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Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah. Dear brothers, we are still continuing with the story of the three men. In fact, I know that many may say, "What is the benefit of continuing the story, or even the entire series? The Arab Spring has turned into autumn, and hope for the implementation of Sharia in the foreseeable future seems to have died."
I say, brothers, with the will of Allah, but we are now in the greatest need to discuss this topic. Allah the Almighty says: {And if you are patient and fear Allah, their cunning will not harm you in the least.} And behold, we see the cunning of those who conspire against Islam harming the Islamic movements in their religion and worldly affairs.
So it seems that there is a problem with us, the workers for Islam, in patience and righteousness. Many have not been patient in following the path of the Prophet peace be upon him and bearing its consequences, and they have not attained the required righteousness in dealing with reality and obeying Allah's command in the methodology of reviving the nation. Therefore, the cunning of the cunning ones has greatly harmed us.
Brothers, we have learned from the Book of our Lord, glorified and exalted be He, and from the repeated examples in the past history and the contemporary reality that the cunning of the disbelievers and hypocrites does not frighten. The cunning of the disbelievers and hypocrites does not frighten, {Indeed, the cunning of Satan is weak.}
I am not afraid of the deceit of America, the Zionists, and their agents in the lands of the Muslims, the military councils, and others. Allah has greatly demeaned their affair in the Quran in many verses: {And the plotting of those [people] will not cease. But observe how [great] is the outcome of their plotting; indeed, We have destroyed them}, {And evil plotting does not reach except its own people}, {And they do not plot except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.}
{Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to avert [men] from the path of Allah, so they will spend it; then it will be for them a regret; then they will be overcome.} This is despite their having hundreds of strategic planning centers and thousands of scholars in various sciences such as psychology, sociology, politics, media, and war. They have nothing but deceit against us. Thousands of stations, radios, magazines, and programs aimed at destroying Islam.
Despite all of this, I do not care about their cunning, for Allah the Almighty has weakened their affair, demeaned their efforts, and commanded us not to fear them: {So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers}, {So do not fear the people, but fear Me.}
So what is the fear? The fear is that we have lost the companionship of Allah the Almighty. Yes, most of the Islamic movements have lost the companionship of Allah, so even the slightest cunning will harm them. Allah the Almighty says: {And do not be in distress over what they conspire. Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.}
And by Allah, many of us have not feared Allah in this critical period of the nation's life, nor have we followed the methodology of the Prophet peace be upon him well. Thus, we have lost the companionship of Allah. Let us face the truth; many of us have lost the companionship of Allah the Almighty.
Allah the Almighty says: {And never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].} And we have seen that the disbelievers have a thousand ways against us, and Allah does not break His promise. So where is the flaw then? It is in our faith, in the faith of many of the workers for Islam.
The promise in this verse: {And never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].} The promise here is for the believers. And many of us have weakened in faith in Allah's promise, attached to worldly causes, made concessions, shortened the path of the Prophet, rushed to reap the fruits, and relied on the oppressors. Therefore, the disbelievers had a thousand ways against them, and it was as it was with retreat and failure.
Allah's promise is a promise, and Allah does not break His promise, {But most of the people do not know. They know only the outward appearances of the life of this world.} We have attached ourselves to the worldly, apparent causes, and left what we are sure that Allah will accomplish with it His promise to us. As if we have entrusted Allah to our enemies, so our cunning did not stand before their cunning. We are much weaker than them without the companionship of Allah.
We do not have a single strategic planning center; they have hundreds. There is not even one Islamic state in governance; they have states. We do not have a single Islamic army; they have armies. If we had the companionship of Allah, we would have had cunning for us and it would have been enough for us against their evil.
Allah the Almighty says: {Indeed, they plan a plan, and I plan a plan.} And He did not say: "Indeed, they plan and you plan," for we are weaker. And He said: {And they plan and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.} And He did not say: "And they plan and you plan." He knows that we are too weak to stand before their cunning and planning. {Indeed, Allah defends those who have believed.} {Is not Allah sufficient for His Servant?}
So we have nothing to do but to be among those who have believed and truly among the servants of Allah so that He may plan for us and defend us. The flaw is in us and among us, the workers for Islam. Allah does not break His promise, and the cunning of the disbelievers does not harm the believers. So we have nothing to do but to review ourselves.
