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Ramadan And Elements Of Victory - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Ramadan And Elements Of Victory
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear Muslims:
Allah's help to
the believers, is the fulfillment of His promise. He never reneges on His
words. "...And it was due from Us to aid those who believe." (30:47).
He helped them because they sought to establish His religion that He (SWT)
proclaimed over all other religions. Whoever holds to it, He (SWT) will grant
him victory. He helps those who hold to the spiritual and material cause of
victory. The early Muslims acted with strength, determination and seriousness.
They prepared all elements of power, physical and otherwise, as Allah (SWT)
states: "Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your
power... " (8:60). With this strength Allah
(SWT) aided them because they aided His cause and His religion of Islam.He
(SWT) says: ".. Allah will certainly aid those who aid His cause, for
verily Allah is full of strength, exalted in Might (able to enforce His will).
Also they are: (Those who if We establish them in the land, establish regular
prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong. With Allah
rests the end (and decision) of (all) affairs." (22:41).
In this verse are
the attributes that lead to victory:
First, we must
observe total `ubudiyah (worship) of Allah alone. If we obey and worship Allah
sincerely in our hearts, pronouncements, deeds, and will, and if we do not
intend with that action anything but the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and the last
day, and if we do not desire position, praise from people and our peers,
wealth, or anything from this world, and this `ebadah continues in all aspects
of our life, only then will Allah (SWT), if he so wills, grant us tamkeen
or establishing in authority.
Second,
establishing Salaat: that is, to observe it in the way the Messenger (PBUH)
observed it. Be mindful of its prerequisites, pillars, obligations, rules, and
regulations. Cleanliness must be perfected, standing, bowing, prostration, and
sitting must all be observed properly. Be heedful of the time of each and every
prayer, Jum`ah and jama`ah prayers. Observe Salat with humility and complete
Allah - consciousness, which is the spirit of the body of Salaat. Without it
there is no Salaat.
Third, is Zakaat:
that is, to give Zakaat to its lawful and rightful recipients willingly and
without any rancor or ill feeling, to give a complete amount without cheating,
so as to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT).
Fourth, enjoin
what is right, amru bil maaruf. This means upholding or helping others to
uphold anything that Allah (SWT) and His Messenger commanded or instructed of
us. One of the main objectives of enjoining what is right is to revive and
maintain the sharee`ah of Allah on the earth. To be actively involved in
reforming the believers and servants of Allah, so as they will stay the cause
of straight path, siraatul mustaqeem, and to intend with this Allah's mercy and
His pleasure.
Fifth, forbid what
is wrong, nahyu `anil munkar. This means personally avoiding or helping others
avoid everything that Allah (SWT) or His Messenger forbade, the big or small
sins, things that relate to acts of worship, behavior and conduct and
relationship with the believers. This aspect protects the religion and the
people, and prevents fasad (evil acts) from seeping into the body of the
ummah.
Dear Brothers And Sisters In Islam:
Enjoining what is
right and forbidding what is wrong are necessary for the survival of the ummah,
its power, and its unity, so that the ummah would not be weakened by peoples'
desires and end up going in different directions. Allah (SWT) says:
"You are the best of people, evolved for mankind, enjoining
what is right, forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah..." (3:
110).
Whenever these five elements are
fulfilled, along with what Allah (SWT) exhorted us to, victory will come,
provided we cultivate determination, perseverance, and prepare for physical
strength. This is what we are promised, and Allah (SWT) will never renege or
break His promise. Allah (SWT) states: "(It is) the promise of Allah.
Never does Allah depart from His promise; but most men understand not. They
know but the outer (things) in the life of this world: but of the end of things
they are heedless." (30: 6-7).
Dear Muslims:
Ramadan is a
source of spiritual as well as physical inspiration for Muslims. Physically, no
month in our history has been more charitable and generous with victories than
the month of Ramadan. One of the more remarkable examples is the Badr campaign
(Battle of Badr). This was a battle in which the forces of truth, numbering 300
men against all odds, defeated an army three times their size.
The day of the battle was named the Day
of Criterion, Yawmul Furqaan, for Allah (SWT) set apart the distinction between
truth and falsehood by aiding His Messenger (PBUH) and the believers against
all odds, and abandoning the unbelievers. All this took place in the month of
Ramadan, in the second year of Hijrah. As for the Messenger (PBUH), when he was
told that the Quraysh were heading towards Madinah, gathered his companions and
sought their counsel in this grave matter.
Al-Miqdad bin
Aswad (RAA) stood up to represent the muhajireen, and said: "O
Messenger of Allah, proceed with what Allah (SWT) commanded you. By Allah, we
will not say to you what the Israelites said to their Prophet Musa: `Go you and
your lord and fight you two while we sit here and
watch' , instead we will fight on your right, on your left, in your front and
on your rear”.
The head of
Al-Aws, Sad bin Mu`aadh (RAA), spoke on behalf of the ansaar, saying: “O
Messenger of Allah, Go wherever you wish, connect the rope of whoever you
wish, break the rope of whoever you wish, take from our wealth whatever you
desire, give us out of it whatever you wish, whatever you take from us is
better for us than what you left, whatever you command of us we shall obey you.
By Allah, if you decide to travel and take us with you until you reach the pool
of Ghamdan, we will travel with you. If you ask us to cross a sea and you cross
it we will cross it with you. We are not afraid to meet the enemy tomorrow. We
are patient in war, truthful in the battlefield. Perhaps Allah will show you in
us what will please your eyes.”
On the eve of the battle, Allah (SWT)
sent a mysterious rain. On the side of the Quraish it fell heavily. It soaked
everything and created very slippery muddy conditions, making it difficult for
the enemy's army to move forward. Whereas on the side of the Muslims, it was a
light drizzle that refreshed them and cemented the sand and stabilized their
movement.
Dear Muslims:
During the bayttle
of Badr Muslims sought help from Allah (SWT) and He answered them, as He
stated: "Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): `I am
with you, give firmness to the believers I will instill terror into the hearts
of the unbelievers, smite ye all their fingers-tips off them. This because they
contended against Allah and His Apostle. If any contend against Allah and His
apostle, Allah is strict in punishment.'" (8: 12-13).
The enemy soldiers
were defeated. Most of them flew from the battlefield in all directions and the
Muslims went after them. Seventy of them were killed and seventy were taken as
prisoners of war.
The lessons of this battle are very
obvious. An army outnumbered three to one was victorious because it was
fighting in the path of Allah, because it stood firm to raise the banner of
Allah and to defend Allah's religion, so Allah helped them. Anyone who stood on
the same principle, the result would be the same. Indeed, Ramadan is not a
period to slacken, it is a serious time in which serious decisions are taken
and higher goals are achieved.
Dear
Muslims:
If we today, in
this day in time, take heed of the numerous warnings of Allah (SWT), and
establish our religion, not following or imitating others, and take all the
physical means of modern times and spiritual means from our Book with
sincerity, Allah (SWT) will help us as He helped our ancestors. Allah (SWT)
made good His promise and helped His servants:
"(Such has
been) the practice (approved) of Allah already in the past: no change will you
find in the practice (approved) of Allah." (48: 23).
May Allah (SWT)
forgive us in this blessed month of Ramadan, help the Muslim nation to overcome
all it`s problems and bless us all (Ameen).
