Ummah in Crisis
by Arshad Gamiet
Royal
Holloway College/Univ. of London /UK. 29
March 2002.
“As-salámu
'alaikum wa rahmatul láhi wa barakátuh!” [Wait
for adhán]
“A-úthu
billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem.
I turn away from Shaytaan, the Cursed One.
Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem. In
the Name of Alláh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Al
hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi,
wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa.
All
Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask
forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own
evils and our own bad deeds.
May-
Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida.
Anyone
who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left
astray, will find no one to guide him.
Wa
ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna
Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”
I
bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner;
and I bear witness that Muhammad, sws, is His servant, and His messenger.
My
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islám,
Those
of us who have been following the big news stories around the world, will know
that Muslims are going through a period of hardship and distress that we
haven’t experienced for many, many years. From the daily bloodshed in
Palestine, to the continued US bombing in Afghanistan, to the threat of a new
war against Iraq, to the attacks on Muslims in India and the harassment of
peaceful, law-abiding Muslims in the USA, we should be left in no doubt as to
what is meant by this so-called “war on terrorism.” It is no less than a war
on Islám and Muslims. It is a war that seeks to ensure America’s domination
in every corner of the world, whatever the cost. It is a war that seeks to
eliminate any possible threat to this domination. And Islám is perceived as a
threat by the Bush administration and its assorted advisers and lobbyists. Last
week, FBI agents raided several Muslim homes in the US, harassing the women and
showing no respect for ordinary citizens’ rights. They say they were merely
“searching for terrorists.” But their methods fall far short of what we
expect of a tolerant and a civilised country. In South Africa under Apartheid,
ordinary people were forced to endure government-sponsored terrorism, purely
because of the colour of their skin. It’s is the same kind of state terrorism
that’s now being visited on innocent Palestinian families, every day. Just
because they are Palestinians.
Bullying
of this kind is not a mark of strength, but an admission of weakness. When
powerful governments behave in this way, they are really saying that they have
lost all moral authority and that they no longer deserve, or even really care
about the respect and obedience of their subjects. All that’s left is brute
force. And when brute force is all that’s left, you can be sure that a
government’s days are numbered. Apartheid
has gone, and its victims now rule South Africa. The end was so quick, it
caught everyone by surprise. It’s a lesson that both Bush and Sharon ought to
consider. Their victims, the Muslims, will, insh-Alláh, have their victory one
day. It’s only a matter of time. Demographic studies show that Islám is the
world’s fastest growing religion. And where in the world is it growing the
fastest? Where else, but the good old USA! No wonder Bush has a headache!
Another demographic study says that within a few years, Palestinians will
outnumber Jews in Israel. No wonder Sharon has a headache!
In
Súra Al-‘Imran: 3:v54: we read, “Bismillahir
Rahmanir Raheem! Wa makaroo, wa makaral-laah, Wal-laahu khairul maakireen!”
“The
Unbelievers plotted and planned, and Alláh, too, planned. And Allah is the
best of planners..."
Dear
Brothers and Sisters, at difficult times like this, we should not allow
ourselves to sink into despair and helplessness. Our Muslim nation has endured
much worse times. For example, when a feared tribe of horsemen, the Mongols
swept out of Central Asia, they destroyed everyone and everything in their path.
No army on earth could stop them. Baghdad was burnt to the ground, all its fine
buildings and libraries and palaces were ruined, All its people were brutally
killed. The Mongol leader, Genghis
Khan, boasted: “I am the wrath of God sent to punish mankind for its
sins…” When terrified Muslims asked, what shall we do? How can we defend
ourselves against such an enemy? A wise ‘alim replied: “Open your doors to
them, welcome them and feed them.” Within three generations, the Mongols had
accepted Islám. Their descendants established the Moghul empire which ruled
India for centuries. Who knows what three generations from today might bring?
Perhaps some of George W. Bush’s descendants might one day become Muslims, and
change the United States to an Islamic Republic! Alláh alone knows. And Alláh
is the best of planners.
Whenever
we feel our high spirits sinking into a kind of depression, we should read and
reflect on some of the deeply inspiring verses of The Holy Qur'án. For example,
in Súra Al
Baqara v.214 we read:
“Or,
did you think that you will enter Paradise without such trials that came to
those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity, and
were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with
him cried: “when will come the help of Alláh?”
“Alaa
inna nasrallaahi qareeb”
“Truly,
the help of Alláh is ever near.”
And,
in Súra Al-‘Imran 3:v26-27: we read this beautiful description of Alláh’
all-encompassing Power and Authority:
Bismillaahir
Rahmaanir Raheem!
“Qulillaah
humma, Maalikal mulki tu’til mulka man tashaa,
Wa
tanzi’ul Mulka min man tashaa’,
Wa
tu-izzu man tashaa’, Wa tuzillu man tashaa’,
Biyadikal
khair, Innaka ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer! …
Say,
`O ALLAH, owner of Sovereignty, You give Sovereignty to whom You will; and You
take Sovereignty from who You will. You exalt whom you will and You bring low
whom You will. In Your hand is all
good. Truly, You have power over all things.
Then
the next verse continues, in the same evocative and poetic way:
“Toolijul
laila fin-nahaari, wa toolijun nahaara fil-lail. Wa tukh rijul hayya minal
mayyiti, watukh rijul mayyiya minal hayy. Watar zuqu man tashaa’ bi ghairi
hisaab.”
