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Friday Sermon

Our Power And Strength Is In Unity In Truth And Our Weakness And Destruction Is In Division!

Published

2 years ago

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Imam Murtada Gusau

By Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

And all praise is for Allah, Lord of all creation, who guided us to Islam and the Sunnah. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

Dear brothers and sisters! What does unity within the Muslim community mean, and who bears responsibility for achieving unification?

Respected servants of Allah! Know that, as Muslims, our power and strength is in our numbers. How we live our lives and how we engage with the wider Muslim community is paramount to achieving this strength.

My beloved people! Our religion (Islam) is a communal faith. Without a high level of cooperation, unity, discipline, and hierarchy, its obligations cannot be fulfilled. The Salatul-Jama’ah (Congregational prayer) is performed in congregation behind an Imam who is to be strictly followed. Any attempt to precede the Imam nullifies the prayer. The collection and distribution of Zakah (Charity) is supposed to be centralised in order to prioritise the categories of recipients and to prevent the misuse of funds. The fasting of Ramadan is supposed to begin and end with the approval of a central authority, or we end up experiencing the chaos of some people still fasting while others are celebrating Eid on the same day in the same area. Hajj cannot possibly be managed without a central authority that manages the movement of peoples and certifies the days of Hajj.

In fact, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) placed so much importance on unity and hierarchy, that even in the mundane worldly matter of travelling, there is an obligation to select a leader. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“When three persons set out on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their leader.” [Abu Dawud]

Consider how the care of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) for this Ummah extends to ensuring three Muslims on a journey remain united and maintain discipline and cooperation. So, what about major matters of religion and the well-being of the Ummah on a global scale?

The Qur’an places a great emphasis on the unity of Allah (Tawhid) and the unity of those who believe in the unity of Allah. It is one of the greatest obligations and the only way to actualise the Tawhid of Allah on a societal level. Allah Almighty says:

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you—by His grace—became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be rightly guided.” [Ali-Imran: 103]

And He Most High says:

“The believers are but one brotherhood, so make peace between your brothers. And be mindful of Allah, so you may be shown mercy.” [Al-Hujurat: 10]

Unity attracts the Mercy of Allah in the Ummah and disunity brings suffering among them. This is something we know and understand through the divine texts and through bitter experience, but our actions and behaviours reveal a desire to maintain the status quo of factions, enmity, chaos, and disorder.

Dear brothers and sisters! Unity is often relegated in Muslim discourse to a warm fuzzy feeling where Muslims generally respect each other and avoid conflict. As a result, we fail to establish structures within our community to actualise unity and we neglect the mechanisms that are needed to maintain order and exercise discipline in decision making. One after another, we face crises and important decisions in a chaotic manner with fractured responses that often disintegrate into internal strife.

Consider for a moment, the greatest crisis that has ever faced the Ummah and the importance placed by the Companions on unity. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) took his last breath and the Companions faced a trauma the likes of which they had never faced before, it was Abu Bakr (RA) who kissed the forehead of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said:

“You are as beautiful in death as you were in life.”

He suffered a deeper grief than any of the Companions, but he immediately set about unifying the Companions and returning order and discipline to their decision making. He gave his famous speech declaring that:

“Whoever worshipped Allah, then Allah is Ever-living and does not die.”

And in doing so, he warded off the threats that Umar (RA) had made to anybody who claimed the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had passed away. He then took Abu Ubaidah Ibn al-Jarrah (RA) and went to the orchard of Saqifah Banu Sa’idah, where the Ansar had gathered to select a leader. When Sa’ad Ibn Ubadah proposed that the Successor to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) should be from the Ansar, he reminded him of the Hadith of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that Imarah (leadership) of the Ummah remains amongst the Quraish. And when Sa’ad proposed a compromise of a leader from Quraish and a leader from Ansar, he rejected this proposal to maintain unity, discipline and hierarchy within the Ummah. Unity of the Ummah was a priority that took precedence over grieving for the Prophet (Peace be upon him), offering condolences to the family of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), and even preparing the janazah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and yet for us today it has become an afterthought. We need to realise that until we have communal structures for decision-making, and a sense of discipline and hierarchy, we will be trapped in a cycle of chaotic decision-making, argumentation, blame, and self-interest.

Take a closer look at the incident of Saqifah Banu Sa’idah and it is clear that Abubakar (RA) was not motivated by self-interest or a love of leadership. His initial proposal was for either Umar (RA) or Abu Ubaidah (RA) to be appointed as successor. The priority for Abubakar (RA) was the welfare of the Ummah and the need for unity in the face of existential threats from the hypocrites, the Bedouins, the Byzantines, and the Persians. Abubakar’s grief over the loss of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was so great that he remained in this world little more than two years after the passing of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). In that short time, he steered the Ummah successfully through one crisis after the other, from the apostasy wars (Riddah) that engulfed the entire Arabian Peninsula to the preservation of the Qur’an in a single manuscript. He laid the foundations upon which expansion took place in the khilafah of Umar and Uthman (RA). And his legacy is primarily one of achieving unity in the face of extraordinary challenges.

