Status of Muslim Ummah
Delivered November 5, 2004
السلام عليكم و رحمة اللّهِ و بَرَكَاتُه
اعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
My dear friends, the title of this lecture is Present Status of the Muslim Ummah according to Quran and Hadeeth. To begin with I would like to bring to your attention that most of the minor signs mentioned in Quran & Hadeeth that are to occur before the end of this universe have been fulfilled, they are as follows (references are available and can be provided on request).
Followings are the major signs of the last hour:
· Blowing of the trumpet
The above signs makes one wonder if every thing was foretold by our beloved prophet Muhammed (SAWS), then what is the present status of Muslim Ummah?
The following Ahadeeth probably describe this state:
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA): AbuNadrah reported: We were in the company of Jabir and he said: It may happen that the people of Iraq may not send their qafiz and dirhams (their measures of foodstuff and their money). Sahaba asked: Who would be responsible for it? Rasoolullah SAWS said: The non-Arabs would prevent them. Rasoolullah SAWS again said: There is the possibility that the people of Syria may not send their dinar and mudd. Sahaba asked: Who would be responsible for it? He (Rasoolullah SAWS) said: This prevention would be made by the Romans.…….. (Muslim)
Narrated AbuHurayrah (RA): Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Iraq would withhold its dirhams and qafiz; Syria would withhold its mudd and dinar and Egypt would withhold its irdab and dinar and you would recoil to that position from where you started and you would recoil to that position from where you started and you would recoil to the position from where you started, the bones and the flesh of AbuHurayrah would bear testimony to it. (Muslim)
Narrated Thawban (RA): The Prophet (SAWS) said: The people will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their dish. Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and last enervation into your hearts. Someone asked: What is enervation. Apostle of Allah (SAWS replied: Love of the world and dislike of death. (Sunan of Abu Dawood)
The word used in Arabic for enervation is WAHN, mentioned in the above Hadeeth is described in the Quran as follows:
139. 3 وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And do not be weak nor grieve, for you will dominate if you are believers. (Al Quran, C3:V139)
3.146. وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ
And how many of the prophets fought (in the way of Allah) with whom there were many devoted men, so they did not become weak (hearted) because of what befell them in the way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor were they humbled and Allah loves those who are patient. (Al Quran, C3:V146)
4.104. وَلاَ تَهِنُواْ فِي ابْتِغَاء الْقَوْمِ إِن تَكُونُواْ تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمونَ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللّهِ مَا لاَ يَرْجُونَ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
And do not be weak hearted in the pursuit of the (enemy’s) people, if you are in pain then they too are in pain as you are in pain, and you hope from Allah that which they do not hope for, and Allah is Knowing, Wise. (Al Quran, C4:V104)
47.33. فَلَا تَهِنُوا وَتَدْعُوا إِلَى السَّلْمِ وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ وَاللَّهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَن يَتِرَكُمْ أََعْمَالَكُمْ
So do not be weak (hearted) and (do not) invite (them) towards peace when you are dominating, and Allah is with you and He will never leave your deeds (go unrewarded). (Al Quran, C47:V35)
From the above verses it is clear that the word WAHN means weak / weak hearted and that we should be patient and be believers and not to be weak hearted.
The following points are a summary of many Ahadeeth that describe the trials and afflictions in detail and what we should do:
· Pay the rulers their rights and ask your rights from Allah and be patient till you meet me (Rasoolallah SAWS) (Bukhari)
· The destruction of my followers will be through the hands of young men from Quraish (Bukhari)
· I see afflictions falling among your houses as rain drops fall (meaning abundance of trials & afflictions) (Bukhari)
· There will be afflictions (in the near future) during which a sitting person will be better than a standing one, and the standing one will be better than the walking one, and the walking one will be better than the running one, and whoever will expose himself to these afflictions, they will destroy him. So whoever can find a place of protection or refuge from them, should take shelter in it. In another version it is said keep to your houses, and in yet another version Rasoolallah SAWS said Behold! when the turmoil comes or it appears, the one who has camel should stick to his camel and he who has sheep or goat should stick to his sheep and goat and he who has land should stick to the land. And the one who has neither camel nor sheep nor land should take hold of his sword and beat its edge with the help of stone and then try to find a way of escape (Bukhari & Muslim)
· The evil & good periods which this ummah has experienced & will experience are described as:
o The period of ignorance before Islam – this was evil
o Allah brought good to this community – by sending Rasoolallah SAWS & Islam
o It was asked will there be any evil after this good to which Rasoolallah SAWS replied “yes”
o Then it was asked will there be any good after this evil, to which Rasoolallah SAWS replied yes, but it will be tainted (not pure) – there will be some people who will guide others not according to my sunnah – you will approve of some and disapprove of the others
o Then it was asked will there be any evil after this good, Rasoolallah SAWS replied Yes, (there will be) some people calling at the gates of the (Hell) Fire, and whoever will respond to their call, will be thrown by them into the (Hell) Fire – They will be from our own people and will speak our language
o Then it was asked what we should do to save ourselves, to which Rasoolallah SAWS replied “Stick to the group of Muslims and their Imam (ruler), and If there is neither a group of Muslims nor an Imam (ruler)? "Then turn away from all those sects even if you were to eat the roots of a tree till death overtakes you while you are in that state. In another version Rasoolallah SAWS ordered the questioner to learn the book of Allah and adhere to its contents. (Bukhari)
· There will come a time when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep which he will take to the tops of mountains and the places of rainfall so as to flee with his religion from the afflictions (Bukhari)
