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This content has been automatically translated. View original in Arabic
Peace be upon you. Our Ummah is going through a dangerous phase; the remnants of the decaying international law have fallen, and the only language heard is the language of force, from which our Muslim peoples have been stripped. America has amassed its power in the region, Israel is striking the interests of Muslim lands to embroil them in war, and Iran is also striking those lands under the pretext of 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 refuge but in the mercy of God to save us—whether from the schemes of the deceivers and the violation of Muslim lands, or from falling into trials and losing our faith. We are optimistic that God Almighty will bring good to His servants, as our Prophet peace be upon him said: "It is an obligation upon God that nothing in this world rises except that He brings it down." All those who have reached the pinnacle of tyranny and have risen high will certainly be brought down by God, and we ask Him alongside this for relief and victory for this Ummah.
The most important question, my brothers, is: How do we stand firm in the coming phase and earn the companionship of God? He, the Exalted, tests His servants with hardships so that they may turn to Him:
"Then We seized them with hardship and affliction, so that they might humble themselves." [Quran 6:42]
However, the reality is that many of us Muslims do not deal with events in a way that pleases God. I would like to review with you some of the things that may deprive us of His companionship, and in contrast, what pleases Him about us and places us under His care and protection.
One of the things that deprives us of God’s companionship is the state of dispute and mutual accusation among ourselves. God the Exalted says:
"And do not dispute, or you will lose courage and your strength will depart." [Quran 8:46]
Differences arise over the stance toward the ongoing war, leading to insults, escalation, settling scores, vulgarity, and accusations of unbelief—except for those upon whom my Lord has mercy. In reality, we as Muslim peoples play the role of ineffective spectators in these events; we do not have the field power to direct our disputes (with Iran or against it). From this disagreement, we have only gained division, further weakness, failure, and the loss of God’s companionship.
Someone might say, "We were never failures to begin with!" Is this a justification to increase your nation’s weakness and failure? Is the logic, "It’s already ruined, so let it stay ruined"? You must fill the gaps and work to restore the structure. Enough of this, my brothers. And you who see yourselves as being on the right path, be gentle with people. The incorrect stances you see are the result of decades of ignorance.
During the Gaza war, there was at least a sense of emotional unity among Muslims, despite geographical divisions. What is most dangerous now is division even at the level of feeling. Even if you stop fueling this charged dispute, many others will continue, and this discord will persist. But in the end:
"O you who believe, take care of yourselves. He who goes astray cannot harm you if you are guided. To God is the return of you all, and He will inform you of what you used to do." [Quran 5:105]
We are now in the last ten nights [of Ramadan], and it is narrated in Bukhari that the Messenger of God peace be upon him came out to announce the Night of Decree, but two men from the Muslims began to argue (i.e., they disputed and fought). The Messenger of God peace be upon him said: "I came out to inform you of the Night of Decree, but so-and-so and so-and-so began to argue, so it was taken away. It may be better for you—seek it in the seven, nine, or five [last nights]." Dispute among Muslims causes the loss of blessings and deprivation of various forms of good.
If we want God to guide us to the correct stance in this war and to be with us in the difficult days ahead, we must avoid the noise of social media, the pressure to defend our egos, our opinions, and our desires, and instead turn sincerely to Him. God the Exalted says:
"God will establish those who believe with the firm word, in this world and in the Hereafter. And God will send astray the wrongdoers, and He does what He wills." [Quran 14:27]
Our Prophet peace be upon him said: "Race to do good deeds before trials come like patches of a dark night." "Race to do good deeds" means: gather righteous deeds that will be your provision with God so that He may establish you with them before trials come in which truth is mixed with falsehood, making it difficult for anyone to distinguish between them. The rest of the hadith states: "A man will wake up as a believer and evening as a disbeliever, or wake up as a disbeliever and evening as a believer, selling his religion for a trifle of worldly gain." Trials will strip people of their faith, and we seek refuge in God from that.
He peace be upon him also said: "Get to know God in times of ease, and He will know you in times of hardship." What many Muslim lands are experiencing now is ease compared to the hardship that is expected. One of the signs of success is that a Muslim holds fast to his religion and works to reform during times of trial. Our Prophet peace be upon him said: "Worship during turmoil is like emigrating to Mecca." Worship during turmoil (times of trials and people’s confusion) includes both ritual worship and reformist da’wah worship. Holding fast to it indicates certainty and clarity of vision when people are heedless.
