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- Friday Sermons
Introduction:
Two weeks ago, I had a surgery… I had to have rest for more than four weeks and not to do any work even in the call to Allah. This is an answer for the question that a lot of people ask these days: Where is the Sheikh these days??
In the course of events, the quick changes, and in the midst of these updates, and among the analyses and thesis, the one who contemplates observes an absence of a right vision and view of universal rules. This caused feet to slip, pens to go wrong, and created confusion and perplexity among a lot of Muslims. This highlights the importance of one unified reference for the nation that should depend in achieving its goals on the right belief and course and caring for the higher interests of the nation, and the great goals of Shariaa “Islamic law”, with a moderate vision, a balanced view, and a high style of discussion.
General facts:
Hence, I present to my brother in this mosque and my fellow citizens in this good country the following facts:
First:
As I am so much careful for my beloved country, Syria, its security and stability and the future of its generations, and the unity of its land and people, I wanted to deliver this sermon although I am still in the period of recovery. I hope this sermon would be a highlight on how we should be, and I ask Allah to accept it.
Second:
I give my deep condolences to the families of all martyrs of all categories of society who died for the public interest and I ask Allah that they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.
Third:
Developing countries are generally similar in the problems of their people. I said in a TV seminar 25 years ago… addressing the rulers: Give citizens their bread and dignity and take everything you want from them, and don’t close your doors against them so the strong wouldn’t eat the weak.
Definition of human being:
Human being is consisted of a moving body which needs food and drink,
A realizing mind which needs knowledge,
And a feeling heart which needs love and loyalty.
When these basic needs of human being are not satisfied he loses balance and he might act in a manner which is unpleasant to sh3er, because the sh3er sometimes do not suffer like him.
None knows the longing passion but he who feels it
Nor fondness but he who suffers of it.
***
It is worth notice that the higher leadership stated that the demands of the protestors are right, and every issue is subject to search and study. This is an objective stance of the leadership which is recognized and we thank them for it.
Notice:
We must refer that if you give man his bread and he doesn’t feel dignity, the problem won’t be solved. It was said: (man doesn’t live with bread only). It was also recognized that the citizens of all categories and belongings did not present any sectarian topic, which is a medal of honor to this nation. If you want the religious roots of the unity of this nation with its various groups listen to this story from Islamic history: when the prophet (PBUH) entered Al- Madina, there were Al- Aws and Al-Kazraj in it. Some of them were Muslims and sh3er were pagans. There was also a good number of people of the Scripture, and there were slaves and Beduins. However, the prophet (PBUH) said:
(The people of Yathreb are one nation with one peace and one war).
This is called today national unity, coexistence, or civil peace, which is a principle of our religion.
It was also striking and reassuring that I didn’t hear any sectarian presentation nor a regional presentation during this crisis our country suffers. There was a demand for freedom and fighting corruption. But some people are planning against our beloved country when they give this crisis a sectarian dimension, which is a great mistake and a bad behavior. I believe in all my heart and in every cell of my body that any people are interested in how they are ruled by not in who rules them. This fact cancels any sectarian explanation. When the basic material and psychological needs of citizens are satisfied especially their freedom which assures their dignity, they would highly appreciate this and sacrifice themselves in service of their country, protecting it and contributing to its development.
When Muslim armies conquest countries in the east and west and the people of these counties saw the fairness and mercy of Muslims they gave them loyalty and love. The history of Islamic conquests confirms that. One of the Franks who witnessed the conquest of Jerusalem by Salah Addien said: the Muslims haven’t hurt anyone, nor taken any money or fought anyone not fighting or who had an oath with them. We only saw good manners and generosity from them. They are civilized and honest people. It is true that: History has never known a conqueror more merciful than them. This is what I hope from everyone in our beloved country, especially decision makers.
