by Imam al-Haram Husayn ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Aal Sheikh

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Brethren in Islam! The Muslim nation is now undergoing a state of weakness and disarray while the wise men among them are searching for a future that can save the nation from its despicable state. The educated elites, politicians and writers have all presented their opinions and theories. But it is time for all Muslims regardless of their classes and groups to see the reality and open their eyes to the only successful solution in the light of their established values, and fundamentals of their religion. The Muslim nation cannot find solution to its myriad of problems except through the correct understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

Brethren in faith! Let us spend a few moments with a great legacy that emanated from the teacher of mankind while he was giving to the ummah an everlasting admonition by which its life could be fruitful and its hereafter successful. It is an admonition that should be held tenaciously to and given a total control over all our actions. It is an admonition that does not give priority to the interest of a particular people or race. It is an admonition that has emanated from him who does not speak of his own but from what is revealed to him. The admonition is a light that raises the ummah to all that is good, glory and strength.

Allah says, “O you who believe! Obey Allah and answer the Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life.” (Al-Anfal 8:24)

Yes, it gives comprehensive life to individuals and societies, to souls and valued things; a life based on the power of iman that is indispensable in confronting crisis. It is a life that means a revival in all senses. It is a life that actualises happiness, peaceful and secured coexistence, blessings and progress in all aspects of life.

Fellow Muslims! The honour and glory in this world and the hereafter are guaranteed by implementation of the contents of this admonition.

Allah says, “We have sent down to you (O mankind!) a Book (the Quran) in which there is an honour for you (if you follow its teachings). Will you then not understand?” (Al-Anbiya 21:10)

He also says, “Then whosoever becomes pious and righteous, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.” (Al-Aa’raf 7:35)

If the individuals and societies fail to implement the admonition, loss and perdition will become their lot. For it is an admonition that links the Muslim to his origin and draws a relationship between the decisive laws of Islam and necessities of the age. Its implementation is the only guarantee against challenges that face the ummah and threaten its values. Umar RA said, “You preceded other people only by your help for the cause of this religion.”

Let us now listen to that great admonition and everlasting legacy. Ibn Abbas RA narrated: “I was behind the Messenger of Allah one day when he told me, “O lad, I am going to teach you some words. Preserve the rights of Allah, Allah will preserve you. Preserve the rights of Allah, you will find Him in front of you. When you ask, ask from Allah only and when you seek for help, seek it from Allah only. Know that if all the people gathered together in order to benefit you with something, they cannot benefit you except with something that Allah has already written down for you and if they gather together in order to harm you with something, they cannot harm you except with something that Allah has already written down against you. The pen has been raised up and the paper has dried.” (At-Tirmidhi)

In another narration, the Prophet said, “Preserve the right of Allah, you will find Him in front of you. Know Allah in the time of prosperity, He will know you in the time of hardship. Be aware that, whatever you have missed has initially not been decreed to be yours and whatever comes your way would not have missed you. Know that victory goes with patience, relief goes with distress and that with every hardship there is easiness.”

People of knowledge said, “This Hadith contains great and important principles of the religion.”

One of them said, “I reflected over the meaning of this Hadith and it amazed me that I was almost bewildered. It is a pity that people are ignorant of it and have little understanding of its meaning.”

Fellow Muslims! Preserving the rights of Allah means being conscious of His limits, fulfilling His rights, carrying out His commandments and abstaining from His prohibitions.

He says, “It will be said (to those who obey Allah): This is what you were promised. It is for those who are oft-returning (to Allah) in sincere repentance and those who preserve their covenant with Allah; those who feared the Most Gracious in the Unseen and came (to their Lord) with a repentant heart.” (Qaf 50:32-33)

It is a preservation that includes guarding one’s head and stomach. The Messenger of Allah said, “Feeling ashamed in front of Allah entails preserving head and all that it comprehends and the stomach and all that it contains.”

It is a preservation that should prevent limbs and all senses from committing sins. The Prophet said, “Whoever guarantees the protection of his tongue and private parts from what is unlawful, I will guarantee for him Paradise.” (Al-Bukhari)

It is a preservation that prevents man’s desires from leading him astray and diverting him from noble values and traits.

Allah says, “And the men and women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and women who remember Allah much, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and great reward.” (Al-Ahzab 33:35)

Dear Muslims! It is among the basic principles of the religion that recompense shall be in accordance with the deed. Hence, whoever preserves Allah’s rights as mentioned earlier, he will get the protection of Allah in his worldly life and the hereafter; he will realise all his needs and will be guarded from all harms. A scholar said,

“Allah’s protection of His slave is of two types: One: His protection of him in his religion and iman (faith) by protecting him against misleading ambiguities and forbidden desires, and putting a barrier between him and all that can damage his religion. Allah says about Prophet Yusuf, “Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our chosen (guided) slaves.” (Yusuf 12:24)

Two: His protection of him in his worldly affairs, by protecting his person, children, family and wealth.

Allah says, “For him, there are angels in succession, in front of him and behind. They guard him by the Command of Allah.” (Ar-Ra”d 13:11)

Ibn Abbas RA said, “The angels protect him by the Command of Allah, but when what has been destined for him comes, they leave him.” Of the wonderful protection of Allah for him who preserves His rights is that, Allah makes the naturally harmful animals protect him from harm as was the case of Safinah the Prophet’s freed slave when his riding animal broken down and he went out into the desert. He then saw a lion who walked with him until he showed him the way. The Messenger of Allah confirmed this kind of divine protection in this exhortation when he said,

“Preserve the rights of Allah, you will find Him before you.”

