O Palestine, you will prevail
إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ
If a wound should touch you – there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs – and Allah does not like the wrongdoers [3:140]
Allah Almighty is confirming in this ayah, that this alternation between success and failure is a system Allah created in this universe – the alternation between powers. One day one group is victorious and the next day they are defeated. This is the truth and it should not surprise us. We see throughout history, nations and civilisations rise and fall.
Limited Lifespan of Nations
The historian and the father of sociology, Ibn Khaldun, (732AH – 808AH /1332- 1406), wrote in Al Muqaddimah, ‘An Introduction to History’, that all nations and leaders, like people, have limited lifespans, and he quoted the ayah from the Qur’an:
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
And every nation has its appointed term; when their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment). [7:34]
Ibn Khaldun stated that the lifespan of the nation is approximately 120 years, though no one knows except Allah Almighty – it could be 20 years, it could be for 200 years. However they have common endemic sources for their degeneration and decline.
Palestine WILL be victorious
What we have seen in Palestine this week indicates that the pendulum will swing the other way and inshallah Allah will change the current status. Let’s not forget that the Prophet (peace be upon him) fought his first battle – Badr in Ramadan, a month of victory and special mercy. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that they fought two battles with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the second was the Conquest of Makkah. He said:
We went out on two campaigns with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the month of Ramadan, the day of Badr and the conquest (of Makkah), and we broke the fast in both cases. [Tirmidhi and Ahmad]
These victories were unimaginable at the time and changed the course of history.
Victory at the Battle of Badr on 17th Ramadan 2AH (624CE)
وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
God had given you victory at Badr, when you were weak. So fear God, that you may be thankful. [3:123]
The Conquest of Makkah on 10th Ramadan 8AH (630CE)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) had been attacked throughout his years in Makkah before he migrated to Madinah and yet he came became victorious. In Badr, the Muslims were outnumbered by the enemy three times. Yet they vanquished their enemy.
Allah Almighty has said that even though it seems unthinkable, Allah can grant victory:
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُذِبُوا جَاءَهُمْ نَصْرُنَا فَنُجِّيَ مَن نَّشَاءُ ۖ وَلَا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُنَا عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
Until, when the messengers have despaired, and thought that they were rejected, our victory came to them. We save whomever We will, and Our severity is not averted from the guilty people. [12:110]
Two ingredients for victory – being connected with Allah and being united
We hope and pray that Allah Almighty will grant us victory. There are signs we will be victorious, however we need to be prepared. Victory is not far and it is not difficult for Allah Almighty to grant us victory, but we need to fulfil the conditions to attain success. The main condition is to be connected to Allah and the second is to be united.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ
O you who believe! If you support God, He will support you, and will strengthen your foothold. [47:7]
We should come together as an Ummah but we are not united. We are like the foam of the sea, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) described our condition would be:
“The nations are about to call each other and set upon you, just as diners set upon food.” It was said: “Will it be because of our small number that day?” He said:
“Rather, on that day you will be many, but you will be like foam, like the foam on the river. And Allah will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will throw wahn (weakness) into your hearts.” Someone said: “O Messenger of Allah! What is wahn?” He said: “Love of the world and the hatred for death.” [Abu Dawood]
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
A group of my ummah will stay holding to the command of Allah despite those who let them down or disagree with them until the command of Allah arrives; and they are as such. Mu’adh said: and they are in Shaam. [Bukhari and Muslim]
This is the prophecy, that some of our people will let down the people of Bait al Maqdis, but the majority and the heart of the Ummah is with them.
We see this victory as a halting of oppression, and will witness it with our children very soon inshallah. Ramadan is the month miracles and of victory against inward desire and outward enemies.
We pray Allah will bring our Ummah together and help us vanquish our inner enemies and our outer foes. Ameen.
Khutbah Shaykh Haytham Tamim 7th April 2023.
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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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