Steadfastness In Trials: The Blessed Strangers Of Islam

Trials of the Ummah and the Virtue of the Ghuraba'

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

Indeed, everyone who is paying attention to the news and has any concern and love for Habib al-Mustafa ﷺ is quite alarmed by how the tests and the trials are coming one upon another upon this ummah of Rasulullah ﷺ. And this was prophesied by the Prophet ﷺ that the fitan are going to come upon this ummah one after the other in quick succession — just like the beads are together on a string and when it is cut, the beads fall off, whether it's a necklace or whether it's a tasbih — and there is hardly a gap between when one bead falls and the next.

It is not something that when a trial finishes or when a new type of violation occurs it's something next week — rather it's hour by hour. Things are very fast moving in dangerous directions. So one aspect and one perspective would be: if a person loses hope, loses their iman, and loses their trust in Allah, then that would be the ultimate loss. But at the same time we can, insha'Allah, look at it in a positive perspective — that this is an opportunity for us to gain so much thawab, because the thawab of sabr is greater than the thawab of shukr.

We don't ask from Allah the test of sabr, but if He has given it to us, if He has chosen to put us in this test and trial, then we should always look to the positive side. Is the glass half full or half empty? We should always be looking at it from the positive perspective.

The Virtues of the Later Generations

So the topic I wanted to share with the brothers and sisters today is: what are the fadail and the virtues that Rasulullah ﷺ mentioned for the later part of this ummah.

Yes, there will be challenges, but proportionate to how challenging it is to follow the deen, to hold on to the deen — proportional to that will be the reward, or the potential for reward, for those who persevere, for those who remain steadfast. The Prophet ﷺ has said that a time will come when it will be more difficult to hold on to the deen than the one who is holding on to a burning charcoal. The conditions will be such that it will be pushing a person to abandon the deen, to give up the deen.

And there is a general principle in our deen — the scholars say that the reward is proportionate to the amount of effort and sacrifice required for any ibadah. For example, if a person is going for hajj, the more difficulty there is in that hajj, the more sacrifices a person has to undergo, the greater the reward will be. And in fact this was so enticing for the sahaba — to be given that reward — and they were so haris and desirous for reward, that Rasulullah ﷺ had to go out of his way to caution them and say that on your part, you should always ask Allah for protection from all the afat, from calamities. Don't ask for calamities with the desire for more reward, to have the opportunity to make sabr and get reward.

So the more difficult it is to practice upon the orders of Allah, the greater the reward will be.

Islam Began as a Strange Religion — and Will Return as Such

And from this perspective, we can have a very unique relationship — a similarity — with the earliest generation. It is otherwise quite embarrassing to mention our names as sinners, as transgressors, as being so utterly negligent in all aspects of our deen, in the same breath, in the same sentence as the Sabiqoon al-Awwaloon — the early predecessors among the sahaba رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ. The first saff of Islam.

How can we mention our names with their names in the same sentence? But the only reason we have the himmah to do so is because the Prophet ﷺ himself — subhanAllah — gave this bashara and he mentioned this similarity. And it is because we gain strength from his words that we are able to say the following.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2630; also reported by Ibn Majah, Hadith 3988)

"Islam began as a very strange religion, and a time will come when it will once again be regarded as a very strange concept." Fatuba lil ghuraba — congratulations and great rewards and bashara and glad tidings for the ghuraba, for those who are considered strange by others. They are those who are holding firmly on to my sunnah at the time of the fasad and the corruption in the ummah.

Ghareeb has many connotations, but one common denominator is that it refers to something regarded as strange. Like a traveler — when he is in his hometown, he is a muqeem there, he resides in his town, everyone knows him. But when he is ghareeb anil watan, he is far away from his homeland, he is a traveler, a foreigner, a stranger — people don't know him. So that person is known as ghareeb. Or in a hadith, there is a ghareeb hadith — a classification in the mustalah. So that which is less well known, not widely known.

So bada al-islamu ghareeba — Islam began as a very strange concept. People said:

"How can all of the idols, all the gods, become one God? This concept of tawheed was very strange. This is something very strange. We never heard of this."

So it began as a very strange concept. Wasayaoodu ghareeba — and a time will come towards the end of times when it will once again be regarded as a very strange concept. And people will be mocking it, making fun of it. And beyond mocking and making fun — clamping down on it, restricting it, imprisoning people unlawfully, stripping them of their civil liberties and their rights. All kinds of attacks will happen against those who are practicing the deen.

