An- Nahdah ( Revival) by Al-Ustaadh Haafizh Saalih (Fareed Muhammad Saalih Al-Ghaanim)

In the Name of Allah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem By time.

Verily man(kind) is in loss.

Except for the one who believes and acts righteous deeds and enjoins to the truth and enjoins to patience (Al-‘Asr).

When the revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah (saw) for the first time, his wife Khadijah (ra) took him to see her uncle Waraqah Bin Nawfil to ask him about what the Messenger (saw) saw and heard. Waraqah said: ‘Indeed this is the Naamoos (same Angel) that came down upon Musaa Bin ‘Imraan. If I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly’. The Messenger (saw) asked: ‘O Uncle, will they drive me out?’ He replied: ‘Yes. Never did a man come with something similar to what you have brought but was met with hostility’.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: <<The grinding wheel of Islaam is turning, so turn wherever it turns. Indeed the authority and Qur’aan will separate, so stick to the Kitaab (Al-Qur’aan). Indeed misguided and misguiding leaders will take over your affairs. If you follow them then they will lead you astray and if you opposed them they will kill you. The Sahaabah asked: What should we do O Messenger of Allah? He (saw) said: Do just as the companions of ‘Isaa (as) did. They were nailed to wood and they were split by saws. By the one in whose hand is Muhammad’s soul, death in the path of Allah is better than living in disobedience to him>> (Related by Abu Nu’aim in ‘Dalaa’il An-Nabuwwa’).

Additionally Allah (swt) narrated the stories of the Prophets to the Messenger of Allah (saw) to make evident to him that which his brothers from amongst the prophets were exposed to in terms of repulsion, disbelief, denial and harm and how those men of great determination stood up to this. This was in order to strengthen the heart of the Messenger (saw) and make it firm.

Allah (swt) said to him (saw):

So persevere with patience like those Messengers who possessed firm determination (Al-Ahqaaf 35).

This is because people are people and the work for change means that they will face and be exposed to the same as those who engaged in this work before them in the past. This will include being cast aside, being rejected, denied, repulsed and fought. In regards to this; the words that were spoken to Nuh (as) stand out:

We do not see you but as a man like ourselves, and we do not see you followed except by those who are the lowest of us [and who accept] at the first suggestion (without thinking). And we do not see you possessing any merit over us.

(Hud 27).

This is the very same speech that the Da’wah carriers of hear today.

Therefore those who are working to revive their Ummah, elevate their status and affair and change what is within it until Allah (swt) changes its reality:

Verily Allah does not change what exists within a people until they change what exists within themselves (Ar-Ra’d 11).

It is obligatory upon those working, to fuel their determination and sharpen their wits so that they can counter their foe and defeat their enemies, whilst following the Messenger of Allah (saw) and relying upon Allah (swt). Allah (swt) has said in His Kitaab Al-‘Azeez to remind the believers of what they will come across in terms of suffering and what they will face in terms of dangers:

And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that men might kidnap you, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His Help, and provided you with good things so that you might be grateful (Al-Anfaal 26).

Indeed it is incumbent upon anyone desiring to revive the Ummah to take into account that which befell the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his noble companions (rah) , the extent to which Allah (swt) put them on trial and tested them and how they stood up to this. How they struggled with their Nafs and built it upon that which Allah (swt) had made obligatory in terms of knowledge (‘Ilm) and action (‘Amal). Knowledge of what is needed and what is being calling to, and action to bring that into the reality of life. This is performed with all that is demanded in terms of tenacity, perseverance and effort whilst taking all that comes in terms of trials and afflictions. This is because the preparation of the Nafs (elf) and placing it in the central position of responsibility and leadership for this Ummah makes knowledge of what this responsibility demands an inevitable and indispensable.

From amongst the greatest obligations that responsibility and leadership demands is the responsibility of attending to over one thousand million Muslims and the future responsibility of attending to the affairs of the entire world, so that the words of Allah (swt) can be realised:

And as such we have made you the best (just) nation in order for you to be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger a witness over you (Al-Baqarah 143).

