Friday Sermon (1208): After victory, three messages
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In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah! We seek aid from Him, we seek His guidance and we seek refuge in Him from the evil of our egos and from our wrongdoing. It is He whom Allah guides that is on true guidance, but he whom He leaves astray, for such you will find no protector to lead him to the right way. And I testify that there is no god but Allah Alone, and that He has no partners. And I admit His Lordship, enforcing this truth on those who denied Him and disbelieved in Him. And I testify that Sayyidina Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the Messenger of Allah, the Master of everything created and of mankind, and I shall keep testifying it for as long as I live.
O Allah, grant peace and blessings to Sayyidina Muhammad, upon his Family, his Companions and those who follow him until the Day of Judgment.
Today's sermon conveys three messages:
Dear honorable and beloved brothers, today's sermon carries three messages: The first is directed to those in charge of our beloved country, the second to all parties, and the third to Syrians in general.
The first message:
The first message is directed to everyone responsible for managing the affairs of this country, and it is based on the following Prophetic Hadith:
((Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the people of his house and he is responsible. A woman is the shepherd of the house of her husband and she is responsible. Each of you is a shepherd and each is responsible for his flock." ))
These are the words of the honorable Prophet PBUH.
Out of a sense of responsibility, I hope that everyone in charge of Muslims' affairs will make use of every qualified person in the process of reform, and that new qualified individuals will be chosen objectively, based on trustworthiness and strength.
﴾ And said one of them (the two women): “O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.” ﴿
Strength, by definition here, means having a high academic qualification, rightly guided and deep experience, and excellent performance in fulfilling duties, without wasting time, skills, or the rights of people.
Our master Umar bin Al Khattab, May Allah be pleased with him, used to say to every new governor he appointed:
"Take your covenant and begin your duties. Be aware: you are appointed for your actions will be evaluated after one year, and your outcome will place you in one of four categories: If we find you trustworthy but weak, you will be replaced for your weakness, though your trustworthiness will spare you from punishment. If we find you strong but disloyal, we will break your strength and punish you until you are reformed. If you are both weak and disloyal, you will be punished doubly. But if you are both trustworthy and strong, you will remain in your position, your reputation will be elevated, and you will have our full support".
This is first.
Secondly, O you who are in charge, give the Syrian citizen bread and dignity, even if you take everything else from him.
And do not close your doors in their faces, lest the strong oppresses the weak.
Thirdly, hold those who fall short in their duties accountable, and let the punishment be proportionate to the offense. This rule should apply to everyone, with no exceptions. Moreover, make every effort to raise employees’ incomes, so that accountability can be both fair and effective.
Our master Umar bin Al Khattab, the giant of Islam, said:
"Allah the Almighty has created hands to work, if they cannot find work in obedience they will find plenty in disobedience, so keep them busy in compliance before they get you busy with defiance"
These are the words of the giant of Islam our Master Umar.
The second message:
My second message is directed to the various parties in Syria: this country belongs to its entire people, and every citizen has both rights and responsibilities.
The Prophet (PBUH) established the Constitution of Al-Madinah after his emigration there. Its first clause states:
(( 'The people of Yathrib (Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah) are one Ummah (nation),' ))
I repeat the same clause here and I say: "Syrian people are one Ummah".
We have never had any problems with any sect per se over the past 60 years; rather, our problem has been with oppression, tyranny, and the open war against people's religion and freedom.
Today's reckoning is directed only at murderers, criminals, and their accomplices, regardless of the religion or sect they belong to.
There will be no revenge today, only justice and implementing prescribed punishments.
I call on our brothers from all religions and sects to surrender their arms weapons to the competent authority and to work together with others to rebuild our country.
What has happened is a great triumph and a manifest victory, but it is only the beginning, as we must now move forward to work and rebuild.
What lies ahead for this country is very serious, and we must unite our efforts to face it, as our homeland needs all its men and women.
Our fiercest enemies may share as little as 5% in common, yet they demonstrate a high level of collaboration.
Unfortunately, we don't collaborate; instead, yet we compete with one another. Moreover, we fight among ourselves, and the bitter truth is a thousand times better than a comforting illusion.
Collaboration reflects a high level of civilization, power and brilliance:
Hence dear brothers, collaboration reflects a high level of civilization, power, brilliance and determination.
It is remarkable how our enemies manage to collaborate, despite sharing only 5% in common.
This is the bitter truth which I hope that we put an end to it.
Despite sharing 95% in common, we fail to collaborate; instead, we compete and even fight one another.
Dear brothers, the period of revolution required the traits of Jihad (striving against oppression), but today we are in dire need of the traits of Dawah (inviting others to Allah). In times of war, we needed Jihad, but in times of peace, we need Dawah.
﴾ Invite (mankind, O Muhammad) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur’an) and fair preaching and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided. ﴿
Allah the Almighty doesn't say "good way" but rather He says: "in a way that is better".
Today, the only language we ought to speak is that of wisdom, justice, gentle speech, and the most respectful form of dialogue.
The third message:
My third message is to my fellow citizens of Syria in general, and to them I say: 'This country is ours, and even the smallest details in the process of rebuilding it can make a significant difference'.
