By Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Sudais – 21 Rabiul Awwal 1437

His Eminence Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Sudais –May Allah protect him– delivered this Friday khutbah entitled “Manifestations of Cooperation in Righteousness and Piety.” He talked about a great principle and a straight approach which inspires hope and restores the Ummah’s confidence in its fundamentals, leading personalities, and achievements. It is namely cooperation in righteousness and piety. He stressed the importance of this principle to Muslims, especially in modern life, and showed its great impact and results which we feel and will be realised if Muslims cooperated, entered into an alliance, and held fast to the two divine revelations.

Praise is due to Allah! We praise Him; seek His assistance, and forgiveness. We praise Him –Glory be to Him– with sincerity for our salvation and thank Him for His favour, generosity, and for all the good He imparted to us.

(The Sheikh cites three lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

Even if we sharpened all trees into pens of gratitude,
Whose ink is the Tigris and Euphrates,
We would not have covered an atom of Your Majesty,
Or thanked You enough for Your plentiful blessings,
You are the First3, the Last4, the Most High, the Rich,
How can we count Your endless bounties?

I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone with no partner. He has privileged us with the Sharia (Islam) of the much-cherished values of mutual compassion, solidarity, and cooperation; and I bear witness that our Prophet and Master Muhammad is the Servant and Messenger of Allah. He is the best to have established rights and cautioned against mutual aversion and filial disobedience. May Allah send his Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy), Peace and Blessing upon him, his family, his Companions –whose charitable deeds and generous character are matchless in nature and degree– and those who righteously follow in their footsteps as long as sunrise and sunset keep alternating.

Now then, O Servants of Allah!

Observe Taqwa vis-à-vis Allah, your Lord, and show Him gratitude for His abundant bounties and multiple blessings.

(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

Doubtless, gratitude will never even partially match in worth,
The benevolent acts of an open-handed Benefactor,
How can gratitude possibly match the big-heartedness of a Donor,
Who gives without showing off and assigns favours without offence.

O Muslims!
A great principle manifests itself in our contemporary life which is currently characterised by depressing afflictions and murky troubles that convulse the grandeur of our Ummah and shake our solid unity. In this era marked with egocentric behaviour, claims to self-worth, force parades, total confusion, along with illogical matters which resist rational judgment and run contrary to peoples’ desires and expectations– there emerges a great principle, an upright approach which represents a true value and a great virtue. Along the vast horizon, we are witnessing the birth of towering signs of optimism and positive character which instil hope in despair-stricken hearts and light glittering beacons whose rich lustre will dispel the sable nights of doubt and anxiety, in addition to restoring confidence to the Ummah in terms of its fundamentals, leading personalities, and achievements.

One of these heralded brilliances is the principle of cooperation in righteousness and piety and the throwing away of disloyalty or the cleaving of the firm grip, which is stronger and more durable.

O Ummah of Islam!

Part of the greatness, majesty, comprehensiveness, perfection, radiance, graces, and beauty of Islam are those sublime social ties, true bonds of faith, and genuine ethical norms which urge people to cooperate, combine efforts, show solidarity, and consultation. Regardless of the fickleness of time and the fluctuations in moral values, such ties strengthen relations, fortify all types of bonds, and reveal the secrets of inherent moral rectitude. How wonderful and masterly the following words of the Compassionate and the Merciful sound!

“…Help you one another in Al­Birr and At­Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression…” [Al-Ma’edah: 2]

Imam al-Tabari –May Allah bless his soul– explained: “That is, O you believers, help one another in birr, that is acting in accordance with Allah’s commands and in taqwa, that is avoiding what Allah has commanded us to avoid and avert: any acts of disobedience.”

O Muslims!

The forms of cooperation in righteousness are countless. They cannot be articulated or portrayed by the masters of language and eloquence. However, let us survey some of the most relevant and inspiring examples in order to gain some insight into the diverse forms of cooperation.