From amongst the greatest obligations that responsibility demands is the acquisition of knowledge for what is required and needed. Otherwise how can the responsible person be responsible over a people if he does not know what this responsibility is and what it entails? And how is it possible for the people to be led by this responsible person whilst he is unaware of what direction he should be leading them? The one who said: ‘The Ummah does not give its leadership to the ignorant or the coward’ spoke the truth. This does not mean however that the person should remain silent until he has knowledge about everything matter. Rather the issue from the perspective of the person revolves around making the firm resolution to know what is necessary to know and what he requires in order to fulfil his responsibility and to undertake the work in accordance to the knowledge that has reached him and he has understood. The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to convey what he heard from the Wahi (revelation) and what was revealed to him from His Rabb whilst not waiting for the completion of the knowledge and he continued in the Da’wah, conveyance and implementation for twenty-three years. He would convey the Aayah, Surah or Hadeeth as soon as the Wahi had descended and he (saw) said:

<<Convey from me and even if it is one Aayah>> (Al-Bukhaari, Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi from Ibn ‘Umar (ra)).

And he (saw) also said: <<May Allah illuminate the person who hears a Hadeeth from me and memorizes it so that he can convey it. It may be that a person who carries Fiqh (knowledge/understanding) conveys it to someone with more Fiqh than that person and it may be that the carrier of this Fiqh is not a Faqeeh (A knowledgeable person)>> (Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad and At-Tirmidhi from Ibn Mas’ood (ra).

This relates to an individual, as for the Kutlah, then it is also of its greatest obligations to understand and be aware of what it requires and needs and to fully comprehend its responsibility, understand its position and the possibility of it taking the leadership over its youth, Ummah and even the world when it comes within the realm of its actual responsibility. This makes it essential and indispensable to put down a blueprint and complete detailed planning in regards to what it wants to culture and raise its youth with and so that it can earn the trust and confidence of the Ummah and lead her in accordance to the planning, whilst fully comprehending what is happening in the world around her in terms of realities and events. This is so that the Kutlah is capable of presenting suitable solutions and treatments that are sound and correct whilst realising that the realities and events are always changing and never stop changing. Adopting a position towards these realities and events whilst presenting solutions and treatments is a necessary matter in respect to following the example of what came in the Qur’aan. This is because it was revealed upon the realities and incidents, it exposed the schemes and conspiracies that were being hatched and it addressed what happened intellectually, to the extent that it even addressed the one who forbade another to perform the Salaah:

Have you seen the one who forbids, a slave when he prays (Al-‘Alaq 9-10).

Therefore the Kutlah must openly express its view in relation to the events and realities and adopt the positions and stances that it is obligatory for it to take whilst not fearing the consequences or anything other than Allah (swt). As such the Kutlah does not sympathise with the ruler or adulate and fawn the leader and it does not remain silent over a Munkar (clear wrong):

Allah (swt) says:

They wish that you would soften/compromise [in your position], so they would soften [toward you] (Al-Qalam 9).

This is the meaning of the Nafs that strives with knowledge and patience in the face of all hardships. This is demonstrated in the examples of Bilaal Al-Habashiy and Khabbab Bin Al-‘Aratt (rah), who both endured severe beating and much suffering to the extent that one of them raised the issue of their suffering to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he responded by saying: <<I have hope in Allah that a girl will be able to travel between Yemen and Al-Furaat (Iraq) without having to fear anything but Allah and he sheep>>. These were lessons that the Messenger of Allah (saw) inculcated into his Sahaabah (rah) so that they could be raised to the level of responsibility and leadership. As for his (saw)’s statement to the family of Yaasir:

<<Persevere in patience O family of Yaasir for verily your appointed destination is Paradise>> (Ibn Hisham).

Which was followed by the reply of Sumayyah in which she said:

<It is as if I can see it in front of me O Messenger of Allah>.

So this represents another lesson, of a different kind, which relates to enduring the harm and persevering patiently in the face of hardships.

The following relates to the different types of suffering that are faced when engaging in this work:

The poet said: The Zhulm (oppression) suffered at the hands of those who are close (in relation) is more severe many times over.

This type of suffering is from the Sunnah of Allah (swt) in regards to his creation and He narrated upon His Messenger what had happened with the Anbiyaa’ (Prophets) who preceded him. So there is the example of Sayyidunaa Nuh (as) who was put on trial and tested in respect to both his wife and son:

Allah (swt) states:

Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them (At-Tahreem 10).

And He (swt) says:

And Nuh called to his son who was apart [from them]: "O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers. But] he said, "I will take refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water." [Nuh] said: "There is no protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy." And the waves came between them, and he was among the drowned (Hud 42-43).

And He (swt) revealed the stories of the different nations and what they did to the prophets who had been sent to them including what was narrated about Bani Isra’eel, what they did and how they killed the prophets without any right or justification.

