His Eminence Sheikh Hussein ibn Abdul-Aziz Al Ash-Sheikh, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday khutbah entitled, “Landmarks to Safeguard the Ummah against Trials”, in which he talked about the trials and tribulations that the Muslim Ummah is going through, referring to a number of important landmarks which can help the Ummah get out of these trials.
Praise be to Allah alone. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that our prophet and master, Muhammad, is his servant and messenger. O Allah! Bestow Your peace, prayers, and blessings upon him, his family, and his Companions.
O Muslims!
The best thing to urge one another to do is to fear Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, and obey Him. It is only when we do this that Allah will guide us to find a way out of every hardship and will relieve our distress and afflictions.
Servants of Allah!
At a time that is fraught with calamities and crises, and amidst the upheavals and terrible ordeals that the Muslim Ummah is going through, the need grows even more urgent for the Ummah to adhere to whatever binds it to deep understanding of religion and to the approach derived from the light of the Divine Revelation and from the sound Prophetic guidance. Without this shining Divine guidance, we will stumble and fall, our understanding of things will go astray, our views will be misguided, and our legal opinions (fatwas) will miss the right course and the straight path. Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, says:
"… then whoever follows My Guidance he shall neither go astray, nor shall be distressed." (Ta-Ha: 123)
Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When Allah wills good for a person, He causes him to understand the religion.”
Brothers in Islam!
There are a number of landmarks which, with Allah’s leave, are bound to safeguard the Ummah from misery and hardship and lead it to security and safety. The first of these landmarks is that all of us must work shoulder to shoulder to call to the correction of the corrupt approaches which oppose true monotheism (tawhid, belief in the Oneness of Allah and worshipping none but him) and contradict the pure Muslim creed. All of us without exception, rulers and ruled, scholars and callers to Islam, should join forces to correct our course in accordance with the creed of true monotheism indicated in the verse in which Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, says:
"Say (O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)): “Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists). He has no partner, and of this I have been commanded …’" (Al-An‘am: 162-163)
Once we completely submit to Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, and adhere to Islam as a set of beliefs and a way of life, as a source of legislation and a basis for arbitration, and as guide for our actions and deeds, the Ummah will certainly achieve full peace and attain security in all its forms.
Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, says:
"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: 82)
Our Lord, Majesty and Glory be to Him, also says:
"Truly, Allah defends those who believe …" (Al-Hajj: 38)
Allah, Might be to Him, also says:
"Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) in this world’s life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth (i.e. Day of Resurrection)." (Ghafir: 51)
This is further confirmed by the principle which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, laid down to safeguard the Ummah, when he said to Abdullah ibn Abbas, “Be watchful of Allah, and He will protect you.”
The second landmark is that members of the Ummah must realise that the increase of disobedience to Allah and the spread of immoralities and abominable deeds are among the reasons behind misery in its various forms. Our Lord, Majesty and Glory be to Him, says:
"And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much." (Ash-Shura: 30)
Indeed, the only way for Muslim societies to achieve prosperity and well-being is to remain straight in obedience to Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, and to adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Fearing Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, showing obedience to Him, and adhering to His commands, as well as following the guidance of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, constitute the greatest fortress in times of crises and the best resort when afflictions strike, and indeed at all times and on all occasions.
"And if the people of towns had believed and had the Taqwa (Piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they denied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and their crimes)." (Al-A‘raf: 96).
Therefore, at a time when Muslims are undergoing afflictions, they ought to bring themselves to account, mend their hearts, and lead a life geared in all its aspects towards the good pleasure of Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him. They ought to turn to Allah in sincere repentance of their sins. It is only to Allah that we should turn and resort and it is only in Him that we should seek refuge; otherwise, we will be surrounded by trials from all sides.
Brothers in Islam!