One of its most gracious forms is cooperation in holding fast to the Holy Book and the Noble Sunnah in order to adhere to the genuine faith and follow the beneficial path of righteousness. It is in fact the essence of religion and the way leading to higher degrees of certitude. This will engage the Ummah in a process of joint enterprise based on mutual counselling, enjoining good and forbidding evil. This is echoed in Allah’s verse –May He be exalted:

“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islâm), enjoining Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.” [Al Imran: 104]

The divine qualification of this Ummah as the best one depends on the degree of its adherence to this notion of mutual cooperation which has become the hallmark of the Ummah’s heritage and the main claim of virtuous and renowned scholars. Allah –Exalted and Most High be He– says:

“You [true believers in Islâmic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden), and you believe in Allâh… ” [Al Imrān: 110]

The other facet of this principle is cooperation in upholding the lustrous landmark of Islamic Da’wah (i.e. inviting people to embrace Islam) through abiding by the guidance offered by the best creatures ever and the noblest of mankind (that is, the Prophet) –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– and following his rightly guided family, his judicious caliphs, and his remarkably pious Companions –May Allah be pleased with them all.

(The Sheikh cites three lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

Mutual cooperation is indeed a sublime spirit,
Whose transcendent power constructs manhood and designs everything,
Companions exert themselves to perform good deeds,
Waiting for nil recompense in return,
They kept close company to the Messenger of Allah,
Only out of love, sincere friendship and faithfulness.

Another source of pride akin to this one is brotherly cooperation between Muslims in order to make life easier, remove obstacles, and mitigate the effects of pitfalls. Our Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said, in a hadith reported by al-Tabarani in his work entitled Al-Mu’jam: “Accompanying my brother so as to help him do something he needs is dearer to me than secluding myself in my mosque here in worship for a whole month. Whoever accompanies his brother in an errand until he accomplishes it, Allah will keep his feet stable on the day feet trip over5.” Prophet Muhammad –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– also said: “Every Muslim is supposed to offer charity.” “What if he has nothing to offer?” he was asked. He said, “He works with his own hands, and thus he would benefit himself and offer charity to others.” “What if he is unable to do that?” they asked him again. “So, he helps those who are in dire need of help,” he replied. [Narrated by Imam Bukhari]

(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

Spare no effort to come to people’s assistance,
Always relieve your brother’s grief,
No doubt, the best time one might ever enjoy,
Is the moment spent in helping those in need!

O, Ummah of faith!

Nobody but an idiot would spare an effort to come to people’s assistance, and nobody but a fool would retreat from acting benevolently with people. So, hasten to instil hope in your brother’s spirit so as to relieve his grief! In the Sahih book of Imam Muslim, the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– is reported to have said: “Whoever relieves the grief of a believer in the Herein, Allah will relieve him from the grief of the Hereafter. Whoever assists someone in times of hardship, Allah will ease things for him in the Herein and the Hereafter. Whoever protects a Muslim, Allah will protect him in the Herein and the Hereafter. Allah will be helping His servant as long as the latter is helping his Muslim brother.” [Narrated by Imam Muslim]

When approached by the needy or requested for a favour, Prophet Muhammad –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– used to say (to his Companions): “Take this (request for help) over; you will be rewarded.” [This Hadith was narrated by Imam Bukhari]. This is indeed one of the greatest manifestations of cooperation.

(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

A friend in need is a friend indeed,
He would help you even to his own detriment,
If time’s sickle defaced your joy,
He would strive to spare you at his own expense.

A Muslim –May Allah protect you all– is constantly enthusiastic to give a hand to his Muslim brothers and sisters. He would perceive blaming people for excusable behaviour as excessive rebuke and putting much pressure on those who are in straitened circumstances as torture.

Brothers and sisters in Islam!

Again, among the manifestations of cooperation in righteousness and piety is to console the grieved and to succour the wronged. Prophet Muhammad –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said: “Support your brother whether he is oppressor or oppressed.” A man then asked him: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I shall support him when he is oppressed; but what if he is oppressor? How can I support him?’ He answered: “You stop or prevent him from offending others; that is how you support him.” [Reported by Imam Bukhari]

Still, among the best manifestations of cooperation in righteousness and piety is to reconcile belligerent parties ‒be it in a conjugal, familial, or social context‒ and help them reach common grounds peacefully and cordially. Allah –May He be glorified– says:

