A discussion of the definition of fitnah, why they greatly increase with time, and ways we can protect ourselves from them.
Ali Albarghouthi – Fitnah – Meaning, Types, And Protection
![Ali Albarghouthi](https://artwork.muslimcentral.com/ali-albarghouthi-150x150.jpg)
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Lao hamdulillah salatu salam ala rasulillah
salam
Loma Linda myinfo now and finally marlington I was in nagma herbal alameen
so the topic inshallah tonight's lecture, this is okay, the topic of tonight's lecture inshallah will be about fitna.
What is
what are the causes of fitna
and what are you supposed to do to respond to it?
Because it's an important concept that you'll find repeated in the Quran and also in the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam talking repeatedly about Phaeton and that the return will increase,
not decrease. That's the that's the that's the dangerous thing. The interesting thing is that fit an increase with time they don't decrease both a number like the number of fitna and how grand the fitness are how severe these fitness are.
So, what is fitness mean? So if I asked you what does fitna mean, when we use it?
Yeah.
A trial. What else can it mean?
It's something
blasphemy. Now you can mean that as well.
So now,
the question of
blessing could be a fitna too, so Okay, so what does it mean what is this fitna? Because we're using it in so many ways. Yes.
Definitely is something that is supposed to have a negative effect on your religion, something that is supposed to come in fight with you over your religion to take you away from it. That's a fitna. Right. So anything that can do that is a fitna. Now let's take a go back linguistically see what does that word come from.
So, a fitness for a metal is to expose this metal to heat, intense heat that will melt away anything else that is other than that metal? So how do you for instance, purify gold, and silver, I assume silver is the same thing. How do you do that you expose it to heat. So if it's mixed with any other metal,
that has like a lower melting point than the gold, that metal will melt, what remains his goal. So this is fitna for that goal.
Period, purification, intense heat that's fitna for that goal fitna for silver. So that's fitna linguistically. So if you think about it, anyone who's going through fitna is being exposed to a test or to a heat.
And this there are one or two two outcomes that are the result natural consequence of being exposed to this fitna that intensity hardship tragedy test,
either will take you away from our last panel data
or it will do
purify you and bring you closer to Allah. So attempt can do either this or that. But because a fitna, a lot of times takes you away from Allah it is used for the things that will take you away from Allah. So say for instance, money is a picnic, because it can take you over Allah. You say your children's symptoms could be fitna why
they distract you, you can do haram because you love them. Your husband, your wife, they could be fitna because you can love them so much. That's the test. Right? You're being now put in that furnace.
So will you succeed or not? So if you disobey your desire, disobey your human love, and obey Allah and your love for Allah, you've succeeded and prevailed in this fitna, right.
If you listen to your own weakness, it failed in that fitna.
So that's why fitna typically is negative, not positive because it can take you away from Allah, Allah and the brother who said also blasphemy could call be called Hitman. It's true. q4 can be called fitna Why is that? Because that is the outcome. A lot of times the outcome of a fitna is disbelief.
Right? statements that Allah Subhana Allah hates. So Allah says well fitna to us should do me now. What is the meaning of fitnah there? Cooper?
This really gonna last panatela is worse than murder.
I in Olivia's view
Right in this villa in the levina Amina Amina, what is fatten Mina Mina
they killed them and tortured them that's fitna.
So basically any event, any force that will come to try to take you away from a loss of power, put you in hardship test your Eman is called what?
That's fitness.
Fitness has always existed,
always existed. And it tests that Adam alayhis salam was given not to eat for that tree. There was fitna with the prophets of Allah go through our fitness.
What we go through almost every day is fitness.
Before I explain that division of fitness into big and small and what have you. What is ominous really is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said about the end of time, he says with a little pita
fitten will increase.
A sign of the approaching Day of Judgment is that the thickness will be following one after the other, increasing his intensity
as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says yurakucho Baba Baba the second one makes the first one seen light.
Cool Mr. Moravec Nakata having him have lickity whenever he passes or goes through a fitna, he'll say this is going to kill me. This is the end of me. I cannot survive this.
