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Islam is the Religion of Mercy and Strength
Shaykh
Saalih bin Humayd [(Safar
13, 1423 (April 26, 2002)]
All praise is
due to Allaah, lord of the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the
Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims!
Fear Allaah for it is by it that high positions can be attained. Work for
your Hereafter in this world. Beware of wasting your lives in vanities,
for those with stone hearts shall regret. Purify yourselves from sins with
a lot of sincere tears and soften your hearts by remembering the Last Day;
a day that men will be as in a drunken state and confused because of
horror. Allaah says,
“That Day,
you shall be brought to judgement not a secret of you will be hidden.”
(Al-Haqqah
69:18)
Fellow Muslims!
Islaam appeared at a time when nations were fiercely waging wars against
one another and these wars were fuelled by covetous desires of elders and
their voracious lust for expansions and autocracy.
Then Islaam
came with its civilization while the whole world was being ruled by jungle
justice. The strong used to kill the weak and the armed would kill the
unarmed. Wars were raging without limit or control. Whoever possessed a
power would unsheathe his weapon to manipulate the weak nation, seize its
land, overpower it and force his belief upon it.
As for Arabs of
those days, attacks had eaten deep into them and wars had become part of
their life. This had reached a stage that when they found no far-off enemy
to attack they would attack their neighbours and even clansmen. It was in
these dark ages that the spring of Islaam gushed out and many stiff hearts
became softened and the world embraced a religion that equates faith with
security and Islaam with peace. The lustful desire of men then disappears,
the insinuations of Satan diminished, usurpation of other people’s rights
reduced and the call of the people of faith became,
“O you who
believe! Enter perfectly in Islaam.”
(Al-Baqarah
2:208)
It was with
this spirit that Islaam spread to the four corners of the world in less
that one hundred years. It is also certain that Muslims then had no
numerical or military strength or technology or any means of communication
that would have allowed them to conquer nations and force them to abandon
their religions or that would have allowed them to force their authority
on the countries they entered if not because of the fact that their
religion is the religion of truth, civilization, peace and just
governance. The conquered nations did not embrace Islaam, learnt the
language of the Quraan or surrendered to the Muslims except for what they
saw in Islaam of truth, mercy and justice that facilitate the attainment
of prosperity in this world and the Hereafter.
Islaam is the
religion of human nature. Its obvious sign and trademark is spreading of
truth, doing good and guiding mankind. Allaah commands the Muslims,
“Let there
arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining
all that Islaam orders and forbidding all that Islaam has forbidden. And
it is they who are successful.”
(Aal ‘Imraan
3:104)
He also says,
“O you who
believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do
good that you may be successful.”
(Al-Hajj 22:77)
That is the
reality of Islaam and its function which must be known to nations and all
the world.
Brethren in
Faith! Islaam does not aim at favouring a particular nation at the
negligence of others and is not concerned of a nation’s progress at the
expense of others nor does it care that a nation owns more land or
authority than others. Its utmost goal is the happiness and success of all
mankind and spreading of truth and justice among them. Any other aim
besides this has no place in Islaam. Rather, Islaam wages war against all
inclinations that comprise of injustice and encroaching upon others’
rights so “that there will be no more Fitnah
(disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allaah) and all kind of
worship is for Allaah Alone.”
(Al-Baqarah
2:193)
Fellow Muslims!
If Islaam is a religion of mercy, justice and peace, it is at the same
time the religion of power and pride, because it is a practical religion
that approaches life in its real sense and treat men according to their
nature.
Since it is in
human nature to fight and disagree, Islaam, out of its justice and mercy
enjoins the provision of a military strength that can protect the truth
and spread justice, good and peace. The just force is even a stronger
guarantee for actualization of peace. People should not understand that
peace means lack of military preparation as long as there are in the world
some people who know not the value of peace and have no regard for others’
freedom to live peacefully in their lands.
It is because
of all this that the Muslims are commanded to have military provisions for
themselves and be always at alert. The strength that they are commanded to
get is a comprehensive one including political, economical, social,
military and moral, and above all the power of faith and strict adherence
to the religion of Allaah. Allaah says,
“And make
ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to
threaten the enemy of Allaah and your enemy, and others besides whom, you
may not know but whom Allaah does know.”
(Al-Anfaal
8:60)
The strong
nation preserves its respect as long as it possesses that power. That is
one of the Divine natures upon which the life is built. For there is no
use for any government that has no authority and no right can be
established if it is not supported with a power that protects it, hence
nations of the earth equip themselves in different ways according to the
necessities of the time.
Fellow Muslims!
It is appropriate to have a stance with a particular manifestation of
power: spiritual and moral power. When one reflects on the history of
nations that enjoys glory and leadership, he will see that, they have not
attained what they attained except firstly through their spiritual
strength before their military build-up.
It is therefore
through spiritual strength and high morale that this Ummah can be safe by
the Grace of Allaah from dangers threatening it from outside. It is also
through it that it can attain security internally and command the respect
of others. There is no wonder then that the Noble Quraan gives adequate
attention to that. Many verses were revealed that nurture souls on
bravery, and encourage the preparation of all means of power and abiding
by law and order. Victory is far from the coward. The Noble verses
purifies souls from cowardice and warns them of its consequences. Allaah
says,
“How (can
there be such a covenant with them) that when you are overpowered by them
they regard not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant with you?”
