THE FINAL HOUR IS NEAR – IRAN VS I$RAEL & U.S | Dr. Yasir Qadhi

Understanding Our Limitations and Areas of Expertise

Dear Muslims, the famous scholar Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar, he remarked:

Whoever speaks in an area that is not his speciality, will say some bizarre and strange things. I'm a firm advocate of people remaining in their areas of expertise, and of not speaking outside of the fields they have specialized in. Can you imagine if lay people began to be the references for medicine?

So when we speak about the current affairs, when we speak about geopolitical realities, when we speak about complex problems taking place in the world, I am extremely cognizant of my own limitations. I have not trained in the science of geopolitics. My area of expertise is the classical study of Islam. And therefore, in this khutbah, when I try to comment about these realities, I will try my best to remain within my lane, and to speak about that which inshaAllah ta'ala I have some right to speak about, which is the classical understanding of Islam and its relevance in the modern world.

Because I am a firm believer that no matter what happens to us in our daily lives, we can return to the Qur'an and sunnah, we can return to the Qur'an and the seerah, and extrapolate from it lessons and wisdoms and morals. What makes us people of faith is that our faith shapes us during every time, every crisis, every emotional reality. We turn to our iman, to our religion, to our Lord, and we extrapolate wisdoms and points of benefit.

The Current Global Situation

So even as I speak about the current affairs today, I will try my best to not venture into areas that I do not have the right to venture into. With that being said, and without intending to be alarmist, there is no escaping the reality that we are currently closer to a potential World War III than we have ever been in the last 60 years. And if, God forbid, such an occurrence were to happen, it would affect every single one of us. In fact, all of humanity in all likelihood, a world post World War III would be unrecognizable to a world pre World War III. So we turn to Allah seeking refuge from ever having to see such a reality.

Conflicts are happening all over the world. It's not just Ukraine and Russia. It is across the globe as we speak. The disruption of global political norms, the rise of disinformation, the fomenting of conflict online, so much is happening. And now we have the ongoing war between the two countries of Israel and Iran.

And I apologize about the bluntness and the fact that I'll be so frank here. But the situation calls. Typically, I don't speak in such specifics. But the situation calls for us to be a little bit more specific.

Our Stance as Sunni Muslims

The first point that I would like to make is that we as Sunni Muslims, there's a lot of online discussion going on. What should our stance be in the current conflict? On the one hand, you have Israel. And on the other, you have Iran. And without a doubt, theologically and politically, we Sunni Muslims do have disagreements with Iran. And some of these disagreements are quite severe.

Because of this, there are people online and even in the public media that are saying that Iran and Israel are equally evil. Iran and Israel, according to them, are both empires of evil. And so they are saying, it is our Islamic duty to remain neutral. And when they bring in Islam, I too must bring in Islam and weigh my opinion here.

Others have even gone beyond this. And I've heard this with my own two ears from online interviews by famous clerics here in this part of the world and around the world, who are unbelievably in my opinion, actually cheering on Israel against Iran because of the hatred and the anger that they have to Iran.

So what then should our stance be? As usual, much can be said and time is limited. But let me share with you my remarks and my interpretation. And it is up to you to take it or to leave it. And this is my forte in area, Islamic theology, Islamic sectarianism.

Theological Differences with Shi'ism

From a purely theological standpoint, from a purely aqeedah standpoint, there is no question that Sunnism and Ithna Ashari Ja'afari Shi'ism has a lot of disagreement. And I have spoken about these disagreements and given entire lectures. And you can listen to this online. I have an entire hour-long lecture I gave over here about the differences between Sunnism and Shi'ism.

And I say unequivocally and for the record, that I am a mainstream Sunni, that I do not agree with Ithna Ashari theology. I strongly believe they are mistaken about core fundamentals of what it means to believe in Allah and His Messenger. I have said this and I continue to say it even now.

They Remain Within the Fold of Islam

However, the scholarly consensus from a thousand, two hundred years ago up until our times, our ulama, our trained theologians, and I am one of them insha'Allah ta'ala, have unanimously agreed amongst themselves that the mistakes of Ithna Ashari Shi'ism do not expel them from the fold of Islam as a default. They are errors and they are errors. They are deviations and they are deviations. But they are still within the fold of Islam. And they are considered to be Muslims as a default.