Many now spend their time in lamentations and regrets, and the artists in cursing and insulting the soldiers and conspirators, and they make the problem in their conspiracy and cunning. No, my brother, {O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. He who is astray will not harm you when you are guided.} Pray for them, yes, but do not think that the problem is with them. If we had attached ourselves to the companionship of Allah the Almighty with true attachment, it would have been enough for us against their evil. If we were guided, these misguided ones would not harm us. {Upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. He who is astray will not harm you when you are guided.} So do not occupy yourself with their misguidance, but occupy yourself with following the guidance so that their misguidance does not harm you.
Many blame the people and their failure to support the Islamists and their deception by the biased media. No, my brother, the flaw is in us. If we had followed the methodology of the Prophet in change, Allah would have loved us. And if Allah had loved us, He would have placed acceptance for us on the earth as in the hadith of Muslim: "Then acceptance is placed for him on the earth." Allah the Almighty says: {Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection.}
We have seen this acceptance for the callers and workers for Islam until they attached themselves to worldly causes and made concessions, so many of them lost the companionship of Allah and the love of the people for them. O worker for Islam, do not waste your time or look for a pretext to cover your mistakes. Rid yourself of the words of despair, hopelessness, and frustration; they will not benefit you in any way. Face yourself, the flaw is in you and from you. {Say, "It is from yourselves [that it comes]."} We have lost the companionship of Allah, and therefore the cunning of our enemies has harmed us in religion and worldly affairs.
For all of these reasons, I say: We are now in dire need to continue this series, to understand Sharia correctly, to know the method of change that Allah the Almighty approves of, and to know the causes by which we attain Allah's support for us in our battle with our enemies. The establishment of Sharia in the hearts of those working for Islam is necessary for Allah to establish it in their reality.
The establishment of Sharia in the hearts of those working for Islam, in a correct manner, is necessary for Allah to establish it in their reality. How? Through the way that Allah prepares for us. We take the legal causes, then Allah, glorified and exalted be He, blesses them. We saw in the Arab Spring how Allah changes the balances and gives us an opportunity from where we do not expect, if only we had utilized it.
But when our understanding of Sharia is distorted, and we imagine that a person can control what he applies or does not apply from it, when we think that it is possible to reach its application through un-Islamic means, when one who sees himself as working for Islam is repelled by some of its rulings, when we surrender its rewards for free and in advance before reaching the ruling, then at that moment, Allah will not grant us the honor of establishing Sharia by our hands. The callers to Sharia should be the heirs of the prophets. "Allah knows best where to place His message." Allah does not choose for His message except the most capable, and likewise, Allah does not choose for the application of His Sharia except the most capable.
Brothers, exalting Sharia in our hearts is the most important goal of this series, regardless of whether an Islamic state is established in our time or not. The most important goal of the series is to present ourselves to Allah, the Almighty, with a pure heart, in which there is no blemish towards His Sharia, which we worship by believing in it, loving it, understanding it, and being content with all its details.
This was a necessary digression before dissecting the symbol of the third man. The summary of the episode: We need to understand Sharia as worship of Allah the Almighty, and we need to rally with the support of Allah, the Almighty.
We need the support of Allah, the Almighty, and we need to be among the righteous servants of Allah, whom Allah defends, plans for, and schemes for. We need to be among those who believe and do righteous deeds, for whom Allah makes acceptance in the land. We need to be among those who fear Allah and do good, for whom Allah is with them.
This is the only way to salvation, and this is the only means to establish Sharia in our reality. Not through lamentations and self-flagellation, not through blaming others, not through despair and hopelessness, but through returning to Allah, adhering to His method, righteous deeds, patience, and piety.
In the story of the three men, we will see how Allah changes the balances, how He supports whom He wills, and how the outcome is for the righteous. We will see how the three men, despite their weakness and lack of cunning, held fast to Allah's method, endured the trial, and feared Allah as He should be feared, and so they had a good outcome.
We will also see how those who deviated from Allah's method, clung to worldly means, and made concessions, their outcome was severe, and they lost both this world and the Hereafter.
The goal of this series is not merely to narrate historical stories, but to extract lessons and morals and apply them to our contemporary reality. The goal is to review ourselves, to correct what has gone wrong in our hearts, and to return to Allah with sincerity and devotion.
The goal is to be among those whom Allah defends, plans for, and schemes for. The goal is to be among those who establish Sharia in their hearts, then in their reality, by the permission of Allah, the Almighty.
