Mufti Menk – The Great Martyrs – Why do Wars happen if Allah is Most Merciful
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the sad reality of murder and the importance of dying for one's happiness and bliss. They stress the need to find a way to live in a situation where one's Lord is the judge of one's life and that forgiveness is a key part of one's life. They also discuss the history of Islam, including the use of shirts and the deen of Allah, and the importance of verifying one's identity and being a good Muslim. Finally, they touch on the topic of death and how it is a cause for everyone to defend the nation.
AI: Transcript ©
As salaamu, alaykum, warahmatullahi wa, Barakatuh
WA, Allah alihi wa, sahbhi ajma,
my beloved brothers and sisters, when we watch what is happening in
Palestine and we see our brothers and sisters being killed, it hurts
us, and indeed, we would like to see a stop to all of that. Not
only do we pray, but every single one of us is meant to do whatever
is in his or her capacity to stop this warfare, this aggression,
this genocide, may Allah Almighty grant us as an ummah victory, and
may Allah make it easy for those who are struggling and suffering.
Similarly, there are others across the globe who are suffering and
struggling, many of them being killed, and sometimes the question
is, why does Allah allow this? Allah is the Most Merciful. Allah
is the most kind. Allah is the most magnificent. Why would he
allow
innocent people, men, women and children to be butchered in this
particular way? Now, in order for us to understand the murderer also
faces death, even if nobody actually penalized him. Says one
person murdered another, there would come a time when the
murderer, even if nobody caught him, or if he did not face justice
on earth he will still die. He might die at the age of 70, maybe
a little bit more or a little bit less. He could die being murdered
himself, or he could die a death that people might call natural.
But he also has to go so it is foolish to commit murder in the
first place, because the one who's murdering is also going to die at
some point. It's just a little bit delayed. So those who are
perpetrating the crimes in Palestine, it's not like they are
going to live forever. They too are going to die, even if nobody
actually manages to get back at them, they are going to return to
Allah, and ultimate justice will always happen on the Day of
Judgment. In this world, there are so many people who get away with
murder, both literally and figuratively.
They get away with crimes in this world, sometimes you might take a
person to court, or the court may pass a ruling to say, in this
particular case, for example, that this land actually belongs to the
Palestinians, or that a genocide is being committed, even if the
International Court of Justice has passed that judgment, sometimes
the perpetrators might get away, and sometimes a court can pass a
ruling that was wrong. How many have committed murder in this
country, South Africa,
and they got away scot free, and the people felt short changed, and
they felt there was no justice, but ultimate justice will
definitely come on the Day of Judgment, so it's just a matter of
time. That's what it is. Don't despair. Now, going back to the
issue of why Allah would allow this to happen. Remember, he
created us in the first place, and we have to return to him anyway,
no matter how you die, you have to die. That's what it is. And death
is not a bad thing for a believer, because ultimately, what a
connection with your maker teaches you is that you should just
prepare for the day you're going to return to that same maker, and
that's what death is all about?
Mean, il mautu, the gift of a believer is actually death. Allah
promised you when you pray, I will give you this reward when you do
charity, I will give you that reward when you do good, I will
give you this when you stay away from sin, I will give you that.
Where are you going to get all of this you need to go into the
hereafter to see the reward that you are going to achieve. Right?
So, if you are not prepared to go into the hereafter, how are you
going to go to paradise? And in order to get to the hereafter, you
need to die. And if you look at death as a negative thing, then
how are you going to get into receiving the most positive thing,
which is paradise when you don't want to go through that death.
That's why we are taught almotubane, wakullu, Nasi, dahi
luhu, death is a door, and every human being shall go through that
door. In fact, it goes beyond humankind to all the creatures of
Al.
Allah, Subhanahu wa taala, every soul shall taste death. Colon of
sin.
