The current situation of the Muslim Ummah is one of difficulty; maybe these are the most difficult days the Ummah has ever faced throughout its history due to the variety and sheer number of calamities, the deep wounds, conspiracies, mass confusion, divisions and corruption in the Ummah, not to mention the general weakness and humiliation as a result of the enemy having gathered against us all over the world. The reality of what is going on in Muslim countries is a continuous chain of this type of conspiracy and a great plot.
The main aim of the Kuffaar in fighting the Muslims is to take us away from our Deen, whether by making us reject it – like some of the people have done – or by making us stop practising it. In any way, the fighting will continue, as Allah (SWT) says, until they achieve their objective or until we resist them and destroy them:
They will continue to fight against you until they turn you away from your Deen, if they can. (EMQ al-Baqarah, 2:217)
Many of the People of the Book wish they can turn you away from your Imaan to become Kaafir, envious against you after realising that what you carry is the truth. (EMQ al-Baqarah, 2:109)
In this atmosphere a question will rise in the hearts and minds of the sincere youth who wish to support the Deen and work for its establishment. You see them and every honest Muslim ask: What is my role in this reality? How should I deal with this opponent and enemy who is full of evil and hatred, what role should I play in this fitnah?
It could be that defeatism enters into the hearts and minds of the people, doubting that they can ever change the current situation in order for the Ummah to return back to her dignity and honour. This type of thinking is incorrect because whatever situation we are in we must believe that this Ummah is a blessed one that will achieve victory so long as it relies upon Allah (SWT) and all the means and reasons Allah (SWT) has made it eligible for the victory:
Allah sent this Deen and the Messenger to make it prevail over all other deens even if the Kuffaar dislike it. (EMQ at-Tawbah, 9:33)
How do we deal with this crisis and fitan being able to come out of it safe from any despair and defeatism and at the same time being able to fulfil our duties? We would like to highlight certain points, and milestones in what we may do in the time of fitan.
Thefirst and foremost is to hold firm to the Rope of Allah (SWT), i.e. to the revelation, for Allah says:
"The one who holds fast to Allah has been guided to the straight path." (EMQ Aal-'Imraan, 3:101)
It has been reported in Musnad al-Hakim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "I left to you two things, if you hold onto them you will never be misguided after me, the Book of Allah and my Traditions and they will not be separated until they return to me at the fountain (hawd)."
It is also reported in Abu Daawud on the authority of Irbaad bin Saariyah that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Verily, the one who lives from among you will see a lot of disagreement and conflict; therefore, follow my Traditions and the traditions of the rightly guided successors, hold onto to it by your teeth and be careful from the innovations, verily every innovation is misguidance."
Therefore, holding on to the revelation is the shield and protection from any deviation and failure (in this life and the next) and it is the security by the way of Allah (SWT) from any misguidance, and this is what is called al-I’tisaam. Allah says:
"Hold fast to the Rope of Allah (revelation) and do not be misguided." (EMQ Aal-'Imraan, 3:103)
This holding to the revelation is not a word for people to repeat rhetorically without having any presence in reality. Al-I’tisaam is an action, and following is an action, and this following is in all spheres of life. This matter will become greater and more prominent in the time of fitnah, crisis and confusion when we must return back to the guidance of these two sources of revelation in order to find a way out for our safety, inshallah.
The second guideline on how to deal with the fitan is the sincere repentance which is obligatory and more of a duty upon us in these times than any other. Allah (SWT) says:
"And when our test comes to them they supplicate." (EMQ al-An'aam, 6:43)
We are for a greater reason in need to repent and to return back to Allah (SWT) now more so than any other time, and what happened to the people of Yoonus (AS) is a lesson for us because when they saw the sign of punishment they began to cry and repent, asking for forgiveness, and Allah (SWT) revealed the punishment over their heads making them enjoy life until they passed away. Therefore, it is a duty upon this Ummah to repent to Allah (SWT) and to seek forgiveness and to be aware that whatever happens to her is part of the Sunnah of Allah and the Ummah must not compromise in front of any kufr, shirk, fitan or crisis and from all the evil which has spread due to shirk and kufr law. We must reject and rise against any rule that has been implemented by other than what Allah has revealed. We must rise to do our duty in da'wah to command the good and forbid the evil and we must repent from all oppression hypocrisy and corruption, deviation and extravagance, all of which will lead to the curse of Allah (SWT) and the eligibility for His punishment, for verily in all spheres of life whatever calamities we face it is because of what we do by our hands.
And whatever calamity you face it is because of what you do by your hands, yet Allah forgives many. (EMQ ash-Shooraa, 42:30)
Thethird foundation on how to deal with the fitan and crisis especially in the current reality is to learn from history and from previous experiences, especially the history of the Crusaders in order to take lessons and to remove the idea of defeatism and despair completely and to search for the oath of salvation and victory.
