Standing Up for The Religion of Islaam

Benefit:

Our Shaykh, Abu Abdillah Muhammad ba Jamaal – may Allaah preserve him – said in his book: “الإرشاد البديع إلى لوازم نصرة النبي الشفيع”; “Al-Irshaad al-Badee’ ilaa Lawaazim Nusrat an-Nabee ash-Shafee”

Verily all praise is for Allah, and may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger (ﷺ), his household, and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them).

To proceed:

Know, that from aiding the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is standing up for the Religion of Allah, and not for the benefit of one’s self, as was the way of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Even though the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had the utmost modesty, this modesty did not prevent him from warning against evils and establishing all that is good, but rather he would stand up if the unlawful were being encroached upon. And this kind of modesty didn’t prevent him from becoming angry when the laws of Allah was transgressed, for indeed the legislated modesty does not prevent from encouraging the good and forbidding the evil. The legislated modesty does not prohibit standing up for the truth and defending it.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was the most modest of the people, but if he saw someone encroaching on the sanctuary of Allah he would become enraged. He would stand up for Allah, not for himself or his tribe or his land. The polytheist had extreme hatred for the Prophet (ﷺ) yet he forgave them and continued to call them to Islam. And he didn’t find from them except stubbornness, arrogance, and ridicule, to the point they sent their young ones out against him to harm him. Then one day, Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah and said:

“Oh Muhammad, verily Allah knows what your people are saying against you and verily He has sent to you the angel of the mountains to command him with whatever you wish.” So the angel of the mountains came and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him that Allah is aware of the harm his people were causing him, and said:

“If you wish, I can bring these two great mountains upon them and crush them.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) had met much harm from his people – the people of Makkah- and the people of Quraish. He was harmed by the people he was sent to call. Harm after harm. Attack after attack. Ridicule after ridicule, until if a man came for Hajj it would be said: ‘stay away from this young man of Quraish so he does not cause you distress.’ He was cursed and mocked at from every direction. He underwent continuous harm and unrelentless attacks until they placed him under a siege while his uncle, Abu Taalib and his wife, Khadijah pleaded for him. However, much to the dismay of his uncle, Abu Taalib, the Quraish cut them off refusing them food and drink. The situation worsened until they had to eat the leaves of trees. All of this because he brought to them the truth from their Lord.

Despite going through all this, he refused to have the angel of the mountains crush them for harming him. Rather he (ﷺ) said: “I only hope that from them will come a people that will worship Allah alone without any partners.” He did not take revenge for himself, instead he was tolerant in his dealings with them. Not the kind of tolerance that some may have when they are patient in order to receive something from someone. No, but rather so that they may be forgiven and ward off the punishment of Allah and bring forth from them people that worship Allah alone, thus producing a nation that would aid the religion of Allah. Weather it be from Makkah, or Taif, or other than them. And this was all by the permission of Allah.

It comes in the two authentic collections (Bukhari and Muslim) :

‘A’isha, the wife of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), said that whenever he had to choose between two things he adopted the easier one, provided it was not sin, but if it was any sin involved he was the farthest from it of the people; and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) never took revenge from anyone because of his personal grievance, unless if what Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, had made haraam had been violated.

Notice how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never take vengeance for himself, and like this, it is upon the one calling to Allah, the one in authority of the Muslims, and the one called to teach the Muslims, not to take vengeance for himself or for other than him. Rather he humbles himself in the service of the people, being lenient and patient with them. However; when it comes to Allah, His Messenger, and this religion, No. There is no leniency. One can not be silent in the face of falsehood. No, he stands up to defend the religion from that which opposes it.

If Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was to witness a mistake from the closest of his loved ones, that love would not prevent him from correcting them.

Amr bin al-Aas (رضي الله عنه) said that he observed how the Prophet (ﷺ) would greet him and smile at him, to the point he thought he was the most beloved to the Prophet. So, one day he asked the Messenger of Allah. “Oh Messenger of Allah, who is the most beloved to you?” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Aisha.” Then he said, “No, from the men?” Then the Messenger said, “Her father.” So he said, “And after him?” He (ﷺ) said, “Umar.” So Usama asked, “Then who?” So the Messenger of Allah said, “All the Muslims.”

