By Sheikh Saud al-Shuraim – 26 Rajab 1436

His Eminence Sheikh Saud al-Shuraim –May Allah protect him– delivered this Friday Khutbah entitled “Muslim Reality and Howto Change It” in which he talked about Muslim reality today, which is characterized by weakness and humiliation, and insisted on the Muslims’ obligation to carry out the commands of Allah and those of His Messenger‒May Allah’s Ṣalat and Peace be upon him. Only then, will the Ummah be able to rise and wake from its slumber. The Sheikh made reference to the means Muslims may employ in order to achieve glory, power, and success in the Herein at all levels towards realising the ultimate end of empowering Allah’s Religion and making it the uppermost.

Praise be to Allah! Praise be to Allah, the Most Merciful, “The Most Gracious (Allah)! He has taught (you mankind) the Qur’an (by His Mercy). He created man. He taught him eloquent speech.” [Al-Rahman: 1-4]. Allah ‒Exalted be He– has in His command the reins of the heavens and earth. Every day He is (engaged) in some affair (such as giving honour or disgrace to some, life or death to some, etc.) I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, with no associate, and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, the Master of all the children of Adam. He is the best among all those who have prayed and bowed (to Allah Almighty); he is the most eloquent among those who have talked and got their message through. May Allah’s Ṣalat, Peace and blessing be upon him, his kind and pure family, his wives, the Mothers of believers, his Companions, the tabieīn (the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Ṣalat and Peace be upon him‒ after his death), and those who followed them in righteousness until the Day of Judgement!

Now then, I advise you, O People, as well as myself to observe Taqwa (fear of disobeying Allah) of Allah –Exalted be He– for it is the key to success and the ultimate asset of trust (in Allah) and deliverance.

“No doubt! Verily, the Auliya’ of Allah [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve. Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), and used to fear Allah much (by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds). For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present world (i.e. through a righteous dream seen by the person himself or shown to others), and in the Hereafter. No change can there be in the Words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme success.” [Yunus: 62-64]

O Muslims!

The dominating tendency in man towards selfishness and towards following his personal whims, his love for earthly matters and his hatred vis-à-vis death has always generated within Muslim communities ample feelings of despair, despondency, hopelessness, and the overwhelming sense that achieving sovereignty and leadership on earth is an endeavour that cannot stand a chance in this world. This settled feeling of contentedness in this regard translates into one of satisfaction with reality, resignation and surrender to its new developments and calamities regardless of their nature, even if they happen to engender injustice, oppression, violation of man’s dignity and effacement of his identity.

In essence and reality, Islam emphasizes the inseparability of man’s endeavours, whether they are meant for the Herein or the Hereafter. In Islam, no priority or prevalence is given to the body at the expense of the spirit, or vice versa. However, there is such a fine disposition for the Muslim individual and the believing Muslim community in general to assume leadership and take on command. It is neither that regimented order of monasticism that would obliterate the inherent call of the instinct and nature nor that purely materialistic and hollow conscience that would disregard the sublimity of the spirit and its aspirations for high standing and empowerment.

Such a fact, O servants of Allah, must be clearly and pertinently known to all Muslim communities. It must be the main concern of all those seeking the best interest of their Ummah and their respective Muslim societies. Allah –Majesty and Glory be to Him– has dedicated the vistas of the heavens and earth to the service of man so that he can inhabit and popularize His earth and supersede in it by observing benevolence and servitude to Him alone towards establishing might and authority rather than suffering humiliation and indignity, and towards leading other nations on earth rather than being led.

Allah –Glorified and Exalted be He– said: “See you not (O men) that Allah has subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, (both) apparent (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, and the lawful pleasures of this world, including health, good looks, etc.) and hidden [i.e. One’s Faith in Allah (of Islamic Monotheism) knowledge, wisdom, guidance for doing righteous deeds, and also the pleasures and delights of the Hereafter in Paradise]? Yet of mankind is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge or guidance or a Book giving light!” [Luqman: 20]

Hence‒O servants of Allah‒ this divine consecration has never been a measure in vain or a blessing to be overlooked, with no substantial manifestation of gratitude to be implemented on the ground through the establishment of Allah’s Sharia law and making His Word the uppermost on earth.