Then what happens is that when he you know is over with this fitna when the second one comes, he noticed is what
this one is worse than the one that was before
right? This one was one that Yan is paralyzed if you want like a practical example right here
some of the shoe right while ago they were complaining about movie theaters
a sayani look at this fitna and Muslim lamps. You can go to the movie theater and you can see so many bad things right? That's before what
not even internet before TV before having your own theater in your own home at least there you have to go and buy a ticket right and walk through it you can watch what a movie a week or something. But this is how corruption starts right? So they're complaining about the movie theater then comes the TV then we complain about the TV
okay TV what and the beginning how many channels that we have
one or two right and you had like in Muslim countries a state channel
that opens on what particular time closes on one particular time and also when it opens this hold on and when the closes this hold on? Remember that aura right and there's religious programming and yet what two channels and we're complaining about it Look at that spread everywhere.
Then you get what before internet then you get what satellite?
satellite, right? How many channels
on a hundreds of channels. It's never off. It never off you can move from one to the other. And there is no censorship and there is no morality there. They broadcast from places where they put every possible Savannah lock in or indecent thing in them. And finally, as you said, What do you have now?
Which is worse, right? Because now now that doesn't only give access to a company anyone can post anything about anything.
Right?
And that the internet you usually aren't we were complaining about the internet right? At a time when we didn't have smartphones.
Unless you had to have the laptop with you open the laptop make sure now the phone is with you all the time. So what's gonna come next they're gonna plan that in our head right would like would never disconnected at all.
Virtual reality is that okay? It's not big yet.
Yeah, okay, we'll see what happens with virtual reality right? artificial intelligence right? What do you just hook it up to your mind and policy never disconnected from any right from social media or whatever it comes. It just goes directly to your head. So it moves from small to bigger to bigger to bigger and it seems to be going like this. Another example the and it's a panel on the 1991. Right. Iraq thing, right vision of Kuwait and what happened to Iraq. And I remember some of the Messiah who wrote he they said I've never seen a bigger fitna than this 191
All right. They didn't see 2001 911 right?
And then now the after 2011, right. You didn't see what happened 2003 in Iraq
and what is happening now in Iraq and Syria and what is going on law, right? So one of the prophets of Allah in Texas
when he woke up one day, right and he was alarmed, and he said in de la Calcutta, Calcutta. He says, I see the piton descending like the rain.
So what he will do you wake up, right? The the woman in the house is London, pray for a burqa CFE. dounia de la maybe someone who's clothed in this dunya is naked in the hereafter and without enough
without anything with a loss of Hannah without meaning, wake up and pray and ask Allah for protection. So this tells you what that he predicted. It will continue to happen and you have to be ready for it. How do you get ready for the fitna? Right there in with the Prophet sallallahu Sallam said wake up and pray wake up and have a man.
Because you cannot count right? A fitna is like an enemy. Whether it's the shaytaan, or the helpers of the shaytan, they're coming and assaulting attacking your Islam. You're
either through the stream, this witness of the two types, those who are attending our calipers, Fridays, notice either through the stream of shewhart or the through the stream of showers.
fitna can be divided, understood this way, the shaitaan will come and attack your belief.
What do you believe about Allah? Do you really believe all of these things about heaven? And *? I'd like a trend right now is to be a skeptic.
Do you really believe all of these, you know, things that they say in these old books about heaven and *, and resurrection? And you know, hold in and you'll be eating in heaven and all of this and you are educated university graduate? You're a professional, how can you believe all of these things right? So they play with your mind.
And if you don't have that a man that should have will stick.
And you will meet some of us who say, you know, I've heard this and I cannot chase it out of my mind, I still have the under some doubt about this. So if you're not ready for it, you're a man will be shaken. You will lose your faith, you'll lose your conviction, you'll lose your toe hate, you'll lose your they'll say about the profits. Awesome. How could you believe them and he did this, this, this this? If you don't know the background, if you don't know the right response, what actually happened and why it happened? You start believing it. So the fitna comes to you from that side. Only religion is violent, your religion is a terrorist religion, your religion is this and then some
Muslim kids will because they're hearing this and they don't hear the other side. They're hearing this all the time. And they're they feel unready inferior because they're a minority.
They understand what's happening with our kids, they already feel inferior that they always have to defend themselves. Because I look different.
