Corona and the Historical Opportunity

Peace be upon you and mercy of Allah.

Dear esteemed audience, some are optimistic that the Corona crisis may alter the equations of the international system and bring Muslims closer to relief. And it is true that optimism is of no avail if it is based on feelings without action. Such events are opportunities that Muslims can exploit, and if they do not exploit them, their enemies will. And we will then have no right to be optimistic in this manner without cause.

The politicians of the great powers plan, and if something comes to disrupt their plans, they plan again, and they may even employ the new event in their favor.

The Qualities of the Romans and the Causes of Strength

Imam Muslim narrated from Al-Mustawrid Ibn Shaddad that he said: "The Hour will come while the Romans are the most numerous of people." Umar bin Al-Khattab said to him: "Do you see what you are saying?" He said: "I say what I heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him." Umar said: "If you say that, then indeed they have four qualities."

Listen now to the qualities that are the cause of the strength and elevation of any nation. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, described the Romans in his time: "They are the most patient of people in times of trial, the quickest to recover after a disaster, the quickest to return after a retreat, the best to the poor, the orphan, and the weak." And a fifth good quality: "And the most protected from the injustice of kings."

Come, let us enumerate, my friends:

• The most patient of people in times of trial: meaning they are not struck by confusion and panic in times of disaster.
• The quickest to recover after a disaster: Ah, so there are alternative plans and disaster management, indeed, utilizing it for their benefit.
• The quickest to return after a retreat: They do not despair if they are defeated, but rather they gather their ranks and return.
• The best to the poor, the orphan, and the weak: meaning charitable works are capable for nations even if they are polytheistic. "All these and those, We provide for from the provision of your Lord."

And yet, when the Muslims took more of these causes of victory from the Romans, they overpowered them and won. Look now, do we currently have these components for victory? Victory and empowerment have laws and causes, and you will not find any change in the law of Allah.

Victory and Empowerment: Laws and Causes

Allah the Almighty did not make our glory dependent on the disasters of others, but He made our glory dependent on our victory for His religion: "If you help Allah, He will help you." He made it dependent on changing what is within ourselves: "Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves."

Sitting, my brothers, waiting for events and victory in this manner without action is idleness, and it is opposing the laws of Allah the Almighty. And as Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: "Faith is not by wishing, but what settles in the heart and is confirmed by action. And a people have left this world without any action, and they said: We have good thoughts about Allah. And they lied, if they had good thoughts, they would have done good deeds."

What do you say: By Allah, I have good thoughts about Allah that He will relieve this nation. If you have good thoughts, then do good deeds. "Not by your wishes nor the wishes of the People of the Book." You may say: But perhaps our Lord will relieve us because we are on the truth. How do you mean on the truth? I mean we believe in Allah as a Lord and in Muhammad as a Messenger. Perfect.

The One you believe in as a Lord, Glorified be He, said: "And say, 'Do [good] deeds, and Allah will see your deeds and [so will] His Messenger and the believers." To be on the truth, it is not enough to have beliefs that you do not act upon. The One you believe in as a Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "A group from my nation will always be on the truth." How do you mean on the truth, O Messenger of Allah?

Go back and look at just two models: the model of the Pledge of Aqaba and the model of the Trench. And see how the Prophet, peace be upon him, took the causes to the utmost degree in a wonderful and indeed shocking manner, a wondrous thing, Glorified be Allah the Great. Go back, for example, to the series of the Prophet's biography, the civil stage by Dr. Raghb Al-Sarjani, and also the Meccan stage. In the Meccan stage, see the model of dealing with the Pledge of Aqaba, and see the model in the civil stage of digging the Trench, so that you may see how your Prophet, peace be upon him, took the causes to the utmost degree.

To be on the truth, it is not enough to have beliefs that you do not act upon. My brothers, Islam teaches you to enter the event and change its course, not to sit and watch it while eating snacks and say: No, no, I am optimistic, I am optimistic. Islam teaches you to enter the race of nations if you can to provide what is necessary to confront the epidemic and its results, from developing and manufacturing medical equipment, discovering a treatment, managing food crises, and other things.

The Passive Optimists

It is painful that many Muslims, dear esteemed audience, many of the optimistic Muslims waiting for victory have become the opposite of that completely. They have become themselves among the causes of the weakness of the nation, its backwardness, the depletion of its resources, and the public money. Like those who deliberately fall short in such epidemics, they fall short in safety measures without concern or care for the lives and health of people. And Allah knows best how many infections and costs on the public money and disruption of life each of them causes.

Then after that, he may be himself among the optimists that Allah may grant us victory on the ruins of the disasters of others, and he blames fate and is impatient with it if victory is delayed. Our call these days is not for them: Where is your victory for the religion of Allah? Where is your call, your effort, and your jihad? But rather the call for them is: Cease your harm to the Muslims, for the sake of Allah, upon you.

But they circulate jokes and hoard supplies, and with the saying of hardship, "My pipe is broken," and they try to kill time and pass time in any way.

A Historical Opportunity for Work and Call

Often we would complain if it was said to us: Why don't you read this beneficial book, a book of thought, a book of creed, an educational book. He would say to you: By Allah, I do not have time to read this book. By Allah, I do not have time to attend this series. Often we would complain that we do not find time to educate our children. Now is the opportunity, my brothers, the opportunity. We do not want to be accustomed to scientific idleness, to monotony. This is an opportunity to work on the viruses of morals, ideas, and creeds that are implanted in your children.

And the world now, my friends, is in dire need of calling to the religion of Allah the Almighty, especially with the feeling of the peoples of weakness and need for their Lord, and the fading of the heat of desire and distraction that had reached its peak before Corona, and with the appearance of the ugliness of materialism and moral decline in dealing with the elderly and the weak, and the attempt to get rid of them in many countries. This is the right time.

Imagine if these elderly people were shown how Islam deals with the elderly in this situation, how many of them we can save from polytheism and give meaning and purpose to their lives and be a cause of eternal happiness for them. Have we exploited these opportunities? Have we shown the world our ability to lead people to the good of this world and the hereafter?

In conclusion, as it was said: The victory of Allah is near, but we are the ones who approach it or move away from it. We ask Allah to help us to invest our time in what benefits us and benefits the people. Peace be upon you and mercy of Allah.