Yes, if you find an individual who has very obscure, very erratic beliefs, yes, you may say that individual has left the fold. But as a default, a person who comes to you and says he belongs to that firqah, that strand, as the asal, the default, they are your fellow Muslims. They believe in Allah. They believe in the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam. They believe in the Day of Judgment. They pray to Allah. They do wudu. They fast Ramadan. They lower their heads in the direction of the qibla. They are outwardly and inwardly Muslim as a default. And this is by the unanimous consensus of our own scholarly tradition as well.

So yes, they have mistakes. But those mistakes do not expel them from the reality of our ummah. And I have said this even before the current conflict. When there was nothing going on, I have given my lectures here. And I have said, our disagreements should not result in increasing sectarianism. Let us agree to disagree. Let us agree to disagree in a civil manner. What is the benefit of me preaching hatred to my masjid and they preaching hatred to their masjid? We have two different interpretations. Let Allah be the judge in the hereafter. And in this world, let us get along for better society. Let us come together to build better schools for our children. Let us not hate and fight one another even as we agree to disagree. This had been my stance before the conflict began.

Political Complications

Now, the problem comes, the issue becomes more complicated when it's not just theology anymore. What I have just said, frankly, every mainstream theologian, and allow me to be blunt here, from the Salafis to the Ash'aris to the Sufis to the Deobandis to the Jamaat Islamis to the Barelvis, the mainstream Sunni consensus is that Ithna Ashari Ja'afari, Ithna Ashari Shi'as are Muslim, but they have mistaken beliefs. You can quote this, there's not much disagreements here.

But the problem comes it's not theology. The critics come and they say, Oh, we are not just disagreeing about issues of iman. Have you forgotten what they've done in the last decade? And they will bring in the difficult wars and situations that took place. And these are legitimate criticisms that they bring. How the specific elements of the Iranian regime, Khamenei himself, the Iranian revolutionary guard, multiple groups amongst the Iranian elite, blatantly supported Bashar al-Assad in the brutality of what took place in Syria, in the massacre of his own people, what's happening in Yemen, what's happening in other places as well.

There is simply no defense of the political support that was given by the current regime to the tyrannical despotic regimes that were massacring their own people. And there is no question that anybody who aided and abetted the tortures, the rapes, the massacres that took place in Syria will face divine justice on Yawm al-Qiyamah. And if somebody personally feels a level of anger, maybe their own family, their kith and kin have been hurt in this, that they cannot come out in support of this regime, it is understandable.

Acting with Justice Despite Hatred

Yet, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us:

Let not the hatred of a people cause you to act with injustice. Act justly, that is the essence of taqwa. This verse was revealed against the Quraysh, against those who were fighting the Muslims, against those who had attempted five assassination attempts against the Prophet ﷺ. Nothing is worse than that. Nothing the Iranian regime has done is worse than what the Quraysh did against Muslims and the people of Islam. And yet Allah says, let not the hatred of a people cause you to act unjustly. Act justly, that is the essence of taqwa.

So we say, let us act justly. The dhulm, the injustice of segments of Iranian politicians, and it is dhulm, what they did in Syria and other places, should not be extrapolated to the bulk of the Iranian peoples, many of whom have nothing to do with the foreign policies of their own countries. Just like we in America are not to be held responsible for what our own government does. The average Iranian person, citizen, has nothing to do with the foreign policy of their own country. So we should not extrapolate that anger to the entirety of 90 million people living in that land, much less the 115 million Ithna Ashari Shi'a around the world, much more than just in Iran.

It is the height of injustice to be angry at some politicians in Iran, and extrapolate it to all Ithna Ashari Shi'a. How did you get from here to there? Be angry at those whom you deserve to be angry at. And it is those politicians who sided with the abettors of massacring. But even in that anger, and even those who sided with that dhulm, let us be clear here, the two sides are not equal.

The Two Sides Are Not Equal

On the one side, you have the bloodthirsty, colonialist settler enterprise, a machine of cruelty that has industrialized genocide, trampled on every single remnant of human dignity, unleashed a cruelty so depraved that it blatantly justifies the starvation of tens of thousands of children. It has destroyed every single hospital. It has destroyed every single school, every single masjid in Gaza, while their peoples are cheering them on. The average Israeli poll after poll shows is in support of Netanyahu. The average Israeli is reveling and mocking as our brothers and sisters are massacred in Gaza. Have you not seen the TikTok videos? Have you not seen the memes of them eating luscious food as they transpose it with people starving in Gaza? This is Israel. That is the reality.