Right? My culture is different, my family is different. So it's not an easy battle you add to it, that you're being denigrated and assaulted. Because you're carrying this religion, it is easier just to say, I don't want this, it is just too much pressure. So if there is not enough commitment islamically on the inside, they leave it
tell you I'm an agnostic, I'm an atheist, I'm Muslim, I'm just not practicing. It's just easier for them. So it comes from the stream of disbelief, or shubo had doubts, confusions about religion, or the other stream. And also it's very popular, and maybe they may be even more dominant than the first stream of fitna, which is the sickness of Shahada, whatever you are attracted to.
Okay, earning money. A lot of money happens mostly through how long or how long,
how long, you can be richer, faster, with how long? How long takes a while, although that has a lot of Baraka in it. But you have to have a man faith to believe that there is Baraka in it and to believe that this is enough for you and to be patient with sometimes if the provision that is limited to be patient with this you have to have that whereas here is another person who says quick bucks.
Just work this work here. We're going to take a break to go out to pray, pray, get a break to go for Jim. You don't want to sell this hat on if you're not going to sell this how I'm not going to you know be hired. So there is this shower for the
shower for physicians. Shower for praise, shower woman, I so all of these things take you away from a lot of penalties.
How to distract you.
I know you want to look handsome enough, right? So that you'd be noticed, admire. I suggest she looks at you so that he looks at you. You know, okay, so there is that natural desire but if you leave it to the hat on, I'll take you away from Islam moves you away from Islamic practice can afford to have for the sister holy, we look beautiful without the snorkel niqab are you putting this niqab? Ah, you're looking really beautiful without this hijab, a little bit of makeup? Because everybody's wearing makeup. How come you look down?
When you log out? You will tell without makeup. I don't you like especially like if the sister really wants to get married or not. You know, you're not attacking sisters. I'm gonna attack the brothers now. Right? But I'm saying that okay, you want to get married? Just put on some makeup.
Right? That's a bad idea. By the way. putting on makeup just to get married like if someone is going to come to see your daughter.
One of the things that he really never never should do ask her to wear makeup so that they were attracted to her because of it.
Why?
Who knows?
Oh, last what happens when she removes them makeup?
later? What happens when you remove that makeup? Right? He sees this face? Is he happy with this face?
I see and ask it to be to wear makeup all the time.
There are women right there are women. Okay, I'm not talking about a Muslim woman or a woman right? Who would on purpose wake up before their husband ever wakes up. Like if he wakes up at six she's up at five or whatever hour before so that she can put makeup on so that he'll never see her without makeup. That's a prison and
that's the prison right? It's like joining the army all the time. You'd have to sleep before and wait till he falls asleep and then take off your makeup and then go to bed and so that
because this this is what you've done to her and the brothers the same well you don't look you know you look handsome. If you shave this beard You look handsome. If you don't wear this thing this way, I mean, be stylish, be debonair or whatever it is.
This is all what
this is all shallow. And you want to get more of this dunya you have to violate what Allah subhana wa tada loves, go against what Allah loves and do what Allah hates. And they are connected. These two fitness are connected. Because when your Eman is weak, in practice, your conviction also will decrease your belief in Allah Subhana Allah to Allah and in the prophets, a lot of them also will decrease. So the person who says, I'll drink,
or I'll gamble, right? Or I'll take off the hijab, whatever it is, right? If they say that, I'll do it. And it begins just as a sin. After some time and lots of love saves them right after some time they'll fight you'll find them arguing What?
It's okay. Not to wear the hijab, and it's okay to drink and it's okay to gamble. Not only that it's a sin and I should stop and little or no, no, no, it's not. It's okay. This is a natural progression because your conviction, right, diminishes because of it.
That's how the shaytaan works. That's exactly how the shaytaan works. The shaytani will come to you.
Right? They say that each person has two types of powers, and himself who were two academic who were to
go to exam. So what we've done is what it's like putting your feet on the accelerator, each person is either impulsive or cautious. You have this power, you notice people notice people, right? Not that you should spend all your time studying people. I'm saying that even notice it within within yourself, you'll find you and your brother, you and your sister, right? You and your cousin, sometimes you're the impulsive kind. Do, do do it quickly, right? You take the initiative, you push for something that you like, the other person has another kind of power, caution. He's a thinker. He deliberates. He waits and then he does it. You have two types of powers. Right. And most people do
have one more dominant than the other. And they actually need both. Both of them are needed. The shaitaan studies you and he sees if you have one type of power, there's no giving as an example, if you have one type of power, which is to be impulsive, he'll push you to be even more impulsive.
rush into doing something Don't even think about it. Don't consult seize the opportunity. So you make more mistakes right?
