.)      

Dear brothers! Take notice of the difference between the two sentences here, you will realize the vast difference in meaning between the two of them. He, the Exalted, said: (…and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest…). He did not say “And made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest and [made] the word of Allah the highest”. In reference to His word, He did not use the verb “made” [ja‘al], which is based on a particular time. Rather, He revealed it as an independent sentence: (And the word of Allah – that is the highest.) This means that His word is the highest in every era and at all times – those who know this know it and those who are ignorant of this are ignorant of it.      

As for the rulers of the Arab and Islamic world, I say to them (and it is not me who is saying this, rather it is Islam and Allah’s warning and glad tidings that say this – and everyone is free to chose the path he will follow): the life span of this world is short, so consider the life span of man. It is quite possible that one of the rulers has death knocking on his door; perhaps he will wake up and not live till the evening. What treasures will he be able to take with him when he meets Allah? To where shall he carry his throne when he goes to Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, and is in his grave and then in the position in which he shall stand before our Master, the Lord of the worlds? Who among them thinks he will be brought before Allah and shall sit on his throne outstretched? You will only go to Allah naked and bereft of all of that, as Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, said. You will only go to Allah in a state of abject poverty, having lost all of that. Woe unto you! Take advantage of the few remaining hours of your life before you go to Allah and face wretchedness without end!      

Regarding your brothers who seek your help and who ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, for victory through you, you must know that victory is only from Allah, however it is a test by which Allah examines some of His servants through others, in order to reward the former by means of the latter, or to punish the former because of their crimes against the latter. How strange is the state of man! He shuts his eyes to this clear reality! Take money, but don’t worship it. Sit in the chair in which Allah has placed you but don’t worship your chair day and night. You shall depart from this world: (There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most-Merciful as a servant. He has enumerated them and counted them with a full counting. And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.)      

You shall return to Allah with one thing and one thing alone: your righteous actions; the services you offered to your brothers; your fulfilment and acting in accordance to your Master’s words: (The believers are nothing but brothers; so make peace between your brothers.)      

He said: (…make peace…) How astounding is the state of the person who hears Allah’s words when they strike his ears, yet he chooses to corrupt that which is between him and his brothers. Their brothers in Allah adjure them to open up the paths in front of them; for their good-pleasure; for their injured; for those in dire straits among them; in order for brothers to embrace each other and help each other; yet these rulers respond with nothing but closed ears and closed paths. However, as for Israel, it need only command and they obey; its need only deliver its judgment and their heads will bow down in humiliating submission.       

I ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, to make this test serve as a lesson. I ask that He grants us the ability to derive its lesson. As for this Levant [Syria] of ours, I ask Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, to increase it in patience. I ask Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, to increase it in success and to outstretch all bridges to cooperation that can possibly be outstretched: the bridges of victory and the bridges of brotherhood that Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, ordered us with. I ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, to make all of our motivations for the sake of His Good pleasure. I say these words of mine and I seek the forgiveness of Allah, the Tremendous; seek His forgiveness, He shall forgive you. All praise belongs to Allah. I praise Him abundantly as He commanded. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah – testifying to His Godhood and enraging those who deny Him and disbelieve in Him. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger; His choice-elect and intimate friend; and the best Prophet sent forth. Allah sent him to the world entire as a bringer of glad-tidings and a warner. Servants of Allah! Fear Allah concerning that which He commands, and abstain from that which He forbids and rebukes. Expel the love of the world from your hearts, for when it overcomes a heart it imprisons it. Dear brothers! I am most certain that your hearts have all welled up with painful feelings. And I am most certain that these painful feelings are waiting for you to express them in ways that shall bring coolness to your breasts and lighten the scorching of your hearts. You have listened attentively to the words I have spoken, and now the time has come for you to express your feelings that, if anything, indicate an increase in faith in Allah and an increased attachment to brotherhood for Allah’s sake.      

After we are finished with the Friday Prayer, you are all more than able to gather in this Mosque in order to raise your voices and express your feelings and release your moans unto the heavens, as humble supplications to Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, asking Him to respond. Cries that you can release and spread through the horizon – perchance they will reach the ears of the rulers, and perchance one of those cries will wake up the slumbering rulers and bring them to attention before they die.       After the completion of the Friday Prayer, go out to the courtyard of this Mosque to express it as a shout among shouts and an expression among expressions; one brotherhood expressing it as one and teaching it to those who are wont to go their own way and separate. I ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, to place among us one who will supplicate and whose supplication will be answered.      