In contrast, one of the signs of a lack of success is that many Muslims become preoccupied with the details of the news at the expense of these acts of worship. Even worse is when we become preoccupied with debates. Al-Awza’i said: "If God wills evil for a people, He makes them obsessed with debate and prevents them from acting." God the Exalted says:
"Indeed, those of you who turned back on the day the two armies met—it was Satan who caused them to slip for some of what they had earned." [Quran 3:155]
They had committed sins in their days, which became the reason Satan could cause their failure at the decisive moment. So, my brother, gather from now on a provision that God may establish you with it, for the matter is far more serious than emotional alignments we quarrel and fight over.
Correct stances require sincerity and absolute devotion to the truth, which is not always present, especially in the battles of social media platforms, where people vie for likes, shares, comments, and self-vindication. If the sole motive behind these stances is not sincerity and truly upholding the religion, there is no expectation that God will grant them success. Therefore, we must review our intentions and increase our supplications, as taught by our Prophet peace be upon him:
"O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You judge between Your servants regarding what they differ in. Guide me to the truth in which they differ by Your permission. Indeed, You guide whom You will to a straight path."
Advice to myself and to every speaker: Let your motive for speaking on any matter be solely to seek the pleasure of Allah the Exalted and to store good deeds with Him for difficult moments. The foolish may provoke you, saying, "Why don’t you speak? Are you a coward? Are you with so-and-so group? Why do you remain silent about the other group?" Do not let anyone provoke you into speaking if you do not have a mature stance or cannot declare a balanced position. Turn away from the ignorant and do not speak merely to clear yourself of accusations, lest your uncalculated words mislead people and you bear their burdens entirely on the Day of Judgment for the sake of the ignorant. The role of sincere preachers and guides is to guide people, not to be swayed by what others say about them.
Another thing that deprives us of God’s closeness is the neglect of the creed of loyalty to the believers and disavowal of their enemies. In the current conflict, neither side represents a supporter of Islam and its people—neither the Iranian regime, nor America, nor Israel, nor those who align with them. We disavow both projects. This weakness that we, the Muslims, suffer from is caused by the conflicting parties themselves.
Therefore, we address our brothers in countries that have become arenas for this conflict, which brings them only dust and destruction: Know that we do not wish any harm or misfortune to befall any of you, just as we did not wish it for our brothers in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere when missiles launched from Muslim lands brought them ruin and destruction. Beware, my brothers, of doing anything that might make your Muslim brethren in other nations feel that you consider yourselves superior to them or that you regard the blood of others as cheap. We believe that among you are believers who belong to their nation and do not approve of such behavior. We trust that you will show concern for the blood of your Muslim brethren and reject aggression against them, just as you care for your own safety, in accordance with the words of our Prophet peace be upon him:
"The blood of Muslims is equal in sanctity."
Ask yourselves: Who benefits from embroiling you in this war, making you feel it is primarily directed against you, only to later appear as your savior and demand payment for your protection, which will break your backs and keep your countries enslaved for generations to come? Conversely, heaping praise on Iran while downplaying its ideological heresy, political crimes, and preference over Sunni nations—as some do—distorts the nation’s awareness, contradicts the creed of loyalty and disavowal, and aligns with dangerous ideological deviations. The hand of the Iranian regime still drips with the blood of Muslims in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran itself, and Al-Ahwaz due to hostile ideological motives. Allah the Exalted says:
"And so the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter may incline toward it, and they may be pleased with it, and commit what they are committing." (Quran 6:113)
Clarity regarding the path of criminals who oppose the nation in all their forms is a religious obligation, and it is not permissible to confuse people about it. As for hoping that this war will weaken America’s and Israel’s influence in the region, such a hope is not blameworthy, nor do we denounce it.
One of the things that deprives us of God’s closeness is attributing protection to created beings. How many people have thought themselves safe due to human diplomacy or politics, only to find themselves stripped of God’s protection? If asked in these circumstances, "Are you afraid?" say, "No, as long as I am with Allah." Allah describes the polytheists as, when afflicted by hardship in difficult situations—such as towering waves and fear of drowning—they call upon none but Allah. So what should we think of those who claim to belong to Islam yet do not reach this level?
In conclusion, O honorable ones, we ask Allah the Exalted to protect us from trials, both open and hidden, to make us steadfast with the firm word in this life and the Hereafter, and to help us, the Muslims, to have our own project in exalting the word of Allah, so that we do not remain part of others’ projects.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.