Wa injure. Allah,
says, Every soul shall taste death, and indeed, you shall be
given your rewards on the Day of Judgment. Allah wants you
to understand that you were with him prior to your birth, and you
will return to him after your death. That's why, in another
verse, Allah says,
thum Elaina,
every soul shall taste death, and then you will return to us. Allah
says, in fact, if you hear of the death of anyone, what is the first
thing you are taught to say as a believer, don't we say inna
Lillahi wa inna Ilahi Raji on why? Because it is impactful in its
meaning, and it is filled with great meaning. And that is a
summary of your existence and mine in a nutshell.
Indeed, we belong to Allah, and we are all going to return to Allah.
Now, when murder has happened,
there is a level of death that occurred that may well determine
the future of the person killed.
If I tell you,
Look, my brother, you struggled in this world. But don't worry,
Allah, will reward you in the Hereafter, don't we hear that it's
difficult, because we are human beings. It's easy to say it, but
difficult to live through it. I need to suffer and struggle on
Earth. Allah says, Look, we created you on earth. We did not
guarantee you that you going to have it smooth sailing. In fact,
we will test you one after the other. Wala Abu, nuwan akum, every
time we repeat this verse where Allah says, We will indeed test
all of you. Life is not going to be smooth. You will have a day
when you suffer and you think to yourself, when is this going to
end, if that happens, Allah says, with the patience that you endure,
we will give you a good death, and we will give you eternal bliss of
paradise. So when you die, is your Lord happy with you or not? If he
is pleased with you, you have died a good death, and if He is not
pleased with you, no matter what luxuries you had on earth that was
not a good death, how can you die and your Lord is not happy with
you? Allah is not happy with you. So Allah says, when we put
hardship in your life, it is in order to bring you closer to us
and in order to realize the temporary nature of this world,
people will take you for a ride. People will rob you. They will
steal from you. People will do all sorts of things to you. Sometimes
you make poor decisions in your life, as a result of which you
suffered and struggled. ALLAH says, take it in your stride and
use the situation to come closer to me.
Use the situation to come closer to me. Moments ago, I was seated
in the front a youngster comes to me with a very good question. And
he says,
How do I ensure that Allah listens to my dua?
And I said, Well, develop a relationship with him. That's in a
nutshell. Obviously, the answer of it is long, right? But you want
Allah to listen to your DUA. Build a connection with him. So how do
you build a connection with him? You need to make sure you fulfill
the duties that he has asked you to fulfill. You know what they
are, and stay away from that which he told you to stay away from. You
know what it is, and because you are a human, you are going to
falter. And when you do falter, seek forgiveness instantly,
immediately, and keep seeking forgiveness. And then you see how
Allah will answer your DUA.
Get close to Allah, not only at a time of difficulty, but even at a
time of ease. You know the Hadith says, Tara Raf, Illa, lahir, Raha
e ya, Arif, Kafi, shiddhi,
get acquainted with Allah during your times of ease, and Allah will
be acquainted with you during your times of hardship. But when Allah
loves you, sometimes you've turned away from him, he'll create
hardship. He wants to bring you closer and closer to him.
You know, I give you an example of sport. In sport, whether it is
swimming or football or whatever you like to participate.
Battle. If a person is fighting because he is defending Islam and
the Muslims and the cause of justice, he is considered a
Shaheed if he is killed.
So now comes the reason why Allah allows all of this to happen for
those people to have eternal bliss of the highest degrees of
paradise, because, trust me, ultimately, we all have to die.
I'd rather die in a condition that my Lord was pleased with me and
that I can have eternal bliss of the Hereafter, than to die on my
bed where my lord was not pleased with me, but I had the luxuries of
the temporary world for 60 to 70 years, even though I did not face
any opportunity for me to become a martyr.
Now, sometimes
you and I know that there might not be such warfare. In the case
of Palestine, it is it is there. It is true we see people being
butchered. Any one of them who have passed on is called a
shaheed.
