A Message!

By Ibrahim S.

Assalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatu Brothers and Sisters in Islaam

(I hope that the sister who is in charge of this site and the readers who read these articles will forgive me for writing such a long blog. I felt that this is a very important message for the Ummah to read so it took the length of 3 pages to write. May Allaah reward you all for your patience and time, aameen!)

O Muslims! I heard the Seerah ( Biography) Of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam presented by Imaam Anwar Al-Awlaki (May Allaah preserve him) from his work “The Makkan Period”; and in this wonderful, beautiful and compassionate study, the Imaam brings to us powerful messages for all of us to think tremendously about; regarding the importance of studying Our Beloved Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam biography, and knowing that the Enemies of Islaam are trying to cut off our history’s roots in order for us to lose our true Muslim identity. Here is an excerpt taken from the Imaam’s work, “The Makkan Period” starting from track 6, 3:27 CD #1 the Imaam says,

( Quote )

“Brothers and Sisters. There is a Global Culture that is being forced down the throats of everyone on the face of the earth. This global culture is protected and promoted. Thomas Freedman, is a famous writer in the U.S., he writes for the New York Times. He says, “The hidden hand of the market cannot survive without a hidden fist. Mcdonalds will never flourish without Mcdonald Douglas, the designer of the F-15s. In other words, we’re not really dealing with a global culture that is benign or compassionate. This is a culture that gives you no choice. You either accept Mcdonalds otherwise Mcdonald Douglas will send their F-15s above your head. It’s a very intolerate culture that cannot co-exist with anything else. It uproots any other culture from the face of the earth. It just cuts the roots of it.”

And you have a quote here by Alexander Sulizitsen who is a famous Russian historian writer, he says,

“To destroy a people you must first sever their roots.”

Imaam Anwar continues by saying,

“So its really a destruction of the people of the earth because every other culture is being demolished. So this is not a global culture that will co-exist with others, it will replace others. And the only ideology that is standing up to this global culture is Islaam. But still as Muslims and especially Muslims living in the west, we are suffering from a serious identity crisis. I mean, you will find that even though the brother or sister would be practicing Islaam but, the Identity itself, the Islamic identity itself is lost. I mean, the person would have more in common with a rock star or a soccer player than they would have with a Companion of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). You would find that our youth know more about pop stars than they know about the Sahabah(i.e. Companions) of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. In fact even, sometimes even more than the Anbiya ( i.e.The Prophets). How many of our youth know the names of all of the Anbiya of Allaah?? How many of our youth know the names of the Sahabah radia Allaahu anhum? But ask the same person to name the soccer players on their favorite team or their best basketball players and they’ll go down the list! So there is serious identity crisis that is going on among Muslims. And the way we can counter that, the way we can develop a Muslim identity,

#1. By having a strong study of Islaamic History. Which is made up of the lives of the Prophets of Allaah, the life of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the lives of the Sahabah radia Allaahu anhum and then learning in general the Muslim history after that. So that’s #1. You develop an Identity by having an attachment with history. Because History is our umbilical cord, that is our lifeline, we are an extention of an Ummah. We’re not separated, we’re not severed from our roots. We are a part of a Glorious Ummah that we need to study about.

#2. By being part of the World Wide Muslim Ummah. Our Local identity should not override our Muslim Identity. So my identification with Britain, or America, or Pakistan or Kuwait, or any other country, should not override my Islamic Identity. See this nation-state concept is something that Islaam came to abolish. We have our loyalty to Allaah Subhanahu Wata’ala and to our Religion. And we are a part of a World Wide Ummah. Therefore we need to study, we need to learn about our Muslim brethren all over the world. What happens in Falesteen should concern everybody who is a British Muslim. What happens in Kashmir should concern every American Muslim. What happens in every corner of the Muslim World should concern me as if it is happening within my own house.

(My Note (Ibrahim))- Narrated An Numan bin Bashir Allah's Apostle said, "You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it." (Sahih Al-Bukhari 8.40) [End Note]

So these are the 2 important elements in building an identity. #1. Having a deep understanding of your history. And #2 being a part of the Ummah and caring about the Ummah. And again this saying of Alexander Sulizitsen,

“To destroy a people you must first sever their roots”

We don’t want our roots to be severed, we want our roots to be deep.
(End Quote from the Lecture)

O Muslims ! Please ponder over the Imaam’s words because they are a reality. Do not let your nafs(self) tell you otherwise. I will leave you with a hadeeth from the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam a poem and a short supplication in relation to the issue mentioned in the lecture insha’Allaah.

“The Nations are about to gather upon you (inviting each other to kill you and plunder your lands), just as people who are dining call one another to their Qis’ah (a tray that can accommodate ten).” Someone said, “At that time, will we be few in number?” He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,” Rather, you will be many at that time, but you will be like the scum of a flood(i.e. all the foam and filth that it carries). And Allaah will indeed remove from the breasts of your enemy the awe they have for you, and He Subhanahu Wata’ala will indeed cast into your hearts Wahn (Literally, weakness).” A questioner asked, “ O Messenger of Allaah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and what is the Wahn?” He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, “The love of the world and hatred of death.” (Related by Abu Dawud and others; Refer to al-Sahihah (958)

O, when will the Ummah wake up from the delusion

When the Mountain erupts, the people become attentive and full of righteouness

But when it remains still and unspoken

The vultures linger

The people practice unrighteousness and sleep well till they become lifeless, loving the duniya(the world)

Forgetting the great Bounty that was bestowed upon them

So what is left but a carcass?

Allaahu Akbar, Allahu a’azzu min khalqihi jammee’an, Allaahu a’azzu mimmaa akhaafu wa ahtharu, a’uthu billaahil-lathee laa ilaaha illa Huwa, al-mumsik is-samaawaatis sab’I an yaqa’ na ‘alal-ardhi illa bi’ith-nihi, min sharri ‘abdikha[name of person], wa junoodihi wa atbaa’ihi, minal-jinni wal-insi, Allaahumma kun lee jaaran min sharrihim, jalla thanaa’uka wa ‘azza jaaruka, wa tabaarakasmuka, wa laa illaaha ghairuka.

Allaah is the Greatest, Mightier than all His creation. He is Mightier than what I fear and dread. I seek refuge in Allaah, Who there is none worthy of worship but Him. He is the One Who holds the seven heavens from falling upon the earth except by His Command. [ I seek refuge in you Allaah] from the evil of your slave[Shayton] and his helpers, his followers and his supporters from among the jinn and mankind. Oh Allaah, be my support against their evil. Glorious are Your praises and mighty is Your patronage. Blessed is Your Name, there is no true God but You!

(Al-Bukhari, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (no. 708). Al Albani graded it Authentic in Sahih Al-Al Mufrad (no. 546).
Aameen!