So here we see the comparison that the Prophet ﷺ established between bada al-islamu ghareeba and sayayaoodu ghareeba. It began as strange — considered to be strange by people — and a time will come once again it will be like that. In the middle there will be an era when Islam will be the dominant way of life.

A Brief Look at the Growth of the Sahaba

So in the time of the sahaba, if you look in the seerah of Rasulullah ﷺ, they were persecuted in Mecca, they were a minority. Then Allah granted the Muslims Madinat al-Munawwarah as their capital where they were freely able to practice the deen after 13 years of suffering in Mecca. And then they were still threatened by the Meccans until Allah in the 8th year of hijrah granted victory to Rasulullah ﷺ in the Fath of Mecca. And after Fath-e-Makkah in the 8th year, the Prophet ﷺ passed away in the beginning of the 11th year — after just 2 years.

Ibn Shihabuddin al-Zuhri رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ, a great muhaddith and tabi'i from Madinat al-Munawwarah, made this observation: if you look at the number of the sahaba رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ, after 13 years of effort in Mecca and now in Madinah as well, we find — just a quick run of the metrics and numbers — in the Battle of Badr there were 313 sahaba. Only 313. Yes, they did not prepare to go out for battle — they were going to retrieve their stolen property from the caravan of Abu Sufyan — nor was it mandatory for everyone to leave, many people were left behind. Yes, keeping those facts in consideration, still it was very few numbers. Then in Uhud we have 1,000; from that, 300 munafiqoon went back, leaving 700. Then in Ahzab, and then in Hudaibiyah, the 6th year of hijrah, there were 1,400.

Jabir ibn Abdullah رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ says:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4154; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1856)

"We were 1,400 sahaba who had gathered under the tree of Hudaibiyah to pledge to defend Islam with our lives. And Rasulullah ﷺ said: You 1,400 are the best people on the surface of the earth." Only 1,400.

But after Sulh-e-Hudaibiyah, when the interaction with the non-Muslims began, and the non-Muslims began to see the beauty of the deen of Islam — because of the constant state of warfare up to Sulh-e-Hudaibiyah, they were not able to interact with Muslims — then all of a sudden, if you chart it, it goes steeply upward. Because two years later, in the 8th year of Hijrah, in Fath-e-Makkah, the number reaches 10,000. And after that, in the 10th year of Hijrah, in Hajjat al-Wada', it is 124,000.

They entered into Islam in huge numbers. What was happening is that, up to Fath-e-Makkah, many of the tribes were waiting on the sidelines. They were saying: look, there are two powers in Arabia — one is the original school of thought of Makkah, the Mushrikun; one is the new school of thought of the Muwahhidun in Madinah — and let us wait to see who wins, and let's join the winning side. So they were keeping tally. Badr — okay, 1-0. Then Uhud — 1-1. Then Khandaq/Ahzab — 2-1. Let's wait to see who wins. And then, after Fath-e-Makkah, they entered into Islam in great numbers, because they saw that okay, it's easier to join the winning side.

Even amongst the Munafiqun, Allah says:

So when the khair comes, it's easy to join the khair side. When the difficulty comes, then they turn their backs. So when Allah granted victory, it became easy to accept Islam.

The Two Groups — Before and After Fath-e-Makkah

And Allah made this distinction very clear in Surah Al-Hadid:

And in case we start looking down upon the later group, Allah made it clear: وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ — and al-husna is al-jannah, by the consensus of the mufassireen. So Allah said that they can never be equal in the eyes of Allah — those who spent in the path of Allah and strove in the path of Allah before Fath-e-Makkah, and those who came afterwards. Those who were before Fath-e-Makkah and during the difficult times — their status is far higher than those who came afterwards. However, وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ — Allah has guaranteed Jannah for both groups. So it's not that the later group is not going to get Jannah — Allah is also pleased with them.

Those who are the early predecessors from the Muhajireen and Ansar and those who followed afterwards — both groups: Allah is pleased with them, they are pleased with Allah. But those who made the sacrifice during the challenging times — their fadl must be established, their reward is greater, because they accepted Islam and strove during the difficult times.

