His Eminence Sheikh Hussein ibn Abdul-Aziz Al Ash-Sheikh, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday khutbah entitled, “Security and Its Impact on the Life of Society”, in which he talked about establishing security and stability, showing that it is a duty that we must seek to fulfil in society. He referred to some of the requirements and means that are necessary to establish security. He also urged Muslims to unite, to hold fast to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and to enjoin good and forbid evil in order to ensure security in all Muslim countries.

Praise be to Allah; we praise Him and seek His help, forgiveness, and guidance. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils within ourselves and from our wicked deeds. He whom Allah guides, none can misguide, and he whom Allah sends astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that our master and prophet Muhammad is Allah’s servant and messenger. May Allah bestow his prayer, peace, and blessings upon him and upon his family and Companions.

"O Mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa’ (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women; and fear Allah through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you." (An-Nisa’: 1)

"O You who Believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam [as Muslims (with complete submission to Allah)]." (Al Imran: 102)

"O You who Believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (Peace and blessings be upon him), he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and will be admitted to Paradise)." (Al-Ahzab: 70-71)

Servants of Allah!
Security is a human need and a vital necessity. This is a fact approved by all sensible, discerning people. Reminding His servants of this blessing, our Lord, Glorified and Exalted be He, says:

"Have they not seen that We have made (Makkah) a secure sanctuary, while men are being snatched away from all around them? Then do they believe in Batil (falsehood – polytheism, idols and all deities other than Allah), and deny (become ingrate for) the Graces of Allah?" (Al-’Ankbut: 67)

Security is a great blessing, and lack of security is a serious calamity. Security makes people feel reassured about their lives, families, honour, and property. Therefore, it is the cornerstone of any development and the basis for survival. Security brings about peace of mind and stability. It is authenticated that Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever among you wakes up (in the morning) free from physical illness, secure in his household, and having enough food for his day, is as if he possessed the whole world.”

A wise man once said, “Security grants the happiest life, and justice is the mightiest army.” Another one said, “Security removes the gloom of loneliness, just as fear dispels the joy of good company.”  Another one yet said, “Better to be poor and secure than to be rich and live in fear.” Hence, we, Muslims, must strive hard to ensure security and exert all efforts and use all possible means to establish and maintain it.

One of the most important means to establish security, in all its forms and for all individuals and groups, is the belief in the Oneness of the Lord of the Worlds, and the obedience to Allah, the Manifest Truth. Our Lord, Glorified and Exalted be He, says:

"Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)." (An-Nur: 55)

"… So which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know. It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided." (Al-An’am: 81-82)

Whenever people choose to guide their life with the light of the Divine Revelation and the Prophet’s way of life, Allah will bestow upon them the blessings of security, safety, stability, and peace. Our Lord, Glorified and Exalted be He, says:

"So let them worship (Allah) the Lord of this House (the Ka’bah in Makkah), (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear." (Quraish: 3-4)

The truest evidence to this effect is the reality in which people live. When the Arabian Peninsula was engulfed in fear, the Salafist call emerged and this country was established upon the teachings of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. It was only then that matters were set right, the country’s condition improved, and peace and security prevailed.

Fellow Muslims!
The state of fear and chaos that comes after peace, security, and stability is mainly due to the rejection of the law of the Lord of the Worlds and deviation from the Sunnah of the Master of Prophets and Messengers. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

"And Allah puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well-content: its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favours of Allah (with ungratefulness). So Allah made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) which they (its people) used to do."  (An-Nahl: 112)

Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, informs His servants of the reason behind all this, saying:
"And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much." (Ash-Shura : 30)

Commenting on this verse, Ibn al-Qayyim said, “Is there any evil or disease in this world and in the hereafter that is not caused by sins and disobedience to Allah?!”

It is no wonder then, virtuous brothers, that lack of security is one of the greatest calamities and most serious afflictions. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was once asked, “Shall we be destroyed while there are righteous people among us?” He said, “Yes, if evil predominates.”

Brothers in Islam!
One of the requirements for achieving security is that the ruler and ruled should help one another in righteousness and piety. Each one of them must do his best to discharge his duties and perform the tasks assigned to him. They must all fear Allah and seek to establish the Muslim community upon the commandments of Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, and the orders of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and make the provisions of Islam the framework that governs their movements, behaviour, and all their actions.

