Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, We have entered the month of Dhul-Hijjah, the month
of Hajj, a sacred month among the twelve lunar months established by Allah.
With the grip of violence that exists throughout the world, whether it is
Israel against Palestine or Russia against Ukraine, and the other civil wars
that are ending the economies of countries, and putting the lives of their
people in danger, so, we see that when people go against the commandments of
Allah, they suffer in different ways unless they realize the mistakes they have
made to separate themselves from Allah and His commandments.
Today, after the Arab ‘Winter’, and
the steps to promote democracy, but it is to be noted that it is not an Islamic
democracy that is established in those countries which state that they are Islamic
countries. Today, the world is in the grip of a battle over who will gain more
power and money.
Do not forget the parable that
Allah mentions to us in Surah Al-Kahf, in Ruku 5, Verses 33 to 45 where there
were two people, one who was a non-believer, rich and arrogant, and the other a
believer, humble and pious where he said to his comrade: “I have more money
than you, and I am stronger than you and have many people (including children)
with me.”
But the humble one warned the
arrogant one against the punishment of Allah. Arrogance never makes people
prosper. It is the heart that submits to Allah that prospers. An arrogant
person who does not have the fear of Allah thinks that the world belongs to him
and that he can do whatever pleases him. But Allah tests the unbelievers with
their wealth and children and make chaos befall them if they do not show
humility and do not think about the greatness of Allah and His generosity
towards all.
The Muslims of Palestine once, through
their generosity have helped a people whom they believed were weak and devoid
of malice, but the latter had an evil plan behind their heads. They came disguised
as friends of the Muslim believers so that they could take Palestine for
themselves. But do they think that everything they have stolen from the
Palestinians will make them prosperous? Do they not think about the day when
the calamity of Allah will fall on them from a place that they do not expect?
When Allah’s vengeance comes, it
will destroy everything in its path, and believers and non-believers will be
judged according to their actions and intentions. But I should state also that
Israel is not the only culprit in the matter of the killing of Palestinians.
Israel has received a helping hand from the United States of America (U.S.A) as
well as the non-action of those who supposedly hold justice in their hands but
who have remained arms crossed [idle], waiting for Israel to finish razing
everywhere and finish doing the work before they take action. After all, they
would have to have a culprit, a scapegoat to put all the blame on, right? If
the Zionist Jews did not gain the support of these countries to enter a country
that is not for them and then take by force the properties that are not theirs,
then nothing would have happened in Palestine. The non-believers have a solid
plan in their heads: they wish to draw the Muslims into the pit of perdition
through materialism and hatred towards other Muslims so that they can unite and
take control of this world.
But in the end, this world is
destined for destruction one day. This day which passes by is a prediction of
the approach of its end, but people do not take this into consideration. Satan
has embellished for them the worldly gains and made them forget the spiritual
gains. The war between Allah and Satan is still present, and has never stopped!
If the war between the Lord of the Universe and Satan has continued since the
dawn of time, then we must expect that Satan will continue to do his work to
excite people against Allah and His laws.
In the rites of Hajj, we find a
striking point where the pilgrims (Hajjis) must symbolically beat
Shaytan. This has a very great significance in the life of a true believer who
does not let his faith zigzag [i.e. falter, and/or take a course other than the
one leading to Allah]. It means to kill one’s own Shaytan and then to
concentrate one’s effort to kill the Shaytans all around one. This is Jihad
that every Muslim must do with himself. The world must understand that Jihad
that extremists do in the name of Islam is not Jihad. The holy war is to
be done when there is a pious commander, who has the fear of Allah at the
leadership of the Muslims and who is inspired by Allah directly or indirectly
through the good application of the law of Allah to establish justice, wherever
there is injustice.
In the early days, the wars of the
Muslims were defensive wars, and then when Allah strengthened the Muslims with
victory, because of their obedience to Him and His prophet Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh), then Allah gave them permission to go ahead and conquer the lands, as a
Deen – a Way of Life, and an established Islamic Government, just like
other non-Islamic countries and governments were established at that time, such
as the kingdom of Persia, Byzantine, Rome, etc. and Allah gave permission to go
ahead and conquer those countries, just like in the time before Islam, for Sa’ul
(Talut), David (Dawud) and Solomon (Sulayman). There are many other examples.
Here, Islam, with Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) and His rightly-guided caliphs, there was a reformation on how the
conquests of lands had to be done. It was at a time when the conquest of lands
was a common thing, and not a crime. Often times the Western world accused
Islam of spreading its Deen, its belief by force, but this is completely
false. If it were true, like the Christians said, then it is to be reminded
that Jesus taught to turn the other cheek when they receive a slap; so, what
have forced them to do the crusades against the Muslims? An eye for an eye; a
tooth for a tooth? In that particular case (against Muslims), they found the
Mosaic Law better? No! It is merely because they have found the extent of the
victory of Muslims in the world, and where people by the thousands were
entering Islam. They then developed a fear that Islam will surpass Christianity
and Judaism, and reign supreme in the world.