The default mechanism of decision-making for the Ummah is through Shurah (consultation). Allah ordered the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to consult with the Companions, even though he was protected from error by divine revelation (Wahy) and he is the best of human beings. At the battle of Uhud, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) consulted with the Companions to the extent that he gave preference to the views of the younger Companions to meet the Quraish in battle outside Madinah, rather than his own view to fortify Madinah. The consequences of this decision were devastating. The Prophet’s (Peace be upon him) uncle was martyred and mutilated, seventy Companions were martyred and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) came closest to losing his own life, but at no point was there any censure for this decision because when Muslims follow a process of Shurah and make a collective decision and put their trust in Allah, then there will always be good from that decision. In fact, Allah revealed numerous verses in the last third of Surah Ali-Imran expounding on the great lessons from the Battle of Uhud and the only censure is that the archers disobeyed the Prophet (Peace be upon him), seeking material gain while disuniting the collective resolve of the army. Allah Almighty says:

“Indeed, Allah fulfilled His promise to you when you initially swept them away by His Will, then your courage weakened and you disputed about the command and disobeyed, after Allah had brought victory within your reach. Some of you were after worldly gain while others desired a heavenly reward. He denied you victory over them as a test, yet He has pardoned you. And Allah is gracious to the believers.” [Ali-Imran: 152]

Often times the call to unity is seen through the prism of the need for a single global leader to represent the interests of Muslims. We are a considerable way from achieving this, but we first need to look at our localised structures for decision-making within our community. This starts with our scholars and Imams. Allah states in the Qur’an:

“O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution.” [An-Nisa: 59]

The scholars of Tafsir state that ‘those in authority among you’ are the scholars and the leaders. As a community, we need to look to our scholars and Imams for real decision-making in matters of public welfare, instead of turning to them occasionally to conduct religious rituals and offer blessings at weddings and funerals. The scholars and Imams in turn need to demonstrate unity through their discourse and avoid the drama and entertainment of polemics. They need to ensure their decision-making undergoes the rigour of Shurah and proper scrutiny. Unfortunately, social media has propelled the scholar or student with a messiah complex who believes that they alone have the integrity, knowledge, and charisma to guide the Ummah to the truth. Scholars and Imams need to represent themselves through fiqh councils, scholarly boards, and committees where their discourse will undergo the scrutiny of peers and the excesses of their views will be carefully filtered out before public consumption.

We respect our scholars and Imams as people of truth, motivated by truth and seeking the truth, but they must realise that the truth in a specific matter is not always worthy of being pursued to the extent that it undermines the unity and discipline of the Muslims. They must carefully consider before publicly criticising fellow scholars, especially when the effect of this will only be to undermine their fellow scholars amongst their own congregation and breed resentment and hatred. Consider for a moment the discourse in some Shafi’i books of fiqh. Their jurists will often discuss a matter where there is no clear unequivocal text and state their preferred opinion, but then recommend their students follow an alternative opinion, i.e. ‘khurujun minal-khilaf’ (the safer opinion that will maintain unity). They beautifully illustrate a principle of seeking the greater good that invariably lies with maintaining unity.

Muslim organisations need to have a collective consciousness where they evaluate the impact of their decisions on the interests of the collective body and not just look through the narrow lens of self-interest. There have been countless examples of Muslim schools, mosques, charities, and politicians taking unilateral decisions that they have perceived will benefit them in the short term or achieve an objective, only to lead to a detrimental impact on thecommunity at large. It is the responsibility of the congregation to hold their organisations and community leaders to account when they act in their own self-interest and undermine unity.

We need to realise that virtually all the challenges we face as a community can only be faced as a collective, through disciplined and strategic thinking that requires hierarchy. We are in the midst of a major cost-of-living crisis that will adversely affect the Muslim community. Muslims suffer disproportionately from socio-economic deprivation yet we seem completely unprepared. Masjid Al-Aqsa faces an existential threat with extreme Zionists making no secret of their ambition to demolish the Masjid. We all witnessed the horrific scenes of the Masjid set on fire in Ramadan while the arsonists celebrated outside. The Uyghur people are having their identity and existence erased by an economic and military superpower that has used concentration camps, organ harvesting and rape as a weapon. None of these challenges and those like them can be faced without unity.

Above all, our religion is a religion of unity and obligates unity as the greatest obligation that underpins all other obligations. Agreement on every aspect of religion is not a prerequisite for unity. This did not exist, even in the time of the Companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), but there needs to be a shared consciousness that what we unanimously agree on in matters of creed is far greater than what we disagree on. There needs to be a shared consciousness that even in terms of fiqh (jurisprudence) what we perceive as multiple differences ultimately return back to fundamental over-arching principles (qawa’idul fiqh) that have a high degree of agreement. There needs to be a shared awareness of the seriousness of the challenges we face, and an understanding that religious, political, financial and social structures need to exist within our community that incorporate all its stakeholders. And that these stakeholders will need to give priority to the collective benefit over personal autonomy.

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.

O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.

O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge.

O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.

All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached through: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Rabi’ul Awwal 11, 1444 AH (October 07, 2022).