We should mention the frequent speech that we are targeted because of our stances that made us almost the only ones supporting the resistance, and because we refuse every solution of surrender with the enemies of our nation. These stances are a medal of honor that we should be proud of… However, we should not ignore talking about mistakes and looking for solutions, because, on the long term, this is one of the most important factors that help up keep struggle against any oppression made by the enemies of the nation.
Leadership positions:
When the high leadership chooses a citizen for a leading position, they have the right to choose him on the basis of his loyalty in the first place, but efficiency and honesty must be added as another condition 
(She said: "O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.")
The strong is the efficient and the trustworthy is the one who has values and principles. In this good country we have a great number of efficient people academically and morally.
Effective ways to get out of this crisis:
People calm down through their eyes:
Concerning the effective ways of getting out of this crisis, I think that people get calm through their eyes not through their ears. There must be legislative and living achievements that citizens can see soon. The promises of the high leadership should have certain and near deadline, to be after the
deadline a reality. Thanks be to Allah, some legislation and decrees have already been issued.
Account of bad doers:
The work of the committee formed to account every one responsible for what he did should be fast, and those people should be sent to courts to be punished. Human being is so sacred and whoever kills a human being is cursed. Abdullah bin Umar once looked at Ka’ba and said: How sacred you are and the believers are more sacred than you for Allah.
Some demands have been satisfied and we should thank the ones who caused them to be achieved, and there are other demands the officials promised to achieve and the people are waiting eagerly for them.
Looking at Islamic history:
I hope that our brother officials look at the characteristics of the golden ages in Islamic history in which our nation was happy in the stages of its brilliant history.
It is not impossible to repeat history. The story of Umar bin Abdul-Aziz:
Fatima Bint Abdul-Malik, the wife of Umar bin Abdul-Aziz the fifth righteous Claiphs narrated: “one day, I entered to the place in which Umar used to perform prayer and I saw him putting his hand on his face crying. I asked: what is the matter, and why are you crying? He said: leave me alone. When she insisted to know, he said: O Fatima, I have carried the responsibility of this issue, so I thought of the hungry poor, the helpless sick, the unknown naked, the orphan, the oppressed, the strange, the prisoner, the old man, the lonely widow, the father of many children and little money, and people like them all over the country. I knew that Allah will ask me about them all on the Day of Resurrection, and that the defenders of them against me will be the prophet (PBUH), so I feared to have no excuse. That is why I am crying.
You get victory for the sake of the weak:
The prophet (PBUH) said:
“verily, you get victory for the sake of the weak among you.”
This noble hadith has two precise features: the first is monotheistic: that is, if the strong man who has power and position helped the weak, fed him if he was hungry, taught him if he was ignorant, and helped him if he was oppressed… then Allah would reward him by giving him victory over his enemies who are stronger than him. The second feature is realistic: that is, the nation gets united by helping the weak and no external enemy can breakthrough it or break its unity. Give man his bread and dignity and take anything, and don’t close your door against them so that the strong wouldn’t eat the weak.
Dealing with the causes of problems rather than their results:
The prophet (PBUH) used to deal with the causes of problems not with their results. A man entered the orchard of one of the helpers in Medina without his permission so he took him to the prophet as a thief: the prophet said:
“Would you taught him if he was ignorant, and feed him if he was hungry.”
How wonderful these words are! The prophet dealt with the problem from its causes. I wish that the brother officials in the higher leadership confirm to the citizens again and again that the citizen is safe in his home and work and wherever he is unless he is guilty, and no one, no matter how strong he is, can take away his freedom, safety and stability. I also wish that the high officials take the golden rule that if the good doer was not rewarded and the bad doer was not punished people would not be self disciplined to contribute in the welfare and development of our country.