(At-Tawbah 9:8)
This verse
indicates vividly that the coward has no regard for covenant, justice or
truth.
Brave men have
recorded and wise men have confirmed that death in glory is more dignified
than life of humiliation. The free man faces death but does not surrender
to disgrace.
There is
another verse in the Quraan that exposes the cowards, those who disgraced
their manhood and honour and stayed away from battlefield along with
women. Allaah says,
“They are
content to be with those who sit behind (at home).”
(At-Tawbah
9:87)
Fellow Muslims!
Spreading spiritual and moral strength can be through educating the youth
on bravery, resoluteness and disregard for death. Our brothers and
children in occupied Palestine have laid an example for that. May Allaah
elevate their position, have mercy on their martyrs, heal their sick,
replace what they have lost and give them victory over their enemy.
The nation that
rejects humiliation is the nation that gives birth to heroes and spares no
efforts to provide means of defence. Nations’ enjoyment of freedom and
safety from humiliation of all kinds depend on the bravery of their men
and what they possess of ammunitions. And when a nation has possessed both
weapons and reason, no injustice will affect it.
Certainly,
dignity and rejection of humiliation are great qualities. They should be
the first things to occupy the minds of those in authority. Rejection of
humiliation spur a nation to defend itself even if its opponent is greater
in number and stronger in strength. It stands firmly in the face of the
enemy and protects the nation’s honour even if it views that the enemy
will defeat it. It does all this in preference for a dignified life over a
humiliated one and in order to avoid a disgrace.
It is through
rejection of humiliation that the nation can become strong and highly
esteemed. It is also through it that it can ward off injustice and
subjugation to any power or authority.
Brethren in
Faith! These are some aspects of moral and spiritual strength.
As for physical
and material strength, it needs no more explanation. It is to prepare for
all means of defence and defeat of enemy. Infact, people of this age have
been astounded with discoveries and invention of different kinds of
weapons that defied all imaginations.
Fellow Muslims!
Equipping the Ummah with weapons prevents wars and makes it ever-ready,
and well-prepared nation that is safe from having its rights trespassed
upon and from being attacked by its enemy. This purpose comes vividly in
the verse,
“And make
ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to
threaten the enemy of Allaah and your enemy.”
(Al-Anfaal
8:60)
Yes, this is so
because weakness encourages the stronger nation to attack the weaker one,
for the powerful is seldom attacked and even if he is attacked, he usually
defeats his attacker. So, lack of equipping oneself with enough military
power encourages aggression and leads to subjugation, and the greatest
danger that Ummah is facing now is its heedlessness to the dangers that
surround it and lack of adequate preparation to defend itself.
This proud
Ummah should regard the matter of defence as that of life and death.
Listen to the words of Allaah,
“Those who
disbelieve wish, if you were negligent of your arms and your baggage to
attack you in a single rush.”
(An-Nisaa
4:102)
However, it is
of the noble teachings of Islaam that whenever the enemy stops his
aggression and offers peace, we must also be at peace with him. Allaah
says,
“But if they
inclined to peace, you also incline to it and put your trust in Allaah.”
(Al-Anfaal
8:61)
But if the
enemy opt for only war, his force should be countered with another force.
Allaah says,
“And fight
in the way of Allaah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits.”
(Al-Baqarah
2:190)
Fellow Muslims!
Nations fall into disgrace only if their men cease to be high-minded, when
they no longer have apathy for injustice, when they no more have
self-dignity and they descend unto ignorance and dissention. It is also
illogical to lament the defeat, recall the sorrows and exchange blames.
All these are not of the characters of brave and strong men. The Quraan
also warns us against taking to these characteristics when it says,
“O you who
believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who say to
their brethren when they travel through the earth or go out to fight: ‘If
they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed’, So that
Allaah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. It is Allaah that
gives life and causes death. And Allaah is All-Seer of what you do. And if
you are killed or died in the way of Allaah, forgiveness and mercy from
Allaah are far better than all that they amass (of worldly wealth). And
whether you died or are killed, verily unto Allaah you shall be gathered.”
(Aal ‘Imraan
3:156-158)
Fellow Muslims!
Real power is the one that brings good for all people, establishes the
truth and destroys falsehood. But when power is turned into an instrument
of evil, egoism, perverted interests and harming others, it becomes a
calamity and woe for mankind and especially those who possess it.
When we review
power in our contemporary time; that power that accompanied the
colonialization, we will see that it is an evil power, for it has subdued
weak nations, drained them of their wealth and blocked their commerce.
That power was not used for the sake of Allaah but for worldly lusts and
narrowed interests.
It has been
known through historical research that the contemporary wars are the worst
in the history of mankind. This has made many big and small nations spend
for wars what they could not spend for other necessities of life. Even
there are some countries that burden their citizens with taxes for that
purpose. If not because of evil intentions and lack of mutual trust among
many countries, it would have become possible to agree secretly and openly
on reduction of preparation for destructive wars that has not only
affected the fighting nations but others as well.
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