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Friday Sermon

Sermon urging the approach of rapprochement between the doctrines of scholars and preachers and unifying their ranks

Published

2 months ago

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February 7, 2025

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Sermon urg
Delivered by:
His Eminence Imam Sheikh Dr. Abdul Kadir Al
Salman Sholagberu
The Grand Sheikh of the Ilorin Emirate, Kwara state
Imam and Khateeb at the National Mosque in Nigeria
The first sermon
Praise be to Allah, praise befitting His majesty, greatness, and
actions in general and in detail. Praise be to Allah, who has
singled out some of His creatures for honor and glorification, out
of justice and preference. Praise be to Allah, who is glorified. He
has made the surging seas, the rushing clouds, and the soaring
eyes glorify and venerate Him. He has favoured some months
over others, and has recommended to His servants the
comprehensive aspects of His piety as a law and a completion. He
has included that in three verses. Whoever understands them,
adheres to them, preserves them, and applies them will succeed
in his worldly pursuits and enjoy the reward of his afterlife.
Whoever neglects them, procrastinates in them, and ignores
them will fall into the fire of Hell, banished and ill. Your Lord
Allah the Almighty says: (O you who have believed, fear Allah as
He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.) (O
mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and
created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many
men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one
another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an
Observer.) (O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak
words of appropriate justice. He will amend for you your deeds
and forgive your sins, and for whoever obeys Allah and His
Messenger has certainly achieved a great victory). I bear
witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and
I bear witness that our master, the joy of our eyes, and our
intercessor on the Day of Resurrection, Abu al-Qasim, the
husband of the mothers of the believers, the seal of the prophets,
the mine of secrets, the source of lights, the light of hearts, and
the medicine of bodies, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, is His servant and messenger. O Allah, bless and grant him peace. And upon his family, his companions, and those
who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment..
Servants of Allah, Fear Allah as He should be feared. Fear
Allah in what is permissible, fear Allah in what is forbidden, fear
Allah in what is allowed, and fear Allah in what is doubtful.
Servants of Allah,With the advent of this blessed month,
Shaaban al-Khair, there appear and shade us with breaths of faith,
which every soul humbled before its Lord awaits and waits for.
Breaths in which Muslims acquire and imitate the morals of
angels. Breaths in which the principle of the scholars of
monotheism is true: if reasons (to do)are weak, and the deed(sins)
is done, the burden is made great, and punishment doubled, (but)
and if reason (to do) are strong, and the deed is neglected, the
benefit is made great, and reward doubled.
Servants of Allah,It’s from tracking, extrapolation and
sampling To the texts, you can hardly find a ritual of the rituals
of Islam except that it is preceded and advanced by what is known
as a form of ihramٍ, or more precisely, her key. And ihram and
the key of Hajj Talbiyah on the Day of Tarwiyah, and Ihram
And the keyFor those who want to offer a sacrifice, is to refrain
from cutting their nails or cutting their hair, except in cases of necessity, according to the most correct of the jurists’ opinions,
and the Ihram And the key to obligatory Prayers, is ablution and
purification, and ihram And the key to Acceptance of deeds, is
sincerity and following the Book and Sunnah, as well, -the
servants of God-, the Ihram and the key to the holy month of
Ramadan is the blessed month of Sha’ban, which We live its
atmosphere and breathe its fragrance(And whoever honors the
symbols of God – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts) Al-J/32.
Servants of Allah,It is not hidden from us and from you what
is customary in this month From exchanging criticisms and
insults, conflicting opinions of scholars, and social media being
filled with superficial, unfounded research, everyone’s holding
firmly onto his knowledge, party and opinion, some Muslims in
these blessed lands, when entering such a month and other
Islamic months, such asِRabi’ al-Awwal and Rabi’ al-Thaniand
Rajab, And Shaaban And even Ramadan fills the atmosphere
with differences. And in Rabi’ al-Awwal and Rabi’ al-Thani, is
it permissible to celebrate the birth of the Prophet, may God bless
him and grant him peace? In Rajab, they differ as to whether it is
permissible to fast or not. In this month, Sha’ban is also
mentioned.َIsn’t it an innovation to perform the night prayer?َThe middle of ShaabanَDid the Prophet, may God bless him and grant
him peace, fast all of Shaban? Or most of it? Is it permissible to
allocate the second half of Sha’ban for fasting? Is it true that fates
change on the night of the middle of Sha’ban? So speak and do
not be embarrassed. These differences have caused estrangement
and animosity, the consequences of which only Allah knows.
How many opportunities have they delayed and missed for
Muslims that only Allah knows!!
Preachers of the nation,Is it reasonable what is happening
between our Islamic parties of hateful gangs, severe disputes,
bitter enmities, and mutual slander, as if we are of conflicting
religions and contradictory doctrines?
Scholars of the nation,Advocates of sects, have you forgotten
or pretended to forget that society does not witness theّprogress
of her people, people will not be happy, nor will they be
successful in progress and development, except through your
unity, except through your righteousness, except through your
rapprochement, except through your following the approach of
rapprochement between the religious sects and parties present in
the state. Scholars of the nation,What we have seen in Rabi al-Awwal
and Rabi’ al-Thani and In Rajab, and what we are seeing now of
conflicting scientific messages, everyone criticizes those who
disagree with him. By God, they are nothing more than
differences in the deduction of scholars regarding the optional
and voluntary acts of religion. The rules related to the optional
act, whether it is an absolute or restricted optional act, are not
hidden from you. The rights of God – as you know – are based
on forgiveness. The optional act is broader than the obligatory
act. The acts of worship that come in various forms may be
performed in those forms without any dislike. If two matters of
the same type come together and their intended meaning does
not differ, one of them usually enters into the other. The last
point is that there is no denial in a place of disagreement.It is also
not hidden from you that one of the main reasons for the
emergence of differences among scholars after ignorance of
religion, loss of foundation, and Satan’s embellishment is the fifth
type, the states of the word with the meaning, which is the
commonalities in their types or the faces and counterparts,
whether it is a noun, verb, or letter. The Qur’an has used
commonalities, and the Prophet, may God bless him and granthim peace, used them all to be a field.َJurists ponder their
deductions and the reasons for their differences in ruling on legal
details.
Scholars of the nation, preachers of Islam,Why do we fight,
quarrel and exchange words over matters and details that do not
matter? And are not even obligations. It is true that scholars
differ, butThey do not envy or quarrel with each other. Ibn al-
Jawzi was right when he said: “I contemplated the envy among
scholars, and I saw that its origin is the love of this world. The
scholars of the Hereafter love each other and do not envy each
other, as God Almighty said: “And they do not find in their
hearts any need for what they have been given…”And God is
trueIn his perfect revelation whereHe said:
(And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute
and [thus] become paralyzed and your strength departs,
and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.)Al-
Anfal/46
May Allah bless Abu al-Baqa al-Kafwi in his comprehensive
works when he distinguished between differences and
disagreemens, mentioning the differences between them:
“differences is that in which the intention is the same and the way to reach it differs, and disagreements is that in which the
intention differs from the path leading to it. Differences is that
which is based on evidence, while disagreements is not based on
evidence. One of the effects of differences is mercy, while one of
the effects of disagreements is innovation and division. If a judge
rules on it and it is referred to someone else, it is not permissible
to annul it, while disagreements is permissible to annul it because
it occurred in a place where ijtihad is not permissible, which is
that which contradicts the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus.
The conclusion in all of this is that if disagreement occurs in what
is permissible, it is called differences, and if it occurs in what is
not permissible, it is called disagreements.” End of his words,
may Allah have mercy on him.
Preachers of the nation,With all that we have mentioned
above, no preacher with a conscience alive ّ with His only
concern being to call people to God, will let the aforementioned
matters go beyond differences to disagreement.“And if your
Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community;
but they will not cease to differ, except whom your Lord has
given mercy. And for that He created them…” Al-Hud/ 118-
119. O servants of Allah, prices have gone up and up, so lower them
by sincerely repenting, turning to Allah, and seeking forgiveness
from your Forgiving and Merciful Lord. Pray and send peace and
blessings upon your beloved Muhammad, may God bless him
and grant him peace. Your Lord has commanded you to do so,
starting with Himself and then mentioning His angels. He asked
you to do so and said: “O you who believe, pray upon him and
greet him with peace.”
The second sermon
Scholars of the nation,Yes, we differ, and difference is not
reprehensible, but disagreement is reprehensible. If we review
our glorious history, we discover that it is full with the differences
of Muslim jurists from the era of our Prophet Muhammad, may
God bless him and grant him peace, and the era of the
Companions, and throughout the ages, until difference (which is
religions and sects) became a science that is studied and taught in
the faculties of Sharia.
Scholars of the nation,The difference occurred in an era that
we cannot imagine happening, which is the era of the Prophet,
may God bless him and grant him peace, and its images are not hidden from you, and the differences of the Companions after his
death, may God bless him and grant him peace, are not hidden
from you, as well as the differences of the followers and the
imams of the schools of thought, but they all avoided
disagreement, and I am not here in the space to list these
differences.
Scholars of the nation, it is time to unite ranks, an era of
rapprochement between parties and sects, no party is better than
the other, remember your Prophet, may God bless him and grant
him peace, who said: “If a man says, ‘People are doomed,’ then
he is the most doomed of them.” Narrated by Muslim. And may
God bless the one who said:
If God wants a nation to awaken, He inspires it with the
awakening of individuals.
Therefore, our preachers must clarify the path before taking it,
and become aware of it. They should clear the way before
entering, and light up with the lamp before night time.
Preachers of the nation,Why do some of us collect flimsy,
unfounded evidence?ّ For him, he convinces himself of its
correctness and the error of others, forgetting the words of God
Almighty: “Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? Those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while
they think that they are acquiring good in work.” (Al-Kahf
104/103), and the words of God Almighty:
“Is he for whom the evil of his deed has been made
attractive so he regards it as good? Indeed, Allah leaves
astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. So let
not your soul perish over them in regret. Indeed, Allah is
Knowing of what they do.”Fater: 8.
Scholars of the nation,Why don’t we excuse each other, learn
from each other, and forgive each other!! Isn’t it correct
according to Sharia and belief, or is it not among the established
principles of religion, that we cite the words of someone who has
made a mistake? And if our answer is “No” and that it is not
permissible!! Then you should not benefit from the knowledge
of many of the scholars of Islam, nor from the authentication of
the hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) by these scholars, such as Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani,
Imam Muhyi Al-Din Al-Nawawi, Jalal Al-Din Al-Suyuti, Ibn
Al-Jawzi, and Al-Haythami. You should also boycott their
books such as “Fath Al-Bari”, “Sharh Muslim”, “Fayd Al-
Qadir”, etc. And if you do this, then peace be upon Islam!! Preachers of the nation,Cast hatred behind you, and follow
the path of the great imams in exchange, taking and giving. Look
at Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his students citing the
statements of those who had some innovations and some errors,
so they cited the statements of al-Juwayni, Ibn Hazm, al-Ghazali,
and others, may God have mercy on them all.
My fellow preachers,The truth is accepted from any source,
and whoever says it. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings
be upon him, accepted the truth brought by Satan in reciting
Ayat al-Kursi before sleeping. The Messenger, peace and
blessings be upon him, cited the words of the poet Labid when
he was an unbeliever: “Behold, everything except Allah is false.”
So if the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, accepted
from Satan and cited the words of an unbeliever… then what
about a Muslim who has made a mistake! Why do you hate and
criticize him just because he does not follow your school of
thought, and it may even go so far as to expel him from the
religion!! What will you say to “There is no god but Allah” when
it comes to you on the Day of Judgment?
My brothers in the call, feel your responsibilities, and diagnose
yourselves in a way that befits your position. There you will discover that you are the core of society, and that you are its
pivot. You are like teachers in schools and doctors in hospitals.
Without you, society would not be a society. From you, to you,
in you, and with you will come the advancement and progress of
society. It is time for you – may God protect you – to rearrange
the papers of the call, unifying the ranks, and bringing together
the parties and religious sects (Has not the time come for those
who have believed that their hearts should become humbly
submissive at the remembrance of God and what has come down
of the truth? And they will not be like those who were given the
Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their
hearts hardened, and many of them are wicked) Al-Hadid/16
My fellow scholars… Excuse me, perhaps I have hurt you, but do
we let the patient not take medicine for fear of disturbing him??!!
And do we leave the wound without stitches for fear of causing
him pain??!! So excuse me, O preachers, if I have hurt you, for
you know that the skillful, honest, and firm doctor is the one
who cuts open the stomach of the afflicted, cuts off the hand of
the leper, and stitches the wounds of the wounded, and does not
pay attention to groans or heed to screams. May God bless the
one who said: If the wound heals on corruption # It shall be known of it
neglect of The doctor
If the wound heals on corruption # the sickness will spread to
the patient’s stomach.
Servants of Allah,Make up for what you owe from the past
Ramadan in these blessed days, honor the awaited guest, and hide
from him what is not befitting of chivalry, and hide grudges,
hatred, lies, hypocrisy, drinking alcohol, adultery,
embezzlement, and false reports. May God let me and you reach
Ramadan, accept our offerings in it, and may God return it to us
and to you for many years and times.