So, whoever observes the limits of Allah and His rights, Allah will protect him, bestow His favour on him and help him.

Allah says, “Truly, Allah is with those who keep their duty to Allah and those who are good-doers.” (An-Nahl 16:128)

Qatadah said, “Whoever fears Allah, Allah will be with him, and whoever Allah is with him, such is with a group that can never be defeated, a protector that does not sleep and a guide that does not go astray.”

It is by this type of protection, that Allah protects the posterity of His righteous slave after his death. He says about the two boys whose property was preserved, “And their father was a righteous man.” (Al-Kahf 18:82)

It was said that both of them were protected by the righteousness of their father.

Whoever Allah protects in his youth and time of strength, He will also protect him in his old age and time of weakness and make him enjoy his hearing, seeing and strength. A righteous predecessor who was past hundred and still enjoyed his physical strength and intelligence one day made a strong leap. When he was asked about that he said,

“We preserved these limbs from sins when we were young, so Allah preserved them for us when we became old.”

Fellow Muslims! Whenever this ummah individually and collectively preserves the religion of Allah, actualises the truthful iman, surrenders to Allah in all its affairs, frees itself from whims and desires and bases all its political, economical, social affairs on the path of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, it will win the protection of Allah from all undesirable things, difficulties and crises and then have peace, stability, glory and victory.

Allah says, “Those who believe and confuse not their belief with wrong (by worshipping others besides Allah), for them only there is security and they are the guided ones.” (Al-An”am 6:82)

When belief in Allah and guidance of the Prophet go deep is well established in the life of the Muslims and direct all their affairs, they will have all forms of security: security from enemies and evil thoughts; security from fears, and political, economical and social security.

Whenever the Muslims follow their religion, shun whims and desires, work sincerely for the sake of Islam and take the necessary means and provisions, Allah will give them authority in the land, strengthen them, instil their fear in the hearts of their enemies and make blessings, justice and peace reign among them. The All-Mighty Allah says,

“Allah has promised those among you who believes and do good deeds, that He will grant them succession (to the present rulers) in the land as He granted it to those who were before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them. And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear, (provided) they worship Me and do not associate anything in worship with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this, they are the rebellious.” (An-Noor 24:55)

Fellow believers! Whenever the Muslim ummah is afflicted with a calamity and then seeks for relief, security, glory, authority, and stability; it can achieve none of that except by giving absolute obedience to Allah, giving and submitting willingly to His law and following His favoured path. It is then that its corruption, fears and stability can be removed and no power on the face of the earth will stand in its way.

Allah says, “And whoever follows My guidance, there shall be no fear on them nor shall they grieve.” (Al-Baqarah 2:38)

Brethren in faith! Any Muslim nation that goes against this right path will always be backward, humiliated, deprived of authority and hunted by fear and enemies. Allah says,

“(What is matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say, “from when does this come (come to us)?’ Say to them, “it was from yourselves (because of your evil deeds).” (Aal Imran 3:165)

Brethren in Islam! The promise of Allah is standing, however different are times and situations as long as the condition is found. Let whoever wants to have Allah’s promise accomplished firstly fulfil the conditions.

“And who is truer to his covenant than Allah?” (At-Tawbah 9:111).

It was when the companions of the Messenger of Allah and other righteous predecessors of this ummah followed this path with trust in Allah, strong faith, resoluteness, perseverance and emulating the Prophet with continuous good deeds that Allah established by them the edifice of this religion and the strong Islamic state in all parts of the earth. For, they kept this life in its due position and were not deluded by it; they knew the Hereafter and gave it its due estimation.

Ibn Kathir narrated that in the year 463 A.H, the Roman king came with a great number of soldiers like mountains and a huge war weapons with a resolution to exterminate Islam and Muslims. He was met by the then Muslim ruler with an almost 20,000 men. This Muslim ruler feared the great number of the polytheists, but the great scholar, Abu Nasr Muhammad bin Abdul Malik Al-Bukhari advised him to commence the war at noon when the Imam would be on the pulpit praying for the Mujahidin. When the two armies confronted each other, the Muslim ruler came down from his horse, made a prostration for Allah, invoked Him and asked Him for victory. Allah gave victory to the Muslims and granted them upper hand over the polytheists. And it was a great victory. Praise be to Allah.

“O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you and make your foothold firm.” (Muhammad 47:7)

Brethren in Islam! Days are passing while our brethren in Palestine are suffering from unforgettable killings, persecutions and expulsions. They are suffering from terrorism in its most heinous form at the hands of the murderous Zionist occupiers. Can’t the world resolution issuers see these evils that are committed under their very noses?

Let it be known to all the world that the only solution to this problem is in giving back the rights to whom they are due, fostering justice between mankind and protecting human dignity that Islam preaches.

Fellow Muslims! The situation is very critical and our responsibility in helping our brethren in Palestine and elsewhere is very great. Let each and every one of us carry out his part of this collective responsibility according to his ability. Let us spend generously for our brethren and make a good and sincere invocation for them.