I also advise you – O brothers – to do those actions which will be the cause of love and affection to develop between you. Many people do not truly understand the Religion of Islām. Indeed many people think that the Religion of Islām includes certain bad traits – even though Islām in reality objects to them – because some Muslims portray a false image of Islām.

Indeed, all praise is for Allāh.  We praise Him, we seek His help and we seek forgiveness from Him.  And we seek refuge in Allāh from the evils within our own souls and our evil actions.  Whomsoever Allāh guides, then none can misguide him and whomsoever Allāh leaves to stray, then none can guide him aright.  Indeed it is Allāh who sent His Messenger Muḥammad ﷺ with the Guidance and the Religion of Truth, and he conveyed this Message, fulfilled his trust, fought Jihād as it should be fought, and he did not die except that he left his Ummah (nation) upon a clear path, its night is like its day, and no one deviates from it except that he is destroyed.  And may Allāh extol and send blessings of peace upon His Messenger Muḥammad, and upon his Family, his Companions, and those who follow them in goodness.  Then to proceed:

On this night, Sunday the 27th of Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1417H – which corresponds to the 10th of August 1996CE – I am pleased to have this opportunity to say a few words to you.  I hope that Allāh would bless them and that He would also bless our brothers in England; who have traveled from various places in order to hear these few words on the telephone, for which they will receive – with the help of Allāh – that promise which has been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ when he said:  “Whosoever treads a path to seek knowledge, then Allāh would make easy for him a path to Paradise.”¹ So I ask from my brothers to accept these wasāyah(legacies) which I hope would be of benefit to them:

The First Legacy

So I advised you to have the taqwá of Allāh – the Mighty and Majestic – both in private and public. And taqwá means that a person should stand firm upon the obedience of Allāh, doing what Allāh ordered him to do, and abandoning what He prohibited him from, starting with establishing the Ṣalāt (Prayer) in their fixed and stated times, and in congregation, for those who are obliged to do so.  Along with the five daily Prayers, you should also pray the rawātib (stressed and recommended Prayers) which are connected to the five daily Prayers – and they are four rakʿahs before the Dhuhr Prayer and two after it. Two rakʿahs after the Maghrib Prayer. Two rakʿahs after the ʿIshāʾa‘ Prayer.  And two rakʿahs before the Fajr Prayer.  The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no Muslim who prays the twelve optional rakʿahs from the non-obligatory Prayer every day, except that Allāh will build for him a house in Paradise.”² Likewise, you should pay the zakāt; which is for the needy.  Allāh – the Most High – said to his Prophet ﷺ :

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ ‎﴿١٠٣﴾‏

“Take charity from their wealth in order to purify them and to sanctify them by it. ”
[Al-Tawbah, 9:103]

The Prophet ﷺ said to Muʿādh Ibn Jabal (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu), when he was sending him to Yemen: “And inform them that Allāh has obligated upon them to give charity from their wealth, to be taken from the rich and given to the poor.”³ Likewise, one should fast in the month of Ramaḍān, because Allāh has prescribed it for this Ummah, and one should make the Ḥajj (Pilgrimage) and the ’Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage) for whosoever has the ability to do so.  These are the pillars of Islām, after the first pillar which is Shahādatayn (the two testimonies); to testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allāh, and to testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh.

The Second Legacy

I advise my brothers that they should unify their ranks and that they should be like a single body seeking to establish the Religion of Allāh, as Allāh – the Most High – said:

شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ ۖ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ ۚ ‎﴿١٣﴾‏

“Allāh has ordained for you the same Religion which He ordained to Nūḥ, and that which We revealed to the Prophet, and that which We prescribed to Ibrāhīm, Mūsá and ʿĪsá, saying: That you should establish the Religion by doing that which you were commanded with, and that you should not make any divisions in it.”
[Al-Shūrá, 42:13]

Thus, it becomes very clear that what is required from us – as it was required from the Prophets who were foremost in resolve – is to establish the Religion and not to make any divisions therein.  So our Lord – the Mighty and Majestic – ordered us to establish the Religion and not to make any divisions in it.  O my brothers! Unite your ranks, and do not differ, since Allāh – the Most High – said:

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ ۖ وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ‎﴿٤٦﴾‏

 “ And do not dispute with each other, unless you lose courage and your power departs, but be patient. For indeed Allāh is with those who are patient. ”
[Al-Anfāl, 8:46]

Do not label each other as being deviant, nor label each other as sinners.  If you see any of your brothers that which is objectionable, then go to them and debate with them about this, until your word is unified, and thus cause the Ummah to remain united.  None of you should try to slander his brother, since this will cause a great deal of enmity and hatred. Likewise, none of you should declare his Muslim brother to be a disbeliever, innovator or a sinner – since this is not from the nature of a Muslim.