“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allâh’s Cause), or Ma’rûf (Islâmic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allâh has ordained), or conciliation between mankind, and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allâh, We shall give him a great reward.” [Al-Nissa’: 114]

He –Glorified be He– also says: “…So fear Allâh and adjust all matters of difference among you…” [Al-Anfal: 1]

Abu Dawood reported, via an authentic chain of narration, a hadith narrated by Abi al-Darda’ –May Allah be pleased with him– in which he said: “Prophet Muhammad –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said: “Shall I tell you about a deed which is higher in rank than fasting, praying and giving charity? “O Messenger of Allah! Please do!” “Reconciling belligerent parties, since the deterioration of interpersonal relations constitutes an irreparable damage.” In this spirit of harmony and solidarity, all the members of our Ummah would be able to achieve construction and growth and to build their homelands and prosper.

(The Sheikh cited one line of poetry that can be translated as follows):

Had it not been for cooperation, there would be no dignity,
No construction, or prosperity.

Part of this, would also be cooperation in terms of refuting rumours, lies, and slander, and shutting doors in the face of those falsities, infringements, and disastrous nonsense. Cooperation of members of the Ummah with their leaders, rulers, (religious) scholars and security forces is indeed cooperation at its best, where an enhanced sense of security would help ensure stability, order and peace for society and the Ummah, address the latter’s pressing issues, the potential and malignant afflictions lurking ahead, cope with the latest developments and project our vision for change and reform.

This also includes cooperation in safeguarding our attainments and achievements, controverting the spirits of desolation and gloom, defying stray ideologies and perversion, including exaggeration, extremism, takfir, and terrorism. This is necessary in order to achieve moderation, bolster intellectual security, religious unity and national solidarity, and face up to anyone seeking to bring down this Ummah through destructive incitement that would lead to those vagrant pathways of sedition, or through alcohol consumption, and drug propagation. In this context, reporting (to the authorities) this and that would be an aspect of cooperation as well.

They6 have become devoid of any sense of leniency and have caused to turn gloomy even ‘the most vivid of faces’. We can only wish for the people of our Ummah deliverance from their extremism and wickedness, and for those who have fallen prey to them recovery from their evil.

(The Sheikh quoted one line of poetry that can be translated as follows):
Never wonder at a glory so lofty and mighty
For it wouldn’t be there had it not been for cooperation.

An exemplary form of cooperation is one in which the rulers in various Muslim countries join efforts to achieve consensus, establish unity among the Ummah and avoid disputes and discord, which constitute a potential flame lying in wait to be ignited and stacks of rancour waiting to be unleashed. This, indeed, is more evil than drinking alcohol itself and more indulging in the adversity of sin and guilt.

The cooperation among rulers in ‘healing the rift’ between members of the Ummah is a crown of glory and a badge of pride for all of them; it is a ‘valuable pearl’ and a promised accomplishment. This is also true of those forms of cooperation involving support of Muslim issues, such as those of Palestine, Al-Aqsa, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and others, settlement of problems for the poor, the destitute, the needy, the refugees, the displaced and those leaving behind their homes and moving away; those who have been affected by the freezing winter cold and its calamities; those who have been suffering the vexation and misery of cold. Therefore, it would be unbecoming of any of us to relinquish his obligation in fulfilling his share of cooperation in this regard. After all, we are all aboard ‘the same boat.’

Hence, the spirit of commitment manifests itself once again. It is commitment to cooperation and alliance rather than division, dejection and discord, in order to achieve Islamic unity, away from extremism, partisanship, sectarianism and factionalism. It is a commitment in appreciation and glorification of the approach adopted by our honourable salaf, and in observing caution and vigilance against the imitation of the enemies of Islam. The ultimate objective in all of this is for Muslims to regain once more their unity against their enemies, a matter that is all too easy to accomplish by the grace of Almighty Allah.

I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan:

“Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment.” [Al-Maedah: 2]

May Allah bless me and you with the two Revelations, and may He grant me and you benefit from the guidance of the master of thaqalain (the two major species: mankind and Jinn)! This being said, I ask Allah, the Almighty, to forgive you and me and all Muslims for all their grave sins; so ask Him for forgiveness and turn in repentance to Him, for my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Compassionate!