Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – Qur’anic Reflections Believers on the Fence

Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Welcome back to our

Quran reflections. So we will start with our verse for today.

Allah subhanaw taala says, I will do Mila Jimenez che Bani rajim

Bismillah hir rahman al Rahim Wamena in Simi Buddha Allah Allah,

how have you feign? Asaba hoo ha You don't need to Nabi we're in

Asaba to fit Neptunian caliber either watch hacia duniya Well,

hero, the Anika who will host Raul Moby. This is from chapter 22

Surah Al Hajj, verse 11. And again, it underscores a really

important point regarding how people are with regards to their

faith. So Allah subhanho wa Taala says, I mean, unless you mean

Yeah, Buddha, Allah, Allah Huff, there are some among people who

serve Allah, they worship Allah. But Allah half, which means as it

were on the verge, so they do it on the verge, they do it half

heartedly, they do it sitting on the fence, okay, then, if good

comes to them, due to that worship, and due to being Muslim,

and due to being with the believers, they're very, very,

very content, they're happy that Allah has given me Allah has

bestowing me with, with goodness, but if a trial comes to them,

and they're afflicted by a trial, they turn on their face. So

they're willing to turn away from their religion. Okay, they are

losers, they are losers of both this world and the Hereafter,

because they're neither here neither they in this world, what a

bad situations to be in, you know, what a bad place to be when you're

neither here neither there, right? That is a loss for all to see that

eagle Hassan will be basically this is a an obvious, evident,

clear loss for anybody that can anybody can see that. Now, I guess

you get an idea from this, what kind of people Allah subhanaw

taala is speaking about here.

And again, if you look at this, from the Arabic perspective, and

the derrick wording of Allah subhanaw taala, you see the

miraculous quality, the graphic nature of the Quran, how Allah

subhanaw taala.

You know, you can basically put it up as a mirror, to see the mindset

of both individuals and communities. That's what you can

do, you can reflect of this.

These are, this is speaking about people and nations communities who

have submitted to Allah, but just nominally.

So they've got one foot inside.

Right? The there's a very thin line that marks the distinction

between Joe Healy and Islam. We've discussed Jaya Helia. In an in

another reflection,

the Quran is speaking about the mental state of these people.

Right? And their response system, it's a very vivid

it's a very vivid depiction of it. Basically, these people, they sit

on a fence.

And what's the benefit of sitting on the fence? What's the benefit

of just being nominally in and not out, is so that they can change

their stance in no time at all. So quickly, they can change their

stance.

Because if they took a firm stance in anything,

then it would be difficult for them to recant it and go against

it afterwards. So they're not willing to take a proper stance,

you've seen many people, you know, there's a really critical issue.

And you want support, because it's a religious issue. It's a issue of

correctness of rightness of virtue, but they're not willing to

put their name in there. Because they feel that if they do, they're

going to lose out in some way or the other. So they're not willing

to fully that they tell you, Oh, we're with you. But they're not

willing to come in together with it. They're not willing to sign

the petition. They're not willing to come to the protest. Okay.

They are better known as opportunists and self seekers.

They keep, for example, its things to do with the state and policy,

they keep a close eye on the policy, they want to please the

ruling class. They're only thinking about their own loss and

gain, not about the loss and gain of bigger ideas of larger groups

of people of whole communities. So if the condition of the day suits

them, they they become fully engrossed and they'll join you in

pursuing the objective because they see no harm in it. They have

without any qualms or conscious

qualms of conscience they

carry on the agenda. But it's all for a selfish end, when it's

adverse circumstances.

And there's a change start stance of the ruling classes change in

policy or whatever the case is, compared to the early position,

they will recap the early, early position, they no longer want to

be identified with what they once believed and supported. They

follow their friends, seeing this in numerous issues, quarrels in

disputes, land disputes, in Masjid, disputes, possession

disputes, position disputes, there's you get, you get the few

that lead, and then you get the others who are literally, they do

the bidding of others, they just on the side.

And meaning they have basically no problem in changing their tone in

changing their appearance. You know, if if it suits them, they

will basically take off the hijab, if it suits them will take off the

beard, if it suits them, they won't pray, if it suits them,

they'll change their name.

Right, for selfish ends, they'll change their name from beautiful

muslim names, they'll change them to seem otherwise, even though

there's no proper danger or anything like that, which would

you know, which could justifies maybe, you know, changing a name

or something like that in some cases. So

they basically changing their lives, their beliefs, their views,

social cultural, things that they they relate to, right, they change

their language

Subhanallah they will change their language.

So, Allah subhanaw taala is saying that as long as such people expect

to derive some material gain from their association with Islam,

they make a show of their allegiance.