Umar bin Al-Khattab:
Our Master Umar bin Al-Khattab… when he wanted to decide something, he used to gather his family and say: I ordered people to do so and so, and not to do so and so, and people are like birds, if they saw you falling they would fall down.. I swear by Allah… if any one of you was caught doing what I ordered people not to do, the punishment would be doubled for him/her… So, being a relative to Umar was a problem. Once he said to one of his rulers: Allah has made us rulers on His creatures to feed their hunger, clothe their nakedness, and provide works for them. If we did that, we would be thanked and rewarded. Those hands were created to work, if they do not work they would seek work in sins. Make them busy with obedience before they make you busy with disobedience and don’t close your door against them so that the strong among them wouldn’t eat the weak.
Hope:
I hope that my brother officials in the higher command shall provide the citizens soon with a real achievement which they can see not hear, and which satisfies their basic needs and satisfies their aspiration to freedom, especially the points that the leadership stated in the beginning of the crisis. Some decisions have already been issued achieving the promises of the leadership to citizens.
I also hope that the officials in the higher command shall start accounting those who caused what happened in some Syrian Governorates. Allah says:
(179. And there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisas (the Law of Equality in punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).)
Then, their punishment would heal the hearts of people.
(32. Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.)
As for fellow citizens, I hope they would believe that forbidding evil should not lead to blind devastating rift. I invite them to respond to the call of officials to calm and to give the officials the necessary time to study the draft laws that satisfy some of the citizens’ demands as a prelude to their issuance
I wish that fellow citizens go back to their jobs and do them properly and develop them so that the job of every citizen would be an expression of his love and loyalty to his country and a confirmation to good citizenship that the Syrian society wants.
Advice:
Our families should be united, msh3er should be free to raise up their children, students should be excellent, teachers should carry a noble message to achieve among their students, workers should do their best, farmers should be connected with their lands to plant them, employees should do their best in service of tax payers, judges should be fair, preachers should advice not praise, officers should be sure that there will be an inevitable war with the enemy and that the enemy’s talk about peace is a lie to get more time, our treasures must be extracted, our factories should be developed, our land must be reformed, and our water must be consumed rationally. This can only be done with a faith in Allah that leads us to obey Him, and a faith in the Last Day that prevents us from oppressing one another and makes us seek our reward in Paradise. This is a kind of struggle which fruit is taken after a while and I call it building struggle. Some of this rush might increase the problem instead of solving it. And being heedless to the future would keep us busy in fire fighting here and there instead of hard work that alleviates the suffering of the coming generations. Medicating the hurt, though important, should not make us forget the future of our generations who would wonder: Did we leave for them something other than hurts?! Each individual should think of the place in which he puts his power and performs his role. After setting the target, we start heading towards it with steady steps stage by stage… so that one would achieve his goals. Then the number of people performing their right roles shall increase, instead of asking: what shall we do? And not doing anything.
The individual should not think in removing the suffering of the whole nation, it is Allah who can remove the suffering. People should only do their best. Removing the suffering of this nation requires a huge number of dedicated aware believers in all fields. This is what we should seek. If an individual succeeds in preparing a number of people religiously, scientifically, mentally, morally, psychologically, socially, and physically, it would be better for him than throwing himself into a fire that doesn’t end. Success lies in using minds not hands.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: ‘The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us and said,
“O Muhajirun, you may be afflicted by five things – God forbid that you should live to see them. If fornication should become widespread, you should realize that this has never happened without new diseases befalling the people which their forebears never suffered. If people should begin to cheat in weighing out goods, you should realize that this has never happened without drought and famine befalling the people, and their rulers oppressing them. If people should withhold zakat, you should realize that this has never happened without the rain being stopped from falling – and were it not for the animals’ sake, it would never rain again. If people should break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) you should realize that this has never happened without Allah sending an enemy against them to take some of their possessions by force. If the leaders do not govern according to the Book of Allah, you should realize that this has never happened without Allah making them into groups and making them fight one another.”’
Undoubtedly, preachers do not fulfill their task in enjoining good and forbidding evil for rulers and the rulers don’t fulfill their task in removing the evils.