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Friday Sermon

Friday Sermon: To Our Brothers Who Misunderstood Shari’ah إلى اخواننا الذين لم يفهموا الشريعة

Published

2 months ago

on

February 7, 2025

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By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
All thanks and praise are due to Allah, from Whom we seek help and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and the evil consequences of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides will never be misled and whoever strays from Him will never find a guide. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah. Likewise, I bear witness that Muhammad is the servant and the
Messenger of Allah.
Dear brothers and sisters! Let our brothers who misunderstood Shari’ah know that Shari’ah is the way of peace, unity, mercy and happiness, and the word Shari’ah refers to the entire religion of Islam, which Allah chose for mankind, to lead them forth from the depths of darkness to the light. It is what He has prescribed for them and explained to them of commands and prohibitions, halal and haram.
The one who follows the Shari’ah of Allah, regarding as permissible what He has permitted and regarding as prohibited what He has prohibited, will attain triumph and success.
The one who goes against the Shari’ah of Allah is exposing himself to Allah’s wrath, anger and punishment.
Allah the Almighty says:
“Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.” [Qur’an, 45:18]
Imam Al-Khalil Ibn Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The word Shari’ah refers to what Allah has prescribed for people regarding matters of religion, and what He has commanded them to adhere to of prayer, fasting, Hajj and so on. It is the shir‘ah (the place in the river where one may drink).” [See Al-Ayn, volume 1, page 253, see also as-Sihah by al-Jawhari, volume 3, page 1236]
Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Shari’ah is what Allah, may He be exalted, prescribed on the lips of His Prophet (Peace be upon him) with regard to religion, and on the lips of the Prophets (Peace be upon them) who came before him. The ruling of the abrogating text is to be regarded as the final ruling.”
The linguistic origin of the term Shari’ah refers to the place in which a rider is able to come and drink water, and the place in the river where one may drink. Allah the Most High says:
“He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Nuh (Noah) and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) – to establish the religion and not be divided therein. Difficult for those who associate others with Allah is that to which you invite them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him].” [Qur’an, 42:13]
Shaikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Man has no right to go against Shari’ah in any of his affairs; rather everything that is good for him and his well being is referred to in Shari’ah, whether it has to do with his major issues or minor issues, in all his situations and actions, in his interactions and dealings with other people, and so on. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. The reason for that is that Shari’ah means obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and those in authority (leaders) among us. Allah the Almighty says: “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” [Qur’an, 4:58] He has enjoined obedience to Him and obedience to His Messenger in many verses of the Qur’an, and He has forbidden disobedience to Him and disobedience to His Messenger. He has promised His good pleasure, forgiveness, mercy and Paradise in return for obedience to Him and obedience to His Messenger, and He has warned of the opposite of that in return for disobedience to Him and disobedience to His Messenger. Therefore everyone, whether he is a scholar, leader, devoted worshipper, or individual involved in dealings and transactions with others, must obey Allah and His Messenger in whatever he is doing, whether it is teaching and learning, judging, enjoining what is good or forbidding what is evil, doing any deed, doing an act of worship, or anything else. The true meaning of Shari’ah is following the messengers and obeying them, but going against Shari’ah means going against obedience to the messengers, and obedience to the messengers is the religion of Allah.” [See Majmu‘u Fatawa, volume 19, page 309]
The scholars of the Permanent Committee said:
“Shari’ah is that with which Allah sent down His Books and sent His messengers to people, so that they would put it into practice by way of worshipping Allah and seeking to draw close to Him, in accordance with what the messengers (Peace be upon all of them) enjoined. The right way to be followed is what is in accordance with this; in other words, what is in accordance with the instructions of Allah Who sent it down to the last of His messengers, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as He said: “And, [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way.” [Qur’an, 6:153] And it is what is in accordance with the words of the Prophet (Peace be upon him): “My Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of whom will be in the Fire except one.” It was said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Those who follow the path that I and my Companions follow.” [See Fatawa Lajnah ad-Daimah, volume 2, page 219]
Respected brothers and sisters! Also let our brothers understand that the Islamic law, known as the Shari’ah, is the framework of ultimate reality and the ethical guidance that Muslim scholars have derived from the direct Revelation of Allah to man. Although Allah reveals the pattern of ultimate truth indirectly through the workings of the physical universe and in the observable nature of man, the ultimate source of knowledge about both physical and metaphysical reality – and therefore the ultimate source of the Shari’ah – is the Qur’an. This divine text was revealed directly in human language to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and is exemplified in the Sunnah, which reports the Prophet’s understanding of this Final Revelation as shown through his words and deeds.
All Revelation to the Jewish Prophets and to Jesus is binding on Muslims unless specifically abrogated in the Qur’an. The Shari’ah is a specific form of the shar’ or path to Allah which the Qur’an states was revealed to all the Prophets of the Abrahamic succession.