He will beautify this in your eye. If you're very conscious, he'll push you to even be more cautious. Right? You take a mobile phone,
for instance, as an example, if you're impulsive, that gets you in trouble. This is haram. And this is haram. And this is how long it may be, go and speak out against this, this, this, this and you won't think about it, you won't think about how to do it, people will start running away from you. Because you haven't used wisdom. And you're always attacking. Right? And you have not noticed how you should progress. Does this person need this at this moment? Or something better? How should I start? So if you're impulsive, he'll track you this way. If you're cautious, he says, you know, because you know, be patient, they'll need time. Don't talk about it. And it's sometimes it's safer
not to talk, and maybe they'll change sooner convince you not to say anything.
So I brought this as an example of a shavon is with you and the shaytaan studies you and he knows your personality. So he knows if you're weak from the area of woman, where does he attack you from?
What wasn't the trick question, if you know is that you're weak? And they're here from the side of woman? What is he attacking from?
So the prophet SAW Islam says
in the bunnies, right? You can offend me, sir, he says, Be cautious when it comes to dunya. And when it comes to women, because the first fitna of the children of Israel in a salon was
doesn't mean that women are evil. No, does not mean that the prophet of Islam did not say that. What does it mean? It means that you as men have weakness and your weakness is
women so that she can will know this, you will come to you from that side. Meaning what Okay, if you want her to like you do this, if you want her to notice you do that. If you want him to love you do this. And you will say I want all of this so that you will do it. And it will you married to her if you really loved her right and you wanted to stay with you. If you want to keep her do this job. If you don't want her to be unhappy with you fulfill fulfill her wishes. And if she's not pious, she'll command you to do evil specificness
so you have you know another type of fitna classification of fitna is a personal fitness versus a public fitness.
What's the personal fitness something that is happening to you? a fitness in your family, a fitness at your workplace, a fitna with your child, this is not a public fitness that everybody's going through. It's your own fitness.
And even as the brother said, right, fitness orajel is he? He wanted the even you know the good things that Allah gives to you. There could also be a fitness,
right? Even the good things that are like gifts to you, that could be a fitness your money could take you away from Allah your children can take you away from Allah, when that happens, right. And the sin is still within what is forgivable the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said to capital so that was clear Masada. If you disobey Allah, because of them, they distract you and take you away from our last panel data because of that, that still is manageable because what he said Salah Sam and Sarah car will forgive this sense, right? Of course, these things of course, because they are personal and you save usually they are light, but they also could cause disbelief.
They people can lose their faith because of money, right? position fame, they can lose their faith because of that. They can do everything because of it. That's why the thickness of shadow is so strong. And you need a man for it. Talk about that and show how and how to counter fitna
but also you have this public fitness. But the ones we talked about the 1991 to 2001 you know 2003 and what we're going through today, something that is global in nature covers so many countries and everyone feels it, it happens in one country, but everybody else feels the consequences. Right? The tragedy, the
Savannah law right, the the test,
the calamity everybody feels and that is a general fitna and these are the truly great fitness that you want us to ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to protect you from as it is destroyed our haleema hierarchy. It will leave someone who is intelligent and wise and even pious leaves him What?
Confused
not only you and me will be confused and sometimes you come to us in these small
fitness industry I see I have this problem. You know, in my work with my family, I don't know what to do. You can still go to someone who's has a limb has a man and he tells you what to do. Right? But what if you go to the Ola and they tell you Subhana Allah, this is a fitna, we have no idea how to get out. We have no idea. What's the exit? How good will it end? We have no idea. And they disagree with each other. In an example of it is what happened with Allah you cannot be tolerant. All the Allahu unright. With Sofia, and in German.
What do you had the Sahaba, disagreeing, disagreeing? What should we do? Do we side with this? Or do we side with that? Or do we abstain?