“If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you; He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you.” [Al-Zumar: 7]

In light of this‒O Servants of Allah‒ it is incumbent on the Muslim Ummah to bear in mind two matters of paramount importance. These are carried out sometimes by necessity and some other times through religious guidance; they are indeed interdependent in such a way that one promptly entails the other.

These two matters‒O servants of Allah‒ involve maintaining fraternity and unity, away from division and discord. This includes a strong resolve to reach the peak of glory and leadership with submission and subjugation to none but Allah –Glorified and Exalted be He. With these two matters‒O servants of Allah‒ and so long as Allah Almighty wills to maintain them, nations would ever achieve progress, prominence and leadership.

Whenever there are signs of true desire for unity and empowerment within the Muslim Ummah, then prevalence shall inevitably materialize in the end, for this is a universal as well as a divine law.

Those glancing at the history of nations and peoples and reflecting on their realities through the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger –May Allah’s Ṣalatand Peace be upon him– and history references will realize that peoples’ chance for prosperity has always been proportional to their disposition for unity, and that the extent of their high rank and dominance has ever been commensurate with their aspirations for empowerment and self- establishment on earth. Likewise, they will also realize that discord, division, low motivation, humiliation, disunity, and contentment with worldly life rather than looking forward to the Hereafter, are the immediate causes behind any people deviating from the path to the said accomplishments, thereby immersing themselves in self-preoccupation and apprehension. “But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world as compared to the Hereafter.” [Al-Tawbah: 38]

O Muslims! Unity, accord, and alliance engender an overall sense of affinity felt by every individual within the Muslim Ummah, whether in matters that would benefit it or those that would bring harm to it. It is a feeling that would induce each one of us to spend one’s time and effort reflecting on the conditions of the Ummah just as one would on one’s own livelihood and living. Such reflection must be extended beyond the self and followed by action, resolve and determination.

It is for this reason that the Prophet –May Allah’s Ṣalat and Peace be upon him– urged the believers to observe unity and fraternity amongst themselves. He –May Allah’s Ṣalatand Peace be upon him– said: “The relationship of the believer with another believer is like (the bricks of) a building, each strengthens the other.” He –May Allah’s Ṣalat and Peace be upon him– illustrated this by interlacing the fingers of both his hands. [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]

To this effect, the Prophet –May Allah’s Ṣalatand Peace be upon him– also said: “The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of its limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever.” [Narrated by Muslim]

In the first Hadith, the Prophet –May Allah’s Ṣalat and Peace be upon him– compared the Muslim individual while among his fellow Muslims to the bricks of a building, where some of them may not stand unless supported by and intertwined with the others. In the second Hadith, he compared the believer to a body limb; whenever the latter suffers the entire body will be put on the alert for its sake.

What a comparison, and what an embodiment of fraternity! None can possibly come up with a more expressive image, for these are the words of the most eloquent human Allah has ever created –May Allah’s Ṣalatand Peace be upon him.

Such unity and fraternity and the Wise Legislator’s (i.e. Allah) insistence on observing them are notleftunsafeguarded without warning and menace. This is carried out by following them with the prohibition of falling into their opposites, i.e. discord, disunity, and straying from the congregation of believers where Allah Almighty threatened defectors with severe punishment, thus:

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad وﺳﻠم ﻋﻠﯾﮫ ﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination!” [Al-Nisa’: 115]

This is the stance of Islam on the first element:unity and fraternitywhich go hand in hand with the Heavenly Divine Guidance:

“O You who Believe! When you meet (an enemy) force, take a firm stand against them and remember the Name of Allah much (both with tongue and mind), so that you may be successful.” (45)”And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength depart, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).” [Al-Anfal: 45-46]

May Allah bless you and me with the Noble Qur’an and grantus benefit from the wise verses it contains. This is what I have said. If it is correct, it is so thanks to Allah, but if it is wrong it is my own fault and Satan’s. I ask Almighty Allah to forgive me, you, and all Muslims our sins and wrong-doings; so ask Him for forgiveness and repent to Him, for our Lord is All-Forgiving!