Ubaidullah bin Jubair narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said:
((There is no people among whom are those who commit sins, while the rest are more powerful and mightier than the sinners, yet they don’t stop them, but Allah will send a punishment upon them.))
An-Nu’man bin Bashir reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
((The example of the one who is steadfast on preserving the limits of Allah and the one who has fallen over it is that of a people that are on a boat. Some of them go to the top and the sh3er go to the bottom. Those on the bottom – in order for them to drink – had to disturb those on top. So they said to themselves: “Let us make a hole in the bottom of the boat in this portion of ours, so as not to disturb those above.” If the people on top leave them to what they want to do, they will all die. If they deal with them and stop them, they will save everyone.))
Modern term:
It is said in the modern term: In this country, we are all on one boat.
Al- Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Enjoying good and forbidding evil is the greatest part of religion, for which all prophets were sent. If it was left and ignored, prophethood would stop, religion would shrink, evil would spread, ignorance would spread, countries would be destroyed and people would be miserable till the Day of Judgment. What we feared has happened so To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.
Here, the meaning of building struggle is clear in its wide sense which is doing one’s best to achieve the goals. Being unaware of the future would keep us busy in fire fighting here and there instead of hard work to alleviate the suffering of the coming generations.
A work sheet for Muslims:
The important question now is: Is there a work sheet for Muslims?
The work sheet that Muslims can use is precise and has several points:
First:
Getting back to the approach of heaven in knowledge and practice together. There should be right and dedicated work because the stage we are in is so important now so that we wouldn’t do bad instead of good. There should be a clear understanding, and an honest work, for ignorance is the worst enemy of man, because the ignorant can hurt himself more than what his enemy can do against him. The first point is seeking knowledge. If you want this world, you should seek knowledge, if you want the Hereafter, you should seek knowledge, and if you want them both, you should seek knowledge.
Second:
The renewal of faith. I don’t think that our nation has totally left faith, but I say that faith increases and decreases, it can be renewed or worn out. The Prophet (PBUH) says:
((Faith might be worn out in one’s heart as a dress gets worn out))
We need to renew our faith, because faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience. We need a faith that makes us know our Lord. We need a faith that renews in our heart depending on Allah, trust in Allah alone, and asking Him Alone, and Faith in Him Alone. We need a faith that settles in our hearts so that our tongues say it and our deeds confirm. In the supplication: “O Allah, we deny trust except in You, hope but in You, surrender but to You, patience except at Your door, and humiliation except in Your Obedience.”
It is reported in the book of authentic hadiths collected by Imam Muslim that Abu Huraira said: the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
((Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth, but He looks to your hearts and deeds.))
Third:
The third point in the work sheet we should have is the true brotherhood between all citizens: Allah says:
“The believers are nothing else than brother”
An-Nu’man bun Bashir said: the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
"The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever".
However, sometimes I wonder; where is the brotherhood of faith? Where is the nation of the one body? We fear that a citizen would look at the dramatic situation of his brother and go away as if he has nothing to do with that as long as he is safe at home and has his sustenance.
Forth:
The forth point is to transform our knowledge into work. In the approach of Islam knowledge is a means not a target. It should be translated into work. If knowledge contradicts works, the seeds of hypocrisy would be planted in the heart.
Allah All-Mighty says:
“2. O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?
3. Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.”
We should transform the Approach of Islam into a reality that is brilliant in our world in movement and building. We should move to the call to Allah. We want to make the world hear the greatness of our religion and its truth. You who believe in Allah Alone go and spread your goodness over the world, hug the whole world and make it listen to the beats of your heart which worships Allah Alone.
A call to every citizen:
We want every citizen to give himself and everything valuable to him in order to save lives and stop the bomb from exploding. If you don’t move now, if you don’t care for your nation and your country, and if you don’t go now to help your country and to keep its safety and stability, when would you move? Don’t eat a lot, sleep deeply, and laugh loudly as if it is a matter of a country that you have nothing to do with.