This suffering is part of the Sunnah of Allah and He (swt) says:

But you will never find in the way (Sunnah) of Allah any change, and you will never find in the way (Sunnah) of Allah any alteration (Al-Faatir 43).

And we also have our Messenger and our best example (saw) to see the extent of the trials that his own people chose to him put him through. There was his Uncle Abu Lahab and his wife, Quraish and their positions of hostility against him and all of the Arabs unified against him as if they were shooting an arrow from a single bow. And here is the beautiful Du’aa of the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he returned from Taa’if after being rejected, set upon and stoned by the thugs of Bani Thaaqif:

“O Allah! To You do I complain of the weakness of my strength, of my helplessness and of my lowliness before men. O most Merciful of the merciful. You are the Lord of the weak and oppressed and my Lord too. Into whose hands have you entrusted me? Unto some far off stranger who receives me with hostility? Or unto a enemy whom you have empowered against me? I care not, so long as You are not angry with me. But Your favour is much more significant to me. I take refuge in the light of Your countenance whereby all darknesses are illuminated and all things of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest You make descend Your anger upon me or lest Your wrath beset me. Yet it is Yours to reproach until You are well pleased. There is no power and no might except with You>>.

And by taking a glance at his Noble Sahaabah (rah) and the suffering and hostility they encountered from their children, fathers, mothers and relatives you will see the best of examples of this reality. So there was Abu Bakr (ra) who was put on trial by his father and son, Abu ‘Ubaidah (ra) who was tested with his son, Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqaas (ra) was tested with his mother and there was a large group from amongst them who had to perform Hijrah to Al-Habashah (Ethiopia) fleeing with their Deen. They did not have a helper or supporter from their families or relatives other than Allah (swt) and Allah is sufficient as a Wakeel.

This then is the very same that befalls the Kutlah and its Shabab in terms of suffering and what is needed of patient perseverance when being confronted by their family and relatives and the positions that they must adopt in relation to this matter. So the individual or party bloc (Kutlah) cannot expect to gain the support and assistance except after enduring the tests and standing firm in the face of them.

It is a natural and obvious matter to expect the people to be hostile to and stand in the way of any new idea that aims at changing the model and style of life that they are living and have adopted. They will naturally oppose anything which targets a complete change in the relationships that connect them together and upon the basis of which their society has been formed and their interests and systems have been built, in addition to that which their feelings and sensations have unified upon. And we have in the Messenger of Allah (saw) the best example of this reality as it wasn’t his invitation to the oneness of Allah and His worship that stirred the anger of the Quraish and the Arabs. This is because there were others before him who used to do this like the Jamaa’ah Al-Hanafiyah (the monotheistic group) who included the likes of Waraqah Bin Naufil and Al-Qas Bin Saa’idah Al-Iyaadi who used to address the people in the market of ‘Ukaazh and say: ‘Qas swears by Allah, there is no sin in him, to Allah belongs a Deen that is better than the Deen that you are following’. Despite this the Arabs were not hostile towards him nor did not stand against him and this is because he did not stand in opposition to and challenge the relationships that existed between them, nor did he stand against their interests or their model of living.

However when they heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying to them: <<Say Laa Ilaaha Illallah and you will be successful>> and when they heard what came to him from the verses of the Qur’aan, they realised the consequences of that and it became clear to them that he wanted to change their viewpoint towards life, to demolish their present entity and to build a new entity upon a new basis and upon a new viewpoint for life. This would lead to the end of their interests, their leadership and would make the sovereignty in ruling belong to Allah and not to them. As such their revolt, hostility and their efforts to finish off the Da’wah was based upon this realisation. The confrontation was between the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions (rah) on one side and the Quraish and the Arabs on the other side. The weak were tortured like Bilaal, ‘Ammaar, Yaasir, Sumayyah and ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood amongst many others (rah) whilst those who were able to made Hijrah like Ja’far, ‘Uthmaan and Abdullah Bin Jahsh amongst others (rah) did so. And how beautiful is the description that the Lord of the worlds has given to this reality of suffering and the rewards of patient perseverance when he (swt) says:

And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might abduct you, but He sheltered you, supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things - that you might be grateful (Al-Anfaal 26).

The situation was such that it reached the point where the individual feared for his life and the Kutlah feared for its survival fearing that people would hijack it and remove it from existence. The Quraish allied with one another to boycott them and imprisoned the Messenger of Allah (saw), those who with him and those who supported him in the outskirts of Makkah. They were struck by everything that was conceivable and were opposed and stood against with every imaginable style.