And each person at that moment, they would have their own evidence, and it's just the matter is not clear.
the right decision, right, the right decision was clear. At the end, for the for everybody was clear at the end. But as you go into it, there's disagreement.
And you probably
saw something. The other side saw something else. And because of its armies class,
and the people who have the best decision were the people who decided to abstain and say this is what a fighting of
stay away. Like saddam, love your costs. And other Sahaba. Right. And even earlier on the low, I know towards the end, he wished that he did not go through this. And he didn't fight anyone. Because he noticed what was the outcome did he win?
He didn't win. It was either a still a stalemate, or he was about if actually things continued. He was about eventually to lose. So it didn't work. It was fighting a fitna and that's why when there is fighting, and it's not clear among Muslims, this is a great fitna big fitness, there's fighting among Muslims. And it's not clear what his thought side is right and what side is wrong, and the rise, the rise of Islam,
the flag of Islam
is not clear that not one side is carrying it versus the other, that fighting. It might as well be a fight in the fitna. And if that lines are not clear, it is best to work avoided or take part of it.
avoided,
avoided
because as some of the tiberian have said, that I meet Allah subhanho wa Taala and he asked me why didn't you kill so and so is better that I meet him asking me why did you kill so and so?
See how it's easy today in some Muslim lands, to kill other Muslims. Right? And they are dying Yanis apana la in the 10s or the hundreds,
weekly or daily.
And if we just listen to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to some of us a habit like a Buddha.
And this is good for people who say Oh, Islam is violent, and bla bla bla bla. He told me that what happens if you see a fitna where the blood will be covering the grounds. What do you do?
He says, I'll do what the prophet of Allah tells me to do. It says you Be patient.
The patient says what if what do you do? If somebody raises his sword against you and he wants to kill you? I says, I will do what the prophet of Allah wants me to do. He says you'd be patient. And if he wants to kill you, you let him kill you.
You understand?
If you want him if he decides to kill you, you let him kill you. He carries his sin and your sin could Abdullah him alone without they're gonna have the light volume be the one who's oppressed, don't be the oppressor. Because on the Day of Judgment, right when you're going to meet Allah subhana wa Tada. What further would better position to be in the oppressor, the oppressed, the oppressed. So if it's a fitna and you don't know what to do about it, these big fitness,
okay, Allahu Allah. What's the next big fitness? Hello, Adam. Oh, and Maddie has risen somewhere calling everybody to come and join him. You go first. And you see what signs does he have that he's and Maddie does he fulfill with the Prophet sallallahu Cinemax said about Matthew or not? What do the element of Omar saying about this you don't rush to believe that a person is so unsold, or he has descended or whatever it is being predicted in the head. It actually is happening until you get what confirmation
especially in these days, you need confirmation
that this thing is authentic
the interpretation is authentic and the aroma of the oma What are guides right are telling you yes this is true.
You don't volunteer on your own and say yes since ISIS are saying that they have the healer as the healer I just read something that convinced me that
you've been tested and if you believe them you fail
Why? There is no rhyme and no Amen. So how do you counter I fitness any fitness
the big Well, this is the small one this small and the big. How do you counter it? How do you survive it?
Let's say three things. Let's say four things okay? one
you have to know your religion there's no other way around it
once upon a time right when Muslims were living in their villages and the power was for Muslims, it was enough for you just to read a little bit of the Koran know a little bit of a little bit of the Sunnah your worship Allah you'll die below the gender was enough. This is not enough today for you in our living in villages anymore right? for you. It's not enough. It's not enough anymore.
If you do not know your religion, concretely
in detail,
and you counter everything every small fitna every small doubt and confusion right with information, solid information. You're not ready for the big fitna.
You need the Holocaust, you need the study circles you need to read you need to listen to lectures, not lectures that are zipped sort of have no substance to them. You have to learn your religion in detail. What Allah is saying in the Quran details What does Allah saying in the Sunnah details, know who to consult what to ask, Who are your references? If you need any. If you have no L, you're just calling for your own destruction. I'm telling you I'm not I'm not joking with you. I'm being serious, right because the next fitna that are going to come and are going to sweep you in it. And typically you do not know that you're in a fitna, because there are so confusing. You don't know
that you're in the fitna. Later you'll find out when it's over yourselves, Allah, I was diluted LMS mess misguided. So you need to enter. The second thing you need to
action. Where is your email? If your email is not strong, even if you have knowledge,
you'll shake, very shaky.