Contrast this with the other side, Iran right now. The average person in that country has nothing to do with the foreign policy. In that land, the adhan is being called. In that land, the masajid are being filled. In that land, sajdah is done. In that land, the Qur'an is recited. In that land, as this battle is going on, they are invoking Allah for help. How can you compare this with that? Wallahi, this is the height of injustice.

No matter how angry you are, and yes, wallahi, some of that anger is legitimate. Some of that anger against politicians of that country of Iran is legitimate. No matter how angry you are, the two are not and cannot be the same.

Understanding the Greater Threat

And also, by the way, do you really think, oh, innocent person who thinks these two are equal. Do you really think that Israel only wants to destroy Iran and that is it? Have you lost all sense and sensibility? Do you not understand that after Iran, it is every single Muslim superpower in the region? Do you really think that it is just one land? You cheering them on against Iran is you cheering them on against yourself when your own turn comes.

They have publicly and blatantly said, they want a greater Israel project. They want to gobble up every single Muslim land and region. Some of their maps that they say greater Israel includes Mecca and Medina. And here you are, oh, naive, foolish person, blinded in your hatred, angry in your sectarianism, believing the two are the same. No, wallahi, they are not the same. And I say this as somebody who strongly disagrees theologically and politically with the country of Iran. But still, on the one hand, you have iman, even if it has mistakes. And the other, you have not just kufr, but blatant kufr.

The Reality of the Current Conflict

Not just average kufr, but the most deviant, arrogant type of kufr that we have not seen for many millennia. This is pharaonic kufr on the one side. No matter whatever mistakes the other side is making, you cannot equate the two. And so, in this current conflict going on, I state unequivocally, that yes, while I do not support Iran unconditionally, in this conflict, without a doubt, the aggressor is Israel. Without a doubt, the zulm that is happening, is happening from and because of Israel. And I will criticize Israel a million times before I criticize the other side for having done what exactly in the current conflict.

Whatever grievances we have, and we have grievances, let us agree to pause them for the time being. I'm not saying ignore. Once things settle down, once things are calm, once we have both eliminated the common enemy, then let us sit down and dialogue heart to heart. Let us see what can be done. Let us see if we can solve our internal differences. But let us not forget, right now there is a common enemy. That common enemy doesn't care the label you put on yourself is Sufi, Salafi, Deobandi, Shi'i. No! They only care that label is Muslim. That's what they care about. If that label is Muslim, they don't want to see that label. They do not want to see any Islamic empire, any Islamic land flourish.

So, for the love of God, and then for the love of your ummah, set aside your petty sectarianism. I say at least for the time being. I'm not saying ignore forever. For the time being, understand, this is not a conflict between two equally evil empires. This is a conflict, on the one side you have flawed Muslims. Yes, but they are Muslims nonetheless. And on the other side, you have blatant followers of Firaun. You have the worst of the worst. And the two shall never be equal.

Exposed Hypocrisy and Double Standards

So, brothers and sisters, this is my first point in this regard. The second reality of this entire current debacle is that Allah has once again blessed us to see the blatant hypocrisy and the double standards of the Western world and especially of Israel and the Israeli supporters. We used to say this for many decades. Everybody of intelligence knows this hypocrisy. But now, in these last few weeks and months, that hypocrisy has been laid bare to everybody who has eyes and is willing to see.

Anybody who's willing to look at the situation will see the blatant hypocrisy of this country known as Israel. If Israel has the right to preemptively attack a civilian population because they are potentially worried about an attack, then by their own logic, by Israeli logic, by the logic of the very people who launched that attack, our brothers and sisters in Gaza are infinitely more in positions of right, are morally obliged to attack people, not just for fear of attack, for those that are actually attacking them, for those that have actually harmed them. Why is one thing allowed for Israel and not allowed for the opponents of Israel? Where are we getting these double standards from?