The Third Legacy

I also advise you – O brothers – to do those actions which will be the cause of love and affection to develop between you.  Many people do not truly understand the Religion of Islām.  Indeed, many people think that the Religion of Islām includes certain bad traits – even though Islām, in reality, objects to them – because some Muslims portray a false image of Islām.  Rather, the Religion of Islām is a Religion of truthfulness, righteousness, and justice. It is a Religion that calls for the reconciling of people.  It is also a Religion that wages war against all bad actions and characteristics; such as lying, cheating, deception and transgressing upon others. Allāh – the Most High – said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ‎﴿٩٠﴾‏ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا الْأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ ‎﴿٩١﴾‏

“Indeed, Allāh enjoins you upon justice, kindness, and the giving of a good to relatives and near ones, and He prohibits you from all shameful and evil deeds, oppression, and transgression.  He admonishes you, in order that you may take heed and be reminded.  And fulfill the Covenant of Allāh when you have made it, and do not break your oaths after you have confirmed them, and indeed you have appointed Allāh as your Guarantor.  Indeed, Allāh knows all that you do. ”
[Al-Naḥl, 16:90-91]

O my brothers, daʿwah (calling to Islām) is to be done by your actions, as you are commanded to do with your speech.  However, daʿwah through actions will be more effective than daʿwah which is merely done with speech.  So I say again, that those who practice Islām in the wrong manner, they will create a false understanding of Islām in people’s view.   Allāh – the Most High – has said about those who invite to what is correct, but do not practice themselves:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ‎﴿٢﴾‏ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ‎﴿٣﴾‏

 “O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do.  It is most hateful to Allāh that you say that which you do not do. ”
[Al-Ṣaff 61:2-3]

The Fourth Legacy

I advise you all to safeguard your time and to occupy yourselves in that which is beneficial.  You should know that time is more precious than wealth, as Allāh – the Most Blessed, the Most High – said:

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ ‎﴿٩٩﴾‏ لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ ‎﴿١٠٠﴾‏

“Until when death comes to him, he says: O my lord!  Send me back so that I may then do good in that which I have left behind.”
[Al-Muʿminūn, 23:99-100]

Time is such that when it departs it does not return, whereas wealth, when it departs, then it is possible to replace it.  So time is of the utmost importance.  This is why I advise you to safeguard your time, and to occupy yourselves in that which benefits. Keep away from qīla wa qāl (gossiping) – that so and so said such and such about this and that person – because the Prophet ﷺ said in an authentic narration: “Indeed Allāh hates qīla wa qāl (gossip mongering), asking too many questions, and wasting one’s wealth.”⁴ Unfortunately, many of the youths – after returning to the correct path, and uniting their hearts and unifying their word have become disunited and fragmented into many factions, and this is due to the whisperings of Shayṭān amongst them and the disuniting of their word. So advise the brothers to utilize your time in beneficial matters, and to keep away from qīla wa qāl. Indeed, time is like a sword; either you strike it, or it will strike you!

The Fifth Legacy

Call to Allāh with mildness, forbearance, and intending to rectify matters – not with harshness, nor intending to cause divisions.  This is because Allāh – the Most Perfect – said to His Prophet ﷺ :

ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ ‎﴿١٢٥﴾‏

 “Call mankind to the way prescribed by your Lord, with wisdom, and admonish them with the examples and warnings that Allāh has provide in His Book, and argue with them in a way that is better. ”
[Al-Naḥl, 16:125]

فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ ۖ ‎﴿١٥٩﴾‏

“By the mercy of Allāh you behaved with gentleness towards them. Had you been severe or hard-hearted they would have left you and departed. So pass over their faults, and ask Allāh to forgive them, and consult them in their affairs. ”
[Ālī ʿImrān, 3:159]

Thus, it is obligatory for the Believer to follow the Prophet ﷺ in this, and to be mild and forbearing in calling to Allāh – the Most Blessed, the Highest – since it is authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “Indeed Allāh is gentle and loves gentleness, and He gives due to gentleness that which He does not give due to harshness.”⁵

The Sixth Legacy

Strive hard in acquiring knowledge, since that is the reason why you have left your cities and homes and have left your families and friends. So it is upon you all to strive hard in gaining knowledge, and to study deeply – not merely to take an exam, rather it is for the knowledge itself.  So strive hard in seeking knowledge.  Finally, I ask Allāh that He enables us to utilize our time in a beneficial way, according to what Allāh – the Most Blessed, the Most High – has made us responsible for.

Endnotes:

1. Related by Muslim (no. 1888) from Abū Hurayrah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu)
2. Related by Muslim (no. 728), from Umm Ḥabībah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhā)
3. Related by al-Bukhārī (no. 7372) and Muslim (no. 19)
4. Related by Muslim (no 1715), from Abū Hurayrah (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhu)
5. Ṣaḥīḥ: Related by Ibn Mājah (no. 3688) from Abū Hurayrah. It was authenticated by Shaykh Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ (no. 1771)