That's why we're the fifth now. The Jad the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Man, send me I've been the jelly filiana. If you hear about the jar,
don't come to him. Go away from him, run away from him. Why? Because the person will come to him convinced that he knows who the judge is, but end up following him because of all the signs that the judge has. So maybe this person has this
but maybe that person does not have the ductwork and the man is not strong and when the man is not strong there's a fly inside you don't notice it but the floor is inside is a weakness. And you see and you're a man cannot tolerate cannot withstand that thickness and you follow.
So you need your armor. You need your solder, you need your fasting, you need to take care of your email and you need to be close to Allah. You need to avoid those small fitness to survive the bigger fitness. Want to Amen.
And Amen. Amen, amen. The third thing
especially during the time of fitness,
but also before alone in and out to becoming an attorney Manohar. I mean how on earth can you get ready for it before it happens? Yeah, Allah we seek a refuge from fitna big and small.
The big ones definitely the small ones. Remember the TV that we talked about the internet that we thought What did we say that this is fitna? How many times do you log on to your accounts, emails and social media and visit websites? How many times a day?
How many times 2356 710. Each one of them is what
each one of them is what
is the element how many times you were exposed to fitness every day? And you say was the
brother and sister you're in it? You're living it and maybe you're spreading it you don't know you're spreading it? So you're in the fitness. So you have to ask Allah Allah protect me from the fit and the ones I know about and the ones I don't know about. I'm already in them. I don't know about them. And the last one, right, and that was supposed to have patience and to stay away from that.
Signal
sometimes in the bigger fitness where you cannot change anything and everybody's in it you see you avoid everybody
everybody even though if you have to stay home I that's the big big big fitness right if safety only is in staying home you don't leave your house that's the big fitness May Allah save us from that.
But staying away from fitness any source of fitness any person of fitness any talk of fitness or any glimpse of fitness, stay away from it so you're not tempted if you can close many special for the hottest shift if you can close ever gone to the zoo. I don't know if the zoo is still options, right? You go to the zoo. Lion is there. I know you have fences and whatever suppose right? There's nothing between you and a lion except one fence. you extend your hand what is the lion gonna do? shake your hand?
Right. It's the same thing. you extend your hand to the fitna. It will swallow you.
It will swallow you every fitna is designed to be like that and behind the dark Shariati.
You stay away from it and be patient. And if you're patient, Allah will give you strength against it. Right? So Subhanallah I mean, and we can go on and on and on and on about about it. There's not just one level of fitness talking about people behind their back is fitna talking about the people of knowledge, exposing their supported mistakes, exaggerating these mistakes talking about the mistake of this person and that person. Some mistakes are legitimate some mistakes, yes, we need to discuss them, because it's a mistake. But some are not real mistakes, and some are exaggerated and some
layers, you know, it's not helpful for me to hear about it. It may be helpful for you to know about it. But my Eman is weak. Are you telling me about this? So not everybody? This doesn't always need to be public knowledge. So to panela you know you were living in a daze and diets of fitna and we will have to be aware of it. So the next time inshallah you're reading the Koran and you come across this word fitna Think about this, you reading the sooner you come up, you know and you think about the word fit. Now think about this. Or you notice something that is taken people away from Allah subhanho wa Taala. You notice this is fitna and notice how if you if Allah had saved you from it,
notice how people who are inside don't know that they are in that fitna. to them they think this is Islam.
This is Islam This is the correct path to them, they think that you ask Allah subhana wa tada to save us all from all the fit and apparent and non apparent and to give us the wisdom to realize them and the wisdom to the patients to stay away from them with a lot of spirit. Oh Mohammed Salah Lavalle will send them all the fitting that they are experiencing right now to give them a better outcome and a better Eman and ama that will help them and help us in sha Allah prevail against all these tests. A whole new holy header was the federal law Do you want to come 100 in that horrible and I mean, satanic alone Ambika shadow and that stuff.
So I don't know. I think I'm supposed to stop right.
Right. I'm supposed to stop right shikaka done right.