And that helps them then to obtain wealth because if the Muslims are

aiming strong, then they get something out of it, they may get

a worldly position or wealth or whatever, and we've had so many

people like this, right? However, if they, as soon as they sent any

kind of loss on account of their link with Islam or with the

righteous people, they're going to be abandoned. I have no hesitation

abandon it altogether. They're just not willing to take risks. So

Allah subhanho wa Taala says in another verse, In the verse of

sort of anchor anchor boot, which is chapter 29, verse 10, encircle

anchor Bucha Allah subhanaw taala, says, Amin, and as you may know

who I am, and he felt either with the villa he died of it Nitin

Nasik, either Billa What are you John Nostrum, Mirrabooka colon in

con, Macomb. Our There is Allah who will be our LM IV mafia, so do

rely on I mean, what this means is there are such among men who say

we believe in Allah. But when they suffer an affliction in the Cause

of Allah, they treat men's oppression as if it were the Wrath

of Allah. They blaming Allah for that. And if help comes to you

from your lodo prophets, they are sure to say that we have always

been with you, meaning that if you get support, and the tables turn,

and the prosperity is with you, then they will turn around and

say, we've always been with you. Does not Allah know best what is

in the hearts of his creatures?

That's the verse that it's this same thing that he's saying. So if

Islam bring somebody glory, they take pride in their association

with it. They like to call themselves and dress like Muslims.

And they start talking about their Muslim ancestors that you know, to

show that they've got a place and they've got history. And they only

do this to share Allah subhanaw taala is bounty, right? However,

Allah subhanaw taala knows the truth. There's no credit in

pledging a loyal one's loyalty to the ruling class, right, or the

group that enjoys the the power and authority. There's people who

are generally associated with politics, they have to play this

game. Right? People who are associated to politics in the

various countries in the world, they have to wrestle hamdulillah

we're not I mean, I wish we could in a positive way. But, you know,

there's, there's always, you know, all of these movements and things

they're fraught with difficulties and dangers, may Allah subhanaw

taala make it easy for those who have sincerity and give them

sincerity. So, you know, while when things are going great, it's

okay. And everything is fine and rosy. However, as soon as there's

adverse circumstances that's when the that's when the test comes

right. And that is when it calls for true chivalry and manly

spirit, unwavering resolve to then profess and practice your, your

principles and your beliefs and continue that even especially

rather, when people are hostile to it. Right because in such

situations, even the loyalist gets shamed.

You can, and that's when you get really tested. Okay? And fighting

for survival, right becomes your real trial. In that case, only the

loyal person at that time is going to display his sincerity, even in

unfavorable circumstances. So, you know, it's absolutely a privilege

to be honest to say, Muslims, when you understand how far Islam is

gonna go compared to everything else, and how it's going to carry

on and how important it is, then it's an absolute privilege. And

when you think of it from that perspective, then it doesn't

bother you, where you have to undergo some difficulty, because

it's worth it. Yes, if our faith was just to the end of this world,

and to the end of our lives, and there was nothing beyond that.

There'd be no point, right? Maybe then just find a more comfortable

way, if you're ever in a challenge like that. But our life is all

about the hereafter. Allah subhanaw taala is going to promise

us is has promised us for every bit of patients that we do, what

is to come, that's why when is going to be rewarded in all

circumstances. Right? That is what Allah both adverse and favorable,

and Allah subhanaw taala shown us a way to do this and Allah will

reward employee that's why we're told that for a believer, good

circumstance, you thank Allah subhanaw taala and you're

rewarded, and if it's a bad circumstance, and you do subpar,

and you're rewarded as well, it can only be good for believers,

but we need to hold that view and be very clear about it. May Allah

subhanaw taala grant us an understanding of this and may

Allah allow us not to be on the side but rather as Allah says,

enter into Islam wholly and fully. May Allah make us of those who

find Islam, the ideal religion, in every way in every shape and allow

us to fill it full, to follow it fully. Please keep us in your

doors may Allah subhanho wa Taala bless you. And as salam aleikum wa

rahmatullah wa barakato. The point of a lecture is to encourage

people to act to get further an inspiration, and encouragement,

persuasion. The next step is to actually start learning seriously,

to read books to take on a subject of Islam and to understand all the

subjects of Islam at least at the basic level, so that we can become

more aware of what our deen wants from us. And that's why we started

Rayyan courses so that you can actually take organize lectures on

demand whenever you have free time, especially for example, the

Islamic essentials course that we have on there, the Islamic

essentials certificate, which you take 20 Short modules, and at the

end of that inshallah you will have gotten the basics of most of

the most important topics in Islam and you'll feel a lot more

confident. You don't have to leave lectures behind you can continue

to live, you know, to listen to lectures, but you need to have

this more sustained study as well as local law here and Salam

aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.