O brothers, O sisters, O workers for Islam, do not despair of the spirit of Allah, nor lose hope in His mercy. Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise, and He is capable of all things. But we must take the means, adhere to His method, and be among His righteous servants.
We must be patient and hopeful, fear Allah as He should be feared, constantly review ourselves, and correct what has gone wrong in our hearts. If we do that, then Allah will not forsake us, He will support us against our enemies, and He will establish Sharia by our hands, by His permission.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
In summary, what we are going through today in terms of challenges and setbacks is not due to the strength of our enemies, but rather the result of our weakness, our distance from Allah's method, and our neglect of Allah's support. Allah has promised the believers victory and empowerment, but this promise is conditional upon sincere faith, righteous deeds, patience, and piety.
We are in dire need of rebuilding our relationship with Allah, understanding Sharia correctly, not a distorted or incomplete understanding. We need to apply Sharia in our private and public lives and be good examples to people. We need to be callers to Allah with wisdom and good advice, not with despair and hopelessness.
This series, and the story of the three men, is a call for reflection and change. A call for every worker for Islam, for every Muslim who is zealous for his religion, to review himself, to re-examine his accounts, and to repent to Allah with sincere repentance.
The path to victory and empowerment is not easy, but it is not impossible. It requires great effort, great sacrifices, and unending patience. But it is a path with a guaranteed outcome, because Allah has promised it, and Allah does not fail in His promise.
So let us be among those who deserve Allah's support, among those whom Allah supports, and among those who establish His Sharia on earth. And let us always remember that "Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves."
I ask Allah to make us among those who listen to the word and follow the best of it, to guide us to the straight path, to support His religion and raise His word, and to grant us steadfastness on the truth until we meet Him.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Our continuation in this series, and in discussing these fundamental issues, is not an intellectual luxury or mere historical narration, but a pressing necessity at this time in particular. Amidst the challenges facing the Ummah, and in light of the frustration and despair that may seep into the hearts, it becomes incumbent upon us to return to the fundamentals, and to draw from the biography of the prophets and the righteous, and from the clear signs of Allah, what restores our hope and corrects our course.
Our correct understanding of Sharia, and our sincere application of the Prophet's method in change, is the only safety valve for the Ummah. It is the only way out of these successive crises.
The responsibility lies on the shoulders of those working for Islam in particular. They are the role models, and they are the ones who carry the banner of the call. If their faith weakens, or their understanding is distorted, or they neglect to apply the method, then the entire Ummah will be affected by that.
Therefore, this series aims to remind these workers, to sharpen their resolve, and to correct their course, so that they may be worthy of carrying this great trust. And so that they may be a cause for Allah's victory for His religion and the establishment of His Sharia on earth.
We call upon everyone to think deeply about these issues and not to be content with superficial analyses or emotional reactions. The matter is grave, the stage is critical, and it requires from us all awareness, insight, wisdom, and patience.
Let us ponder the verses of Allah, let us reflect on the biography of the Prophet, and let us learn from the experiences of history, so that we may be able to build a better future for our Ummah, a future based on justice and mercy, on truth and guidance.
We ask Allah the Almighty to grant us the correct understanding of His religion, to inspire us with guidance and righteousness, and to guide us to what He loves and is pleased with. May He make us among His righteous servants, through whom His religion is victorious, and His word is exalted.
O Allah, show us the truth as truth and grant us the ability to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the ability to avoid it. O Allah, support Islam and the Muslims, honor Your religion, and make us among Your sincere soldiers. And may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
The story of the three men, which is the focus of this series, is not just a tale for entertainment, but a powerful tool for reinforcing the concepts we discuss. Stories remain in memory, affect the heart, and make abstract meanings more tangible and real. By following the journey of these men, the details of their lives, their struggles, their successes and failures, we can see a living embodiment of the principles of patience, piety, God's support, and the importance of the correct methodology.
It shows us how holding onto the truth, even if few support it, is the only path to honor and dignity. And how deviating from the methodology, even if it seems beneficial on the surface, inevitably leads to loss and humiliation.
Therefore, I call upon all of you, brothers and sisters, to follow this story with reflection and depth. Do not read it or listen to it as just another passing story, but try to extract the lessons and morals from it, and apply them to your reality and the reality of the Ummah.
Ask yourselves: Where do we stand in relation to these men? Do we possess their qualities? Do we follow their methodology? Do we trust in God's promise as they did? Do we constantly review ourselves as we should?