· There are two types of afflictions,
o One is the afflictions of a man in his family, his property, his children and his neighbors which are expiated by his prayers, Zakat (and alms) and enjoining good and forbidding evil
o Second are the afflictions, which will move like the waves of the sea. There is a closed door between them and us; once this door is broken it will never be closed. This door was Umar RA. (Bukhari & Muslim)
· Worshiping during the period of widespread turmoil is like emigration towards me (Bukhari)
· If Allah sends punishment upon a nation then it befalls upon the whole population indiscriminately and then they will be resurrected (and judged) according to their deeds (Bukhari)
· Allah has granted for this Ummah that it would not be destroyed by famine and it would not be dominated by an enemy who would not be amongst it and would take their lives and destroy them totally even if all the people from the different parts of the world join hands together (for this purpose), but it would be from amongst this Ummah, that some people would kill the others or imprison the others (Parts from Bukhari, Muslim)
· Rasoolallah SAWS prayed to Allah SWT for 3 things, He accepted 2 and withheld one, Rasoolallah SAWS asked that this Ummah should not be destroyed because of famine and Allah granted this wish. And Rasoolallah SAWS asked that this Ummah should not be destroyed by drowning (by deluge) and Allah granted this. And Rasoolallah SAWS asked that there should be no bloodshed among the people of my Ummah, but He did not grant it (Muslim)
·
The Romans will capture
Syria, Muslims army which will be the best of the people on this earth at that
time will come from Medina to oppose them. When the fight starts one third of
the Muslim army will run away, one third will be martyred and the last third
will be victorious and conquer
Constantinople (which is present day Istanbul), then Dajjal will appear and so
will Isa ibn Maryam AS, Dajjal would be destroyed on seeing him. (Muslim)
· There came to Allah’s messenger SAWS some people from the west to whom he said as follows:
o You will attack Arabia and Allah will enable you to conquer it,
o Then you would attack Persia and He would make you to conquer it.
o Then you would attack Rome and Allah will enable you to conquer it,
o Then you would attack the Dajjal and Allah will enable you to conquer him. (Muslim)
· Rasoolallah SAWS said “I and the Last Hour are (close to each other) like this (and he, in order to explain it) pointed (by joining his) forefinger, (one) next to the thumb and the middle finger (together)” (Muslim)
· This Ummah has its days of peace and (security) at the beginning of its career, and in the last phase of its existence it will be afflicted with trials and with things disagreeable to you. (In this phase of the Ummah), there will be tremendous trials, one after the other, each making the previous one dwindle into insignificance. When they are afflicted with a trial, the believer will say: This is going to bring about my destruction. When (the trial) is over, they will be afflicted with another trial and the believer will say: This surely is going to be my end. Whoever wishes to be delivered from the Fire and enter the Garden should die with faith in Allah and the Last Day and should treat the people as he wishes to be treated by them. He who swears allegiance to a Caliph should give him the pledge of his hand and the sincerity of his heart (i.e. submit to him both outwardly as well as inwardly). He should obey him to the best of his capacity. If another man comes forward (as a claimant to Caliphate), disputing his authority, they (the Muslims) should behead the latter. (Muslim)
· Count six signs that indicate the approach of the Hour: my death, the conquest of Jerusalem, a plague that will afflict you (and kill you in great numbers) as the plague that afflicts sheep, the increase of wealth to such an extent that even if one is given one hundred Dinars, he will not be satisfied; then an affliction which no Arab house will escape, and then a truce between you and Bani Al-Asfar (i.e. the Romans) who will betray you and attack you under eighty flags. Under each flag will be twelve thousand soldiers (Muslim)
· Allah has protected this Ummah from three things: that your Prophet should not invoke a curse on you and should all perish, that those who follow what is false should not prevail over those who follow the truth, and that you should not all agree in an error (Tirmidhi)
· Allah’s messenger was asked if someone enters my house during turmoil & afflictions and extends his hands to kill me (what should I do?) The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) replied: Be like the two sons of Adam, one of whom said as the Quran mentions "If you stretch your hand against me to slay me I will not extend my hand to kill you." (Abu Dawood)
· There will be civil strife, which wipe out the Arabs, and their slain will go to Hell. During it the tongue will be more severe than blows of the sword. (Abu Dawood)
· The Rasoolallah SAWS said: This people of mine is one to which mercy is shown. It will have no punishment in the next world, but its punishment in this world will be trials, earthquakes and being killed (Abu Dawood)
· Some desert Arabs asked Allah’s messenger SAWS when will the last hour be established, he SAWS looked towards the youngest among them and said “If he lives he would not grow very old that he would find your Last Hour coming to you i.e. he would see you dying” (Abu Dawood)
· The Last Hour would come (so sudden) that a person would be milking the she- camel and the (milk) would not reach the brim of the vessel that the Last Hour would come, and the two persons would be engaged in buying and selling of the clothes and their bargain would not be struck before the Last Hour would come. And someone would be setting his tank in order and he would have hardly set it right when the Last Hour would come (Abu Dawood)
The solution to the present state of our ummah can be summed up in three points as follows:
· Every individual must be a believer (a momin)
· Follow Quran & Sunnah without being weak hearted and
· be patient
Then Allah promises in the Quran to the believers the following :
· Allah will not give the infidels a way of dominance over the believers (4:141)
· The people who are astray (not guided) cannot hurt you when you are guided (5:105)
· It is incumbent on Allah (SWT) to save & help the believers (10:103 & 30:47)
· Allah will make the believers successors (rulers) in the earth; will establish their religion and will give them peace (24:55)
· Allah’s help in both worlds (40:51)
· Allah will help you and make your feet firm (47:7)
· Allah will not destroy any city unjustly while its people are righteous (11:117)