I was impressed by what I witnessed in our streets, from various community volunteer efforts to regulate traffic, clean the roads, and manage the movement of people, to much more. Not to mention the government committees assigned to protect property.
We should acknowledge the positives and give them the praise they deserve.
One of the devil’s tactics against human beings is to make a person underestimate the small things he is capable of, while tempting him to pursue big things beyond his ability. As a result, this person ends up doing neither the small nor the great and he ends up watching, criticizing, discouraging, and dispiriting others.
We should never underestimate any work, no matter how trivial it may seem.
Waiting for an ant to move away before opening the tap may seem like a trivial matter, isn’t it? Yet, in the Sight of Allah, it is a significant act, and it will be recorded in your book of deeds.
Once again, no task should be underestimated, no matter how trivial it may seem.
Let us read the following Hadith about strength:
((“A believer who is strong (and healthy) is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them."))
Performing good deeds is the purpose of our existence:
The purpose of our existence is to perform good deeds.
It is called a good deed because it is worthy of being presented before Allah the Almighty. But when is it truly good? A good deed is only good enough to be accepted by Allah the Almighty when it is both sincere (done for Allah's Sake alone) and righteous (performed in accordance with the Sunnah).
Your rank in the Sight of Allah the Almighty is in proportion to the sincerity and significance of your good deeds.
Our master Ali, May Allah be pleased with him, said: "True poverty and richness are only determined after standing before Allah the Almighty for reckoning".
Preparing for the Hereafter reflects true heroism, success, intelligence, brilliance, and superiority.
Every drop of blood that has been shed unjustly must have someone held accountable for it, unless it was shed justly. Once again, listen to the following Hadith about true strength:
((“A believer who is strong (and healthy) is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer"))
But the Prophet PBUH brings comfort to hearts, he said:
(("But there is goodness in both of them."))
Strength is not only about having a strong body, but also about the power of money, education, or position. Why is this kind of strength so important?
It is important because the purpose of your existence is to perform good deeds, and in that sense, being strong provides countless opportunities to do so. A wealthy person, for example, can solve numerous problems through his wealth; such as establishing orphanages, educating generations, treating patients, or helping young people get married. Bear in mind that true poverty and true wealth are only determined when one stands before Allah for reckoning.
The following Ayah is a proof:
﴾ Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: “My Lord! Send me back, “So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!” No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected. ﴿
The one who is expert in his specialty (he has this kind of strength) is able to call to Allah the Almighty, spread goodness and build this Ummah.
On the other hand, a powerful person in a high position can uphold justice, eliminate falsehood, promote good practices, and correct errors with the stroke of a pen.
Therefore, I ask all Syrians to stand together and remain patient. The damage caused over six decades cannot be rebuilt in just a few months.
You can't undo sixty years of destruction in a few days. Such a long period of damage requires patience.
Every Syrian rejoiced at the liberation, and by Allah, the only deity worthy of worship, every Muslim in Syria and in other countries shared the Syrians this joy.
After coming so close to despair, we have all lived through this moment of triumph and truly deserve this happiness. But now is the time for action.
Your rank in the Sight of Allah the Almighty is in proportion to the sincerity and significance of your good deeds.
It is time for action, hard work, contribution, progress, and faith.
Allah says:
﴾ O you who believe! Violate not the sanctity of the Symbols of Allah, nor of the Sacred Month, nor of the animals brought for sacrifice, nor the garlanded people or animals, etc. [Marked by the garlands on their necks made from the outer part of the tree-stems (of Makkah) for their security], nor the people coming to the Sacred House (Makkah), seeking the bounty and good pleasure of their Lord. But when you finish the Ihram (of Hajj or ‘Umrah), you may hunt, and let not the hatred of some people in (once) stopping you from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment. ﴿
Now is not the right time to raise any controversial issues:
I must repeat this point once again: our fierce enemies unite against us with all their corruption, deviation, materialism, and aggression.
Unfortunately, we, on the other hand, do not unite; instead, we compete and fight, even though we share 95% in common.
Collaboration is our destiny, whether we agree or not. Let us excuse one another and be forgiving.
At the time being, there is no room for raising controversial issues.
Believe it or not, at this time, the greatest crime is to raise any controversial issue among Islamic parties.
What we have in common is thousands of times greater than what we disagree on.
Digging deep into controversial issues will drag us into minor details that distract us from our main duties such as helping one another, building bonds of love, and fostering unity. For this cause, we need profound wisdom and must avoid trivial matters that sow division among us.
O Allah, unite us as one on the path of truth, goodness, and guidance. Guide us to the straight path, and protect our country from the plots of the conspirators, and how many they are, and keep away the schemes of the colluders, and how harsh they are. O Allah, You are the Most Merciful.
Dear brothers, call yourselves to account before you are called to do so and weigh your deeds before they are weighed against you, and you should know that the Angel of Death has been reaching others and will reach us soon, so pay heed. The clever one is he who upbraids himself and works for what comes after death; and the weak one is he who follows his desires and lives on wishful thinking, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