There is something further I wish to mention here, namely, a Sunna of old that was taught to us by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam for use in these situations and difficulties. It is that we should supplicate with the nāzila supplication [during times of tribulation] after making [our backs] erect after coming up [from the bowing position] of the final unit of prayer: in this case, after coming up from the second unit of the Friday Prayer to be prayed now. It is the nāzila supplication in which we respond to Allah’s command, Exalted is He. All of you are believers, and without doubt there is among you someone whose supplication, Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, will answer.      

O Allah! Send Your prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You sent Your prayers upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm – and bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as You have blessed Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm in the worlds, indeed, You are Glorious, worthy of all praise. May Allah be pleased with the rightly guided Caliphs and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.      

O Allah! Forgive the Muslims; men and women alike; and forgive the believing men and women; the living from them as well as the dead. Unite their hearts, o Possessor of might and nobility! O Allah! You are our Companion in times of loneliness and You are our hope in times of despair. You are what we have in the face of every affliction. O my Lord! Do not cause us in this hour to be distant from Your Mercy! Cause us to taste the coolness of Your kindness and gentleness, o Possessor of might and nobility!      

O Allah! Answer our prayers. Grant us – o Allah – our hopes. O Allah! We seek a means of approach to You by virtue of our faith in You and our good thoughts concerning You. We seek a means of approach to You by virtue of Your statement in Your Clear Exposition (the Qur’ān): (Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls Him and removes evil?). We seek a means of approach to You by virtue of Your love for Your Prophet Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam: that You answer our prayers. O Allah! Remove the afflictions from our brothers, the people of Gaza, and from all of the oppressed Muslims in the east and the west. O Allah! Repel from them the plot of the plotters.      

O Allah! We place You upon their necks and seek refuge in You from their evil, o Possessor of might and nobility! O Allah! We ask You by virtue of the tears of the bereaved mothers and we ask You by virtue of the pure blood that has been spilt and that remains moist in the land of Gaza – we ask You, o Possessor of might and nobility on behalf of the elderly and the suckling babies; we ask You by virtue of the humility of our slavehood unto You and by virtue of our immense poverty unto You that You answer our prayers.       

We are Your desperate slaves, so remove harm from us. We are Your servants who seek refuge at Your door; do not shut us off from Your door, o Possessor of might and nobility! You are the One who forgives our odious deeds. You are the Loving; pardon us with Your beautiful pardon, o Possessor of might and nobility. Do not destroy us – o Most Merciful of those who are merciful – on account of our sins, and do not destroy us on account of the sins of others, o Lord of the worlds! Do not destroy us on account of the transgressions of the rulers who have shown preference to their worldly life over Your command – those who prefer their seats of power and thrones over the honour of slavehood to You, o Possessor of might and nobility!      

Give victory to Your Muslims servants in Gaza, o Possessor of might and nobility! I repeat Your statement in Your Clear Exposition (the Qur’ān): ( If you do not aid him, Allah has already aided him…)

O Allah! This is a promise that is not restricted to a specific time period; You are the Constant Victor and Helper; You are the Constant source of refuge: ( If you do not aid him, Allah has already aided him…) Give victory – o Allah – to Your believing servants. They are believers in You, o Lord of the worlds! They seek refuge in You, o Possessor of might and nobility.      

O Allah! All of the thrones of the world – all of the tyrants [tughāt] of the world are unable to do anything in the face of Your victorious help by which you give victory to Your believing servants, o Lord of the worlds! Grant the victory You gave to Your Messenger yesterday, to Your Muslim servants today, o Possessor of might and nobility.      

O Lord of the worlds! Forgive us our sins and pardon us with Your beautiful pardon, o Most-Merciful of who is asked and Most-Generous of who gives and answers – o Lord of the worlds! It is You who says: (It is by a mercy from Allah that you dealt softly with them.) You placed within the heart of Your Prophet Muhammad, mercy for Your penitent slaves: have mercy upon us if we swerve from Your Straight Path, o Possessor of might and nobility.       

We are Your slaves and we believe in You and hold fast to Your guidance, o Most Merciful of those who show mercy! We are Your servants who are honoured by Your [gift] of Islam and Your Sacred Law. O Allah! O Allah! Respond to our supplications: o You who sees our station and who hears our words at this moment and who knows our secrets and outward selves!        

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