THE MUSLIM UMMAH, GRACE AND TRAILS Praise be to Allah! Praise be to Allah Whose Mercy has encompassed and embraced all, and whose Might caused all souls to turn to Him in humbleness and subjugation. I praise Him (Be He extolled) and I thank Him. His favours have been bestowed on His servants successively and completely. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah with no associate - a true and flawless testimony that I wish to save for the day when every nursing woman will forget her nursling1, and I bear witness that our Master and Prophet Muhammad is the Servant and Messenger of Allah - May He be extolled. He performed genuine jihad until the banners of the religion were flown high far and wide. May Allah send His abundant Peace and Blessing unto him, his noble and immaculate family who were honoured by being related to him, and his righteous and true Companions who followed his guidance and spread his religion, and unto the tabi’in (contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet [May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him] after his death) in righteousness as the sun keeps rising and setting, and the stars in the sky keep radiating and fading away. Now then, I exhort you, people - and myself- to observe Taqwa (fear of disobeying Allah Almighty). Observe Taqwa - May Allah have mercy on you - because Taqwa is the best provision. It is, with Allah’s help, a guardian that never succumbs to slumber, an embellishment for the rich, consolation for the poor, and protection for the afflicted. O Servant of Allah! Follow (our righteous predecessors), do not innovate (in religion). Imitate (righteous Muslim models), do not initiate (innovations in religion). He who holds fast to athar (track/ tradition) will never go astray. A subordinate in the realm of good is superior to a leader in the realm of evil. If you cannot do your brother/sister (in Islam) good, do not do him harm. If you cannot make him/her happy, do not make him/ her miserable, and if you cannot praise him/her, do not censure him/her. Human beings are not blamed for the way they look, but for the way they behave: So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen and obey; and spend in charity, that is better for yourselves. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they are the successful ones. [Al- Taghabun: 16] O Muslims! The advent of a new year is the time for reflection, contemplation and learning from history. It seems necessary to hold the self to account when taking a good look at oneself and at the Muslim Ummah, though it is a bitter pill to swallow. What happened to our dignity? What happened to our unity of hearts? What happened to the state of the Muslim Ummah? Brothers and Sisters in faith! The avid onslaught against the Ummah and Muslim territory is quite evident. Plots are being drawn against its autonomy, stability, unity and independence. Despair, frustration and precipitance are nourished by the hands that work toward debilitating, fragmenting and dividing the Ummah. Our enemies have used all ways and means to drive a wedge in the ranks of the Muslim Ummah, foment discord, create despair, and subdue confidence. The problem -O Servants of Allah- is that in our age, the myriads and amplitude of communication means and social networks have made it difficult to filter what is right, true and sincere from what is bad, untrue and fraudulent. Nowadays, information travels faster than fire in a hay stack, which makes it necessary to be careful, not to mention organized sites that instigate agitation among peoples, spread unrest, and sow seditions. Dear Muslims! The malicious use of the social networks and suspicious sites as well as the dissemination of false rumours is a clear indication of targeting the Muslim Ummah and its peoples. Other indications include attacking our country, its assets, key public figures and leaders, shaking its constant principles, discrediting its prominent religious scholars, honest politicians, and faithful nationalists. They try to find fault with others, spread their slips, encroach upon the rights of others, and conceal their achievements. They do that in tweets and comments aimed at agitating people and causing insurgency. It is sinful enough to forward and disseminate everything that one receives without verification and validation. Moreover, some comments which are apparently meant to be funny and amusing are, in fact, very effective in traumatizing souls, undermining convictions, and blurring visions. Let the boys and girls of today know that such articles, commentaries and tweets, albeit seemingly funny and amusing, are the fastest means of disturbing thought, and blurring vision in such staged information and psychological warfare. They merely aim at destroying souls, undermining principles, debilitating tenets, and mocking traditions and commendable customs. Also, let’s not forget that much of the material exchanged by the targeted novices has nothing to do with them; most of it is directed to religious scholars, politicians, experts and specialists. The Noble Quran provides us with guidance as how to deal with such a situation: …if only they had referred it to the Messenger or to those charged with authority among them. [Al-Nisa’: 83]} There is an ocean of difference between the two camps. O Muslims! The shortest route to knowledge and cognition is to learn from past lessons and to benefit from past experiences. This is indicated in the Noble Quran where Allah - Sublime be He be - says: Then take admonition, O you with eyes (to see). [Al-Ḥashr: 2] He - To Whom belong Might and Majesty - also says: Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. [Yusuf: 111] Here are two points - May Allah Almighty grant you success and protection- that might contribute to raising our awareness and urging us to make reflections so that we might remember: The first tells us to look at our brothers and sisters who have been afflicted by such trials to see how their countries have changed into a battlefield with bloodshed, homelessness, loss of property, and social upheaval. They thought their living conditions would improve, their lives would be more comfortable, and that they would enjoy welfare. As a rule, people who lead their community to turmoil and rebel against their rulers will certainly suffer from atrocities and fall prey to major sins. They have realised, as you certainly do, that fitan (trials) undermine security, lead to bloodshed, belittle the value of life, and trigger crimes against individual reputation. We beseech Allah Almighty to put a quick end to their misery, save them from harm, and defeat their enemy. We beseech Allah Almighty to support them and restore their security and stability, and to unite them in guidance and righteousness, and to replace their fear with security - He is All Hearing, Most Responsive! The second point has to do with this blessed and immaculate country. It is the country of the Two Holy Mosques, the land of sacred sites. It is the world’s purest land, and most noble spot on the face of the