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Leave your case in Allah’s hands

ByShaykh Haytham Tamim

Have hope in Allah’s justice

Many of the verses in Surat al-An’am are about the challenges faced by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), which are not that different from what we are facing in our communities today: people twisting and changing reality, and pronouncing truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth.

In these verses Allah gives hope to the believers that despite all these challenges, in the end everything is under Allah’s control. True justice will be served by Allah, no matter what.

People are given choices in the dunya, and have many chances to do the right thing, but many of them still choose the wrong path. There are not many people of principle; or those there are, are silent. We are now seeing more and more people waking up, and standing up to defend truth. It doesn’t matter if they are Palestinian or Muslim or Arab – these principles cross all borders.

Feeling distressed is natural

In these verses, the Quran is setting out some guidelines on how to live by the truth and how to defend it in the face of rejection, just as all the prophets and messengers were rejected. In Surat al-Hijr, Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him):

وَلَقَدۡ نَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدۡرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ

We know that your heart feels distressed for what they say. [15:97]

And in Surat al-An’am, He reassures him:

قَدۡ نَعۡلَمُ إِنَّهُۥ لَیَحۡزُنُكَ ٱلَّذِی یَقُولُونَۖ فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَا یُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ بِـَٔایَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ یَجۡحَدُونَ

We certainly know that what they say grieves you ˹O Prophet˺. It is not your honesty they question—it is Allah’s signs that the wrongdoers deny. [6:33]

We feel this same tightness in our chests when we see what is going on now in Palestine, or previously in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. The magnitude of oppression is beyond comprehension. Allah is telling us that that this feeling is natural – especially when people deny this oppression and instead are calling you names and spreading lies about you.

Put your case is with Allah

Allah is saying telling Prophet Muhammad this it is not him they are rejecting, rather it is Allah. In effect, Allah is taking the burden off the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him)’s shoulders: the issue is not you, their issue is with Me. And if they have a case against Allah, He will deal with it.

We see this repeated many times in the Quran. In the opening of Surat al-Kahf, Allah says:

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَـٰخِعٌۭ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا

So, (O Prophet) perhaps you would kill yourself after them, out of grief, if they do not believe in this message. [18:6]

Those who are oppressing the vulnerable, crossing all boundaries and destroying every principle; Allah will deal with them. That doesn’t mean it’s easy for us to let go, we still feel that pain on our heart when we see these images. But Allah is giving us hope that he will look after us.

When you deal sincerely with Allah, it’s a win-win situation

Who could believe that people with no means of defence could stay strong for nearly 500 days, unless they had Allah with them. And for those who were killed, the elevation of their status now will compensate them for everything. It is better for them to be elevated in the akhirah than if they died like normal people.

In an authentic hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ يَوَدُّ أَهْلُ الْعَافِيَةِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حِينَ يُعْطَى أَهْلُ الْبَلاَءِ الثَّوَابَ لَوْ أَنَّ جُلُودَهُمْ كَانَتْ قُرِضَتْ فِي الدُّنْيَا بِالْمَقَارِيضِ ‏”

The people who lived in prosperity will wish on the Day of Resurrection to have the reward of those who were put to trial, even if their skin had been cut off with scissors. [Tirmidhi]

So don’t think it’s a lose-lose situation. When you deal with Allah, it’s win-win. The only condition is that you need to have a pure intention and do your best, and leave the rest to Allah.

Opponents of Allah will never win

In another hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) said that Allah Almighty says,

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ ثَلاَثَةٌ أَنَا خَصْمُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمَنْ كُنْتُ خَصْمَهُ خَصَمْتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ رَجُلٌ أَعْطَى بِي ثُمَّ غَدَرَ وَرَجُلٌ بَاعَ حُرًّا فَأَكَلَ ثَمَنَهُ وَرَجُلٌ اسْتَأْجَرَ أَجِيرًا فَاسْتَوْفَى مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُوفِهِ أَجْرَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ابن ماجه.

“I am the opponent of three on the Day of Resurrection, and if I am someone’s opponent I will defeat him: A man who makes promises in My Name, then proves treacherous; a man who sells a free man and consumes his price; and a man who hires a worker, makes use to him, then does not give him his wages.” (Ibn Majah)

When you position yourself as an opponent of Allah, we know what the end result will be. It’s only a matter of time. In Surat al-An’am Allah then says,

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا۟ مَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَتَحۡنَا عَلَیۡهِمۡ أَبۡوَ ٰ⁠بَ كُلِّ شَیۡءٍ حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَا فَرِحُوا۟ بِمَاۤ أُوتُوۤا۟ أَخَذۡنَـٰهُم بَغۡتَةࣰ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبۡلِسُونَ

We opened for them the doors of everything, so that when they became proud of what they were given, We seized them suddenly and they were left in despair. [6:44]

They might think they have everything: the biggest bombs, the most money, but Allah will take them away suddenly.

This is a scary ayah, because those who think they are getting away with it, are in a fool’s paradise. Allah is witness and watchful over what going on now in Palestine. He is watching everything:

وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ شَهِیدٌ

You are Witness over everything. (5:117)

His punishment will come:

‫أَلَمۡ یَرَوۡا۟ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن قَرۡنࣲ مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَمۡ نُمَكِّن لَّكُمۡ وَأَرۡسَلۡنَا ٱلسَّمَاۤءَ عَلَیۡهِم مِّدۡرَارࣰا وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرَ تَجۡرِی مِن تَحۡتِهِمۡ فَأَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَأَنشَأۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قَرۡنًا ءَاخَرِینَ

Have they not seen how many generations We annihilated before them? We had established them in the earth more firmly than We established you, and We sent the sky upon them plentifully and We made rivers flow beneath them. But We annihilated them for their misdeeds and raised other generations after them. (6:6)

This is the way of Allah, so have hope and trust in Him.

Dua

There is a prophetic dua which we should be making regularly:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّتِكَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ أَنْ تُضِلَّنِي أَنْتَ الْحَيُّ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ وَالْجِنُّ وَالْإِنْسُ يَمُوتُونَ

‘O Allah, I surrender to You, I believe in You, I rely upon You, to You I repent, and with Your help I dispute. I seek refuge in Your Might. There is no god but You, that You do not lead me astray. You are the Ever-Living Who never dies, but the Jinn and humans die.’ [Muslim]

Inshallah we will soon see relief for the oppressed.

Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim during his tarawih reflection – 2nd Ramadan/ 2nd March 2025. Transcribed by H Khan.

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