Since the major purpose of Islamic law is to guide man’s search for truth, Shari’ah touches on both transcendent and material experience. All aspects of every person’s spiritual understandings and undertakings, which come under the rubric of purification, or tazkiyyah, should be consciously subject to the reality-check of Islamic law. This deeply spiritual nature of the Shari’ah provides the perspective for understanding and acting in accordance with the ethical or moral standards that the creator (Allah) has provided to guide every person’s and community’s relations with other humans and with the rest of Creation. The Shari’ah therefore provides the ultimate criteria for judgment on every aspect of one’s individual and social life.
The process of gaining knowledge of Islam through jurisprudence, and the body of legal advisements so derived, is known as fiqh. The Shari’ah consists both of specific rules and regulations, known as ahkam, which are the subject of istifta, or fiqh analysis, and of general principles induced by scholars over many centuries from study of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and their application in everyday life.
The specific directives in the Qur’an focus primarily on the elements of formal worship known as the five pillars of Islam, because man cannot reason to this knowledge alone. These elements consist of the profession of faith, including the aqidah or articles of faith common to all Abrahamic religions; and the rules for the five daily prayers, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage.
The general principles of Islamic law, also known as universals (kulliyat), essentials (daruriyat), and goals (maqasid), are derived by a system of reasoning known as istislah, which focuses on the common good of mankind. This system of thought, in turn, is part of the broader field of study known as usulul fiqh, or study of the sources of fiqh Analysis of the general principles of Islarnic law through the use of intellectual effort, known as ijtihad, gives meaning to the specific directives and also provides guidance on all aspects of Muslim life in the variable contexts of time and place. Islamic law thereby gives living expression to an elaborate science and art of interpreting and applying the injunctions of the Qur’an and the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The development of an integrated and adaptable legal system which focuses on what is best for mankind as a whole is one of the most outstanding achievements of Muslim jurists (Fuqaha). The methodology of Islamic jurisprudence asserts that any ruling in the fiqh has meaning only to the extent that we can understand its rationale or higher purpose.
The dignity of man derives from his acceptance, before the Creator of the Universe, of the responsibility to know right from wrong and to be a steward of the universe charged with caring for it and guiding it in accordance with the Divine Will. No beings in either the physical or metaphysical worlds have such a sublime responsibility.
The rights of the human person and community derive from this responsibility, because every person and community must be free to carry out this stewardship. Every man and every woman, every Arab and every Jew, and every rich person and every poor person are equal in their responsibility to Allah and therefore in their dignity and in their human rights.
Islamic law focuses on human responsibility, because a focus on human rights can devolve into the selfishness of seeking to maximize one’s own freedom to do whatever one wants at the expense of others. If everyone would fulfill all of his or her responsibilities, individually and collectively, then everyone would be accorded the full range of human rights.
The scholars of Islam, have identified a half dozen overarching responsibilities, though some scholars will condense these to five or expand the number by elevating a secondary responsibility to the level of the universal or essential. The first three concern the essentials of life itself, whereas the next three concern the quality of life.
The first three essential areas of responsibility or duty in Islamic law are:
1. Respect for life, or “the right to life” known as haqqul hayat, This requires not merely respect for the unborn after the spirit or ruh has been breathed into the fetus, but also such social duties as respect for non-belligerents in war and the use of dispute settling mechanisms whenever possible to avoid violence that might threaten the lives of oneself or others. Respect for life requires most basically an understanding that lasting peace can result only from justice, and that therefore stability should be sought as the by-product of sound foreign policy rather than as its direct aim. Similarly, crime should be combated primarily by addressing the causes rather than the results of the criminal mentality.
2. Respect for community, or right to one’s identity as a member of a family, community, or nation, known as haqqul nasl. This focus on the family, and more broadly on expanding circles of community to include mankind and even all sentient beings in the universe, is unique to Islamic law, because it implies that sovereignty lies not in the extent of a country’s or a government’s power, as it does in Euro-American international law, but in the inherent dignity of the human person in community. This acknowledgment of the inherent right of the person to live in a series of legally recognised communities permits several levels of sovereignty, all subject to the highest sovereignty of Allah, and contrasts with the concept of exclusive sovereignty found in the so-called “nation-state” of the mid-twentieth century.
3. Respect for free, private enterprise, with broad capital ownership, known as haqqul mal. The principle of freedom for individual persons to own the means of production has been basic in all Islamic scholarship until the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the principle of equal opportunities to own capital or the tools of production has been largely ignored for over a thousand years because various “leaders” understood that concentrated political power requires concentrated property ownership. Denial of access to capital ownership in a capital-intensive economy can amount to the denial of the right to life itself. Therefore all institutions that work in practice to concentrate ownership, including the financing of economic growth through the use of interest rather than by risk-sharing in joint-ownership, are “illegal,” that is, morally illegitimate, in Islamic law.