When we study the history, especially from the authentic books of our sincere historians like Kitaab ut-Taareekh of Ibn Atheer or al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, you will see how the Crusaders had authority over the Muslims even destroying Baghdad and occupying Jerusalem and how the Kuffaar from the East and the West occupied Muslim land and how the Muslim Ummah faced many calamities; yet they stood firm persevering to extend the Deen of Islam and its principles to rise once again. Allah (SWT) made history repeat itself and in the very same places and areas we find that from Baghdad to Jerusalem the crusaders of today have occupied it with the alliance of the Kuffaar; at that time it was the Tartars from the apostates, the Christians, Jews and idol worshippers. If we study history we find that the Tartars and Kuffaar were launching a very savage and barbaric attack and people began to worry with some reaching to the point of despair losing any hope of survival for the Muslims, then suddenly Allah (SWT) removed all the suffering bringing back the dignity of the Ummah, moving the dark cloud away from us. In fact the Tartars themselves embraced Islam, and a quick glimpse at our history and at the great heroes of Islam and its commanders during the crusades illustrates this clearly, especially if we look to the history of Noor ud-Deen Mahmud Zinki and Salahuddin al-Ayoobi (RH) we find in their seerah a history that carries great lessons benefiting us in our situation today because they were both keen on uniting the Muslim Ummah bringing the Muslims together and removing the humiliation and defeatism by motivating the Ummah to rise again. They were keen to train and have full preparation for the jihad fighting the Crusaders on behalf of the Muslim Ummah until the Ummah was eligible to rise again for victory and dignity.
Thefourth pillar is to benefit from the experience and all the examples of life because life is full of experiences and examples. Allah (SWT) distinguished some people from the Ummah with certain capabilities and skills so we must benefit from these skills and experiences. These incidents may pass in front of the people and some of them may benefit from their experience and skill 100% with some only 50% whereas others may allow all this to pass by them and, with their blind heart and eyes, not benefit anything from it and neither will they be able to take lessons from it. The difference between the one who benefits from experience and the one who does not is that the former is able to seize the opportunity on time being able to prevent the danger before it happens whilst the latter does not seize the opportunity until after the danger passes. Therefore, it is not good for us to see all this experience and all these trials and not take any lessons from them, repeating the same mistakes over again. Verily, studying lessons of the past will benefit us and our presence today. Allah (SWT) ordered us to follow our Pious Predecessors (as-Salaf us-Saalih) and we cannot be ignorant about what they did and how they stood in the time of crises overcoming all of them, rather it is obligatory upon us to learn from their guidance inspiring lessons from their experience and actions.
Fifthly we must remind the people about the consequences of oppression whatever the trial, tests and fitan are and however long and whatever pain we feel we must remind the people that the consequences of oppression are severe and saved only by taqwaa. Allah (SWT) tells us of the consequences of Nimrod, Fir'awn, Haamaan, Qarun and other oppressors and aggressors leading to their complete destruction and devastation with Allah (SWT) promising eternal Hellfire for them. Victory, success and authority were the consequences for the Anbiyaa' and the good doers from the believers and Allah (SWT) gave them Jannah forever. We must be aware of the oppression on all levels whatever type it may be.
The sixth point is to have total and complete tawakkul and confidence in Allah (SWT) with certainty that the good result is going to be for the people of taqwaa, verily one of the most important things obliged upon the Muslims nowadays is to strengthen the belief in Allah (SWT) and to keep away from anything that will make our certainty in Him become less, rather we must believe with certainty that victory is for the Ummah and we must not despair.
There are some people today who talk about the weakness, division and collapse of the Ummah and how great and strong the enemy is speaking with complete despair of the victory from Allah, having hopeless views, not being able to see a way out, thinking that the Muslim Ummah is unable to rise again. They think that the falsehood will become victorious and see no end in their mind, this is very dangerous and will only attack the weak nafs whose Imaan is low and certainty is less. This type of feeling is evidence for the lack of certainty and promise of Allah (SWT), looking to the tangible situation around them without looking into what Allah has informed us about it. Otherwise, how dare they think like this and doubt that Allah (SWT) has destined the victory for the believers and the end result being complete domination of Islam and Muslims! Allah (SWT) has destined that His army will be victorious and they will take over and the earth will be inherited by the good servants. Verily, those who think like this have a bad thinking about Allah (SWT) and His promise. This bad doubt is a doubt about Allah (SWT) and His capability and promise and this contradicts the Might and Highness of Allah and His perfect names and attributes, His blessed dignity, glorification, wisdom and respect rejects that His party (hizbullah) and soldiers (jundullah) be humiliated. There is nothing less than victory and domination for His Ummah and complete defeat and destruction for His enemy.
Therefore, what we see today in terms of the domination by the Kuffaar is only temporary and a plot from Allah (SWT), for some it is a test and for some a punishment because they go astray from the Deen, in addition to this we understand that the Sunnah of Allah is that whoever does bad will be punished for it as Allah says:
"It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the People of the Scripture, whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allah." (EMQ an-Nisaa', 4:123)
The Muslim Ummah today commits sins and there will be punishment for this so that she goes back to her wisdom, maturity and repents to Allah so that we are eligible for His blessings and victory. This Ummah is a blessed Ummah being punished and accounted in this dunyaa, in order for Allah (SWT) to reduce the punishment in the Hereafter or to forgive her based upon what test we experience in this life.
The seventh point is that we must support all Muslims who have faced oppression, especially those who face calamity upon calamity and conspiracy upon conspiracy like the Muslims in Iraq and before them in Palestine, Afghanistan and Philippines. We must stand with them physically, financially and verbally exerting utmost effort and supplicating for them, motivating people to support them, raising funds for them and striking fear into heart of enemy but we must not forget in any calamity to put the matter on the right path and to balance everything and not to become overjoyed when afflicting pain upon the enemy in a battle making us drop our weapons and becoming complacent, and not like those who become cowards when the enemy may win a battle forgetting that the end of the war is not yet, the result which will be ultimate victory for the Muslim Ummah… inshallah.
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