It was known that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a strong love for Aisha (رضي الله عنها). But if he saw from her a mistake, his displeasure would be seen on his face. Aisha said, once while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was out on an expedition and was close to returning, she knew it was his habit to visit her when he came back, she wanted to beautify her house for the Prophet’s return. So, she took some expensive materials and made curtains to hang at the doorway, but there were images on them. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came and saw them, his face changed and Aisha could see the displeasure in his face. So, she immediately said, “I repent to Allah, Oh Messenger of Allah!” So then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Verily the most severely punished on the Day of Resurrection are the picture makers.” Because they are trying to imitate the creation of Allah. So Aisha cut them into pieces and made cushions from the rest of the curtains. Notice how the Prophet (ﷺ) dealt with the haraam even at the house of his most beloved Aisha. She was the most beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) but that didn’t prevent him from correcting her mistake. He didn’t say: “Oh that’s my Aisha, I’ll tell her about it later . She was just trying to honor me.” No. Immediately after he saw the mistake, he corrected her on the spot.

And likewise with Umar (رضي الله عنه). Once Umar told the Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ), “Oh Messenger of Allah, you are more beloved to me than everyone except myself.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Umar, “No Umar. It is not sufficient until I am more beloved to you than your own self.” Then Umar said, “By Allah, Oh Messenger of Allah, now you are more beloved to me than my own self.” This was Umar.

And also with Usama bin Zaid (رضي الله عنه). His love for the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Prophet’s love for him was known. When the people of Quraish worried about the lady from Bani Makhzum who had committed theft, they asked: “Who will intercede for her with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)?” Some said: “No one dare to do so except Usama bin Zaid, the beloved of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ).” When Usama spoke about that to Allah’s Apostle, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, (to him), “Do you try to intercede for somebody in a case connected with Allah’s Prescribed Punishments?” Then he got up and delivered a sermon saying:

“What destroyed the nations preceding you, was that if a noble amongst them stole, they would forgive him, and if a poor person amongst them stole, they would inflict Allah’s Legal punishment on him. By Allah, if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad stole, I would cut off her hand.”

With the Messenger of Allah, there was no more special exceptions for the elite of Quraish. No more trying to change the reality of evil. The punishment of Allah would be established. Consider what he said to his beloved Usama: “Are you trying to intercede with the legislated punishment from Allah?”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) once sent Usama bin Zaid (رضي الله عنه) with an army towards Al-Huruqa, and in the morning they attacked them and defeated them. Usama and an Ansari man followed a man from among them and when they took him over, he said, “La ilaha illal-Lah.” On hearing that, the Ansari man stopped, but Usama killed him by stabbing him with my spear. When they returned, the Prophet (ﷺ) came to know about that and he said, “O Usama! Did you kill him after he had said “La ilaha ilal-Lah?” Usama said, “But he said so only to save himself.” So He (ﷺ) said, “Who will save you from “La ilaha ilal-Lah” on the Day of Judgment? Did you tear his heart so that you learnt whether he actually uttered it for this or not. Who will support you against “La ilaha ilal-Lah?” The Prophet (ﷺ) kept on repeating that so often that Usama wished he had not embraced Islam before that day.

Notice how the Prophet (ﷺ) reprimanded Usama and this was for a disbeliever who was fighting and killing the Muslims. But as soon as he proclaimed the Shahadah, his blood immediately became impermissible to spill. So he (ﷺ) reprimanded Usama, although he was one of the most beloved to the Prophet (ﷺ).

And this is what is obligatory upon the Muslims, that they stand up for Allah and His Messenger and this Deen. Not for their own selves, their groups, their tribes or their people. Not for any of these things from the days of ignorance. Not for a flag or a sports group or any of the groups of today that divide and harm the muslims. No. We stand to raise the statement of “La ilaha ilal-Lah”. This is the true support of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and this Deen because this was the way of the Messenger of Allah, so you can not support him except by following him (ﷺ).

And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.

Benefited from: Shaikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ba Jamaal (May Allah preserve him)

Source: https://t.me/OfficialChannelShaykhBaajammaal/79

Translated by: Abu Yusuf Bilal ibn Howard Robinson