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The Fool Proof Way to Achieve Failure

The Fool Proof Way to Achieve Failure
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August 04, 2018
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The Fool Proof Way to Achieve Failure

Obey God and His Messenger. Do not quarrel with each other lest you fail or lose honour. Exercise patience; God is with those who have patience. (8:56)

Fool Proof Way to Weaken the Ummah

We have all read this ayah, and memorised this ayah but unfortunately we have not absorbed the meaning of this ayah. The consequences of not following this ayah are painfully before our eyes. The disputes in our ummah have let our enemies grasp more control over Masjid al Aqsa, because of OUR weakness, not because of their power.

Allah the Almighty is saying do not quarrel, do not dispute, do not fight one another, and do not lose your power. Yet we are fighting and squabbling, and so we have achieved failure rather than success. We are at the bottom of the charts, the bottom in any achievement but the top in failure. Our biggest achievement is failure, because Allah the Almighty said ‘Do not dispute amongst yourselves’ but we failed to do this.

The consequences of internal politics, disputes and fighting is Number 1: Failure, Number 2 : Loss of power, respect, and unity.

No one respects you when you don’t respect one another. How can you expect people to admire and respect you, when you stab your brother in the back?  How do you expect anyone to trust you, when you are not trusted by your own brother?

Why Patience Holds the Key to Unity – Even though it’s bitter

After mentioning disputes, Allah the Almighty says ‘wasbiru.’ Subhanallah, I was listening to this ayah yesterday and something came to my mind… Why does Allah the Almighty connect disputes with patience? Because in order to avoid disputes, you need to have sabr. This means you will, without doubt, have some problems, some disagreements which are very common but, what is not common is to escalate them and create an enemy out of your own brother. This is not allowed. It is haram.

Allah the Almighty is saying ‘Be patient.’ Why do we need to practice patience? We usually practice patience for something which we dislike, which is heavy and burdensome. For example, siyaam (fasting) is having patience, controlling your anger is practicing patience, and so on.  So when you have disagreements, you need to have patience otherwise anger bursts out of you, overwhelms you, causing you to break the limits of shariah.

Allah is indeed with those who are practicing patience, not with those who are rebellious. They are the ones who lose Allah’s support. And then I came across the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) which has different wording from different sources starting from Bukhari and Muslim to Musnad Ahmed and Tabarani and Musnad abi ‘Ala and others all in the same vein. This is the narration from Imam Ahmed, which is similar to many other similar narrations:

‘A group of my ummah, will stay upholding to the truth until the Day of Judgment despite those who disagree with them or who let them down,’ (Ahmed)

When I learnt this hadith which I memorised a long time ago, I didn’t realise what has now become apparent to me. I now see this hadith in a new way. Why did the Prophet (peace be on him) say this? I didn’t understand until today when I see, with my own eyes, many of our brothers and sisters are not even talking about the importance of supporting Al Aqsa. And there is a command in many mosques to not to mention al Aqsa in any shape or form, even in du’a ! Wow! Is that the extent of our animosity, or dispute, that we are willing to neglect Al Aqsa? We can see the meaning of the hadith before us now.

Why Upholding the Truth Leads to Success – Even though it’s hard

‘No matter how many people let you down, no matter who disagrees with you, the truth will prevail, the truth will prevail.’

In the hadith, prophet (peace be on him) said:

‘The believer is the brother of the believer. He will not oppress him; he will not abuse him, and he will not let him down.’

And the Prophet (peace be on him) is saying here that this group of people will uphold the truth, despite those who let them down, despite those who disagree with them, and they will prevail. It’s a promise from the Prophet (peace be on him) and now I can understand why he said that. The others let their brothers and sisters down.

The Prophet (peace be on him) was telling us about the future, and unfortunately, we are that future he was talking about ad what would happen if we dispute and let each other down.

In another narration of Muslim, they ask Mu’ad (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Where are they, this group?’ Mu’ad replies ‘in Shaam.’ And historically Shaam means Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. And more likely, in today’s terms, it’s Masjid Al Aqsa and its surrounding area. In another narration, in Musnad Ahmad, the companions ask the Prophet himself directly (peace be on him) ‘Where are this group of people, ya Rasulallah?’ And the Prophet (peace be on him) says:

‘This group is upholding the truth until the Day of Judgement is in Baytul Maqdis and its surroundings.’

This is great news for them and great news for those supporting them because they are supporting the truth.

‘And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction. It is not for them to enter them except in fear. For them in this world is disgrace, and they will have in the Hereafter a great punishment.’ (2:114)

Unfortunately, this is the 7-8th day for the closure of Baytul Maqdis. People aren’t praying in Baytul Maqdis since last Friday. They want to change the face of Baytul Maqdis from an Islamic face to something else. They will never dare to do this if we were strong but in some reports, we have done after the consultation with some of the Arab rulers. Oh my God.

Regardless, the truth will prevail so we have to do three things.

Firstly, we have to uphold the truth no matter what it is. We have to hold fast to the truth. In his journey, and ascension of the Prophet (peace be on him) to the seven heavens, he asked Jibril , ‘What is this beautiful fragrance?’ And Jibril said ‘This is the fragrance of the servant of Firaun’s daughter, who used to comb her hair. This is her fragrance. Allah says she was a believer, high in her imaan. The daughter of Firaun knew about this and told her father. When he questioned her ‘Do you have a Lord?’ She said, ‘Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.’ And then he asked for a fire to be started and he brought her and her children to that burning fire in order to change her mind and her faith but she refused, so he threw her first child in the fire, and still she refused, then her second child, and she refused and then the third, who was the youngest. She hesitated but that child who was not able to speak was granted the ability to speak by Allah so he could reassure his mother and say, ‘Do not worry O mother! Uphold the truth.’ She was then thrown into the fire with full imaan. So the lesson from that, the importance of upholding to the truth, ad remaining steadfast.

It’s well connected to Baytul Maqdis. No matter how many challenges we have, how many people we may dispute or disagree with, or how many people let us down, it doesn’t matter, it will not change the truth that Baytul Maqdis belongs to us.

Secondly, we have to teach our children the history of Baytul Maqdis and Palestine. We need to educate ourselves and our children about our history, and our heritage. The first qiblah in our ummah and the third holiest site in our ummah, Baytul Maqdis. So we need to understand the importance of Baytul Maqdis. Regardless of the betrayal from some of our leaders, the betrayals from some of our brothers and sisters, it does no matter – the truth definitely will prevail.

Thirdly, what can we do as individuals? Of course our supplications for Baytul Maqdis and the people of Palestine. Let’s show support for our brothers and sisters, not just theoretically but also practically, so let’s educate ourselves and let’s do something about it and try to stay steadfast to the truth. Ameen.

So our hearts are with our brothers and sisters in Baytul Maqdis, in Palestine. Our supplications are for them and our support as much as we could.

It’s very sad to see how weak we are as an ummah, it’s very sad to see how fragmented we are, it’s very sad to see that we can’t even agree on the sacred issues But despite all the sadness that we have, I believe this is the start of a new dawn insha’Allah. Unless we are shaken, unless we are tested, we won’t see who’s following and clinging to the truth and who’s following his own desires or whims.

In all of this we are not counting on people, we need to try of course to educate ourselves and the people, but our true reliance and tawakul(reliance) is not on our leaders or the crown or anyone but on Allah the Almighty.

‘And whoever relies upon Allah – then He (Allah) is sufficient for him/her.’(65:3)

 

Khutbah delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 21.7.17

Transcribed by Sulemaan Mohi

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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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