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Lessons from Contemporary Tribulations
Shaykh Abdur Rahman As Sudays [(Safar 12, 1425 (April 02, 2004)]
All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all
the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and
companions.
Fellow Muslims! I implore you to fear Allaah and be dutiful to Him. Fear of
Allaah is the only way to happiness and progress. It leads to high degrees of
Paradise. Fear Allaah, you will attain success in this world and the next and
you will be saved from the path of erroneous people.
Dear brethren! It is not difficult for someone to know that the Muslim Ummah is
presently passing through one of its most painful periods in its history. Its
present crisis is not like past ones and its current calamity is almost
unsurpassed in its long history. This is because; the challenges, wars and
conspiracies that face the Ummah are exceptionally ruthless and enormous.
Aboo Daawood and others reported that the Messenger of Allaah said, "The people
will soon summon one another to attack you as people invite one another to share
their dish." Someone asked, "Will that be because of our small numbers at that
time?" He replied, "No, you will be numerous at that time; but you will be scum
and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allaah will take fear of
you from the breasts of your enemy and cast enervation into your hearts."
Someone asked, "What is wahn (enervation), Messenger of Allaah?" He replied,
"Love of the world and dislike of death."
Fellow Muslims! What the Prophet had warned against is happening now. The
nations that are conspiring with one another to attack us are the present
wielders of power while we Muslims live in the state of helplessness and
disrespect. Therefore, the first step towards correcting this painful situation
is to acknowledge our mistakes and shortcomings. Our first stage of
reconstruction is to reconstruct our hearts through correct belief, strong
faith, pure acts of worship, brilliant ideas and noble characters.
Brethren in Islaam! The most dangerous defect that afflicts individuals and
societies is the imperfections that have crept into the beliefs, thoughts,
civilisation and cultures of the Muslims. Many Muslims are following the
peddlers of foreign ideologies and norms who drag the Ummah to the abyss of
immorality and obscenity without knowing that this is one of the causes of
defeat of many nations and annihilation of civilisations.
The Muslims have suffered from this disease so much so that it fell from the
grace to the grass. In addition to the ignominious backwardness that the Ummah
suffers in different aspects of life, it is also afflicted with weakness, not
only in front of the world powers, but also in the sight of small and backward
nations who inflict it with massacres, invade the homes of its members, violate
its sanctities and usurp its lands.
As if all this is not enough, the Ummah is also attacked from within by those
who are ideologically errant, morally corrupt and educationally pervert. These
self-styled reformists claim that our religion is the cause of backwardness.
They go as far as recruiting elements, whose identities have been deformed and
thoughts poisoned, to wage war against their own religion and societies and to
exploit the current world events and create non-existing crises to attain
vicious goals and settle scores.
Many people write on the issues of lawful and unlawful with no knowledge,
because wading into matters of Islaamic law have become the speciality of
no-specialists. Another group, on the other hand has adopted the culture of
violence as the only way out this shameful situation.
Fellow Muslims! The greatest political calamity from which the Muslims suffer in
this region is the heinous crimes that the Zionist entity commits against the
Ummah. The latest of these crimes, which shows the Zionists' desperation in
inflicting the greatest possible harm upon the Muslims, their religion and holy
places and their leaders, is the cowardly but barbaric murder of the Palestinian
Mujaahid, Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, may Allaah have mercy on him and accept him among
the martyrs.
This crime has not hurt the feelings of the Muslims alone; it has rather hurt
the feeling of all noble people who believe in truth, justice, freedom and human
rights. The details of this crime also indicate that the Zionists are
ferociously treacherous, lowly and belligerent. Certainly, the Zionists'
assassination of this elderly and quadriplegic Shaykh by this horrible means
violated all human norms and international treaties and agreements. It is indeed
tantamount to crossing all red lines.
Though Islaam is the religion of mercy, tolerance and peace, it will never,
under any circumstances, succumb to injustice and capitulation.
O you nation of Islaam! Is it not time to put a stop to the bloodshed in the
land of Palestine and other places throughout the world in which Muslims are
being killed and persecuted?
There should be no wonder in the crimes these people are committing in the land
of Palestine, for their dark history is full of series of murders committed
against Prophets, fighters in the cause of God and reformers, though the book
that was revealed to Moosaa and which this people falsely claim to follow, is
all mercy. Allaah says,
"And before it, came the Book of Mūsā (Moses), a
guidance and a mercy."
(Hood 11:17)
Where is the mercy in this barbarism perpetrated by those who claim to be
followers of Moses? Anyway, this might be the beginning of their end.
The international community should hasten to find an immediate solution to this
problem and firmly put an end to the sufferings of our Palestinian brethren.