Only then will prosperity prevail, security be established, and love and affection take root; and thus the interests of the ummah will be realised. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said in a hadith reported by Muslim,

“The best of your rulers are those whom you love and who love you, whom you pray for and who pray for you. And the worst of your rulers are those whom you hate and who hate you, whom you curse and who curse you.” The people then asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Should we not overthrow them?” He said, “No, as long as they establish prayer among you,” and he, peace and blessings be upon him, repeated this several times. Then he said, “Whoever has a ruler appointed over him and finds that this ruler indulges in an act of disobedience to Allah, he should condemn the act of disobedience to Allah that this ruler perpetrates, but should not withdraw himself from his obedience.”

The greatest duty that a Muslim ruler must carry out in order to improve the condition of the ummah and ensure stability, peace, and security is to strive hard to administer justice in all its forms among all his subjects and fight against all forms of injustice in all aspects of their life. Therefore, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O Allah! Cause distress to him who takes any charge over my ummah and causes them distress, and be kind to him who takes any charge over my ummah and is kind to them” (Reported by Muslim).

Anyone whom Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, has charged with the responsibility of ruling people ought to listen to their requests, cater for their needs, and strive to check on their conditions. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said in a hadith reported by Abu-Dawud with an authenticated chain of transmission, “If Allah puts anyone in the position of authority over the affairs of Muslims, and he denies their access to him and neglects their needs, requests, and wants, Allah will keep Himself away from him and will not fulfil his needs, requests, and wants on the Day of Resurrection.”  

O Muslims!
The evils that have plagued this ummah are partly attributed to the negligence of those whom Allah has appointed rulers to take good care of the interests of their own subjects. This negligence has given rise to great evils and serious misfortunes, from which we ask Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, for the safety of our Muslim brothers everywhere. It is because of this that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, warned Muslim rulers, saying, “If Allah chooses any of His servants to be a ruler over a people and he dies while he is treacherous to his people, Allah will not admit him into Paradise” (Agreed upon).

One of the most solid foundations of security is for the subjects to perform their duty to listen and obey their rulers, except if their orders involve any form of disobedience to Allah, and to be keen on achieving unity and renouncing discord:

"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority …" (An-Nisa’: 59)

It is reported in Sahih Muslim that Abu-Dharr Al-Ghifari said, “My close friend (i.e. the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to listen and obey, even if [the leader was] an Abyssinian slave with amputated limbs.”

Brothers in Islam!
One of the means of establishing security is to attend to social relations and strengthen the ties of affection, mercy, and brotherhood in faith in all their material and moral forms. Describing the believers, Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, says:

"The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion)…" (Al-Hujurat: 10)

In this respect, our Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said in an authenticated Hadith, “In their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy, the believers are like one body. When one of the limbs aches, the whole body responds to it with sleeplessness and fever.” To maintain such relations, the members of society should renounce all causes of disunity and partisanship. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

"And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves…" (Al Imran: 103)

Therefore, members of Muslim societies should fear Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, regarding themselves, their ummah, and their religion. They should be united and help one another in righteousness and piety; they should constitute a single community that takes the Noble Qur’an as its constitution, the Prophet’s Sunnah as its guide, and the practice of the righteous predecessors of this ummah as its governing principle, for the life of the world is nothing compared to the hereafter. Otherwise, any attempt at development will fail, evils and disasters will consequently shake Muslim societies, and severe punishments and calamities will strike them.

"And obey Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sabirun (the patient)." (Al-Anfal: 46)

O Muslim Nation!
The Muslim World countries should today turn their attention to constructive unity and fruitful cooperation that can achieve good results, help Muslim societies realise their interests, and put an end to the greed that the deceptive enemy has for the ummah’s wealth. Indeed, this duty constitutes one of the goals of the religion and one of the foundations of reform and improvement. May Allah help us achieve this goal.

One of the foundations of Islam is contained in the verse in which Allah, Exalted be He, says:
"… Help one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety) but do not help one another in sin and transgression …" (Al-Ma’idah :2)

I have said this, and I ask forgiveness of Allah for myself, for you, and for all Muslims, for any sin we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful.