IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL
BEING THE FOURTH SERMON FOR THE MONTH OF R/THAANI,
DATED: 26TH R. THAANI, 1445AH (10TH NOV., 2023CE)
TITLED: REFLECTING ON THE EVENTS IN GAZA (PALESTINE)
THE FIRST SERMON
All Praises belong to Allah who sent down the Criterion to His servant so that he might be a warner to the entire universe, the One Who says in His Glorious Book: (وَلَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ) “Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you (O Muhammad Peace be upon him) till you follow their religion. Say: “Verily, the Guidance of Allah (i.e. Islamic Monotheism) that is the (only) Guidance. And if you (O Muhammad Peace be upon him) were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of Knowledge (i.e. the Quran), then you would have against Allah neither any Wali (protector or guardian) nor any helper.” (Al-Baqarah:120). (يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِؤُواْ نُورَ اللّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللّهُ إِلاَّ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ) “They (the disbelievers, the Jews and the Christians) want to extinguish Allah’s Light (with which Muhammad SAW has been sent – Islamic Monotheism) with their mouths, but Allah will not allow except that His Light should be perfected even though the Kafirun (disbelievers) hate (it).” (At-Tawbah: 32). All His slaves are humbled before Him and He has no difficulties. I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, is the best of those who call to his Lord and the best of those who responded. He followed the path of truth and achieved success. May the prayers and peace of Allahbe upon him and all his family and companions, “…those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the people of understanding” (Az-Zumar: 18), and whoever follows them with goodness and faith until the Day of Return…
Thereafter…
Servants of Allah! I enjoin you and myself to fear Allah Ta’alaa, outwardly and inwardly, in accordance with His Words, the Most High: (يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا (70) يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا) “O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (SAW) he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise).” (Al-Ahzaab: 70-71).
Brothers of Faith! We agreed last week to continue the discussion on some of the characteristics of the Jews in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, but the matter is not as we want, because every sincere Muslim’s heart grieves and his mind and thoughts are occupied in these times with what our Muslim brothers are facing in Palestine, specifically in the patient, besieged Gaza, at the hands of the infidel Jews, with the oppressive, tyrannical America behind them, and at the hands of the hypocrites and traitors from the people of different race and tribe. Therefore, our topic today revolves around REFLECTING ON THE EVENTS IN GAZA (PALESTINE), in-shaa Allah.
Servants of Allah! Our brothers in Gaza are still waging violent battles with the Jews, upon whom are the continuous curses of Allah until the Day of Resurrection, and they are writing one of the greatest epics in history, the descendants of Khaaled, Sa’ad, Talha, Zubayr, and Salahudeen Al-Ayyuubi.
We have seen, heard, and read about the tragedies and stories that occurred in Gaza, and we have seen pictures of the wounded, torn body parts, and of permanent disabilities. We saw houses razed to the ground with their owners, and mosques that were demolished in front of those praying in them, and we saw the evil, destruction, and devastation that the Jews caused in this city, and Allah spoke the truth when He said: (كُلَّمَا أَوْقَدُوا نَارًا لِّلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَادًا وَاللهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِين) “…Every time they kindled the fire of war, Allah extinguished it; and they (ever) strive to make mischief on earth. And Allah does not like the Mufsidun (mischief-makers).” (Al-Maaidah: 64).
Scenes that bring sweat to the forehead, break hearts, and bring tears to the eyes. Great calamities that, if they descended on the mountains, would crush them, given their magnitude and scale. Abu Al-Baqaai Al-Rundi said:
Time has many kinds of hunger, and time has joys and sorrows.
There is a solace for events that make them easier, and there is no solace for what befalls Islam.
He also said:
Because of something like this, the heart melts from pain # if there is Islaam and faith in the heart.
Some of the lessons and takeaways learned from this great event that befell the Ummah of Islaam are the following:
Firstly: Our war with the Jews is a war of creed. It is not a war for the sake of a country or homeland, not for partisanship, nor movement, nor land, nor anything else, rather it is a war between Islaam and disbelief. Allah Ta’alaa said: (وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىَ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَن دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا) “And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islamic Monotheism) if they can. And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter, and they will be the dwellers of the Fire. They will abide therein forever.” (Al-Baqarah: 217). And Allah Ta’alaa says: (لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ عَدَاوَةً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا) “Verily, you will find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers (Muslims) the Jews and those who are Al-Mushrikun, and you will find the nearest in love to the believers (Muslims) those who say: “We are Christians.” That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not proud.” (Al-Maaidah: 82).
Secondly: What we see now in these times, of the kufr countries coming together from everywhere and uniting against the Muslims. Yesterday it was Iraq, and before that, Afghanistan, Chechnya, and now Gaza. It is the confirmation of the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “The people will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their dish. Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and last enervation into your hearts. Someone asked: What is wahn (enervation). Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): He replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.” (Abu Daawud).
Thirdly: Muslims, governments and peoples from the east and west of the earth must support their Muslim brothers in Gaza financially and morally, each with what they can, and stand with them in their ordeal. The Almighty said: (وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ) “The believers, men and women, are Auliya’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another…” (At-Tawbah: 71). Allah Ta’alaa also says: (وَإِنِ اسْتَنصَرُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ فَعَلَيْكُمُ النَّصْرُ) “…if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them…” (Al-Anfaal: 72).
Some of the means of supporting them are: praying for them that Allah will strengthen them, bind their hearts, direct their targets, and humiliate the Jews and those who support them. The poet said:
“How often the oppressed cry out to us for help #
While they are dead and captive, and not a single person is shaken.”