The Kutlah or Hizb (political group) works to change the society, the standing permanent relationships that exist amongst the people, the system that regulates these relationships and the people’s viewpoint in life. It then works to build a society upon new thoughts and sentiments, to make the relationships proceed in accordance to new laws and to establish a system that regulates the relationships upon new bases and principles. It seeks to take care of the people’s interests by a new model and establish a new specific viewpoint in life that explains the meaning and purpose of their existence in life. It naturally follows that any Kutlah or Hizb that is undertaking all of these matters must realise and take into account that being cast out, boycotted, having their necks and sources of income cut represents some of what they will be afflicted with and suffer from whilst engaging in their struggle and work to generate its thought within the reality of life.

Allah (swt) says:

Verily the patient will be given their reward without account (Az-Zumar 10).

And He (swt) describes them as:

Except for those who believe and do righteous acts and enjoin one another to the truth and enjoin one another upon patience (Al-‘Asr 3).

Or as He (swt) said:

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect Al-Kahf 28).

The objective is to establish Islaam within the reality of life which means making the rulings of Islaam the regulator of the people’s behaviour and conduct, in addition to making the Islamic rules the basis of what regulates the relationships that exist within the society. It also means making the sovereignty belong to the Shar’a (Divine Islamic legislation) and to carry Islaam to the world until the proof and argument has been established upon mankind and the people have been taken out of the darkness and brought into the light. This is what bringing Islaam into the reality of life means and what it means to build an Ummah, change what the society is upon and to establish a State that takes over the responsibility to apply and implement Islaam internally and to carry it as an invitation to the world.

The work aims to build an Ummah and to change the thoughts and sentiments that the society is established upon. This work means that the corruption of the standing relationships is made evident and clear to the people, whether these are relationships that exist between the individuals amongst themselves or relationships that exists between the people and the executive body and authority, or the corruption of the relationships between the executive body and the other institutions and departments. If this work was undertaken and even if it was only undertaken by utilising the power of thought alone where the straight line is presented in front of the crooked line, this work would still unsettle and provoke those who have been placed in the positions of authority and are responsible for the implementation of the system. It will provoke their anger and push them towards attempting to finish off this Da’wah using many different styles to achieve this, the least and lightest of which is imprisonment. This is because they comprehend and realise that the existence and presence of this thought within the Ummah would mean for them the disappearance of their ruling authority and the end to their interests.

Fir’aun is an example of such tyranny and cruelty due to the oppression and suppression that he unleashed upon the people and due to what they suffered in terms of humiliation and contempt, to the point that he even demanded that the people worship him.

I have known of no other God for you (to worship) other than me (Al-Qasas 38).

The Lord of the worlds described him as being from amongst those who cause corruption on the earth and as a tyrant and oppressor. However despite that this Fir’aun accepted to fight proof against proof and evidence against evidence. Allah (swt) narrated what was upon the tongue of Fir’aun when he said:

[Pharaoh] said: "So who is the Lord of you two, O Moses?" He said: "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its created form and then guided [it]." [Pharaoh] said: "Then what is the case of the former generations?" [Moses] said: "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets." (Ta Ha 49-52).

Following this Fir’aun met with his inner circle and advisors and they said: They said: "Indeed, these are two magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and do away with your most exemplary way (Ta Ha 63).

And they said:

They said: "Delay him and his brother for a while and go out to the cities to gather.

Every learned, skilled magician will be brought to you (Ash-Shu’araa 36-37).

Then Fir’aun met with Musa (as) and said:

He said: "Have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Moses?

Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned." [Moses] said: "Your appointment is on the day of the festival when the people assemble at mid-morning.”َ(Ta Ha 59).

How amazing is this dialogue that has come in Surah Ta Ha and took place between Musa (As) and this tyrant! Subhaanallah, this Fir’awn who has been described with tyranny and ruthlessness accepts a battle of proofs and accepts for the evidences and proofs to be presented in front of the eyes and ears of the people. So if this was the example of the one described with oppression, suppression and arbitrary ruthlessness then what is the reality of the rulers presiding over the necks of the people in this day and age? The truth of the matter is that they are those who do not accept for even one rule or law to be criticised or allow any criticism of the system that regulates the relationships of the people. And what is the recompense for the one who does that except that he will be imprisoned, tortured, killed or driven from his home. This is the inevitable reality facing any Kutlah that is working to confront the system and regime and there is no other way or alternative method that can possibly lead to the building of the Ummah, correct the society, change the system and establish the thought in life’s reality.

