All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Dear brethren! We seriously need to examine our qualities and values. For the nation that has qualities and values cannot attain happy life, victory and success except through those qualities and values.

Fellow Muslims! The best quality possessed by this Ummah is that it is a nation that submits to Allaah and surrenders to His commands and prohibitions in all its affairs in the light of Allaah’s saying that goes thus,

“Say: “Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the all the worlds. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.” (Al-An’aam 6:162-163)

Yes, it is complete submission to the will of Allaah and that of His Messenger in all aspects of life. Allaah says,

“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” (An-Nisaa 4:65)

Brethren in Islaam! No happiness, success, glory and power can be achieved unless complete belief in Islaamic Monotheism and perfect Eemaan are practically actualized. Allaah says,

“It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allaah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.” (Al-An’aam 6:82)

The security and stability of this nation in all aspects are based on this principle that gives the Muslims an assurance that none should be feared besides Allaah, that all powers are meaningless with the power of Allaah and that all authorities besides His are just a mirage. Allaah says, speaking about His friend Prophet Ibraaheem,

“I fear not those whom you associate with Him (Allaah) in worship. (Nothing can happen to me) except when my Lord (Allaah) wills something. My Lord comprehends in His Knowledge all things. Will you not then remember?” (Al-An’aam 6:80)

Brethren in faith! Muslims are a nation whose qualities include keeping away from all kinds of nonsense, useless pastime and forbidden desires. That is because; they have to maintain the high standard of morality required by their belief in Allaah as their Lord, their acceptance of Islaam as their religion and Muhammad as their Messenger. The Muslims are a nation of seriousness and reform. They spend their live in useful things and invest their energies in the way of construction and development.

The Muslims are a nation whose societies are tied by purity in all their activities and desires. They are always, by virtue of their religion, victorious over base desires of the soul and lusts, except in enjoyments that their Lord permits. Allaah says,

“Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their Salât (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness, those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allâh has forbidden), and those who pay the Zakât, and those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts)Except from their wives or (the slaves) that their right hands possess, – for then, they are free from blame.” (Al-Mu’minoon 23:1-6)

Fellow Muslims! One of the most prominent qualities of this Ummah is the concept of unity upon all that is good and righteous in the light of its belief in Monotheism. Allaah says,

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allaah (i.e. this Qur’ân), and be not divided among yourselves.” (Aal ‘Imraan 3:103)

The Messenger of Allaah said, “Allaah likes that you do three things and abhors that you do three things: He likes that you worship Him without associating anything to Him in worship, that you hold fast unto the rope of Allaah and not be disunited. He dislikes idle talk, excessive questions and wasting of money.” (Muslim)

Whenever the Ummah deviates from this quality and becomes disunited, it suffers weakness, losses its respect and fails in all its affairs. Allaah says,

“And obey Allaah and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength depart, and be patient. Surely, Allaah is with those who are the patient.” (Al-Anfaal 8:46)

It is therefore, the time for this Ummah to forget its differences and give priority to general interests above individual ones. It needs to hold fast to causes of unity, guidance and righteousness.

Another great quality of this Ummah is that it is the best of all nations. Allaah says,

“You (true believers in Islaamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Sunnah) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islaamic Monotheism and all that Islaam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islaam has forbidden), and you believe in Allaah.” (Aal ‘Imraan 3:110)

This Ummah is evolved that it might lead mankind to all that is good. Its responsibilities include guiding mankind by the virtue of its true belief, upright conduct and excellent principles. It is the best nation in the sense of the correct belief that it practices and the positive actions that it carries out to guarantee a human life that is free of all corruptions and evils. It is the best nation in that, it calls to all that is virtuous and unto a pious and balanced life.

Whenever the Ummah loses the elements of this quality or neglects one of its conditions, it falls into calamities and tribulations. The Messenger of Allaah said, “You should enjoy all that is good and forbid all that is evil lest Allaah sends to you a punishment and you will then call upon Him and He will not respond to your invocation.” (At-Tirmidhee)

Fellow Muslims! One of the qualities of this Ummah is that it is a nation supported by Allaah regardless of whatever impediments put in its way, regardless of whatever forces of evil massed against it, regardless of viciousness of the attack that mass media wages against it. It is promised with comprehensive victory and perfect glory in this world and the Hereafter. This promise of victory is however conditioned on sincere faith, working according to Islaamic injunctions, adhering to the Sunnah and following the path of the Prophet. Allaah says,

“And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our slaves, the Messengers, that they verily would be made triumphant, And that verily, Our hosts would be the victors.” (As-Saaffaat 37:171-173)

Allaah also says, “Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah – Islaamic Monotheism) in this world’s life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth, (i.e. Day of Resurrection).” (Ghaafir 40:51)

Dear brethren! The nation of Islaam is the nation with succession and authority, in the light of the religion of the truth. It is also promised a life, secure from all dangers. However, this promise is conditioned upon fulfilling the obligations of this religion and obedience to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds so that there will no be any place for desire in the heart and all activities will be subjected to the message brought by the Prophet.

Allaah says, “Allaah 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 practice their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islaam). 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 disbelieved after this, they are the Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allaah). And perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât and obey the Messenger (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) that you may receive mercy (from Allaah).” (An-Noor 24:55-56)

It is faith that compels the Ummah to make a sincere turn to Allaah in belief, acts of worship, in judgment and in conduct. It is the faith that leads into adopting Islaam as the way of life so that succession in the land can be achieved and the Muslims can play their role of promoting righteousness, preventing corruption and establishing justice on the earth.

Dear Muslims! Remember that throughout the history of this Ummah, each time it remained upright upon the correct path, followed the injunctions of the Qur’aan, and implemented it in all aspects of its life, it achieved authority and in the land. Remember also that each time it went against the path of the Qur’aan; it suffered ignominy and fear and attacked by the enemy from all sides.

Fellow Muslims! How can this Ummah hope for success when it has neglected many of its values? How can it achieve glory and honour while it has neglected her fundamentals? How can the Ummah achieve success while it judges with laws other than Allaah’s? How can it attain safety from harms when it has neglected the concept of enjoining good and forbidding evil in its day to day life?

Is there any way to achieve prosperity and leadership when many Muslims have made themselves captives to their own lusts and cast the Islaamic regulations aside? How can the calamities of the Ummah be removed when some of the Muslims strive to undermine the morality of the society through vicious and obscene programmes broadcast in the mass media? Allaah says,

“Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allaah knows and you know not.” (A-Noor 24:19)

Brethren in faith! The Ummah of Islaam is a nation whose path is clear. Its path is that of Eemaan and guidance and that of absolute submission to the Will of Allaah. If this Ummah deviates from this path, it will be punished with misery in this world and the Hereafter, it will live in confusion and disorder and will be faced with hardship from all sides. Allaah says,

“Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance he shall neither go astray, nor shall be distressed. “But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’aan nor acts on its teachings.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Taa Haa 20:23-24)