You
cause the night to pass into the day and You cause the day pass into the night.
And You bring the living out of the dead and bring the dead out of the living.
And You give sustenance to whom you will, without measure.'
In
these beautiful and eloquent verses, we are reminded that all Power belongs to
Alláh, all Honour belongs to Him, and He dispenses His grace, and His
punishment, and his honour, on whom he pleases.
These
words are extremely reassuring. It is most important for us to know , and to
believe sincerely, that every matter is in the hands of Alláh. There is no need
to despair, there is no need to feel helpless. Everything that comes our way, is
merely part of the ongoing test, and that is really what our life on earth is
all about. This earthly life is bounded by time and space. Akhira is not. Akhira
is forever, timeless. In fact, Akhira is the true Reality with a capital
‘R’. And that is where all Good Muslims will, insh-Alláh, find our true
reward, and our true home, our eternal abode, in the company of the prophets and
the beloved Friends of Alláh. Remember
those profound words that describe the Friends of Alláh in Súra
Yunus, ch10.v62:
“Alaa,
innaa awliyaa Alláh, laa khawfun ‘alayhim, walaa hum yahzanoon!”
“Behold,
on the Friends of Alláh, there is no fear, nor will they grieve!”
…
Dear
Brothers and sisters, Let us learn to endure our own suffering and hardship with
patience and dignity. Let us strive with all our resources to become like the
friends of Alláh, and free ourselves from fear and grief.
“Alhamdu
lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen. Was-salaatu was-salaamu alaa Khairil mursaleen.
Muhammadin-nabeey-yil Ummiy-yee, wa-‘alaa aalihee, wasah-bihee, aj-ma’een.
All
praise is due to Alláh, the Lord of all the Worlds; may the greetings and peace
be upon the best messenger, Muhammad, the unlettered prophet; and upon his
family and upon all of his companions.
Ammaa
ba’ad:
Innalláha
wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi
wasalli mú tas leema.
Behold,
Alláh and his angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe! Ask
for blessings on him, and salute him with a worthy greeting.
Allahumma
salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali
Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, wa alaa áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala
Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”
O
Alláh! Send your greetings upon Muhammad and his family,
just as you sent your greetings on Ibraheem, and his family. O Alláh,
send you blessings on Muhammad and his family, just as you blessed Ibraheem and
his family. In both worlds, you are praiseworthy and exalted.
There
are many similarities between Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians, and
South Africa under Apartheid. In both cases, land was forcibly taken by a
powerful military regime; a policy of state terror was institutionalised; the
victims were demonised as terrorists, and under international pressure, tiny
concessions were made. These concessions were dressed up in clever sounding
terms like ‘peace plan,’ ‘independence,’ and separate homelands, in
order to give the illusion of fairness and generosity.
The
oppressed people of South Africa realised that they could never win a military
victory over their well-armed and economically powerful oppressors. So their
main fight for freedom was mobilized on a different battlefield, where the
government was weak and the victims were strong: This was the battlefield of
hearts and minds, and of Moral conscience. It took 30 years of lobbying, raising
awareness and appealing to the moral consciousness of the world, to boycott
South African goods, to isolate the Apartheid regime, and wear down the will of
the oppressor. Nelson Mandela led his people to freedom not by a victorious
armed struggle, [in fact the armed struggle was a complete failure] but by
patiently persuading world opinion that racism is wrong, and that Apartheid had
to go. The success of this policy is plain to see.
In
the present circumstances, it seems that the most effective way we can help our
fellow Muslims abroad is to use the resources we have, our freedom of speech and
the morality and justice of our cause. We can use very effective legal and
non-violent methods, like boycotts, to make a point. There are a number of
websites listing companies and products that support Israel. We should join
these boycotts. We should buy alternative products and protest peacefully. But
we should also explain our actions, we should write to these companies, using
courtesy and good reasoning.
Our
duty is simply to tell the truth, in the most eloquent and persuasive way we
can. In order to do this, we must seek the help of Alláh. Remember when [Moses]
Nabi Musa prepared to face [ Pharaoh] Fir’awn, he prayed, ‘O Alláh,
expand my breast for me, and loosen my tongue’. We should also ask Alláh
to expand our breasts, so that we can be filled with knowledge, understanding
and wisdom. We should also ask Alláh to loosen our tongues, so that we can
‘Invite to the way of our Lord using wisdom and beautiful preaching’. [“Ud’u
ilá sabíli rabbika bil hikmati wal mou’eedatil hasanah…”]
Dear
Brothers and sisters, we as a faith community must believe that with Alláh,
nothing is impossible; in fact anything is possible. We must believe that Alláh
will facilitate our success, as soon as we make the effort. At this moment it
seems that Israel and the USA are so convinced of their own military power that
they are in no mood to sit down and deal justly and fairly with anyone.
But in our own short lives we have seen other great powers like the
Soviet Union and Apartheid South Africa humbled and destroyed.
It all happens in Alláh’s good time.
We
must believe that there is way to stop the bloodshed and suffering. Alláh will
only hold us accountable for what resources we have, and how we use it. He does
not hold you and me responsible for what is beyond our influence.
Let
us pray: O Alláh to help us fulfil the role which You have assigned to each one
of us. Help us to discover our special place in Your Master Plan. Help us to
constantly purify ourselves, our motives and desires and ambitions. Show us how
to love the things that You love, and keep away from the things that you have
forbidden. O Alláh, help us and guide us and protect us from your enemies.