And also, Allah is clearly demonstrating their nifaq, their blatant hypocrisy, or to use their own language, their sheer chutzpah of the pro-Israeli voices who complain hospitals are being bombed, they're complaining civilians are being destroyed, they're complaining buildings are going down. And for the record, I am against any innocent person being harmed. But how dare the Israelis talk about one hospital being bombed? How dare the Israelis talk about one or two civilian buildings being damaged after 18 months of perpetual annihilation in Gaza, with the explicit support of the majority of Israelis, with the inhumane mocking that they do.

Over 60,000 people at a minimum have lost their lives. Over a million people have been displaced. And Israelis have the chutzpah, they have the nifaq to dare say, how about us, where are our lives here? Wallahi, oh Muslims, understand this point. From that group, from that demographics, they do not view all humans as equal. They have dehumanized Muslims and Arabs and Palestinians to the point of the blood of Muslims is not even worth insects in their eyes. Hence, they can get rid of millions of Muslims, tens of thousands of Muslims, and they don't bat an eyelid. But it is one of their own, when what they do to others, when what they do to others is now being done to them, even a small fraction, all of a sudden we hear all of these voices.

You can literally quote the criticisms of Israelis against Iran, and use it against Israel itself. You can literally take statements from their politicians, and from their leaders, and from their social media accounts, and literally cut and paste, and use it to criticize the very people who are using these statements. So once again, we see the double standards, we see this reality.

The True Attachment to the Land

And also, another point needs to be mentioned. Contrast the reaction of the Israelis to the recent bombings versus the onslaught, what is happening in Gaza for the last two years. According to the Times of Israel, the largest and the most reputable paper in Israel, almost a 100,000 Israelis have fled the country in the year 2024. Almost a 100,000 people have left. Back where? Back where they migrated from. A 100,000.

In the last two weeks, we don't have statistics yet, in the last two weeks, or the last 10 days, when Iran has begun its bombing, tens of thousands of Israelis have flocked to the airport and fled back. There's video footage of long lines in Tel Aviv. They're all running back home. They're all going back to their lands of origin.

Contrast this to our brothers and sisters in Gaza, who are being told, we'll give you thousands of dollars if you leave. And they say, no, wallahi, we're gonna go nowhere. Contrast this to the iman of our brothers and sisters in Palestine. I have been to Palestine over half a dozen times. Every single time I go, I hear the same reality from my brothers and sisters over there. Palestinians living in Jerusalem. Palestinians living across the cities. They have told me, they have a blank check from American Zionist organizations.

One of the brothers I was with, he has a small house in Jerusalem. He showed me the house. He said, I have been offered over 10 million dollars, 10 million dollars for a two-bedroom house in Jerusalem. And I will, wallahi, never take it. As long as I have blood in my veins, I will never take a penny for what is my property.

Contrast this. Contrast this with Israelis. Who is the real spiritual owner of that land? Whose heart is attached to that land? On the one hand, one or two bombs fall, and wallahi, they run away in the tens of thousands back home. On the other hand, a massacre is taking place, and they refuse to budge. Why? Because it is their land. It is the land Allah gave to them. It is the land they have inherited for thousands of years. So we see here the blatant double standards and the lies. Whose land is it really? Well, when the reality is demonstrated, we see whose heart is attached, and who runs away scared because of the difficult situations taking place.

Truth Revealed in Times of Trial

And also another brutal reality needs to be pointed out. Just like in the battle of Khandaq, just like in the battle of Uhud, just like in so many other incidents, the incident of the slander of Aisha radiallahu anha. When Allah said, don't think what is happening is bad, it is good, because you will see things that you need to know. Allah says this in the Qur'an:

Reality is gonna be manifested. So too in all of these situations. Yes, it is painful to see what is happening, but we also see the reality. We also see the truth, and people's true natures are revealed. Just like Israelis are scurrying and fleeing away from their quote-unquote lands, back to their real lands. What is more painful than this is to see Muslim countries, Muslim rulers who are unfortunately siding with Israel, aiding and abetting Israel against the bombing of a fellow Muslim land.

Wallahu musta'an. We seek Allah's refuge. Wallahi shame, shame on anybody who sides with the butchers of babies and with genocide enablers against people who say the kalima and who pray to Allah. To Allah we complain, and to Him we show of our reality and weakness, that oh Allah, we have nothing to do with anybody who sides with tyranny and oppression against justice and against the people of Islam.

