Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

Once more, the world watches as Muslims are shot and bombed with impunity. First it was Chechnya, now it is Palestine, again. These are difficult times for Muslims on the frontline of conflict everywhere, but there is real and imminent danger for our brothers and sisters in Palestine. Not only were they robbed of their country, but they are being forced to accept peace without dignity. They are being asked to legitimise the theft of their own land, and the control of their holy places in the hands of their oppressors. There has been much talk of a so-called "peace process," but if you look closely, it is not so much a peace process, as it is simply the terms of surrender. And now even that inadequate document lies in tatters.

Nelson Mandela was still in prison, when the President of Apartheid South Africa offered him freedom on condition that he stayed out of politics. In a profound and eloquent reply, he said: "Only free men can negotiate. Prisoners cannot enter into contracts." Palestinians are not free and therefore have no leverage to negotiate a just and honourable peace. After 50 years they still live in remarkably similar conditions to those of Black South Africans under Apartheid. They live like aliens in their own land. They are given the illusion of power, while the real power lies in the hands of their oppressors. Their ordinary human rights are treated with utter contempt. Ariel Sharon’s visit to Al Aqsa mosque has been portrayed as an innocent affair. Who can forget that this man presided over the massacres in Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps? If Hitler walked into a synagogue with dozens of his bodyguards, would the Israelis consider that an innocent affair?

We have watched with increasing horror, the cold-blooded killing of children, the menacing tanks, the angry crowds, the helicopter gunships raining death on mostly unarmed civilians. We hear the lies and distortions of the media, the clever use of words that present the victims as the evil ones, and the oppressors as the victims. Then we switch off the television, and we turn to our Lord, and pray, When will we see the help of Alláh? When will there come relief from this pain and suffering? We pray, and we plead, for without the Mercy of Alláh, we have no help, and no hope.

In Súra Al-Baqara ch2:214, we are reminded:

"Alaa inna nasrallaahi qareeb"

"surely, the help of Allah is ever near...." and further in Súra Ash-Sharh, we read:

"so,truly, with every difficulty, there is relief. Truly, with every difficulty there is relief.

A few weeks ago, we considered the significance of the sinking of a Russian nuclear submarine. As we know, all the crew died, despite desperate efforts to rescue them. In a way, that incident was a sign from Alláh, a sign that even though the so-called superpowers may have advanced technology and the deadliest of weapons, ultimately, all power belongs to Alláh. And when by the decree of Alláh, the time and place of death approaches, nothing and nobody can stop His Will. When nations or individuals abuse their power, they will surely face the punishment of Alláh. As we read in several places in the Holy Qur'án,

"Many were the ways of life that have passed away before you: travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who rejected Truth."       [ch3:137]

Today, we can book our package holidays and see what is left of the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Crusaders. Archaeologists can dig and unearth the remains of ancient cities destroyed by mighty earthquakes and floods, like ‘Ad and Thamud, mentioned in the Holy Qur'án. We can see what remains of those who invited the wrath of Alláh upon themselves.

We have not yet seen the full retribution from Alláh on those Russians who inflicted unspeakable brutality on the Chechen people, whose only crime is that they want to rule themselves. We have yet to see the full retribution of Alláh, on those Serbs who were responsible for mass rape and mass murder of thousands of Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo. Their leaders, Slobodan Milosovich, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadic are convicted war criminals. We, or our children have yet to see the retribution of Alláh descend on those responsible for the theft of Muslim lands, and the death and destruction in Palestine and the desecration of Masjid al Aqsa and Al Quds.

The Help of Alláh can come in the most unexpected ways. Who knows, one day, the Americans may well get tired of supporting Israel. They may well realise that Israel is more of a liability than an asset. Alláh alone knows where, when and how the endgame of this drama will be played out.

The last chapter of the struggle for justice and human dignity in Chechnya, the Balkans, Kashmir and Palestine has not yet been written. We pray to Alláh that these brave Muslims, who daily have to endure the most unspeakable humiliation, pain and hardship, will soon be relieved of their suffering. May Alláh reward them with victory over their oppressors. Insh-Alláh!

We must also remember, that any cause other than the good pleasure of Alláh, is not worth fighting for and certainly not worth dying for. Muslims worship Alláh alone. We should not let Arab nationalism, or Chechen or Kashmiri nationalism become our kalima shahaadah, This would be shirk, associating partners with Alláh, and shirk is an unpardonable sin. We must seek help from Alláh alone, to serve His agenda alone. Any other motive is ultimately bound to fail.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

If we look back into our history, we will see that Alláh, swt, granted our brave and noble ancestors victory in battle, even though they were often hugely outnumbered. In my last khutbah a few weeks ago, we took just 3 examples, The battle of Badr, Alb Arslan’s victory over the Byzantine Army, and the conquest of Spain by Tariq bin Ziyad and Musa bin Nusayr. The history of Islám has many inspiring examples of the triumph of Faith over unbelief and Truth over Falsehood.

