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Time for compassion, not conspiracy theories

earthquake
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February 11, 2023
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Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

عن النُّعْمَان بْن بَشِيرٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

“‏ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى عُضْوًا تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ جَسَدِهِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى ‏”‏‏.‏ متفق عليه.

“The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

In this famous hadith, it is not mere chance that the Prophet (peace be upon him) described the Ummah as the body (jasad), he meant it. If you put the body under the microscope you will easily recognise that the cells of the body are not all the same, the body is not one organ, but composed of many unique cells, organs and limbs from the eyes and ears to the muscles and bones, yet it functions as one unified and coordinated entity.

This metaphor reflects the fact that the Ummah is composed of unique individuals with variations and differences but when we harness those differences it is a positive thing. However when these differences divide us it leads to utter chaos as we have now. This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasised the importance of solidarity.

With the tragedy that has afflicted Turkey and Syria, it is time for action, not sermons or blame or conspiracy theories. There is a story going round that the earthquake was caused by the Americans who set off an explosion in the sea. This is utter rubbish.

On the other side we have those who telling those who are suffering from the devastating impact of the earthquake that this is punishment for them to teach them a lesson for their sins. What an appalling thing to say to someone in their hour of need. Don’t lecture them!

Now is the time to show compassion and mercy. Show mercy to those who are on earth and Allah will show mercy towards you.

Abdullah ibn Amr reported the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمْ الرَّحْمَنُ ارْحَمُوا مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ

“The merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.” [Tirmidhi]

In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that anyone who has surplus should share it with those who are in need – whether it is food, or clothes or others items. Abu Sa’id al Khudri said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was so insistent that they give away whatever they had that was extra, that they felt they were not entitled to keep anything surplus at all.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ فِي سَفَرٍ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَاحِلَةٍ لَهُ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ يَصْرِفُ بَصَرَهُ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاً فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ فَضْلُ ظَهْرٍ فَلْيَعُدْ بِهِ عَلَى مَنْ لاَ ظَهْرَ لَهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ فَضْلٌ مِنْ زَادٍ فَلْيَعُدْ بِهِ عَلَى مَنْ لاَ زَادَ لَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَذَكَرَ مِنْ أَصْنَافِ الْمَالِ مَا ذَكَرَ حَتَّى رَأَيْنَا أَنَّهُ لاَ حَقَّ لأَحَدٍ مِنَّا فِي فَضْلٍ ‏.‏رواه مسلم.

While we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on a journey, a person came upon his mount and began to stare on the right and on the left, (it was at this moment) that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: He who has an extra mount should give that to one who has no mount for him, and he who has surplus of provisions should give them to him who has no provisions, and he made mention of so many kinds of wealth until we were of the opinion that none of us has any right over the surplus. [Muslim]

If you have anything surplus, then donate it. It is time for action. Let’s stop nonsense messages which are going round and instead donate and make dua to Allah to send relief to all those who are suffering and in need.

May Allah ta’ala pour mercy on them and enable us to help and support them in every way we can. Ameen.

Shaykh Haytham Tamim – Khutbah 10th Feb 2023

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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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