The Drums of War and Short Memories

And also one last point, dear Muslims. One wonders how fragile people's memories are. One wonders how shallow people's memories are. In our own country of America, we have been to war in the Middle East in the last 20 years, three times. We have spent an astronomical, at least 7.5 trillion dollars. We ourselves, our people, our country has lost tens of thousands of men. Around the world we have caused the damage and the deaths of untold numbers of people. And for a while we thought, okay, people in America have learnt their lesson, they're not gonna go again.

But subhanAllah, here we are again, deja vu all over again. The drums of war all over again. The same stereotypes all over again. The same fear-mongering all over again. Have we not learnt from 25 years of failures? Our country is in shambles. Our economic policies are crumbling. Our healthcare, our education system. We are already on the bottom of the list in terms of education. America is in the top, in the bottom percentile of 100 nations. And yet here we are, drumming up support for yet another invasion. لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله. Where did our memory go?

But on the flip side, for the first time, we now see major pushback. We would have liked this 20 years ago, but better late than never. For the first time, within their own ranks, as Allah says in the Qur'an:

You think they are one, but in reality their hearts are divided. Within their own MAGA ranks, within their own republican ranks, more and more senior figures are coming out and pushing back and calling out this reality that all of us knew since we were children.

The Truth About Political Influence

All of us knew for the last 50-60 years, but we never heard it on a mainstream show. We never heard it from a respected journalist or politician. For the first time, we are hearing these realities. We are hearing straight from the horse's mouth the reality that we knew for so many decades. And that is that, this lobbying money that is coming from AIPAC, the pro-Israeli lobbies are in fact influencing, dare I say controlling, segments of our own politicians.

And we thank Allah, this isn't some crazed conspiracy theory. This isn't some radical imam in Texas preaching to his flock. Straight from the horse's mouth, our own senator of Texas, straight from the horse's mouth, when he is questioned, point blank he says, the only reason I came to the senate, the main purpose of my coming here was to support the country of Israel.

We don't need to talk about conspiracy theories. Our own senator has betrayed this reality straight from his mouth. He is not there to protect my interest and yours. We are Texans. This is our state. We are the ones who are supposed to send him to office. He is supposed to look after our interest. And he publicly says, my first and my primary support is a foreign nation far far away. Why? Because we all know 1.7 million dollars have been given to his pocket by AIPAC. So alhamdulillah, this reality is now public for all of us to hear. And to see.

And how dare these people criticize Islamic fundamentalism. Criticize Islamic theology. Criticize Islamic regimes. When he himself says, the reason I'm a supporter of this country is because of what I was taught in Sunday school and what the Old Testament says. How dare you make fun of other fundamentalist fanaticisms when you have betrayed a level of foolish fundamentalism that even a high school teenager can refute. The Old Testament was written 3,000 years ago. And you're gonna quote me a verse that will defend the justification of a country that is 10 years younger than my own father. That country is barely 60, 70 years old. And you're going to use a biblical verse of 3,000 years ago to defend the government.

Even Americans who don't know anything about theology are able to point out the sheer foolishness, the sheer stupidity, and the sheer fundamentalist fanaticism of such a person. So الحمد لله, all of these positives are coming out. And the tide is changing, brothers and sisters.

But the bottom line, and this is what my message has always been to all of us. We, as the people of conscience, the people of faith, we, as American citizens, we have a role to play as well. And as I have said multiple times, firstly, we should not be embarrassed at this role. If they are blatantly and boldly, publicly proclaiming that they want to shape our foreign policy based upon their interest, based upon their AIPAC donors, based upon foreign countries, based upon their biblical interpretations, well then, I have just as much right, as do you, all of us Americans, to stand up and attempt to shape our foreign policy in a better manner, in a more ethical manner, in a more humane manner.

As for me, I do not want to see another World War III. I do not want to see another war in the Middle East. I do not want to see a World War III. As for me, I do not want to spend another few trillion dollars in another useless battle overseas. As for me, I do not want to kill anybody innocently. I don't want our service people or the innocent people over there to die. And so I will stand up and raise my voice. I will magnify these cracks within their own camps. I will demonstrate the shallowness, the stupidity of these politicians that are literally telling us why they're doing what they're doing. I will explain to my fellow citizens, these people don't represent you, they represent other people.