They are called shaheed. They are martyrs. They bore witness for the
cause of justice and truth. Allah gives them a rank if they were
truthful to Allah. Allah gives them a rank that is far higher
than the rank of the ordinary person out there, even among the
believers
for Allah, ikama, Alaina was Siddiqui. Now da
was Ali hin waha, suna, Ula,
ikarofika, Dali kal fadlu, dalimina,
Waka, fabila Yama,
Allah is sufficient, as the all knower, Allah says those, when he
mentions those who believe and do good deeds and seek forgiveness of
Allah, and Allah loves them and grants them a high rank. What is
the rank? Allah speaks about in the Quran. He says they will be
with the prophets in the hereafter. Nabi Yin was siddiqin,
those who were truthful when I say I'm a Muslim, it's easy to say I'm
a Muslim. Are you really a Muslim? Are you truthful? Are you prepared
to sacrifice today, our sisters in many countries are being
prohibited from putting on a hijab when they sacrifice and they are
truthful to the fact that they are Muslim and they face persecution
because they are putting on a hijab every moment of that
sacrifice, their status is being elevated and they are being
rewarded just for standing up and doing the right thing.
The same applies to you and I as men. We face persecution at times
simply because we're Muslims. It's becoming more and more apparent,
even though we're in the 21st century where we would never have
believed that it would degenerate to this level. But in so many
parts of the globe, people are suffering only because they are
Muslim, and Islam is a pure faith, and it is growing as the fastest
religion, and so therefore they will face persecution. People
don't want that. Something overtakes them. You have a
business, and another man opens up a business that's quite similar,
and he's doing better than you, shaytan, will come to you and make
you feel jealous. May Allah, Almighty grant us goodness. So
when you face persecution and when you have stood you are known as a
truthful person. You were true to the Shahada. What is the Shahada?
You know we say, are you ready to say your Shahada? Shahada means to
bear witness. Are you ready to bear witness? That term shahada,
Shahid, Shahid, it's all from the same root, shahidah. It means to
bear witness. What is the shahada ash, hadu, Allah, ILAHA, illAllah.
I bear witness. There is none worthy of worship besides Allah
adu anna muhammadan, abduhu or rasuluhu or ashadhu. Anna
muhammadan, Rasulullah, I bear witness that Muhammad, peace be
upon him. Is His messenger. What are you doing? You are bearing
witness. Allah says, Did you really bear witness? You say, Yes,
I did. So. Allah says, Okay, we're going to test you so someone comes
and persecute you a little bit. You gave up. What witness Did you
bear? You didn't really bear witness. Someone came and
persecuted you or swore at you or shouted at you. You've got to
smile and say, Oh, Allah, I'm still a witness. They can do what
they want to me. I'm a witness that is called Shahada. Now you
are bearing witness if you die as a result. Guess what? You are
called a Shaheed, a martyr. And that's why Allah says the prophets
and those who are truthful,
the companions were truthful to their word. Abu Bakr, RadiAllahu,
an he was known as a SID because he was truthful. When the Prophet
salallahu, Sallam came and said that, I've been to miraj and I
went up to the heavens and I've returned, he said, If he said it,
I believe it. Subhanallah, he's a truthful man.
If he did not lie about worldly matters, he will never lie about
the matters of the hereafter. If a person is a liar, he's going to
lie, to con you, to dupe you, to cheat you, to make you think that
he's a good person, etc, in this world regarding the hereafter, why
should they lie? Why should the Prophet of Allah lie? May Allah,
Almighty grant us goodness? So nabiina was Siddiq in was Shuhada
and the martyrs. Look at the martyrs. They are being mentioned
with the prophets and the truthful. What a rank of Allah? If
Allah wants a rank for you, he puts you in a quota.
What's the meaning of a quota? Did you know that Allah has a certain
number of people, which he will definitely make sure that they
earn the rank of martyrdom. He has that number. Leah, Allah, Allahu
Minh,
Allahu Akbar. Allah says he wants to know the believers from among
you, the hypocrites from among you. He wants to distinguish
between the two. You said you believe? Do you really believe? Or
you are filled with hypocrisy? Allah says, We'll test you one
after the other, if you are truthful. Allah says, why?