The goal is not just knowledge, but application and action. Knowledge without action does not bear fruit, and understanding without application does not change reality.
Through this series, we hope to contribute to building a new generation of workers for Islam. A generation that is aware, enlightened, adhering to God's methodology, confident in His promise, and unafraid of the blame of blamers. A generation that does not despair of God's mercy or His victory, but works diligently and strives, endures hardship, and fears God in secret and in public.
A generation that understands that victory comes from God, that God's support is the most precious thing, and that the flaw is in us, not in our religion. A generation that understands that reforming the Ummah begins with reforming the individual, and that change begins from within.
This is our message, and this is our goal. We ask Allah to accept our good deeds and make this work purely for His noble face. And may He benefit Islam and the Muslims thereby.
O Allah, make us guiding and rightly guided, not misguided nor misleading. O Allah, guide us to what You love and are pleased with, and make us among Your righteous servants. O Allah, amen.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
One of the most important things we strive for through this series is to instill clarity in vision and methodology among the workers for Islam. Many of the setbacks that have occurred, and many of the mistakes that have been made, were due to a lack of clarity in understanding the Sharia, or in determining priorities, or in choosing means.
When the vision becomes blurred, walking the path becomes difficult, obstacles increase, and the traveler may lose his way. Therefore, returning to the fundamentals, renewing understanding, and correcting the path are essential steps that cannot be dispensed with.
There are many misconceptions that have seeped into the minds of some workers for Islam, leading to adverse results. Among them are, for example:
These misconceptions and others need a fundamental correction, and this is what we strive for through this series, based on the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him), and the biography of the righteous predecessors.
Building absolute trust in the promise of Allah the Almighty is the cornerstone of any successful Islamic work. Allah the Almighty does not break His promise, and His promise is true. But this promise has conditions, which Allah the Almighty has explained in His Book. When we adhere to these conditions, victory is inevitable.
The story of the three men, and what precedes and follows it in the episodes, aims to strengthen this trust and to show how Allah the Almighty supports His sincere servants, even if all circumstances seem to be against them.
Finally, this stage requires us all to unite and cooperate, and to abandon division and discord. The Ummah is going through a critical stage and cannot bear more fragmentation. We must unite on the word of truth, cooperate in what we agree upon, and forgive each other in what we differ upon, as long as the difference is within the framework of the Sharia.
The strength of the Ummah lies in its unity, and its weakness lies in its division. Let us be one hand and one heart in the cause of raising the word of Allah and achieving His will on earth.
We ask Allah to unite our hearts in His obedience, to unite our ranks, and to make us among those who listen to the word and follow the best of it. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
In light of what we see of the enemies' cunning and meticulous planning, it becomes imperative for the workers of Islam to adopt a methodology in strategic planning that is not less precise and meticulous, but rather surpasses it because it is derived from divine inspiration. This planning must be based on a deep understanding of the Sharia, comprehension of the cosmic and legal laws of Allah, along with the use of available material means.
It is not enough to have good intentions; clear plans of action, specific goals, well-studied stages, and continuous performance evaluation must accompany them. This is what we can learn from the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in building the Islamic state and his battles, which were planned with extreme precision, along with complete reliance on Allah.
One of the major challenges facing the workers of Islam is how to balance the Sharia constants that must not be compromised with the real variables that require flexibility in dealing and ijtihad in the branches. Unjustified rigidity may lead to alienating people, and excessive leniency may lead to compromising the fundamentals.
This series aims to highlight this delicate balance and how the methodology of the Prophet (peace be upon him) combined steadfastness on principles and flexibility in means. He (peace be upon him) did not compromise on creed or definitive rulings, but he was wise in dealing with reality and chose the best means to achieve Sharia goals.
No planning or methodology can succeed without a solid foundation of faith-based and moral education for individuals. A strong faith is the fuel that drives workers to continue on the path of calling despite the hardships, and virtuous morals are what make them good role models for people, earning their trust and love.
What has happened in terms of setbacks may be partly due to a weakness in this education, leading to the emergence of some inappropriate behaviors or unjustified concessions. Therefore, returning to building the Muslim individual with a strong faith and moral foundation is the basis for any real renaissance of the nation.
One of the signs of maturity and wisdom is the ability to learn from mistakes and previous experiences, whether they are our own or others'. What happened during the Arab Spring and the subsequent events should be a fertile ground for study and analysis, to extract lessons and avoid repeating mistakes.