This is because the society is established upon the permanent relationships that exist between the people and the criticism of any relationship is inevitably a criticism of the standing regime and system. Criticising the Nizhaam (system/regime) is part and parcel of the work that is attempting to remove it. However the work to remove the regime in the view of the ruler is a crime whilst the one undertaking the action in the view of the law is a criminal who deserves to be punished. The work that aims at changing the societal relationships necessitates that the corruption of these relationships be exposed, in addition to the corruption of the regime and system. For this reason suffering and patience is an obligatory matter and due to this the recompense is great and the reward is plentiful. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: <<The best of martyrs is Hamzah (ra) and a man who stands up to an oppressive ruler and is killed for that>> and is there any better recompense and more plentiful rewards than being in the company or ranks of the master of martyrs, Hamzah Ibn Abdul Mutallib (ra), the lion of Allah and the paternal uncle of the Messenger (saw).

So how can we reconcile between two opposing and contradictory matters (the work of the Da’wah and personal safety and wellbeing)? The work means manifesting the Haqq (truth) and taking down the Baatil (falsehood) which means exposing the corruption of the current relationships existing between the people and exposing the system and regime that is responsible for applying these relationships. This is the same whether these relationships are economic, social or cultural. This is because the constitution and laws are what have specified these relationships and explained how they should proceed. This includes all what happens in the street to what words are spoken, in addition to goods that are bought and sold, a house that is rented, goods that imported, a woman that is married, wealth or property left for inheritance, the running of a school and the subjects that are taught within it amongst many other matters. So all of these are relationships that are governed and regulated by the law and the ruler is the one who implements them. Therefore exposing any corruption in any of these areas inevitably means exposing the corruptions of the ruler and the bodies that are responsible for their implementation and this is considered a crime that leads to imprisonment or death for the one who has perpetrated it. On the other hand self preservation and safety necessitates abandoning and leaving this work. So how can we reconcile between this work and personal safety and wellbeing? Undertaking the work means prison and persecution whilst abandoning the work means sinfulness and earning the anger of the Lord of the servants.

Allah (swt) has commanded us with this work:

And let there be from amongst you an Ummah that calls to the Khair (Good) and orders the Ma’roof (the good) and forbids the Munkar (the bad) and they are those who are successful (Aali ‘Imraan 104).

And he (saw) said: <<You must enjoin the good and forbid the bad or Allah will make your evil ones dominate over you and then your best will make Du’aa and they will not be answered>> (Al-Bazzaar and At-Tabaraani in Al-Awsat). And he (saw) said: <<The one who is silent over the Haqq (truth) is a Shaitaan Akhras (mute)>> or in a wording that is similar. So how do we reconcile between undertaking the work and imprisonment, or between obedience to Allah and our personal wellbeing and safety?

In truth the work necessitates suffering, perseverance and enjoining upon patience and it is this decision that will define the meaning of the person’s life. The position he takes can either mean the greatest loss for him, if he decides to leave the work or it can mean the supreme success for him, if he engages in the work and enjoins upon the truth and patience.

And may Allah’s mercy be upon the one who said: ‘By Allah, if I was not to find resistance from my family and the people who are closest to me, and if I was not to find opposition and resistance from the people and if I was not opposed and fought against by the current standing regimes, then I would have doubted the very path that I was treading because my criteria and measure are represented in his words (saw): ‘There is no rest after this day O Khadijah’. My only method is the method that he proceeded along in addition to what Allah (swt) has narrated from the lives and paths of the early Anbiyaa and Mursaleen and what they were afflicted with from their people and families. And how meaningful was the statement of Waraqah Bin Nawfil when he said to the Messenger of Allah (saw): If I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly. The Messenger (saw) said: Will they drive me out? He replied: None have come with the like of what you have come with except that he was driven out’.

Allah (swt) said:

[This is] the Sunnah (established way) of Allah with those who passed on before; and you will not find in the Sunnah (way) of Allah any change (or alteration) (Al-Ahzaab 62).

Allah (swt) says:

And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you (Al-Baqarah 143).

And He (swt) stated:

You are the best Ummah raised up for mankind, you order what is right and you forbid what is wrong and you believe in Allah (Aali ‘Imraan 110).