And if every one of us becomes involved, we are الحمد لله 10 million strong in this country, if every one of us becomes actively involved. And we're preaching the truth. We have truth on our side, morality is on our side, dignity is on our side, decency is on our side, humanity is on our side. And of course, most importantly, we have Allah on our side. If we all stand up and attempt to make a difference and continue to do so, the tide is changing, we see this, the winds are shifting, we see this. Now, every one of us should be a catalyst to expedite that change. So that إن شاء الله تعالى, we can prevent any type of calamity, any type of disaster, prevent yet another senseless invasion, and stand not just on the right side of history, but most importantly, with a clear conscience in front of our peoples, in front of our societies, in front of our fellow citizens, and most importantly, in front of our Lord, who will ask us what we did.

We have to do our best, try our best, and leave the rest to Allah. May Allah bless me and you with the truth of the Quran, and may He make us of those who His verses they understand, and applies halal and haram throughout our lifespan. Ask Allah's forgiveness, you as well ask Him for His غفور and the رحمن.

Personal Piety and Sphere of Influence

الحمد لله, all praise is due to Allah, the one and the unique. It is He whom we worship, and it is His aid that we seek. He is the Lord of the oppressed, and He hears the prayer of the weak.

As to what follows, dear Muslims, one of the things the Quran and the seerah continually teach us, is that no matter what is happening in the world, no matter how difficult the circumstances are, we must always prioritize our personal piety, and our personal sphere of influence. Talk of global politics is important, analyzing current trends is important, commenting on politics is important. But when it comes to action, what is the most important is our personal relationship with Allah. And then our sphere of influence, our family, our friends, our communities, our neighbors, our colleagues. This is what Allah will ask us about.

So, let us not go down the route of some who all they do is they talk, talk, talk. When it comes to their actions, when it comes to their ibadah, when it comes to their rituals, when it comes to their salah, we don't find them doing what they're supposed to do. The reality of our religion is that as the saying goes, we think globally, but we act locally. Yes, we think global, but action has to be local.

First: Strengthen Your Personal Worship

So first and foremost, the most important reality is our personal relationship with Allah. In fact, during times of fitna, during times of stress, during times of calamity, we are told to increase our worship of Allah. We're told to increase our dhikr, our dua, our salah, our tahajjud. We need that fortification. We need that spiritual rejuvenation of our hearts. So point number one, make sure in light of these calamities, you actually increase your personal worship of Allah.

Second: Never Lose Hope

Point number two, do not lose hope. Do not feel a sense of despair. Always be optimistic. Allah says in the Quran, after the battle of Uhud, when people were feeling down:

Don't give up and don't feel weak. After the battle of Uhud, they felt such despair. And Allah says, don't give up, don't feel weak, you shall be victorious if you are believers. This should be your attitude. Look to the long run. We might not see the dawn break tomorrow. We might not see a free Palestine in our lifetime. We hope we do. We might not see it. We might not see ultimate peace in this world right now. But our goal, our ultimate justification إن شاء الله تعالى, we put in the effort and leave the rest to Allah. Have a positive attitude. Be optimistic.

Third: Focus on Your Sphere of Influence

And then the final point that I want to remind myself and all of you is:

Allah is not gonna burden you with more than what you can bear. You won't be asked about anybody else.

You will only be asked about yourself and your own direct sphere of influence. So yes, it is very disheartening to see the current debacle. It is very scary to see our descent into madness in World War 3. But Allah will not ask us about this. Allah will ask us, how did you treat your relatives? How did you treat your friends and colleagues? Allah will ask us, how was your akhlaq? How was your influence?

So, look at your small sphere, no matter how small it is, look at your sphere of influence and then see, what can I do to improve my legacy in that sphere? Your family, your friends, your community, your children, this is your sadaqah jariyah. Do not trivialize the good you can do to any individual in that sphere. Because if all of us concentrated on our small spheres, put together, our small spheres overlap and they make the entirety of the ummah. If we all did what we could do, then Allah will do collectively what we cannot do.

So do not lose hope, do not ever give up, do not despair, do the best that you can and know that Allah will bless and reward you and your salvation is dependent upon your efforts and not the result.