Allah allows certain things to happen. Allah allows certain
people to be killed in order for him to fill his quota of martyrs,
who will have the highest ranks, some people need to give their
lives for a cause. That's when the cause will move forward. When the
battle of Badr took place, what was at stake? The whole of Islam
was at stake. There were 313 Muslims. They were prepared to
give their lives in order for the message that there is none worthy
of worship besides Allah and Muhammad, peace be upon him. Is
the final messenger to go forward in order for that message to come
to you and I today, 313
people were prepared to give up their lives. Some of them lost
their lives as a result, Allah loved them so much that Muhammad,
sallAllahu, alayhi wa sallam says in one narration, Wama udrika la
Allah, Ali, Badr, fakala, malum, mashaytum, fa ini, qafar, tulakum.
How do you know Allah Almighty looked at the hearts of the people
who participated in the Battle of Badr, and Allah told them, do what
you want from today, Allah is pleased with you. It's okay. No
matter what you do in your life, you are going to be successful.
That's why some of them, if and very few who may have done some
things that were questionable, the Prophet sallallahu, Sallam says,
Be careful what you say about these people, no matter how much
you spend. It will not equate anything that they spent, even if
you spend a mountain full of gold in the Cause of Allah, and they
spent one handful of gold, one handful of anything, theirs is
better than yours because they were prepared to sacrifice. They
lost their lives. Look at the Battle of why did they fight? Look
at the Battle of the Trench. Why did they fight? If you look at all
of this, you realize it's for a cause, someone, somewhere is going
to risk their lives in order for the rest of the people to live in
safety. And those who lose their lives, Allah says you will have
the rank of martyrdom, even if you did not lose your life. And even
those on the other side, there will come a day when you have to
die anyway. Khalid Ibn Walid Ibn muhira Radi Allahu anhuma. He was
a great man. He was a warrior. Do you know what? He died on his bed,
even though there was no spot on his body, there was not an inch on
his body that didn't have marks of daggers and spears and swords to
prove that he was a warrior. He says, Falana, jubana,
all of those cowards out there who think that I'm not going to stand
for a cause because I might die, let them know I fought in every
battle and I didn't die. Here I am dying on my bed, a death that is
not even on the battlefield, subhanAllah, they say, and just a
point of interest. Khalid didn't Walid, RadiAllahu, anhuma. He was
known as safe Allah, the sword of Allah. If he had died in a
battlefield, the enemy would be able to say, we broke the sword of
Allah. So part of the wisdom of it is, he did not die in the
battlefield. He died on his bed. Nobody could ever say, we broke
the sword of Allah. That's that's an interesting point, an
interesting factor that some of the scholars have made mention of.
Nonetheless, when Allah has chosen for people to pass away in a
certain way, it might seem very demeaning and ugly to you and I,
but in the eyes of Allah, it might be the most blessed death. I want
to quickly go through certain people and certain of those who
pass on when they die, they are granted the rank of martyrdom, the
highest possible rank, because they died for the for the correct
cause. You know, those who die in an army in a nation to defend the
nation, they are draped in the flag of that particular.
Nation, they are given a 21 gun salute, I don't know if you know
about this, and they are made they are sometimes given a national
heroic burial and so on. Why? Because they died for a cause, to
defend the nation. When you die, to defend the deen of Allah
subhanahu wa grants you way beyond that. Those who passed away
because of someone trying to steal their wealth, are considered
Shahid
if you if you die, if you are killed, because you are protecting
your wealth, your family, your dignity and and your own life you
are, you are granted the rank of martyrdom immediately. So you see
murder happening. Even here in South Africa, there is a lot of
crime. You and I know that many people say I don't want to go to
South Africa because of the crime, but they don't realize you're
living in America, there's more crime there. May Allah Almighty
grant us ease.
