All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as He should be feared and obey Him. He will put aright your affairs in this world and the Hereafter.

One: the desire of and the preference for the life of this world over the Hereafter. Allaah says,

“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salât (the prayers) (i.e. made their Salât (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times) and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell.” (Maryam 19:59)

He also says, “Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilâh (god), and Allâh knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allâh? Will you not then remember?” (Al-Jaathiyah 45:23)

Allaah says, “Then for him who transgressed all bounds, (in disbelief, oppression and evil deeds of disobedience to Allaah), and preferred the life of this world (by following his evil desires and lusts), verily, his abode will be Hell-fire.” (An-Naazi‘aat 79:37-39)

Two: A corrupted ideology and belief. Allaah says,

“Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) “Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? “Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds! “They are those who deny the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight.” (Al-Kahf 18:103-105)

Allaah also says, “And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment. On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black; as for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): “Did you reject Faith after accepting it? Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting Faith.” (Aal ‘Imraan 3:105-106)

Ibn Jareer, while commenting on this verse, narrated from Aboo Umaamah that he said, “They are the khawaarij.”

Ibn Katheer commented, “On the Day of Resurrection, the faces of the followers of ahlu-sunnah waljamaa‘ah shall be bright and the faces of people of bid‘ah and division shall be dark.”

Brethren in faith! Fitnah is enormously harmful to the Muslims in their religious and worldly affairs. Those who spread it are people of desire and evil intentions. They have deviated from the correct belief and they have gone astray in their understanding. The Qur’aan and the Sunnah have warned us against them. Allaah says,

“It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) the Book (this Qur’ân). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book and others unspecified. As for those in whose heart is deviation [from truth], they will that of it which is unspecified, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allaah. But those firm in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it. All of it is from our Lord.’” (Aal ‘Imraan 3:7)

The Messenger of Allaah said, “If you see a people seeking that of it which is not specified, they are those whom Allaah mentioned. So beware of them.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

Fitnah only occurs where is dissention, but the scholars recognize it and warn against it.

Fitnah is every action or deed that could harm the Muslims in matters of their religion and worldly affairs. Allaah warns us against fitnah when He says, “And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may afflict all the good and the bad people), and know that Allâh is Severe in punishment.” (Al-Anfaal 8:25)

The Messenger of Allaah also warned us against all kinds of fitnah. He specifically mentioned some and warned us to keep away from them. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr narrated that Allaah’s Messenger said, “It was the duty of every Prophet that has gone before me to guide his followers to what he knew was good for them and warn them against what he knew was bad for them; but this Ummah of yours has its days of peace and (security) in the beginning of its career, and in the last phase of its existence it will be afflicted with trials and with things disagreeable to you. (In this phase of the Ummah), there will be tremendous trials one after the other, each making the previous one dwindle into insignificance. When they would be afflicted with a trial, the believer would say: This is going to bring about my destruction. When at (the trial) is over, they would be afflicted with another trial, and the believer would say: This surely is going to be my end. Whoever wishes to be delivered from the fire and enter the garden should die with faith in Allaah and the Last Day and should treat the people as he wishes to be treated by them. He who swears allegiance to a Caliph should give him the pledge of his hand and the sincerity of his heart (i. e. submit to him both outwardly as well as inwardly). He should obey him to the best of his capacity. It another man comes forward (as a claimant to Caliphate), disputing his authority, they (the Muslims) should behead the latter.” (Muslim)

He also said, “The fortunate is the one who is kept away from fitnahs, the fortunate is the one who is kept away from fitnahs.” (Aboo Daawood)

He also said, “Seek refuge with Allaah from four things: the tribulation of the grave, the torment of Hell, and the trials of life and death.”

If the trial however occurs, Allaah has provided a way out for the Muslim. Among things that can protect against trials is supplication, for it encompasses all good things and drives away all evils. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said, “There will be trials that nothing can save people from them but supplications.”

Among things that can save people from trails is strong adherence to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and taking the interpretations of their meanings from those well-versed in knowledge and not from ignorant and people of innovation; because most deviations from the teachings of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah are caused by lack of their understanding. The Prophet said, “I am leaving for you two things. You will never go astray as long as you hold unto them: the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah.”

Among things that can save from fitnahs is disapproval of them, warning against them and loathing them. Hudhayfah narrated that Allaah]’s Messenger said, “Temptations will be presented to men’s hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion.” (Muslim)

Staying with the community of the Muslims and their leader is also a way attaining safety from trials. Hudhayfah narrated, “People used to ask the Messenger of Allaah (may peace be upon him) about the good times, but I used to ask him about bad times fearing lest they overtake me. I said: Messenger of Allaah, we were in the midst of ignorance and evil, and then God brought us this good (time through Islam). Is there any bad time after this good one? He said: Yes. I asked: Will there be a good time again after that bad time? He said: Yes, but therein will be a hidden evil. I asked: What will be the evil hidden therein? He said: (That time will witness the rise of) the people who will adopt ways other than mine and seek guidance other than mine. You will know good points as well as bad points. I asked: Will there be a bad time after this good one? He said: Yes. (A time will come) when there will be people standing and inviting at the gates of Hell. Whoso responds to their call they will throw them into the fire. I said: Messenger of Allaah, describe them for us. He said: All right. They will be a people having the same complexion as ours and speaking our language. I said: Messenger of Allaah, what do you suggest if I happen to live in that time? He said: You should stick to the main body of the Muslims and their leader.” (Muslim)

In the above hadeeth, Allaah’s Messenger directed the Muslims to stick unto the main community of the Ummah and their leader whenever there is a fitnah. This is only means by which one’s religion can be salvaged from innovations and deviant thoughts. But the khawaarij failed to follow the purport of this hadeeth. They instead disobeyed the leader, took arm against the main body of the Muslims, killed children and innocent people, attacked the Muslim security men who are serving Islaam and the country and killed no-Muslims who were living under the protection of Islaamic state and whose killing is forbidden by Islaam. Allaah says,

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) 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!” (An-Nisaa 4:115)

Among the things that protect during trials is to refer to well-versed scholars in matters of religion. Allaah says, “So ask (you, O pagans of Makkah) of those who know the ure (learned men) if you know not.” (An-Nahl 16:43)

He who seeks guidance from the people of knowledge and work according to the teachings of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah shall never go astray. Those who went astray did so because of their false interpretations and their turning away from the scholars.

Fellow Muslims! Reining in those who stir crises is also a way of escaping from fitnah. Allaah’s Messenger said, “You should command that which is good, forbid that which is evil and rein in the insolent. You should force him to return to the truth.”

If anyone gives a shelter to the khawaarij, he is their accomplice in their crime. Allaah says, “O you who believe! Fear Allaah (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 Islaam (as Muslims (with complete submission to Allaah)).” (Aal ‘Imraan 3:102)

Fellow Muslims! The Islaamic Ummah is now surrounded with trials and calamities. The differences among them have become deepened and Islaam and the Muslims have become an object of attack by the enemies and some so-called Muslims. It is therefore your obligation to defend your religion and stand in the face of the psychological war designed by the enemies and aimed at casting doubt on the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and Islaamic teachings. It is aimed at depriving the Muslim woman of the teachings of her religion so that she could become like the disbelieving woman in all aspects. It is also aimed at creating discord among the Muslims and their leaders. Allaah says,

“Many of the people of the ure (Jews and Christians) wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their ownselves, even, after the truth (that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Allâh’s Messenger) has become manifest unto them. But forgive and overlook, till Allaah brings His Command. Verily, Allaah is Able to do all things.” (Al-Baqarah 2:109)