So likewise, if we are going through difficulty, instead of becoming despondent, we should rise to the occasion and understand that this is an opportunity to gain that proximity to Allah. To insha'Allah be among the السَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ — ula'ika al-muqarraboon. To be among the ghuraba, to hold on firmly to the deen of Allah no matter how great the challenges may be.

The Prophet's ﷺ Love for the Later Believers

And to become worthy of being among those that the Prophet ﷺ prophesied. Those that he expressed his love for. Those that he mentioned that their iman is beloved to Allah.

On one occasion, the Prophet ﷺ asked the sahaba: ayyul khalqi a'jabu ilaykum imana? Which one of the creation, of the different tabaqat and categories of people, do you believe their iman is very beautiful and beloved indeed? So the sahaba said: the angels — their iman is, subhanAllah, at such a level, it never wavers. So Rasulullah ﷺ said:

"Why would they not have iman when they are near their Lord?" Then the sahaba said: what about the iman of the anbiya? He said:

"Why would they not believe when they are themselves recipients of divine revelation?" They said: what about our iman? He said:

"Why would you not believe when I am physically present amongst you?" So then the Nabi ﷺ said:

(Reported by al-Haythami in Majma' al-Zawa'id; see also related narrations in Musnad Ahmad)

"The most beautiful and worthy of praise is the iman of those people who will come generations after me — they will find the Book of Allah, and they will believe in it without having seen me." SubhanAllah.

One time the Nabi ﷺ said — and this is an encouragement for all of us — conveying the meaning of the hadith: "I would love to see my brothers. I wish to see my brothers." So the sahaba were sitting in front of him — they all loved Rasulullah ﷺ more than their parents, more than their children, more than any other loved one, more than themselves.

The right of Rasulullah ﷺ is greater upon us than our own right upon ourselves. So they naturally felt hurt that you see us, and we are ready to give our lives for you, and you are wishing to see your brothers. Who else is out there? Which ones are your brothers if not us?

They said: alasna ikhwanak ya Rasulullah — "Are we not your brothers?" The Nabi ﷺ said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 249; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 10620)

"No — you are my sahaba, my companions. The ikhwani, my brothers that I am wishing to see and am desirous to meet, and I have great hope to embrace insha'Allah — they are the people who are going to come after me. They are going to believe in me without having seen me." SubhanAllah.

So alhamdulillah, all of us are reciters of the kalimah — لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ. All of us say:

So we affirm our belief in Allah, we affirm our belief in Rasulullah ﷺ. And none of us have seen him in real life. Yes, some of the blessed souls sitting here — I am assuming, insha'Allah — have seen Rasulullah ﷺ in their dreams. But none of us have seen him in real life.

So this is a bashara for us, insha'Allah — if we die with iman. If we die with iman, which is a big shart and a big condition — we cannot forget about that. If we die with iman, we can be among those the Prophet ﷺ expressed desire that he wishes to see us.

So no matter how difficult the times may be — and the laws may change, and different government agencies may be taking people away and locking them up, not only locking them up but deporting them to different countries where they will have no access to any legal way out, and locked up for life — all of these things are happening, we are aware. But one bashara to get us through is that Rasulullah ﷺ said: I am looking forward to meeting them. And he will be, insha'Allah, giving the drink from the Hawd al-Kawthar with his Yadayn Sharifatayn, with his noble hands.

The Greater the Trial, the Greater the Maqam

The greater the trials are upon people, and they remain patient, the greater is their maqam before Allah. If the Anbiya are the most beloved to Allah, then they had the severest trials.

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2398; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4023)

"The severest trials are upon the Prophets. Then those next in rank, then those next in rank, then those next in rank." The Nabi ﷺ, if he is afdal al-mursaleen, it is because his sacrifice was the greatest:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2472; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 23456)

"I have been tortured in the path of Allah like no one else has been tortured before me or after me." If Sayyidah Fatimah رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا is Sayyidatun Nisa'i Ahlil Jannah, it is because she had the greatest sacrifices. She said:

"So many calamities have been dumped upon me — if they were dumped upon the day, it would turn into night."

Mocking the Believers — and the Ultimate Reversal

And if people are being mocked or attacked, then they should keep in mind all of the virtues mentioned in the Qur'an. In Surah Al-Mutaffifin, Allah talks about the disbelievers mocking the believers:

"When they pass by them, they are winking at one another. When they see them, they say: Oh, these are fundamentalists, these are people who are astray. When they go back to their own homes, their families, their circles — they are laughing with merriment and joy. They are making fun of the believers." Allah says: it doesn't make a difference what they say. They are not responsible for you. And on the Day of Judgment, the tables will be turned. The Day of Judgment is very near.