History goes round in cycles. We see the rise and fall of nations, like the ebb and flow of the tides on the seashore. The power of Islám has risen and fallen in different times and places: The Righteous Khaleefs, The Abbasids, the Ummayyads, Mamluks, Moguls and Ottomans. In the history of Islám, there are many valuable lessons. Perhaps the most important lesson, is that the Muslim ummah was always strongest when Faith in Alláh was at its height. Those were times when iman and taqwa penetrated every aspect of life. As soon as our ancestors allowed themselves to be distracted, their faith weakened, they succumbed to the temptations of dunya, they inflated their egos and harmed their fellow Muslims. Then, slowly, they lost their power and influence, and Alláh allowed them to be defeated by their enemies. This is what has become of the Muslim world over the last 200 years. But it need not stay that way forever. The tide must turn. And we can help the process of revival.

We can learn much from history. And if we take these lessons on board, and we apply them to our present situation, there is indeed hope that we may prepare a better life for our children and grandchildren.

The very fact that we Muslims also lose battles, we also become victims of tyranny and injustice, proves that we have no special privileges. We Muslims have no divine right to Alláh’s blessings. We are not Alláh’s chosen people, like some who believe they are the Chosen people of God. We must earn the good pleasure of Alláh, each day, through much effort, sacrifice and patience. If we deviate from the path of Alláh, we will surely lose His affection and support, and Alláh will shower his grace on someone else. Of this important point we are reminded in Súra Húd ch11:v57

"If you turn away, I [at least] have conveyed the Message with which I have been sent to you . My Lord will make another People to succeed you, and you will not harm Him in the least, for my Lord does care and watches over all things".

In the 12^th Century, our ancestors’ iman was at low tide, so the Crusaders seized Jerusalem after a battle in which their horses marched knee-deep in the blood of Muslims and Christians. 90 years later, the Muslims’ iman and taqwa reached high tide, so Alláh produced for them a worthy leader to recapture Jerusalem. This great soldier, statesman and diplomat is known in the west as Saladin. We know him as Salahuddin Ayyubi. He was not only famous for his courage and discipline in battle, but also for his statesmanship, generosity and compassion.

In one battle, the king of England, Cour de leon, Richard the Lionheart was left without his horse and had to face the Muslims on foot. When Salahuddin saw this, he sent one of his best Arab horses as a gift to king Richard, with his compliments, saying that it was not fitting for a noble king to suffer the indignity of doing battle without a horse! Such was the calibre of Salahuddin Ayyubi.

The Muslim world has been in decline over many years, and the result has been the loss of our khilaafat and the domination of our homelands by foreign powers. We will have to work very hard indeed, to earn the good pleasure of Alláh, so that we may once more win back control of Muslim lands, and especially, the holy places like Masjid al-Aqsa. We earnestly pray that Alláh swt should once again raise up from amongst ourselves, the likes of Tariq bin Ziyad, of Musa bin Nusayr and Salahuddin Ayyubi.

At times like this, when our fellow Muslims face imminent danger and death from Chechnya to Kashmir to Palestine and the Balkans, we must seek the help of Alláh, with patience, perseverance and sincerity. And in seeking His help, we must strictly avoid doing anything that displeases Him. Alláh has also clearly set out the rules of war, and Muslims are warned not to commit excess, even under extreme provocation.

Brother Tamim Osman said something very important last week, when he asked us to send letters and emails of support for our Palestinian brothers and sisters. He said, do not belittle your efforts, do not think that a single letter or email is unimportant. This is so true. We often think that the efforts of just one person will not add up to much. In isolation, our individual efforts will make little difference, just as one snowflake on its own, is quite harmless. But who will question the power of an avalanche that sweeps down the mountainside and flattens everything in its path? An avalanche starts its life as a tiny snowflake, joined by another, and another.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, let us write our letters and emails of support for the Palestinians, so that Tony Blair and Bill Clinton are faced with an avalanche of public opinion that cannot be ignored. Sample letters can be found at the door, and email copies are on our website at khutbahbank.com

Over the years, the enemies of Islám have manipulated the media to spread slander and falsehood. If we do nothing, we allow their evil to flourish. We must make our presence felt. We must tell the truth, and carry forward the message of Islám. That is our sacred duty. We must seek the help of Alláh in promoting the victory of truth over falsehood. And we must persevere, with patience and constancy, until the Help of Alláh comes. Then, once again, the verse 81 in Súra [17] Al-Isra’ will come alive:

"Wa qul jaa-alhaqqu wa zahqal baatil. Innal baatila kaana zahooqaa."

"And say: Truth has come, and Falsehood has perished, for falsehood by its very nature, is bound to perish."

A well-known Hadíth says, that when a Muslim sees injustice, he must put it right with his own hands. If he is unable to do so, he must speak out against it, and if he is even unable to do this, then he must at least condemn it in his heart. But those who can only condemn injustice in their hearts, are the weakest of faith.

Let us pray to Alláh, to free our brothers and sisters from oppression and hardship, in Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir and all other places where the ummah is suffering. O Alláh, help us all in our hour of need. Protect us from those who reject faith.