This Zionist policy of violence should be stopped so that more violence, anarchy
and bloodshed could be avoided.
Will the Muslim Ummah then draw lessons from these painful events? Will it
understand that the real power lies in correct belief in Islaamic monotheism and
that attainment of high degree lies in strong faith and high-mindedness? Will
the Muslims realise that their allegiance should be only to their religion and
not to individuals? Will they understand that the war between them and their
enemy is the war of belief, identity and fate? Is it not time to show that our
Ummah will not succumb to defeat and annihilation?
Certainly, spirit of resistance digs deep into the hearts of a Muslim so that he
will be ready to sacrifice his soul and properties for the cause of his
religion. Is it not the time for the Ummah to realise that pursuing delusive
imaginations, mirage, fake promises and fanciful dreams is nothing but a way of
diverting the Muslims from helping their just causes? Do not the Muslims
understand that what happened and is happening to them are means by which Allaah
puts them to trial so that they could awaken from their slumber and revive their
cultural, moral and material potentialities in order to achieve the victory by
the permission of Allaah?
We are calling on our brethren the Mujaahideen in the land of Palestine to stand
united against the Zionist enemy. They should shun all elements of discord and
dissention and hold fast unto the injunctions of the Book of Allaah and the
Sunnah of His Messenger. They should deny the opportunists and the self-serving
individuals the chance of causing disunity among them.
Our brethren in the land of heroes and Mujaahideen, you have indeed, rekindled
hope in the Ummah with your blessed Jihaad. Be patient and persevering in your
struggle until you achieve either of the two gracious prizes: victory or
martyrdom. Our hearts are with you and our invocations are for you. The Ummah
will not relent is assisting you with whatever it possesses of money and
efforts, for your cause is Islaam's and Muslims'. We shall ever be with you
until the promise of Allaah comes and Allaah never fails in His promise.
O Muslim leaders whom Allaah gave the authority over His land and servants! Al-Quds
and Al-Aqsa Mosque are trusts upon your shoulders. Muslims worldwide are looking
forward to your summit as soon as possible. You should take practical
resolutions and stand to help the oppressed in Iraq and Palestine. A final and
decisive stop should be put to the excesses of the Zionists and their threats to
the region and the entire world. May Allaah guide our steps and bless our
efforts. Be sincere O you Muslims and be patient O you Mujaahideen.
Brethren in faith! There is a fact that should never be overlooked: the end of
the struggle between forces of truth and forces of falsehood is always in the
favour of the pious believers. Let the Muslims take solace in that. Victory is
for Islaam and the Muslims, sooner or later. We only need to be sincere, serious
and hardworking. Allaah says,
"Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs,
but most of men know not."
(Yoosuf 12:21)
Allaah also says,
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We
will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allaah's Religion - Islaamic
Monotheism). And verily, Allaah is with the good doers."
(Al-'Ankaboot 29:69)
Dear brethren! In this period that the Ummah is trying to hold back its tears
over its pitiful situation, it is disheartening to observe that it is also being
subjected to moral calamity by the mass media through its irresponsible
satellite channels. These channels aim at eliminating all virtues and promoting
all kinds of vices and immorality. They broadcast obscene programmes that
contradict all upright values and sound nature, not to talk of religion and
sense of modesty. They do this under false names.
This is indeed, a kind of moral war against Islaam and its teachings and values.
It is a weapon of mass destruction against the excellent Islaamic moral system.
These people are doing this to their Ummah at a time that we are facing
difficult situations in which we need to take care of the growing generation and
protect them against waves of licentiousness and westernisation. It is therefore
the responsibility of the family and the society to create awareness, especially
among our young men and women.
As for those who are responsible for these channels, we are passionately
appealing to them in the Name of Allaah to stop broadcasting these offensive
programmes that spread obscenity among the Muslims and that, actually, downgrade
the Ummah, attack its concerns, add salt to its injury and betray its causes.
Fellow Muslims! Though this issue may be assumed to be a bit sentimental, it is
wise to take a balanced and just stand in dealing with it. A middle path should
be found between despair and hope. No pessimism should be allowed nor should we
waste time on talking about our weaknesses and imperfections. Al-hamdulillaah,
there are many excellent qualities in this Ummah that should be invested in
promoting hope and optimism.
There are many blessings beneath affliction. That is the way of Allaah in His
creation. The history also testifies to this. The Muslim should therefore be
confident in Allaah and help His religion without despair and without resorting
to irresponsible haste and enthusiasm. The successful is the one who is put
upright by lessons that he learnt, guided by admonitions, understands incidences
from all their aspects and comprehends their effects, secrets and consequences.
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