The most prominent issues which require the Muslims to take a stance on in these times are: the ignorance concerning the creed (ʿaqīdah) of Tawḥīd which many of those who ascribe to Islām have; adherence to those ideologies and ways that oppose Islām; and the ideological attack (al-ghazwah al-fikrī) that comes from the lands of the unbelievers and is directed at the Islamic lands.

The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said, “Give glad tidings to this Ummah of honour, establishment upon the earth, help and victory, and preeminence of the Religion. Whosoever does an action of the Hereafter for a worldly motive, will have no portion of the Hereafter.”¹

Question:

‘As regards the dangers that the Ummah of Islām faces from every direction, then what are the greatest of these dangers and what is the path to be taken in order to prevent these dangers?’

Answer:

‘‘The greatest danger that faces the Ummah of Islām is their being far away from the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ); and replacing them with man-made laws and deviated ideologies. Likewise, the greatest danger that faces the Ummah of Islām is the misguidance and deviation concerning the creed (ʿaqīdah) and the infiltration of concepts of unbelief (kufr), shirk and innovations into it from the grave-worshippers and the Ṣūfīs. Similarly, from the greatest danger that faces the Ummah of Islām is their splitting-up and enmity between themselves. The cure for this is to return back to the Book and the Sunnah; learning them, teaching them, judging by them between people and adopting what they require of morals, manners and character.’’²

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān – hafiẓahullāh – also said, ‘‘The most prominent issues which require the Muslims to take a stance on in these times are: the ignorance concerning the creed (ʿaqīdah) of Tawḥīd which many of those who ascribe to Islām have; adherence to those ideologies and ways that oppose Islām; and the ideological attack (al-ghazwah al-fikrī) that comes from the lands of the unbelievers and is directed at the Islamic lands. Each of these issues requires a firm stance and a powerful refutation.³ This is done by explaining the correct Islām; along with its creed and its wisely prescribed Laws, and by warning against all that opposes it – from defective teaching methods – as well as utilizing the media and by spreading beneficial books.’’⁴

Question:

‘Indeed the enemies of the Religion have embarked upon a well-calculated project, such that one of their senior devils said that by the year 2000CE all of Africa will be beaming with Christianity! So why don’t the Muslims undertake a similar sort of project?’

Answer:

‘‘Allāh the Mighty and Majestic said:

لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ۗ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا ‎﴿١٢٣﴾

‘‘It will not be in accordance with your wishful thinking, nor the wishful thinking of the People of the Book; whoever works evil will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allāh.’’
[al-Nisāʾ, 4:123]

Thus, when the People of the Book say: We will achieve such and such, or we will be victors over such and such of mankind, then this does not harm us, nor do we despair, nor do we become inactive. Rather, this spurs us on and motivates us to act, persist and strive hard in calling (daʿwah) to Allāh the Most Perfect, the Most High. Allāh said:

إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِن تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا بِهَا ۖ وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ ‎﴿١٢٠﴾‏

‘‘If you patiently persevere and have piety [i.e. by doing what is commanded and keeping away from what is prohibited], not the least harm will their schemes and plots be to you.’’
[Āl ʿImrān 3:120]

And they say things greater than this! They say:

لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ ۗ تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ ۗ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ‎﴿١١١﴾

‘‘None shall enter Paradise except if he be a Jew or a Christian. This is their own wishful thinking. Say: Produce your proof if you are truthful.’’
[al-Baqarah, 2:111]

So now (they make) Paradise inaccessible! Is this the saying of a sensible person? Indeed, Allāh the Mighty and Majestic refutes them in His saying:

بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ‎﴿١١٢﴾‏

‘‘Indeed, whoever submits himself to Allāh and does good deeds (purely for Allāh), upon such there will be no fear, nor shall they grieve.’’
[al-Baqarah, 2:112]

And Allāh the Exalted said:

لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ۗ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا ‎﴿١٢٣﴾‏

‘‘It will not be in accordance with your wishful thinking, nor the wishful thinking of the People of the Book; whoever works evil will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allāh.’’
[al-Nisāʾ, 4:123]

And they say things even greater than that! They said to Moses:

أَرِنَا اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً ‎﴿١٥٣﴾‏

‘‘And show us Allāh in public!’’
[al-Nisāʾ, 4:153]

