By Sheikh Abdul-Bari ibn Awwad al-Thubaiti – 22 Safar 1437

His Eminence Sheikh Abdul-Bari ibn Awwad al-Thubaiti, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday khutbah entitled, “Belonging to Islam,” in which he talked about the meaning and manifestations of belonging to Islam, stressing that it must be for the sake of Allah, Exalted be He, and in His Cause.

Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah, Who has endowed His believing servants with firmness and truthful belonging. I praise Him, Glorified be He, and I thank Him in prosperity and adversity. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, the God of the earth and the heavens. I bear witness that our master and prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger, the best of those who have performed prayers, observed fasting, and frequently praised and thanked Allah. May Allah bestow His peace and blessings upon him and upon his family and Companions, who were endowed with virtue and loyalty and were foremost in adhering to Islam.

Now then,
I advise you and advise myself to fear Allah, for fear of Allah is the best provision for the afterlife and is a source of strength in adversities and trials. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “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)

The sense of belonging is a key to spiritual growth and elevation. It leads those who have it to development and cultivates loyalty and gratefulness in their souls. The noblest of all forms of belonging is the servant’s honour of being attached to Allah, Majesty be to Him in His Loftiness, which brings about tranquillity, stability, and eternal happiness. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “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.” (Yunus: 62)

One form of belonging is that of belonging to Islam, which is the greatest of all blessings. Belonging to Islam remains unshakably strong and firmly solid even when adversities strike, temptations come in various forms, calamities get aggravated, and wars rage against Islam. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “… He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion of Islam), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship: it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islamic Monotheism). It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur’an), that the Messenger (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind! So perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), give Zakat and hold fast to Allah [i.e. have confidence in Allah, and depend upon Him in all your affairs]. He is your Maula (Patron, Lord), what an Excellent Maula (Patron, Lord) and what an Excellent Helper!” (Al-Hajj: 78)

We can see how great it is to belong to Islam, which elevates all relationships above the follies of racism. In Islam, there is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a white person over a black one, except by virtue of piety. In addition, Islam rejects all kinds of narrow partisanship and detestable chauvinism, let alone belonging to the followers of falsehood. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “But they (men) have broken their religion among them into sects, each group rejoicing in what is with it (as its beliefs).” (Al-Mu’minun: 53)

There should be only one pure, lofty form of belonging:
“… They are the Party of Allah. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be the successful.” (Al-Mujadilah: 22)

Belonging to Islam means yielding and submitting to Allah, committing oneself to obedience to Him, and having loyalty to Allah and His Messenger. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Verily, your Wali (Protector or Helper) is none other than Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, – those who perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat, and they are Raki‘un (those who bow down or submit themselves with obedience to Allah in prayer).” (Al-Ma’idah: 55)

Our belonging to Islam entails belonging to the Ummah through awareness of its circumstances and doing our best to support its cause. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “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.”

We also proudly belong to the history of our Ummah, which has always carried the banner of guidance for the whole world. We similarly feel proud of our immortal language, the language of the Noble Qur’an. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
“An Arabic Qur’an, without any crookedness (therein) in order that they may avoid all evil which Allah has ordered them to avoid, fear Him and keep their duty to Him.” (Az-Zumar: 28)

Islam has refined emotional belonging, set right its course, and regulated its motion. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
“You (O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) …” (Al-Mujadilah: 22

In this respect, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “None of you will be a true believer until I am more beloved to him than his father, his son, and all mankind.”

A Muslim’s moral character and good manners attest to his sincere belonging to Islam. This is manifest in his appearance, his speech, his dress, and his conduct in general. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, cursed those men who assume the manners of women and those women who assume the manners of men. He also said, “The believer is not a slanderer, nor is he one who curses a great deal, nor one who engages in obscenity or foul talk.”

Obviously, moral decay leads to the collapse of all manifestations of belonging. Weakness of belonging is usually associated with fluidity and flabbiness of character. Some people may feel ashamed of openly manifesting some rites of their religion, but it should be known that, just as Islam pays attention to the purity of one’s inner self, it also attends to one’s appearance, with a view to maintaining a distinguished Muslim identity that is free from all traces of imitation.

As for belonging to one’s country, it is an instinctive feeling and a sign of natural love. It is only natural that one should love the land in which he has lived, on whose soil he has grown, and with whose people and history he has been bonded. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
“And if We had ordered them (saying), “Kill yourselves (i.e. the innocent ones kill the guilty ones) or leave your homes,” very few of them would have done it …” (An-Nisa’: 66)

Allah tried His prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, by making him leave his own hometown (Makkah), so he said, addressing his town, “By Allah, you are the best of Allah’s earth, and the most beloved of Allah’s earth to Allah, and if it were not that I was expelled from you, I would not have left.” When he knew he would remain in al-Madinah for the rest of his life, he prayed to Allah to make his new homeland beloved to him. He would pray to Allah to bless al-Madinah, saying, “O Allah! Bestow on al-Madinah twice the blessings that You have bestowed on Makkah.”

Islam has regulated patriotism and has properly guided it. There is no contradiction between belonging to one’s homeland and belonging to Islam. Indeed, patriotism is part of belonging to Islam, for belonging to one’s homeland is a sign of loyalty according to Islamic Law. It is a Muslim value intended to build a society that derives its strength from its faith as well as from the solidarity of its people. In fact, the people with the sincerest sense of patriotism and care for their country are those with the strongest faith.

The strength of belonging to one’s homeland enhances security in all its forms and shields the community against intellectual invasion. It also strengthens the internal solidarity which protects the country against those who wish to cause sedition and spread unrest in it.

Belonging to one’s homeland requires loving it, making sacrifices for its sake, showing respect towards its scholars, and obeying its rulers. It also requires fulfilling one’s duties and responsibilities, safeguarding its properties and institutions, respecting its regulations, striving hard to develop it, and refraining from being a means to be used by those who plot against it or intend to harm it. Signs of belonging to one’s homeland also include being charitable to its poor citizens and showing generosity to them, as well as supporting national projects. Just as you enjoy the benefits of your homeland and use its sources, it remains your duty towards it to return the favour by contributing to the development projects implemented in it. As Allah says:
“Is there any reward for good other than good?” (Ar-Rahman: 60)

Another sign of belonging to one’s homeland is to show kindness to one’s neighbours. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “He will not enter Paradise whose neighbour is not secure from his evils.” Requirements of belonging to one’s country also include wishing good for one’s fellow citizens and cooperating with them. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “None of you will be a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” Another sign is to show kindness, fairness, and goodness even towards non-Muslims. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If anyone wrongs a mu‘ahad (a non-Muslim who is under agreement of protection in a Muslim state), diminishes his right, forces him to work beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall be his adversary on the Day of Judgement.”

May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah, the Most Great, for myself, for you, and for all Muslims for any sin we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.‎