Friday Khutbah (5/3/2004) delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Taher
DISCLAIMER: This reminder was originally delivered in Arabic. Any meanings lost in translation are not to be attributed to the speaker as reminders are translated by volunteers. The mosque has no official translater and volunteers often have no formal qualifications to translate on the day. Please forgive any errors as they are from our human weakness and any right guidance is from Allah.The Islamic Ummah, and the Muslims today are facing crucial challenges, and they are experiencing difficult trials. They have to make choices, the sweetest of which are bitter.
The one thing that this ummah possesses, and which its enemies seek, is its deen which is the defence of its affairs from deviation as Allah says in Surah al Isra:
“ And their purpose was to tempt you away from that which we have revealed unto you, to substitute in Our name something quite different: in that case behold! They would certainly have made you their friend.” (17:73)
Verily adherence to the principles in the face of challenges is something that faith creates in the hearts of the believers. The perseverance of the hearts upon what they believe in is the peak of the trials that the believers face. Allah says in Surah al-ankaboot:
“Do men think that they will be left alone upon saying ‘we believe’ and that they will not be tested. We did test those before them and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.” (29: 1-3)
O Muslims!
The Islamic world is being exposed to an attack which is aimed at its values, its principles, its morals and its deen. They call it rectification, but it is nothing other than destruction, because peoples have values, morals and principles and it is not appropriate for anyone other than those same people to know and recognize their shortcomings and faults. Rectification does not spring forth except from the children of this Ummah. Indeed the affairs of this deen and the creed are sacred and are not disclosed to everyone. The deen and the creed are the true value of this Ummah. It is not permissible to mess around with them. The deen and the creed do not accept being bargained over. To bargain over the foundations of this deen is a great treachery, and nothing short of madness.
Indeed, our belonging to Islam is an honour. To work for Islam is an honour, and to adhere to it until death is an honour. Allah says in Surat al-Zukhruf:
“So hold fast to the Revelation sent down to you: Verily you are on a straight path. The Qur’an is indeed a reminder for you and your people: and soon you shall all be brought to account.” (43:43-44)
This is a message for Mohammad, peace be upon him, and a message for the Ummah of Muhammad that comes after him. Allah strengthens His Messenger, peace be upon him, as He strengthens those who call to the deen after him, peace be upon him, whenever they encounter difficult and oppressive situations, whenever they face schemes and conspiracies, and whenever they confront those who plot and scheme with the intention of harming them, and harming their calling, their da’wa, and ultimately, harming their deen.
Oh Muslims, adhere to your deen and hold fast to its principles. Go along the path of calling people to Allah, and work for the sake of this deen. Do not pay attention to whatever comes from them, for Allah is enough for you as long as you stay on the straight path. Indeed, this Qur’an is a reminder and a guidance, and an awakening! It is the words of Allah that were revealed to our Prophet, peace be upon him. In it we find stories and information regarding the destruction of nations and tyrants, and the deliverance of the believers and the realization of Allah’s promise upon them when they are upright upon the straight way, as Allah says in Surat an-Nur:
“Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and do righteous deeds, that He will, of surety, grant them in the land, the inheritance of power, as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion- the one which He has chosen for them; And that He will change their state, after the fear in which they lived, to one of security and peace: ‘They will worship Me and not associate anything with Me.’ If any reject faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked.” (24:55)
Oh Muslims,
Indeed, a people who were on the periphery of this world, no-one takes notice of them. The Qur’an came to them and they believed in it, and they acted according to it. They ruled according to its rulings. They were moulded according to its morals, and they were given a great role. They attained precedence in the history of mankind. For them was the leadership and guidance. With the Qur’an to strengthen them, they faced oppressive nations, and they fought against fierce armies. The life of this world was subjected to them, and they were shown respect. This is how it was for the Muslims, throughout the period in which they adhered to their Qur’an and raised the rank of the Sacred Law, the Shariah, of their Lord. They exalted the practices of their deen and they had genuine concern and respect for that which is sacred. They clung firmly to their principles and they were guided, and they followed the sunnah of their Prophet, peace be upon him. But when they became lazy and careless regarding the Book, and its right, their circumstances changed. They accepted the surrender of their principles and the bargaining of its foundations, and that which is sacred became of little importance to them. The life of this world made them feel inferior, and they were tossed to the back of the caravan, and decreed to be the most backward and insignificant of peoples. The nations harmed them, and called one another to them, and attacked them in the way a hungry mob would attack a table of food; destroying, devouring, and ripping it to pieces.
Oh Muslims,
Indeed, remaining firm on this deen, and clinging to it, and establishing its principles, is a foundation and source for every strength. It is a fortress for preserving every right, regarding wealth, land, freedom and honour. It is an obligation upon us to preserve this deen and to defend it, to adhere to it and its principles, and know, may Allah preserve you, that when the deen of a people goes, and becomes very weak amongst them, when they turn away from their deen and take pleasure in that which is disliked in tit, and when they become heedless regarding its principles, this life will spit them out, history will curse them, and the nations will enslave them. And with Allah they will be worth less than the most contemptible of vermin.
Oh Muslims,
Study the life of your Prophet, peace be upon him, and study the lives of the prophets who came before him. Study the lives of those who followed them and and helped them. Look at how they were firm upon what they knew from the Truth, and learn how they adhered to their deen and did not accept any surrender or bargaining over their principles. Listen to the words of Allah, on the tongue of His Prophet Nuh, alahi salaam, when he stood facing the Disbelievers and Deviant ones:
“Relate to them the story of Nuh. Behold! He said to his people: ‘O my people, If my staying here and my reminding you of Allah’s signs, is an offence to you, in Allah I have put my trust, so decide upon your course of action, you and your partners. Let not your course of action be in doubt, for you. Then pass your sentence on me, and give me no respite. But if you turn back, I have not asked from you any reward. My reward is only due from Allah, and I have been commanded to be of those who submit to His Will. But they rejected him, and We saved him, and those with him, in the Ark, and we made them inherit the earth, while we drowned those who rejected our signs. Then see what was the end of those who were warned.” (10:71-73)
Yes, look at the reward of those who cling to the Truth, those who cling to the deen and its principles, and look to the reward of those who reject and deviate, and attempt to destroy and change the Deen of Allah.
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