|
Our Defeatism
Shaykh Saud Ibn Ibraheem Ash-Shuraym [(Safar 20, 1423 (May
3, 2002)]
All praise is
due to Allaah, Lord of all the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the
Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims!
My admonition for you and myself is to fear Allaah, for that is the
provision of the patient ones and the treasure of the fighters in the way
of Allaah. He who adheres to it never loses or regrets. It is the only
avenue to salvation in this world and the next.
Brethren in
faith! It seems that it is Muslims in these days that suffer the most.
Their lands, homes and properties have become booties for aggressors and
oppressors. Yet they continue to accept this sorry situation as normal and
have opted for defeatism. They have surrendered their fate to their
enemies so much so that when the enemy commits mistakes it is they who
apologize.
However, it
must be known that these unfortunate conditions did not come out of
oblivion or come about without any reason. It is rather a result of the
Muslims’ obvious negligence of the commandments of their Lord and
instructions of the Messenger. And these cracks that are seen in the very
essence of the Muslims have been planted in their midst by the enemy for
ages through their deceptions and betrayals under the pretext of
colonization. Whenever they needed to treat the Muslims leniently, they
would employ deception under that leniency and whenever they needed to be
tough on them, they would do so in the most cruel way.
Fellow Muslims!
Many ask, after each calamity that befalls the Muslims, “Why?” and “How?”
that came, among other questions. But we should ask ourselves first: Is
this kind of question new to us? Our memory and our relationship with the
Book of Allaah should remind us of this same question that was asked by
the first generation of Muslims when they were faced with the greatest
crises that ever came to them, which was their defeat in the Battle of
Uhud. Allaah says about them,
“(What is
the matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you although you smote
(your enemies) with twice as great, you say: From where does this come?”
(Aal ‘Imraan
3:165)
Allaah then
answered without attributing the reason of their defeat to any army or to
any military equipment: “Say (to them): It is from yourselves (because
of your evil deeds)”. Allaah told them this so as to explain to them
and those who will come after them that the ends of conflicts and wars are
dependent on preambles sent forth. Allaah says,
“And
whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have
earned.”
(Ash-Shooraa
42:30)
Defeats occur,
so that people may awaken and examine themselves. This shows vividly in
the verse that follows,
“And what
you suffered (of the disaster) on the day (of the Battle of Uhud when) the
two armies met, was by the leave of Allaah, in order that He might test
the believers. And that He might test the hypocrites whom it was said to
them: Come, fight in the way of Allaah or at least defend yourselves.”
(Aal ‘Imraan
3:166)
Nevertheless,
Allaah has prescribed it upon Himself to help His Messenger and His
friends when He says,
“Allaah has
decreed: ‘Verily, it is I and My Messenger who shall be victorious.’
Verily: Allaah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.”
(Al-Mujaadilah
58:21)
But Allaah
rests this victory on actualization of faith in the heart and its
manifestation in all aspects of life. This is the way of Allaah. If the
Muslim Ummah however becomes negligent of its obligations, it must accept
the painful result, for the fact that they are Muslims does not mean
breaking the Law of Allaah.
Brethren in
Islaam! The greatest weakness that we suffer from is lack of seeing events
in their true colours and being contented with exchanging blames and
casting the causes on others. The general populace would blame the
scholars and they in turn would blame the rulers in spite of the fact that
both the scholars and rulers are part of the populace and none has the
right to blame the other. If this situation continues, there will be
crime, unnecessary arrogance and bringing matters out of their realities
while the Messenger of Allaah has said, “All of you are shepherds and
everyone of you shall be held responsible for his flock.” The wise and
impartial person will notice that this mutual exchange of blame will
eventually absolve all of any blame and that will leave the problems
unsolved.
In order to be
able to examine ourselves properly and positively and to take a proper
remedy for our ailment, we must take note of some basic facts:
One:
That if the truth and worship of Allaah do not unite people, falsehood and
Satan will separate them. If they are not attracted by the bliss of
Paradise, the pleasure of this world will sweep them away and they will
fight over it. If we take a cursory look at divisions that are among
people, we will see that they are caused by the love for this world and
sheer selfishness. This is the meaning of the great weakness of which the
Messenger of Allaah was asked about when he said, “And Allaah shall cast
weakness unto your hearts”. He was asked, “What is weakness?” And he
answered, “Love for this world and hatred for death.”
This matter
showed obviously the cause of the Muslims’ defeat in Uhud. Allaah says,
“And Allaah
did indeed fulfil His promise to you when you were killing them (your
enemy) with His permission; until the moment you lost courage and fell to
disputing about the order and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty)
which you love. Among you are some that desire this world and among you
are some that desire the Hereafter.”