Here the Muslims, the Islamic
lands, were not just lands that were conquered in the name of Allah for the
benefit of humanity, for the benefit of good over evil, but it was done with
certain fundamental principles. Often times in wars – especially prior to Islam
and which are mostly followed by the non-Muslims [who do not recognize the
commandments of the Holy Quran] – the non-Muslim soldiers do not watch out who
they are killing or capturing during their wars, but only Islam has established
the war codes of conduct by COMMAND OF ALLAH
that women, children and nature MUST be protected, at all costs.
But note that after the colonial
era, and it should be said, that those turns of events are quite recent [in man’s
timeline], that countries signed agreements, just as I mentioned in my past
sermons, that countries kept their rights on the countries they had already
conquered and as per that agreement, it was necessary to respect the rights of
the other countries, and that is what Muslims did, towards non-Muslims, but the
non-Muslims used ruses to create frictions between Muslims because of
differences in the beliefs of Islam, in our Aqeeda, to put doubt in our
hearts and to separate brothers and sisters and create the war that was
initially meant to be waged against the disbelievers [not against each other],
and thus, when the time came when Muslims were weakened in their minds, faith
and body, then the disbelievers [enemies of Islam] seized this opportunity to
attack in turn.
But notice that you will not see
any true Muslim today roaming around to conquer other lands that are not
theirs. It is the others, like Israel who are roaming around plotting how to
steal the land of Muslims. In this particular case, should Muslims remain arms
crossed [idle], not taking any action? Are the Muslim countries that have all
the means to wage war in favour of Islam not going to retaliate? Yes, there are
Duahs. I am not disregarding this. The Help of Allah is valid in all
respects. But Allah is also watching for action [from the part of His
servants]. What are the countries which state that they are Muslim countries doing
to help their brothers, sisters and children of an Islamic country who are
suffering? Have Shaytan succeeded to this point in blinding their eyes? Are
they the ones who have become the arrogant of the earth and are letting the
Muslim people around the world suffer? Like Pharaoh who imprisoned the children
of Israel [Yaqub (as)]? What are their feelings towards their brothers, sisters
and children who are suffering? Has wealth blinded them that much?
Today, if Muslims are suffering, it
is their own [our own] fault. It is us, Muslims, who have allowed the body of
Islam to be divided. If there was unity, the extremist non-Muslim world would
have trembled. I will repeat and continue to repeat that not all non-Muslims
are evil. There are among them the true seekers of truth who know how to
differentiate between good and evil, and it is these true seekers of truth who
will become true Muslims in turn Insha-Allah. When Allah begins to
inspire hearts towards the truth, then you will find how the world of justice will
open and those who are thirsty for justice will be heard and be triumphant, Insha-Allah.
The more they crush Islam and kill
Muslims, the more Allah will open other paths and inspire others’ hearts
towards Islam. If dictators are the bitter enemies of Islam, then consider that
Allah also has the power to crush their arrogance by making their children and
generations become true Muslims! Recall the times of our master Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh), when the angels came to him, and told him to command them to destroy
the city of Ta’if, that is the city wherein he was humiliated. But what did our
master (pbuh) say? He told the angels to spare that city because he hoped that
Allah would make their children Muslims.
The same thing happened on the Day
of Aqabah, when the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) showed the same generosity. ‘Abd
Yalil ibn ‘Abd Kulal was not ready to cooperate with the Prophet, and this made
him very sad. So Hazrat Jibreel (as) came to console him and tell him that the
angel who is responsible for the mountains was present and then the angel of
the mountains greeted him Salaam (peace) and told him that if he (pbuh)
desired it, he could destroy that place, but our master (pbuh) said: “No,
rather I hope Allah will bring out from their progeny those who would worship
Allah alone without associating any partners with Him.” (Bukhari,
Muslim).
Then we found how the Duahs
of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) were accepted. Arabia became Muslim, except for a few
who were given the choice to accept Islam, or to refuse, but those who refused,
they lived their faith freely, but they had to promise that they would not wage
war against Muslims and pay a tax that we call Jizya.
So, like we find Allah saying in
the Quran: “There is no compulsion [to force
people] in Islam…” (Al-Baqara 2: 257)
It is not the work/ habit of [true]
Muslims to force others to become Muslims. Each human has his or her own free
will. But whoever accepts Islam of his own free will, then he has made a very
intelligent and profitable transaction with Allah, the Lord of the Universe.
May Allah open the hearts of
humanity and all Muslims to reflect on the goodness and compassion of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh) who made Islam reflect first of all in himself and taught how
to make this Islam shine within and then to become a powerful light to conquer
the world, not to evil but to the Creator alone, to make people worship their
Creator alone, and not Satan. May Allah awaken the consciousness of humanity
towards His True Deen, the Deen of all His true prophets, the Deen
of Islam [peace and complete submission to Him (Allah) alone]. Insha-Allah,
Ameen.