Fight for your rights. Do not be trampled on.
Reflections on Surat al Sajdah
The Prophet (peace be on him) used to recite Surat Al Sajdah every Jummuah at Fajr in the first rakah, and Surat al Insan. I witnessed our shuyukh following this sunnah.
Perfection
In this surah, Allah Almighty told us:
Who has perfected everything He created. And He originated the creation of humankind from clay. (32:7)
Perfection is an attribute of Allah, He perfected everything He made. We go through different stages and levels in our lives – good and bad, and then we die.
Death
Say, “The angel of death who has been entrusted with you will take you. Then to your Lord you will be returned.” (32:11)
Death is inescapable. No one – not even atheists who deny God and reject the Hereafter and tyrants who believe they can get away with anything – will be able to escape death.
Seeking reprieve
Finally when reality catches up with them, they will throw themselves down and beg for mercy, after all the crimes they committed:
If you could but see when the criminals are hanging their heads before their Lord, [saying], “Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so return us [to the world]; we will work righteousness. Indeed, we are [now] certain.” (32:12)
Allah’s justice
Based on everyone’s actions, they will receive justice in akhirah.
But as for those who are rebellious, the Fire will be their home. Whenever they try to escape from it, they will be forced back into it, and will be told, “Taste the Fire’s torment, which you used to deny.”
As for those who believe and do good, they will have the Gardens of ˹Eternal˺ Residence—as an accommodation for what they used to do. (32:19-20)
Fight for your rights in dunya
The fact is that we will not receive justice in dunya, but we still have to fight for our rights.
Today in Jerusalem Israelis have attacked and injured worshippers in Masjid al Aqsa, during our holiest days.
They continue stealing our mosque and our lands, forcibly evicting Palestinians from their homes, and enabling Jewish settlers to brazenly occupy what does not belong to them. Their confiscation of private property breaks international law and amounts to war crimes. Yet the world looks away.
International silence as injustice and oppression carries on
They have already stolen more than 70% of Palestinian land they are still not satisfied. You can see it on the screen, but the international community does not care.
Imagine if someone attacked the Vatican like this? There would be an immediate international outcry. The attack would be halted within no time. However because this attack is on Palestinian people, world leaders do not care.
As the Palestinians are kicked out of their own land, out of their own mosque, out of their own villages and streets, no one stops the Israelis. They can do whatever they want. Just as Firaun became more and more powerful because no one stopped him, until he declared himself God.
We are the scum of the sea
We see the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) has come true. He said:
“People will soon summon one another to attack you from every place in the same way that a pack calls around its prey”
Someone asked, “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?”
He replied, “No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be froth and scum like that carried down by a torrent (of water), and Allah will take the fear of you from the breasts (hearts) of your enemy and cast al-wahn into your hearts.”
Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah , what is al-wahn?”
He replied, “Love of the world and dislike of death.” (Ahmed)
We are weakened by love of dunya
When the love of dunya is in your heart, you fear death, and your enemies do not respect you or fear you.
Though we are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, we lack strength and we are being trampled on.
Everyone is on a different planet. Arabs are scattered and Muslims are divided, so we have no power. We are in shambles.
What should we do?
We have to do our best to seek our rights. Fight for our rights in every legitimate way.
Keep asking Allah to change our situation and do our best to change ourselves.
We must teach our children that this is our land and these are our holy places. Israel does not have a right them for any historical reason.
We ask Allah to enable us to support the truth and be truthful and defend the oppressed against the oppressors. Ameen
I urge all Muslims, all Imams, to make special du’a in their qunūt in witr for al-Aqsa and for the people that are defending al-Aqsa. Please include them in your du’a. We do not want al-Aqsa to be lost.
Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.
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