earth. Ours is the country of tawheed (monotheism) and unity. It is the country whose citizens, residents and visitors savour the favours bestowed on it by Almighty Allah. He - May He be extolled- has bestowed upon them riches after abject poverty, unity after disunity, and knowledge after ignorance while people were being taken away (killed or captured) all around them. Our country has realised great achievements: revival of the Sunnah, routing Bid’ah (innovation in religion), abandoning superstition, and obliterating all forms of reliance except on Allah - a practice which sometimes amounted to shirk (associating other deities with Allah Almighty). Yes, indeed ‒May Allah protect you! The shortest route to knowledge and cognition is to learn the lesson, and to benefit from past experiences. In this blessed country, and in this blessed unity, a remote epoch has elapsed with ancient periods and successive peoples. The Arabian Peninsula was plagued by fragmentation, disunity, difference, ignorance, disease and feeble religion couched in tribes fighting among themselves and in hostile principalities and city states. Yes, it was the borderline between two different periods and historical eras. A blessed unity and a unification that have brought about complete and colossal change, not only in the Arabian Peninsula, but also in the whole world especially in the region and Islamic World. With this unity, the darkness of innovations in religion vanished, superstition disappeared, and religious aberration was abandoned. Having terminated its isolation and marginalization, the country went through a historical change. With unification, the balance of power was upset, and the country adopted vivacity of influence, change and presence on the regional and international arenas. Before this blessed unification, the country used to live on the margin of history. It showed no influence, participation or interaction with the outside world, with the exception of the Two Holy Mosques - May Allah grant them more honour, blessing, prestige and reverence. Yet, the road to them was unsafe, as they could not be reached except through a perilous journey. None of the rulers of that time could bring about security, unite the people and unite their ranks, settle a dispute, support religion or promote religious law. Nay! Subsequent to the guided caliphate, successive Islamic states and caliphs were unable to secure the Hajj route. Consequently, Muslims’ miseries were to persist for centuries to the extent that the religious scholars of the Maghreb countries opined that Hajj was no longer a duty vis-à-vis their people on account of the perils of the journey. There were heart- rending stories of killing, pilferage, larceny and oppression that would move people to tears. That state of affairs persisted until Allah Almighty granted the honour of preserving Hajj security and of unification to this blessed state. Its rising to power has been a bliss and its assumption of governance a grace. Muslims come to this country as pilgrims, visitors and Omrah performers where they receive care and enjoy quality service and security, and then they return home safely and happily. Life has become enjoyable and people feel happy. Praise and thank be to Allah! O Muslims! O Muslim Youths! This blessed country does not seek a distinctive language, a specific history, or particular ethnic group to rely on. Quite the opposite, it is a melting pot of all sectors, tribes, religious schools, and trends of thought. Islam is but their common denominator; it is a way of life, a system of law, and a basis of unity. Any disregard for, or undermining of, the principles of the state’s identity, or any slackness in maintaining it is an element of destruction whose effect is commensurate to its size. It is surprising to see some people calling for state-religion severance believing that the bond between them is dissoluble. Such a call bespeaks total ignorance of Allah’s tradition vis-à-vis history, nations and states. The relationship between this state and religion is the matrix of its very existence. Any country that relinquishes the matrix of its existence will no longer be able to put up any resistance. History prior to the appearance of the blessed call that led to the establishment of this blessed state testifies to this. Commitment to Islam by calling to it and taking it as the basis of legislation in this blessed state is not only one of its functions or its activities. Islam is rather its soul, life, aim, and way; it manifests itself in all its activities, functions, actions, and systems. This has been clearly stated in its constitution. O Brothers and Sisters! O Muslim Youths! A people blessed by Allah in their country with these privileges and characteristics in this stable nation, cohesive unity, comprehensive leadership, and blissful living are indeed bound to truly appreciate this blessing and protect it dearly. Beware, beware! Be those who learn from others’ mistakes and not those whose mistakes will be learnt from. Beware and beware lest we cry over these wonderful days, Beware and beware lest we cry over these wonderful days, and perfect security. You live at home with your children, wives, friends, blood relatives, and your countrymen and visitors; you come and go to your jobs, homes, bazaars, schools, universities, recreation centres, transportation, and travels in the security and protection of Allah. Loving this blessed country is a deep hearty feeling, an overflowing longing filling the hearts, and an authentic sense of friendliness that harmoniously unites feelings. Salih Al-Dimashqῑ (a Muslim Scholar) said to his son: O son! If you live your day and night during which your religion, body, wealth, and children are safe, then increase your thanks to Allah Almighty; for how many a man whose religion is forced out of him, whose ownership is robbed, whose honour is violated, and whose back is broken while you are enjoying good health, security, and Allah’s protection. And you ‒May Allah increase you in righteousness‒ look at the events taking place around you in order to acknowledge the blessings of Allah bestowed upon you. Therefore, praise Allah and thank him, and make supplications for your brothers and sisters asking Allah to hasten their relief, change their fear into security, unite their word, and lift hardships off them. I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan: And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that men might kidnap you, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His Help, and provided you with good things so that you might be grateful. [Al-Anfal: 26] May Allah benefit me and you with the great Quran and with the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (May Allahs Salat and Peace be upon him). I say this and ask Allah to forgive you and me and all the Muslims all our sins and wrongdoings. So ask Him to forgive you; He is All- Forgiving, All-Merciful!
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 14:27:00 +0000
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