This series attempts to shed light on some of these mistakes, not out of self-flagellation or despair, but out of learning and correction, so that we do not fall into the same pit twice.
The conclusion of all that has been mentioned is the necessity of combining complete reliance on Allah the Almighty with taking all available material and spiritual means. Reliance without action is laziness, and action without reliance is arrogance.
Allah the Almighty has commanded us to take means and promised us victory if we take them and rely on Him with true reliance. This is the methodology that we must follow, and this is what this series aims to instill in the minds and hearts of workers for Islam.
We ask Allah to make us among those who truly rely on Him and those who take means in the manner that pleases Him. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Discussing the flaws within us and among us necessarily requires focusing on the importance of internal reform of Islamic groups. Before demanding change from others, and before striving to reform society, we must begin by reforming our own homes. This reform includes several aspects:
A righteous group is the fundamental building block in constructing a righteous society, and a group cannot be righteous unless it is based on solid foundations of faith, piety, and the correct methodology.
During times of crises and setbacks, the role of leadership becomes crucial. Wise leadership is what can steer the ship through turbulent waters and guide individuals towards safe shores. Effective leadership is characterized by:
Weakness or deviation of leadership can lead to the loss of the efforts of entire generations, and therefore, the selection, training, and accountability of leaders is of utmost importance.
Working for Islam is not a temporary or phased project, but a long-term civilizational endeavor. Therefore, those working for Islam must have a long-term vision that transcends narrow temporal and spatial boundaries. This vision should be based on:
A long-term vision gives workers patience and steadfastness, making them not despair at the first setback, but continue working and building, confident that Allah's promise is true and that the future is for Islam.
We ask Allah the Almighty to grant us insight in our religion, to inspire us with righteousness in our words and deeds, and to make us among those who establish His religion on earth. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
The challenges facing the Islamic nation today require not only adherence to the fundamentals but also renewal in thought and ijtihad in understanding and applying texts to contemporary reality. The world is changing rapidly, and new issues arise that were not present before, necessitating effort by Muslim scholars and thinkers to derive rulings and Sharia solutions for these issues.
This renewal and ijtihad must be regulated by the constraints of Sharia, stem from a deep understanding of its comprehensive objectives, and consider the jurisprudence of reality and consequences. Among the most important aspects of this renewal are:
Intellectual rigidity and blind tradition may be a cause of the nation's backwardness and inability to keep pace with developments, while regulated ijtihad is the path to renaissance and progress.
Peace be upon you. Islamic work cannot continue and grow without the presence of strong and effective institutions that bear the burdens of call, education, and teaching. These institutions should be:
The weakness or absence of institutions makes Islamic work individual and scattered, and unable to achieve the desired impact on society.
In our current era, media has become a powerful force, shaping public opinion, influencing collective consciousness, and directing behaviors. Therefore, building purposeful and professional Islamic media has become an urgent necessity. This media should be:
The absence of strong Islamic media leaves the field open to hostile or misleading media, which negatively affects the image of Islam and Muslims and distorts facts.
May Allah guide us to serve His religion, make us among the soldiers of truth, and accept our humble efforts. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Youth are the backbone and future of the nation, and they are the driving force for any revival or change. If the youth are righteous, the nation will be righteous, and if they are corrupt, the nation will be corrupt. Therefore, paying attention to the youth and directing their energies towards construction and reform is a vital and necessary matter.
We should focus on:
Neglecting or marginalizing youth means wasting enormous energies and leaving them prey to destructive ideas and deviant currents, which threatens the future of the entire nation.
Women are half of society, and they are the educators of the other half. Their role in building the nation is no less important than that of men, and it may even surpass it in some aspects, especially in raising generations. Therefore, we must pay special attention to the role of women in Islamic and community work.
This requires:
Marginalizing the role of women or belittling it is a great loss for the nation, leads to an imbalance in the social balance, and deprives the nation of enormous creative energies.
Successful Islamic work is that which combines the strength of individual work and its creativity with the organization of collective work and its integration. Individuals cannot achieve everything on their own, and groups cannot succeed without strong and qualified individuals.
Therefore, we must emphasize:
Separating individual and collective work, or absolutely favoring one over the other, leads to weakness in performance and reduces the effectiveness of Islamic work.
May Allah bless our efforts, unite our word on truth, and make us among those who strive in the land with righteousness and reform. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.