So they say this, and they say that. They have claims and sayings – and Allāh’s aid is sought from being intimidated. However, all of it is thrown back upon their faces and it will not harm the people who have faith at all, as long as the people of faith remain firm, prepare, and not give up at this crucial time. At present we see the Christians spending their wealth, building buildings and schools, and sending troops and followers, but they triumph over a small number of people. Whereas we see many people accepting Islām without a single person doing daʿwah to them without anything. They become Muslims either by seeing the teachings of Islām, or merely hearing the Qurʾān when it is recited, or by merely reading about Islām. This is the case despite the fact that the Muslims are lazy.⁵ Where is Islām to be seen upon them. So how would it be if the Muslims were to strive hard in calling people to Allāh, and manifesting the goodness of Islām – beginning with oneself first, becoming an example for others, and painting a correct picture of Islām. Some of the Christians say: We spend so many millions, but they gain only one follower, whereas thousands accept Islām without the Muslims spending even a single penny. So the truth is clear, and all praise is for Allāh. However, the truth requires people to carry it. Indeed, the truth is like a sword; if a courageous man carries it correctly, he will not be stopped, even in the face of the enemy. But a sword, if there is no hand to wield it, then it will not be of any benefit.’’⁶

Endnotes:

1. Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by al-Ḥākim (4/311) from ’Ubayy Ibn Ka’b (raḍī Allāhu ʿʿʿanhu). It was declared to be ṣaḥīḥ by the muhaddith of this age, Shaykh Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī, in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ(no.2825).
2. Muntaqaa min Fatāwá (1/417, no.249)
3. Imām Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ al-’Uthaymīn – hafiẓahullāh – said, ‘‘As I have said, there must be an understanding of the present state of affairs, each individual according to his level. The level of the young is not like that of the elders since the young may behave rashly and their strength and enthusiasm is something that may not be safe, or properly channeled. But there must be an understanding of the situation. What is wrong, however, is that fiqhul-waaqi’ (understanding the current state of affairs) is given precedence over gaining fiqh (understanding) of knowledge; this is what is meant. Thus, if the youths turned towards attaining knowledge and gaining fiqh of Allāh’s Religion – such as explanation (tafsīr) of Allāh’s Speech, explanation of the aḥādīth of the Messenger (ﷺ), and an understanding of the words of the scholars in elucidation of them – then this would be good.’’
4. Muntaqaa min Fatāwá (1/416-417, no.248)
5. Shaykh Muḥammad al-Amīn al-Shanqītī (d.1393H) – raḥimahullāh – said in his valuable commentary to the ‘Qurʾān, Adwaa‘ul-Bayān (3/72-73), “Allāh the Exalted explains in this noble āyah that He never changes the blessings and well-being of a people unless they change themselves by turning away from the obedience of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic. So the meaning of the āyahis, that the blessings which a nation receives will not be removed from them unless they change what they are upon with regards to obedience and righteous action. This meaning has been explained at another place; such as His saying: “This is because Allāh will never change the favour which He has bestowed upon a people until they change themselves.” [Sūrah al-Anfāl, 8:53]
   And His saying: “And whatever of misfortunes befalls you, it is because of what your own hands have earned. Yet Allāh pardons much.” [Sūrah al-Shūrá 42:30]
   So in the noble āyah, “until they change themselves,” there is an affirmation that if only some people were to change themselves; as occurred on the day of the battle of Uhud, when the archers changed themselves – then because of it, all of them could be struck with a calamity.’’
6. Muntaqaa min Fatāwá (1/419; no.252); This necessitates cultivating and being cultivated upon the whole of the Religion, not just some parts of it to the exclusion of others. Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Ibn Bāz (d.1420H) – raḥimahullāh – said in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá wa Maqālāt al-Mutanawwiʿah (1/346),
   ‘‘It is upon you to adopt the whole of Islām, not just to adopt one part and leave the other. Do not adopt the beliefs (ʿaqīdah) but leave the rulings (aḥkām). Do not adopt the rulings, but leave the beliefs. Rather, take the whole of Islām; take the ʿaqīdah, the rulings, the worship, the jihād, the social matters, the politics, the economics, and all the rest. Accept it all, as Allāh the Most Perfect said: ‘‘O you who Believe! Enter into Islām completely, and do not follow the footsteps of Shayṭān, because he is to you a clear enemy.’’ [Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:208].’’ And Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymīyyah (d.728H) – raḥimahullāh – said in Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (3/421), ‘‘Whenever people abandon a part of what Allāh has commanded them with, this causes enmity and hatred to arise between them.’