The situation of the Ummah looks bleak…

Would you disagree? I mean, just look around the world and cast your eyes over the condition of the Ummah… what do you see? I’ll tell you what you see… you see conflict, violence, foreign occupation, wars, poverty, corruption, division, despair… and the list continues. So to be fair, if someone said that in their opinion it seems like the Ummah is at the point of no return, and well and truly ‘down and out’… you may disagree, however, you can see where they are coming from.

How are Muslims responding?

When speaking to Muslims about the situation of the Ummah, there is without a shadow of a doubt the desire for change. However, this desire for change, unfortunately, comes along with a sense of hopelessness, a subconscious view that the situation is not going to change for the better… well not any time soon anyway. Give it a go… discuss the current situation of the Ummah with Muslims. I would vouch that the two most popular responses you receive are that we are witnessing the last days and the day of Judgement is close and also people whilst resigned to the fact that nothing will change until the Mehdi returns, in the form of ‘divine intervention.’

Are we the first Muslims to experience trials and tribulations?

Well, to begin with, we must ask ourselves, “Is this the first time that the Ummah has faced trials and tribulations? Did the earlier generations have it all cushty?” To answer these questions let’s refer to the look at the Islamic sources and the history of Islam Allah (SWT) tells us in the Quran:

“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you?”

[al-Baqarah 2:214]

“And surely We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops, but give glad tidings to the steadfast (As-Sâbirûn)”

[al-Baqarah 2:155]

“Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test?”

[Al-Ankabut 2]

So here we see that Allah (SWT) is going to test us, and in fact, being tested is part and parcel of having Iman, i.e. being a Muslim. It’s also important to note that Allah (SWT) is commanding the Messenger (saw) to give glad tidings to the As-Sabirun, the patient, the ones who remain steadfast in the face of adversity.

So who exactly is the ‘As-Sabirun?’

They are those who understand that they will certainly be tested due to their Iman, they will face trials and tribulations… however, what keeps them steadfast in the face of adversity is that they are convinced in the promise of Allah’s (SWT) victory.

“Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Fasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” [an-Noor 24:55, 56].

Examples in history which should motivate and inspire the Ummah

So where to start I ask? In fact, there are countless examples of when the odds were stacked against the Ummah when the enemies of Islam believed that the time to wipe out Islam and Muslims was close… however, it didn’t exactly turn out in the way they would have liked.

Just imagine how the pagans of Quraysh would have felt when they were unsure of their fate at the hands of the man they had once mocked, abused, physically attacked and ultimately forced to migrate, returned to Mecca at the head of a 10,000-strong army? The promise of Allah’s (SWT) victory was evident when the idols residing in the Ka’aba were smashed to pieces.

We also see examples of later generations who turned the tables on the enemies of Islam, whether it was the decisive battle of Ain Jalut, where the Mamluk army, led by Sultan Saifuddin Qutuz, put a stop to the evil plans of the once “undefeatable” might Mongol forces. Or whether it was another decisive encounter, the battle of Hittin where Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi utterly decimated the Crusader army on his way to liberating Jerusalem.

These are a few examples of when the Ummah not only believed in the promise of Allah’s (SWT) victory but set out to perform the actions needed to bring about change.

We are part of the same Ummah… we are part of the same history

So brothers and sisters, if we look back at our history, we can see that the Ummah had always faced severe challenges, however, they were able to regroup, persevere, and remain steadfast in working to change their situation, and were ultimately granted the victory that Allah (SWT) had promised.

What we must always keep at the forefront of our minds is that we are part of that same glorious Ummah. So when we read the seerah of the Messenger (saw) and look back at the great victories of the past, this should not only motivate and inspire us but also remind us of what we can also achieve if we tread sincerely on the path of Allah (SWT) to achieve His pleasure.

“Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves”

[al-Ra’d 13:11]

The enemies of Islam are aware that we are part of the same Ummah

Do we not think that the enemies of Islam are aware of what this noble Ummah is capable of? Of course, they are! To be fair, and this is unfortunate, but one could argue that the enemies of Islam, have a better understanding of the true nature of Islam, and its history, even moreso than many Muslims today. Knowing this, do we think that the current crop of enemies to Islam, the Capitalist West led by America, are going to sit around idly by and let the Ummah dust itself off, reorganise, unify behind a single leadership and once again arrive at the gates of Vienna? Yes… yes… that is a rhetorical question, however, if someone did want to know the answer to this question, then they would not need to look any further than onslaught the West and its allies are waging against Islam and the Ummah.

However, Subhan’Allah, as was the case with the pagans of Quraish, and the foes who followed them, no matter how much they plotted and planned, no matter how much pain, misery and destruction they inflicted on the Ummah and our lands… the Ummah has a unique ability to fight back and overcome all foes, through the victory of Allah (SWT).

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, we see that the enemies of Islam have gathered their forces and powers to fight Islam and the Ummah, in the same way as they have continuously done throught history. They are using all possible means to prevent Islam from returning as a system that governs the affairs of the Ummah and becoming a material force that can rattle thrones and topple crowns. As Muslims, we have a decision to make… will be among those, who like our predecessors, remained steadfast on their Deen and met the challenges of their time head-on? Or on the other hand, will drown in despair, remain feeling sorry for ourselves and carry the notion that working to change our situation is beyond us?

The previous generations stood up to the challenges of their time and cemented their legacies in our glorious history of Islam.

The questions I leave you with… how do we want to be remembered? What will be our legacy?