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Global IT outage. When systems go down…

Global IT outage. When systems go down...
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July 19, 2024
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In Surat al-Isra, Allah Almighty says:

كُلّٗا نُّمِدُّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مِنۡ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَۚ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحۡظُورًا

To each [category] We extend – to these and to those – from the gift of your Lord. And never has the gift of your Lord been restricted. (17:20)

This verse expresses the continuous help and support we receive from Allah, which in Arabic is called imdad. There are about 14 verses of imdad in the Quran, from the word mada which means to stretch or extend, for instance, ‘I stretch out my arm’. For those who are interested in tajweed, this is the same word we use when we stretch a letter (madd).

Fourteen verses of imdad

١- اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ﴿١٥ البقرة﴾

  1. “Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression, wandering blindly.” (Al-Baqarah 2:15)

٢- كَلَّا ۚ سَنَكْتُبُ مَا يَقُولُ وَنَمُدُّ لَهُ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ مَدًّا﴿٧٩ مريم﴾

  1. “No! We will record what he says and extend for him from the punishment extensively.” (Maryam 19:79)

٣- إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَلَن يَكْفِيَكُمْ أَن يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِثَلَاثَةِآلَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُنزَلِينَ ﴿١٢٤ آل عمران﴾

  1. “When you said to the believers, ‘Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down?'” (Aal-E-Imran 3:124)

٤- بَلَىٰ ۚ إِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُم مِّن فَوْرِهِمْ هَـٰذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ﴿١٢٥ آل عمران﴾

  1. “Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and the enemy comes upon you attacking in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks [of distinction].” (Aal-E-Imran 3:125)

٥- وَإِخْوَانُهُمْ يَمُدُّونَهُمْ فِي الْغَيِّ ثُمَّ لَا يُقْصِرُونَ﴿٢٠٢ الأعراف﴾

  1. “But their brothers – the devils increase them in error; then they do not stop short.” (Al-A’raf 7:202)

٦- إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍ مِّنَالْمَلَائِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ ﴿٩ الأنفال﴾

  1. “[Remember] when you asked help of your Lord, and He answered you, ‘Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the angels, following one another.'” (Al-Anfal 8:9)

٧- ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ الْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَاكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا ﴿٦ الإسراء﴾

  1. “Then We gave you back the return victory over them. And We reinforced you with wealth and sons and made you more numerous in manpower.” (Al-Isra 17:6)

٨- كُلّٗا نُّمِدُّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَهَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مِنۡ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَۚ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحۡظُورًا ﴿٢٠ الإسراء﴾

  1. “To each [category] We extend – to these and to those – from the gift of your Lord. And never has the gift of your Lord been restricted.” (Al-Isra 17:20)

٩- أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ ﴿٥٥ المؤمنون﴾

  1. “Do they think that what We extend to them of wealth and children.” (Al-Mu’minun 23:55)

١٠- وَاتَّقُوا الَّذِي أَمَدَّكُم بِمَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٣٢ الشعراء﴾

  1. “And fear Him who provided you with that which you know.” (Ash-Shu’ara 26:132)

١١- أَمَدَّكُم بِأَنْعَامٍ وَبَنِينَ ﴿١٣٣ الشعراء﴾

  1. “Provided you with grazing livestock and children.” (Ash-Shu’ara 26:133)

١٢- فَلَمَّا جَاءَ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّاآتَاكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ ﴿٣٦ النمل﴾

  1. “So when Solomon came to it, he said, ‘Do you provide me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Rather, it is you who rejoice in your gift.'” (An-Naml 27:36)

١٣- وَأَمْدَدْنَاهُم بِفَاكِهَةٍ وَلَحْمٍ مِّمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ﴿٢٢ الطور﴾

  1. “And We will provide them with fruit and meat from whatever they desire.” (At-Tur 52:22)

١٤- وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْأَنْهَارًا ﴿١٢ نوح﴾

  1. “And provide you with wealth and children and make for you gardens and make for you rivers.” (Nuh 71:12)

Continuous support

The word imdad conveys the sense of ongoing and prolonged support, just like the physical movement of stretching out your arm extends it, or opening a rope. Similarly, Allah continues giving us the means to survive. Allah is saying in Surat al-Isra that He is the One who gives life in order for mankind to use it. If one uses it in a way that pleases Him, one attains Jannah, and if one abuses it, in a way that breaches divine commands, then one earns hellfire. The power and energy we have are from Allah. But it is up to us how we channel them – if it is in the right way, we will be rewarded and if it is the wrong way, we will be punished.

Today’s news is dominated by the global IT outage. It has affected hospitals, airports, airlines, trains, news channels, and emergency services. The Microsoft system is down. Allah’s system is more sophisticated than Microsoft. Do we have an outage from Allah’s system? Yes, if someone is in a coma or when they die. When Allah withdraws His support and all support is turned off, we die. This is the difference between an outage from Microsoft and an outage from Allah. If Allah withdraws His support from the Universe Qiyamah will start.

Deeper than that, do we have an outage in the global system? Since the war against the Palestinians started, we have seen an outage in the moral system globally, especially from political leaders. With few exceptions, the majority have shown a shocking lack of humanity. We should have had global outrage not silence!

What can we do to get continuous support from Allah and avoid an outage? Allah sent prophets and messengers to keep the system running, to give us the antivirus. No one is saying there is hacking or a virus; rather, the system is down. Things have plunged into chaos, and we only feel it when it hits us. When it affects our brothers and sisters in Palestine, we often respond with indifference, saying, “What can we do?”

Allah’s system is robust; it will not break down because it is divine. However, whether we switch it on or off, or choose to be good or bad, is our choice.

In Surat al-Kahf, it says,

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ نَارًۭا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا۟ يُغَاثُوا۟ بِمَآءٍۢ كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَشْوِى ٱلْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَآءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا

“And say, ‘The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.’ Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a Fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.” (18:29)

For those whose moral system is down, they have chosen to be on the wrong side of history. They will bear the political consequences of their choices in this world and certainly judgement in the Hereafter. These signs remind us of our vulnerability and weakness and our need for continuous support from Allah.

Ibn Ata’ Allah Al-Iskandari said there are two favours upon every human being: Nimah ijad (existence) and imdad (sustenance and support).

Two blessings that no being is without, and every creature necessarily has them: the blessing of existence and the blessing of sustenance.

All people enjoy these favours. They either use them for good and are rewarded, or use them for evil and are punished.

Allah promises to support those who are with Him. For those who are not, it is to their detriment. Good deeds, purity of intention, and devotion in action are what truly matter in the Hereafter.

It is painful to witness the ongoing massacres of innocent civilians, day after day. We need to do more than just watch. We must continuously advocate for a complete ceasefire and stop the bloodshed and loss of lives of innocent women, children, and elders. This is unlawful and we must keep pushing in the right direction to change the status quo and to produce a peace for innocent Palestinians to live in.

We ask Allah to enable us to be among those who are righteous so we can use His favours in ways that please Him. Ameen.

Based on the Khutbah of Shaykh Haytham Tamim 19th July 2024

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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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