Introduction: The Reality of the Ummah and the Struggle of Projects
Peace be upon you. Our Ummah is going through a critical phase; the remnants of the decaying international law have fallen, and the only language heard is the language of power from which our Muslim peoples have been stripped. America has mobilized its strength in the region, and Israel is striking the interests of Muslim countries to involve them in the war, and Iran is also striking those countries considering the presence of bases.
There are clear statements from American and Israeli politicians describing the war as religious, attacking Islam and the Prophet (peace be upon him), and openly discussing expansionist ambitions. We have no one to rely on but the mercy of Allah to save us; either from the deceit of the deceitful and the violation of Muslim lands, or from falling into fitnah and losing our religion.
We are glad that Allah Almighty is capable of goodness for His servants, and as our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "It is obligatory upon Allah that nothing of the world is raised but He will bring it down." All those who have reached the peak of tyranny and have risen to great heights will surely be brought down by Allah, and we ask Allah for relief and victory for this Ummah.
The most important question, my brothers: how do we stand firm in the coming phase and obtain the support of Allah? For He, the Exalted, tests His servants with trials so that they may turn to Him: "So We seized them with punishment and adversity - perhaps they would supplicate." However, the reality is that many of us Muslims deal with events in a way that does not please Allah. Therefore, I would like to review with you some of what may deprive us of His support, and on the other hand, what pleases Him and puts us under His protection and care.
Firstly: Dispute and Sectarian Division
What deprives us of Allah's support is the state of dispute and mutual recrimination among us. Allah, the Exalted, said: "And do not dispute lest you lose heart and your power departs." There is a difference of opinion regarding the ongoing war, so you see insults, arguments, settling of scores, vulgarity, and treachery except for those whom Allah has mercy upon.
Indeed, as Muslim peoples, our role is that of spectators who are not influential in events; we do not have, as peoples, a military force to dispute over where to direct it, with Iran or against it? We have only gained from this difference dispute, more weakness, failure, and loss of Allah's support. Someone may say, "We are failures anyway," is this an excuse to increase the weakness and failure of your Ummah? Or should that motivate you to fill the gaps and work on rebuilding?
O you who think you are right, be merciful to people; the wrong positions you see are the result of decades of ignorance. In the Gaza war, there was at least a state of emotional unity among Muslims, even if their borders separated them, and one of the most dangerous things happening now is division even at the emotional level.
Remember the hadith of Bukhari that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went out to inform about the Night of Power, and two Muslims quarreled (i.e., they disputed and argued), so he (peace be upon him) said: "I went out to inform you about the Night of Power, but such and such and such quarreled, so I forgot it, and perhaps it is better for you, seek it in the seventh and ninth and fifth." The dispute among Muslims is a cause for the lifting of blessings and deprivation from the aspects of good.
Secondly: Preoccupation with Debate and Neglecting Righteous Deeds
If we want Allah to guide us to the right stance, we need to stay away from the noise of social media and the pressure to satisfy our egos and desires, and we should turn to Him, the Exalted, sincerely. Allah, the Exalted, said: "Allah will keep firm those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter."
And our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Hasten to do good deeds before the trials come like pieces of dark night." Hasten to do good deeds, meaning gather a stock of good deeds so that Allah may strengthen you with them before the trials come in which truth is mixed with falsehood. The rest of the hadith: "A man may wake up a believer and go to bed a disbeliever, or go to bed a believer and wake up a disbeliever, selling his religion for a trifle of this world." The trials will cause people to abandon their religion, Allah forbid.
And (peace be upon him) said: "Know Allah in times of ease and He will know you in times of hardship." What we are living in many Muslim countries is ease compared to the expected hardship, and one of the signs of success is that the Muslim holds fast to his religion and works for reform in times of trials. He (peace be upon him) said: "Worship in times of turmoil is like migration to me." Worship in times of turmoil (times of trials and confusion of people), whether ritual or reformist, indicates certainty and clarity of vision when people are heedless.
While one of the signs of lack of success is that many Muslims are preoccupied with the details of the news at the expense of worship, and worse than that is being preoccupied with debate. Al-Awza'i said: "If Allah wills evil for a people, He will preoccupy them with debate and prevent them from action." And Allah, the Exalted, said: "Indeed, those of you who turned back on the day the two armies met - it was only the devil who made them slip because of some [sin] they had earned." The sins were the cause of the devil's ability to make them fail at the decisive moment of confrontation.
Thirdly: Sincerity in Stance and Avoiding Provocation
The right stances need sincerity and detachment from us to the truth, and this is not always present, especially with the battles of social media and the proliferation of likes, shares, comments, and self-victory. If the sole motivation for stances is not sincerity and defending the religion rightly, it is not expected to be successful from Allah.
Therefore, we need to review our intentions and increase the supplication that our Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us: "O Allah, Lord of Jibreel, Meekaeel, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You judge between Your servants concerning that wherein they used to differ. Guide me to the truth concerning that wherein they differ by Your leave."