(Aal ‘Imraan
3:152)
Ibn Mas’ood
said, “By Allaah, I did not know that there were among us those who desire
this world until when this verse was revealed.”
Therefore, the
Muslims suffered this defeat because they did not heed the admonition of
Allaah after they won the Battle of Badr to unite their ranks. Allaah
says,
“They ask
you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: ‘The spoils are for Allaah
and the Messenger.’ So fear Allaah and adjust all matters of difference
among you and obey Allaah and his Messenger if you are believers.”
(Al-Anfaal 8:1)
Allaah revealed
this verse to them to divert their hearts from the love for this world and
war spoils to the love of victory for the religion of Allaah.
Two:
It must be known that the logic of the enemies of Islaam is one. It is not
a new thing that they try to turn the reality upside down and defame the
Muslims. Listen for instance to the Word of Allaah about Prophet Moosa and
Pharaoh,
“Pharaoh
said, ‘Leave me to kill Moosa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to stop
me from killing him)! I fear that he may change your religion, or that he
may cause mischief to appear in the land.’”
(Ghaafir 40:26)
This is the
Pharaoh’s logic. He was showing his fervent zeal over his people’s
religion and their security. He feared for them lest Prophet Moosaa should
cause mischief in the land for Moosaa was in his view terrorising them so
he had nor right to live!
That is the
Pharaoh’s logic yesterday and the history is now repeating itself. Will
the Muslims then reason?!
Three:
People’s compliance to false propaganda has reached a situation that these
false claims have been taken as undisputable facts. For example, it is a
known fact that Muslims’ rights and blood are being desecrated in many
places and when there is a weak resistance on the part of these oppressed
people, you hear vicious cries that “Muslims are violent and aggressors”,
“Muslims are terrorists”. And this will be an excuse for further killing
of these armless people with armoured tanks and rockets while they possess
no weapons more than stones. Accusing Muslims with terrorism is therefore
the greatest lie. Yet the world opinion brands the banished owner as
terrorist who have no right and describes the subduing thief as
honourable. Yet, the Muslims ask, “Where has this
come from, say (to them O Muhammad): It is from yourselves (because of
your evil deeds).”
“And that He
might test the hypocrites whom it was said to them: ‘Come, fight in the
way of Allaah or at least defend yourselves.’ They said: ‘Had we known
that fighting will take place, we could certainly have followed you.’ They
were that day nearer to disbelief than to faith saying with their mouths
what was not in their hearts and Allaah has full knowledge of what they
conceal.”
(Aal ‘Imraan
3:167)
Five:
In order to change this sorry situation, Muslims must first of all change
their behaviour for better. But when the victory becomes late and the
weakness becomes deeper, there are reasons for that, the most prominent
of which is that the Muslims themselves do not attempt to change their own
ways. Allaah says,
“Verily,
Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not
change their state themselves.”
(Ar-Ra‘d 13:11)
Fellow Muslim!
When one takes a more attentive look at the Battle of Uhud and the defeat
of the Muslims, he will see that the defeat was caused by a single act of
disobedience, the result of which is the martyrdom of seventy men among
them was the Prophet’s uncle Hamzah. However that disobedience was not
adultery and fornication that is widespread among Muslims of today nor was
it drinking of alcohol, shunning the Law of Allaah and following man-made
law instead. It was also not corruption of women and youths. Rather, those
Muslims went out to Uhud with Eemaan and love for the Messenger of Allaah,
desire to defend the truth and propagate the religion – qualities that
qualified them for sure victory.
But Allaah
tested the believers by the abandonment of the archers the mountain which
the Prophet ordered them not to leave. When the archers saw that Muslims
were winning, some of them feared that they would miss their share of the
spoils. So they left the strategic place which the Messenger of Allaah
ordered them to man. That was the cause of defeat and calamity that befell
them in that battle.
How great is
the effect of acts of disobedience on the Muslims. That is the
disobedience of those Muslims. Compare it to our own.
The Messenger
of Allaah said, “When you transact by eenah,
preoccupy yourselves with animal husbandry and farming and you abandon
Jihaad, Allaah will impose on you a disgrace that will not be removed from
you until you go back to your religion.” (Ahmad and others)
In another
narration, Aaliya – wife of Abu Ishaaq As-Subai‘ee visited Aaisha in the
company of the mother of a son of Zayd bin Arqan. The woman said to Aaisha:
O Mother of Believers! I bought a slave boy from Zayd for 800 dirhams on
credit and I sold it for him for 600 dirham cash. Aaisha said, “Evil is
what you have bought and what have sold. Indeed, the Jihaad of Zayd with
the Messenger of Allaah has been rendered void with this transaction
unless if he repents.” (Ad-Daaraqatnee)
Back
|