What is the break in the Islaam between you #
While you, servants of Allah, are brothers?
Fourth: Muslims must adopt the means of strength and prepare for that in compliance with the Almighty’s saying: (وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدْوَّ اللهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ) “And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc.) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy…” (Al-Anfaal: 60). Muslim narrated in his Saheeh from the hadith of Uqba bin Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, that he heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was on the pulpit saying: “And prepare against them whatever power you are able. Indeed, the power is archery . Indeed, the power is archery. Indeed, the power is archery.” Al-Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan from the hadith of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Messenger of Allah, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, said: “…and twelve thousand men will not be defeated as a result of smallness of number.” (Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi, and Ahmad).
SECOND SERMON:
All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, who says in His great decisive criterion: (وَلَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ) “And never will the Jews and the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, “Indeed, the guidance of Allāh is the [only] guidance.” If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allāh no protector or helper.” [Al-Baqarah: 120] We praise Him, Glory be to Him, the Most High, we thank Him, we believe in Him, and we put our trust in Him. We seek blessings and peace upon the best of Allah’s creation, our Master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Recompense.
As to what follows,
Dear Servants of Allah,
Fifth: Supplication is one of the greatest means of victory. The Almighty says: (إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍ مِّنَ الْمَلآئِكَةِ مُرْدِفِين) “[Remember] when you were asking help of your Lord, and He answered you, “Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the angels, following one another.” [Al-Anfal: 9]. Allah the Exalted also says: (وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُون) “And when My servants ask you, [O Muḥammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” [Al-Baqarah: 186] ] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to supplicate to his Lord and seek His help whenever distress or difficulty befell him, as in the Battle of Badr and elsewhere. Among his supplications, peace and blessings be upon him, was: “O Allah, who sends down the Book, directs the clouds and defeats the parties, defeat them and grant us victory over them” (Narrated by Muslim).
Sixth: Muslim narrated in his Sahih among the hadith of Sahl bin Hanif on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Whoever asks Allah for martyrdom sincerely, Allah will make him attain the status of martyrs, even if he dies on his bed” (Narrated by Muslim).
Seventh: The Jews will not enjoy peace and security. Rather, they will remain in terror and fear until the Day of Judgment, no matter how many nuclear weapons they possess, nor how much protection they get from the countries of the kufar. The divine promise is being fulfilled against them. The Almighty says: (وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَن يَسُومُهُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ) “And [mention] when your Lord declared that He would surely [continue to] send upon them until the Day of Resurrection those who would afflict them with the worst torment. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Al-A’raf: 167].
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace be upon him said: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.” (Bukhari and Muslim), and they are now planting gharqad in abundance in their streets, awaiting their inevitable fate.
Eighth: It is necessary to be tested and examined. Allah Almighty says: (الم أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفْتَنُون (2) وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِين) “Alif, Lām, Meem (2) Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried? (3) But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allāh will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.” (Al-Ankabut: 1-3)
Ninth: The Jews were afflicted with killing, wounds, terror, and fear despite their superiority in military power, and this is in accordance with the words of Allah, the Almighty: (إِن تَكُونُوا تَالَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَالَمُونَ كَمَا تَالَمونَ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللهِ مَا لاَ يَرْجُونَ) “And do not weaken in pursuit of the enemy. If you should be suffering – so are they suffering as you are suffering, but you expect from Allāh that which they expect not. And Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.” [An-Nisa: 104]. Allah the Almighty says: (إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ) “If a wound should touch you – there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it.” [Al Imran: 140]. Ibn Kathir said: That is, if you were wounded, and a group of you were killed, then your enemies suffered something close to this in terms of killing and wounds. We alternate such days among the people, that is, we turn enemies against you sometimes, even if the outcome is yours due to our wisdom in that.
The two groups are not equal: our dead are in Paradise and their dead are in Hell, and God is our protector and they have no protector.
Supplication: O Allah, never allow a banner to be raised for the Jews in Jerusalem, and never allow them to achieve any goal in Gaza. O Allah, help the people of Jerusalem, the people of Gaza, and the people of Palestine. O Allah, strengthen them, O Allah strengthen their hearts. O Allah, spread tranquility in their hearts. O Allah, send them warmth, peace, security and safety. O Allah, accept their martyrs and heal the sick. O Allah, have mercy on the bereaved mothers and widows. O Allah, have mercy on the elderly who bow in (prayers), the suckling infants, and the young who prostrate. O Allah, deal with the aggressing Zionists and those who supported and helped them. O Allah scatter their togetherness, scatter their power, and divide their unity.
O Allah, show us in them the effects and wonders of your power. O Allah, tear them apart in the most devastating manner, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, surround them in their numbers and destroy them as a swarm, and do not leave out anyone of them. O Allah, never allow a banner to be raised for the Jews in Jerusalem, and never allow them to achieve any goal in Gaza. O Allah, grant us happiness with the victory of our brothers over our enemy and their enemy. O Allah, we are in dire need of your mercy and help, eventhough we are unable to physically participate with them, then accept our prayers for their victory, O Allah, our Lord, we trust in You, and we hope for Your help, and we turn to Your door, so do not disappoint us. O Allah, grant us victory, O Allah grant us victory, O Allah grant us victory. O Allah, accept their martyrs, grant victory to their armies, heal their sick, heal their wounded, replace their fear with security, their hardship with ease, their distress with relief, and their patience with victory, O Mighty, O Powerful, O Possessor of enduring power, O Possessor of majesty and honor.
May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet, our Master Muhammad, his family and companions. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.