"You think it's far. Allah says: I say it is near." Sometimes making it close, He refers to it as tomorrow:

"Prepare for tomorrow." But over here, He makes it so close He refers to it as today:

"Today the believers will be laughing at many of the disbelievers. Sitting on their thrones, they are in comfort — while the disbelievers are in extreme distress on the Day of Judgment. Did they not receive the compensation for their actions?" This is the al-jaza'u min jinsil 'amal — the punishment or the reward is according to the nature of the deed. So they were laughing at the believers — now they are being laughed at. The one who laughs last, laughs best. This laughing last is khalidina fil jannah or khalidina fin naar — eternally in Jahannam or eternally in Jannah, insha'Allah.

The Most Frightening Ayah in the Qur'an

And likewise, we find the same concept at the end of Surah Al-Mu'minun. This ayah is considered the most frightening ayah in the entire Qur'an by many scholars of tafsir. There are categories of arja ayah fil Quran — the ayah that creates the most hope, the most comprehensive ayah, and so on. So this ayah is considered the scariest. When Allah addresses those who are crying out in Jahannam:

"Burn therein and do not even speak to Me." When they are asking Allah: please take us out — He says: don't even talk to Me, I don't want to see you. And when He is giving this very harsh response to the ahlul Jahannam, what is the context? It is because:

"There were My beloved servants in the worldly life who said: O Allah, we believe in You. Forgive us and shower Your mercy upon us — they were true believers. But you used to mock at them, you used to laugh at them. That now, today, I have rewarded them because they were patient. They are the true successful ones."

So mocking at the believers — or beyond mocking, hurting the believers, especially the ahlullah:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6502)

"Whoever hurts the waliy of Allah, Allah has declared war against him." So we should not take these things lightly.

Closing — Remaining Patient and Holding Firm

Whatever challenges we are facing, we remain patient, we remain resilient.

The reward will be without measure, insha'Allah. And insha'Allah, in the long run:

"The best ending is for those who hold on to taqwa." May Allah make us amongst them. May Allah give us the strength to face the current challenges, and whatever challenges remain in the future that are coming upon us in the ummah — here at home and abroad.

Du'a

Khutbah Closing

Allah commands justice, excellence, and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality, wrongdoing, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. Remember Allah — He will remember you. Call upon Him — He will respond to you. And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest. Allah knows what you do. Establish the prayer.

Announcements

As was announced, insha'Allah, immediately after the sunnah, we will have the Salat al-Janazah. Brothers should proceed to the gymnasium, which is behind the courtyard. Sisters should proceed to the banquet hall. Please note: you may hear the imam's voice in the women's prayer hall, but you will be ahead of the imam — therefore you need to proceed to the banquet hall on the sister's side for your prayer to be valid.

We have the sad news of the passing of Brother Qasim Malik, who has returned to Allah. We make du'a for his maghfirah.

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Sadaqah wards off calamities and draws the mercy of Allah. The hadith of Rasulullah ﷺ in Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq states that the sadaqah given on the day of Jumu'ah is greater in reward than any other day.

Please note that the biggest event we have in the year is our Annual Retreat, insha'Allah — the following weekend, April 25th to April 27th, Friday to Sunday. There are programs for the entire family: parallel programs for sisters, children, youth, and a scholars' retreat. We also have a program for converts — our revert brothers and sisters. Many esteemed scholars from across the states are coming to speak along with our teachers here at the seminary. Everyone is requested to, insha'Allah, mark their calendars and plan to attend.

We have a lot of summer programs coming up: Tarbiyah for Tots — boys and girls ages 4 to 5; the Qur'an, Islamic Studies, and Sports Camp for children boys and girls ages 6 to 13; the Tamheed Program — a six-week immersion program for younger adults to understand the core principles of Islam. Please visit the website for more details.

We have a lot of weekly programs continuing: Tuesday night tafsir, Thursday night seerah program, Saturday team fajr program, sisters' program, the bi-weekly seerah series with salawat, suhbah, seerah, and sisters' Urdu tafsir program.

There is also a request for du'as. Brother Muhammad Salim has a brain injury — please make du'a for his shifa.