The next three of the universals, essentials, or purposes of Islamic law, which concern the quality of life, are:
4. Political self-determination, or haqqul hurriyah. This is usually known as “the right to political freedom.” Islamically, however, this term emphasises the responsibility of both the ruled and the rulers to establish permanent institutions designed to facilitate broad-based political participation by every member of a polity in its governance so that they can help determine their own immediate well-being and long-run destiny.
This universal, like each of the other five, contains a second-order level of responsibilities that serve to elucidate and carry out the primary responsibility. In the context of political self- determination, this next lower level of responsibility, known as hadyiyat, consists of ijma, which is the duty of the governed to reach consensus on critical issues, and shurah, which is the duty of the leader to be responsive to this consensus. In a complex society, this might be accomplished best by using a concept of a hierarchy of assemblies that culminate in a national parliament.
The third necessary element in the system of government prescribed in Islamic law, in addition to the executive and legislative, is an independent judiciary charged with applying the principles of Islamic law, especially as they are spelled out in a formal constitution covering the organs, methods, and principles of governance chosen by the legislature. The judicial area of government is designed to limit both the ruled and the ruler so that the ultimate sovereign, both in theory and in fact, will be Allah.
5. Dignity, known as haqqul karama. The duty to respect human dignity is at the core of all Islamic law, because the essential purpose of the Shari’ah is to help persons acknowledge and deepen their relationship to Allah and express this higher level of being especially in their relationships with each other. There are two major parts of this fifth universal principle of Islamic law.
The most important aspect of the principle of dignity is the duty to respect each person’s need to seek and worship Allah in his or her own way. This is known in Western thought as “freedom of religion.” In both traditional Islamic and traditional American thought, this most essential element of the dignity of man requires that the government avoid any sectarian bias in carrying out its duty to facilitate freedom of religion in public affairs.
Another aspect of this principle of dignity, which is second in importance only because it is so often ignored, is “gender equality.” Whereas the Prophet Muharnmad (Peace be upon him) and the Islamic teachings of the Prophetic period were breathtakingly revolutionary in recognising the divinely ordained rights and responsibilities of women in society, the practice of later Muslims degenerated to the level of their neighbours and has largely remained at this level while the rest of the world has begun to understand and share the sophistication of the original Islamic heritage.
Islamic law recognises a greater responsibility of wife and mother to care for the home and children, and a greater responsibility of the husband and father to support the family. The family, however, is a mutual support group, whereby all responsibilities are held in common through the principle of collective responsibility, or fard kifayah. It follows from this that if any duty is not being adequately met, each member has a personal responsibility, or fard ain, to do whatever is required to fulfill that duty, whether it be the husband washing dishes or the wife working outside the home.
Similarly, to the extent that home duties and the work of financial support for the family have been satisfactorily accomplished, both husband and wife have equal responsibility to participate in social and political leadership when needed for the good of the community and even to accept the highest judicial, legislative, executive, or entrepreneurial position in the land if it is offered. There the criterion for judgment is not women’s rights or men’s rights, but individual responsibility. Gender is irrelevant when the issue is personal responsibility to meet the needs of society in accordance with the requirements of Islamic law.
6. Knowledge, or haqqul ilm. A key to success in every aspect of private and public life is the duty to pursue knowledge. Since the highest purpose of every person is spiritual understanding, freedom to pursue the path of spiritual knowledge is paramount. We were created, however, as humans not as angels, so we have a duty to pursue whatever knowledge is useful to us individually and collectively in carrying out our responsibilities: to help the marginalised in society, to promote justice among people and nations, to multiply the material bounties of Allah, to work constructively in the political process, to participate with people of other faiths in addressing all the problems of society, and otherwise fulfilling all the requirements placed upon us by Islamic law.
The duty to respect knowledge goes beyond the negative task of protecting freedom of thought and expression, limited only by the duties to respect human dignity, and extends to the positive obligation of every person to learn as much as one can throughout one’s life in order to fulfill the purpose for which one was created.
The nature and specific obligations inherent in Islamic law make it not only unique among mankind’s legal systems but the best suited as the paradigm of thought within which all religions and all peoples can cooperate in building a better world.
Lastly, I ask Allah the Almighty to reform all our affairs, to provide us with strong will to change our situation for the better and to provide the entire Ummah with glory, strength and unity. I ask Him also to accept our deeds, prayers, and supplications.
I also pray, may the Almighty Allah remove all our tears, all our worries, all our sorrows and all our pains and replace them with complete happiness, complete smiles and complete good health, ameen Ya Mujib!
All perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.
This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Sha’aban 08, 1446 AH (February 07, 2025).

