Khutbah - Does the Muslim individual have rights?

Friday Khutbah (May 14, 2004) delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Taher

Nobody doubts that the dignity of a human being should be protected, his Adamic nature should be preserved. The right of the citizen is respected, this refers to the respect that we see in many European states, especially. For every individual knows his right that is documented in the constitution, the law protects it and the authority looks after it. Yes, this right is protected and guarded within Western states. This right is for everybody who enters under their authority, and they are permitted to live there amongst them within their borders.

However, unfortunately these rights disappear very quickly when we look towards the rest of the world, especially the Islamic world and the Muslim individual.

How many sanctities are violated? How much blood is shed? How much wealth is plundered? How many people are forced to flee from their homes? How many are those who are harmed and driven away, an entire people forced from the land of Palestine? The right of Muslims in India and in Kashmir and in Palestine and the central Asian Republics such as Chechnya and other states; their rights are violated and abused as if they have no value or worth. In the world of human rights, we are Muslims and our blood has become the cheapest blood on earth, and our lands have become pillage for every greedy individual. Where are our rights? When the court rules for retribution against those who injected Muslim children with the AIDS virus in Libya, the world speaks and criticises the rulings and describes them as harsh. But where was the world when these monsters did this? How cheap is the honour of the Muslims today? How cheap is their dignity? Atrocities, scandals, brutality, cruelty, barbarities and no humanity...in the treatment of Muslim prisoners in the prisons on Guantanamo Bay, and the prisons of the occupation of Iraq and in Afghanistan and in the Zionist prisons in Palestine. All this is the result of a poisoned culture, and this is deliberate. This is their intention regarding the Islamic world and the Muslims. Muslims are slaughtered and massacred in Nigeria and the world does not bat an eyelid, not even a hair moves. No-one in the world raises a voice. Why? Because these are Muslims.

So when the Muslims seek to avenge themselves for their dignity, and give victory to their honour, and they confront the aggressor, then the free world moves. Then they speak and call for human rights, then the leaders of freedom, democracy and justice feel threatened with revenge, those who do what they do in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places.

Today you see them sad and full of sorrow, giving condolences to the soldiers who came to destroy and demolish houses and buildings over the heads of their occupants in the area of Zaytun in Gaza, resisting them are Palestinian children.

But Palestinian Muslim blood has no one to mourn for it. It has no value, it has no sanctity because they are terrorists and criminals and outlaws, and maye they are the occupiers of land that belongs to the Zionist state. We’ve actually heard this recently
So Muslims, they are terrorists, they are the source of the violence that the whole world is afraid of. It is demanded of us that we consider our right as worthless and to consider the falsehood of others as truth.

So who is to be blamed? Those who offend our honour or the offenders whose honour is considered worthless? Indeed we are in a world in which the balance of affairs has been turned over. In it the accused is charged with the crime and in it the criminal is free to do as he pleases.

The logic of these arrogant people is like that of Fir‘aun. We know it from a long time ago. For the Qur’an has narrated for us the speech of Fir‘aun, when he made lawful the blood of Musa, the innocent Prophet, and called for his death. So Allah said, on the tongue of that tyrant:

‘Leave me to kill Moses’

It is as if Fir’aun is saying that the law demands that we kill and shed the blood of people, in the name of the war on terror that Moses has brought, as Pharaoh said:

‘Let him call on his Lord.’

Declaring himself to be lord of the world and the master of creation, and Pharaoh said of Moses:

‘I fear that he will alter your religion or that he will cause corruption on the land.’

SubhanAllah! Fir’aun concerned with religion? Fir’aun, a lover of peace and righteousness and rectification? Fir’aun, a guardian of humanity and civilisation? Fir’aun, the caretaker of the peace process, carrying the scales of justice, bringing about democracy and freedom for oppressed peoples, with tanks and missiles. This Fir’aun, of today, fears that Moses will spread corruption and chaos in the earth. Moses is a terrorist and does not deserve to live. This is the logic that the Pharoahs of today use in the earth.

But the believer never despairs, he never loses hope, even if the paths and ways are closed in his face, even if the forces of mankind conspire against him, even if treachery works against him, and even if wars are planned against him and his deen, and even if tyrants and dictators have authority over him.

The believing Muslim has confidence in himself and in his future, confident in Allah's promise to him. As Allah says:

‘Indeed We do help Our messengers and those who believe, in the life of this world, and on the Day when the witnesses arise, the Day when their excuse will not benefit evildoers, and theirs is the curse, and theirs is the evil abode.’ (al-Ghafir/al-Mu’min: 51-52)

So how can we be weak, and submit to despair when we possess the means of obtaining power which no one else possesses. We have faith in our Deen, faith in Allah, our Lord, our creator, our victor. We have the power of certainty, of the truth, of our convictions, and to power to defend our rights and our sanctity. We have confidence in the promise of Allah and His support:

‘This is the promise of Allah, and Allah does not fail in His promise.’ (al-Rum: 7)

Allah also says:

‘If it was incumbent upon Us to help the believers.’ (al-Rum: 47)

‘Truly Allah defends those who believe.’ (al-Hajj: 38)

It is upon us to look to our affairs and to rectify our hearts and ourselves and be upright on the path of Allah, and we must heed the call of Allah, and we must fulfill the conditions that Allah sets, as Allah says:

‘O you who believe! If you help in the cause of Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.’ (Muhammad: 7)

Give victory to this Deen by calling people to it and adhering to it, defending its creed, and fulfilling its commands, then Allah will give victory to yourselves and rectify your hearts and your deeds, and give victory to you against anybody who commits aggression against you.

‘Verily Allah will not change the condition of people until they change what is in themselves, and if Allah wills a peoples’ punishment, there can be no turning back from it, and they will find besides Him no protector.’ (ar-Ra’d: 11)

Allah says:

‘If Allah helps you, none can overcome you, and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah alone let the believers put their trust.’ (Al-Imran: 160)

And Allah says:

‘O you who believe! Obey Allah and the messenger when He calls you, to that which gives you life, know that Allah comes between a person and his own heart, and verily to Him you shall all be gathered.’

‘And fear a chastisement which will not only afflict the evildoers, and know that Allah is severe in punishment.’

‘And remember when you were few and reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that people would sweep you away, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His help, provided you with good things so that you might be grateful.’ (al-Anfal: 24-26)

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