Another landmark is that members of the Muslim Ummah, irrespective of their status, must fear Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, with respect to their Ummah. They must ensure to strengthen the bonds of unity and harmony and abandon disputes, dissension, and controversy, for disputes and dissension over this transient life will lead to nothing but to weakness and humiliation and will give rise to evils and aggression, only to be followed by the worst of all evils, namely disobedience to Allah, the Most Beneficent. Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, says:
"… and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs …" (Al-Anfal: 46)
All of us should keep away from our evil desires, self-centredness, and excessive selfishness. We should steer clear of finding faults with others and denying their favours, as well as other acts which only lead to disunity and discord among the members of the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
Fellow Muslims!
One of the landmarks is that Muslim scholars, callers to Islam, and preachers should direct the Ummah to all that agrees with wisdom and serves to prevent trials. They should consider the possible consequences and eventual outcomes in all matters and their starting point should always be the rules stated in the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. They ought to know that considering the eventual outcomes in all matters is regarded as a fundamental legal maxim by Muslim scholars, past and present.
Everyone, especially in times of trials, should avoid individual legal reasoning and one-sided legal opinions regarding the unfavourable events that afflict the Muslim Ummah, as this has always led to confounding trials and various afflictions which neither serve the cause of the religion nor establish a good life. History teaches us the most useful lessons in this respect.
We should give precedence to wisdom and forbearance and exhibit good judgement and prudence, for emotions and enthusiastic love will be to no avail if they are not adapted to the general perspective of the goals of shari‘ah and the principles that are generally observed in such situations. The more emotions flare up and passions are ignited, the more urgent the need becomes for sound judgement and right statements. May Allah bless the souls of those discriminating scholars of this Ummah who referred all the rulings of Islam to one fundamental maxim, namely that of bringing benefits and interests and warding off evils and harms.
Brothers in Islam!
In times of trials, the need becomes all the more urgent to refer to our leaders from among Muslim rulers and to devout, reliable, well-versed scholars. If we deviate from this course of action, we will suffer serious consequences and we will be opposing our Lord’s statement contained in the verse:
Servants of Allah!
Another landmark is that, in the midst of the accelerating trials and tribulations, members of the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, must be wary of anything that can cause hostility and discord among them or set them against one another, for Satan is anxious to sow the seeds of dissension among Muslims, especially in the Arabian Peninsula. Allah, Majesty and Glory be to Him, says:
"And say to My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) that they should (only) say those words that are the best. (Because) Shaitan (Satan) verily, sows a state of conflict and disagreements among them. …" (Al-Isra: 53)
Therefore, we must all be wary of the rumours spread by biased media and the lies disseminated by social communication networks, which can lead to serious evils that threaten the pillars of society and undermine the nation’s foundation. A Muslim is required to adhere to the religious principle laid down by the prophet of mercy, goodness, justice, and reform, who said, “A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are safe” (Agreed upon).
Among the landmarks, dear brothers, is to know that one of the worst trials which have afflicted Muslims throughout history and made them suffer wide-spread evils is that of takfir, i.e. accusing those who announce their Islam of being disbelievers and hastening to declare them as such without any evidence whatsoever, but only on the basis of unfounded claims that are as illusory as a mirage in the desert.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, warned his Ummah, saying, “Any person who says to his brother, ‘O disbeliever!’ has made a claim that must apply to one of them. If the man is as he said [then the claim of disbelief is confirmed against him]; otherwise the claim will return to him [i.e. the accuser himself].” It is also reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Accusing a believer of disbelief is like killing him.” The sanctity of Muslims’ religion, honour, property, and minds is totally protected by the shari‘ah of Islam. Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “We are required to avoid accusing others of disbelief as far as possible.” He further said, “The mistake of failing to judge a thousand disbelievers in this life as disbelievers is far less serious than that of shedding the blood of one single Muslim.”
The great reformer Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “In sum, anyone who intends good for himself should avoid discussing this issue without sufficient knowledge or evidence from Allah. He should be wary of accusing a person of disbelief based merely on his own understanding and personal judgement, since judging a person as a disbeliever or as a Muslim is one of the most serious matters in religion. In fact, Satan has tempted the majority of people to be involved in discussing this critical issue.”
May Allah protect us and protect all Muslims from severe evils and trials and from causes of corruption and tribulations.
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. He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
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