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Friday Sermon

Friday Sermon: America/California/Los Angeles Wildfires; A Great Message To The World!

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3 months ago

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January 17, 2025

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By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Praise belongs to Allah alone; peace and blessing on the last Prophet, his family and his Companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! Allah the Most High says:
“And we send not the signs except to warn, and to make people afraid (of destruction).” [Qur’an, 17: 59]
Respected servants of Allah! The 2025 American/California/Los Angeles wildfires have been unprecedented in their scale and devastation, marking one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in U.S. history.
These fires have ravaged over 40,000 to 80,000 acres, resulting in at least 25 fatalities and the destruction of thousands of structures.
Lives have been lost and disrupted, and thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed as wind-whipped wildfires continue to burn around Los Angeles a week after they began. Mental health professionals expect emotional and psychological wounds will endure long after the blazes have been extinguished.
Fires continue to burn as millions of people remain under an extreme fire weather alert. The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire have already flattened entire neighbourhoods in Los Angeles, leaving nothing but outlines and ash where homes once stood. It is expected that this will all amount to the worst natural disaster in American history in terms of cost and scale.
These fires raise major questions about the future of Los Angeles, who is to blame, insurance and just how prepared they are for worsening fires and other climate change-fuelled disasters.
The fires are a national disaster of epic proportions. City officials, California Governor Gavin Newsom and President-elect Donald Trump have traded accusations about what caused this crisis.
Dear servants of Allah! We have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of natural disasters. The massive wildfires that have ravaged America serve as a stark reminder of the power of Allah and the fragility of human life. These events have sparked conversations about whether natural disasters are divine punishment or if they hold a deeper, more personal significance for humanity.
In Islamic thought, the notion of natural disasters as divine punishment is a recurring theme, particularly in stories of earlier nations in the noble Qur’an. However, with the advent of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), many scholars believe that collective punishment in its classical sense no longer applies. Instead, natural calamities are understood through the lenses of divine mercy, tests, and individual accountability.
One perspective stems from the Qur’anic principle that divine punishment is preceded by Prophetic warnings. Allah the Most High says:
“We would not punish until We had sent a messenger.” [Qur’an, 17:15]
Islamic scholars suggest that with the completion of the Prophet Muhammad’s mission, humanity has been given a universal and enduring guide to righteousness in the noble Qur’an. This shifts the focus from collective punishment to individual and communal responsibility for navigating moral and ethical challenges.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is described in the noble Qur’an as a Rahmatan Lil-alameen (mercy to the worlds), emphasizing divine mercy. His saying: “Allah’s mercy outstrips His wrath.” [Muslim], reinforces this understanding. Many scholars argue that calamities now reflect divine wisdom as tests or reminders rather than direct retribution.
The Qur’an further supports this view, stating:
“Whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” [Qur’an, 42:30]
Natural disasters can be seen as consequences of human actions, such as environmental neglect, rather than explicit divine punishment. The principle of individual accountability, “No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” [Qur’an, 6:164], highlights the shift from collective to personal responsibility.
Nevertheless, some scholars maintain that disasters serve as warnings about societal immorality. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“When obscenity and immorality spread among a people… plagues and diseases that were never known among their predecessors will spread among them.” [Ibn Majah]
These interpretations view disasters as opportunities for repentance and spiritual growth.
Understanding natural disasters requires balancing theological insights with compassion and action. Whether seen as tests, reminders, or consequences, such events call for reflection, moral accountability, and a collective commitment to justice and mercy. In doing so, we can align ourselves with the divine mercy that is central to Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) mission and respond to challenges with resilience and faith.
Allah has sent some kind of wildfire or forest fire in Los Angeles of American that they have never seen before and without such sense the fire is increasing as if it being inserted, it has consumed houses only Allah knows how many houses of dollars have gone, everything has stopped in the city many people have fled refugee camps.
See how the city of Los Angeles, which is one of the largest cities in the world, woke up to a drought in less than two days.
Surely power is only belongs to Lillahi Wahidul Qahhar.
The fires in Los Angeles are still burning as I write this. The loss of property, the disruption and loss of lives, and the trauma these fires created are horrendous.
Ya Allah protect your righteous servants whenever they are in the world.
May Allah save those righteous servants affected from the wildfire calamity and make us learn lessons and correct our ways, ameen.
Lastly, I pray, may the Almighty Allah remove all our tears, all our worries, all our sorrows and all our pains and replace them with complete happiness, complete smiles and complete good health, ameen Ya Mujib!
All perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.
This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, 17 Rajab, 1446 AH (January 17, 2024).

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