Nonetheless, if a person dies being shot dead because of a cell
phone because of something, obviously we don't want that to
happen. But the consolation for the family of those who of the one
who was killed is that this person died a martyr. They are shaheed.
They have a high rank. Similarly, when you die with
in a plague,
those who died in Corona, for example, they died a martyr. Why?
They bore witness. They were meaning. They bore sovereign and
patience upon the deen, they didn't lose their faith in Allah
when, when they were on the point of death, they kept it going.
Those who died because of any ailment to do with the belly,
those who have drowned. And there are so many categories that I
probably would not mention today, there are more than 20 categories
of martyrs.
So remember something, it's not about how you died. It's about
whether Allah is pleased with you at the point of death, and what
you're going to get thereafter.
The people who died on the wrong side of the battle, even though
they were killed, they are not martyrs. Why? They were not
witnesses for the right cause. They were witnesses for the wrong
cause, the enemy today, when they are killing and butchering our
brothers and sisters. If some of them were butchered or some of
them died or were killed, where do they go? That's why Allah says
we have ijdalah. We have one of the two good things, either we are
killed and we will go to Paradise, or we win and we get victory on
Earth. Win. Win. Situation, always. And as for you, O enemy,
you're either going to die at our hands or Allah is going to take
you away anyway. So it's not like you're going to live forever. So
my brothers and sisters, do not despair. Do not despair. There are
so many people who are granted the rank of martyrdom by Allah. Ask
Allah for a good death, an easy death, where he is pleased with
you.
I mention another quick point before I end and that is, do you
know Allah loves you, and I so much that he doesn't allow you to
taste pain beyond the degree.
If you are in pain, you can only taste pain up to a point after
that, it goes numb after that, for example, you might die. So if
you're losing blood after a few minutes, seven, eight minutes,
depending on how much and which where you're losing blood from few
minutes later, your body goes numb, and you're gone. You're
actually dead. People say, but he lost so much blood, he must have
suffered. No, no, no, no. Allah is so merciful. He said, beyond this
point, I won't allow you to suffer. I'll just take you away.
You can be happy here. People might think, Oh, you did this and
you went through this. They don't know you are happy with me.
Subhanallah, you know, when you get sliced, Allah's way of
creating us is so unique that the central nervous system is
something mind boggling. I always am baffled by those who don't
believe in the Lord and a maker that can't you look within the
body, it will help you to recognize the fact that there is
definitely a maker behind all of this. May Allah grant us goodness,
my brothers and sisters, you and I know as an ummah, we are
struggling. We need unity. We need a good respect amongst each other.
We need to stand up for each other. When the enemy comes, do
you know what he does? He makes us into small groups so that he can
tackle one at a time.
And that's why, whenever there is anyone who is trying to fragment
the Muslim ummah, knowingly or unknowingly, that person is an
enemy of Islam. Remember this, no matter who they are, sometimes
they don't know they are innocent. They think I'm a big scholar. Let
me tell the people, all those guys are kafirs and we are Muslims.
Those people are astray. These people are hypocrites. That person
might be a scholar, unknowingly, he's an enemy of Islam, because
the only way this ummah is going to go forward is when we are
together. I'm standing on this pulpit today in front of you to
tell you, please, learn to respect each other, stand for each other
as a Muslim, and understand there will be differences in the ummah.
We may not be exactly the same. We are all members of la ilaha,
illallahu, Muhammad, Rasulullah. The victory will only come when we
can forge a.
Be an understanding and the unity to fight the cause together,
because separately, we are not going to win at all. The enemy has
a divide and rule policy from the beginning. Wala Vina ka fauna
to feel. Phil
the disbelievers, they all stand up for one another, support each
other against you. That's what Allah saying. If you are not going
to stand together and support each other and protect each other, then
there's going to be chaos and facade on Earth. Hence, we are
witnessing the chaos today. If we were together and united, nobody
would dare lift a finger against us. They would know as soon as you
mention a name, the whole world will come after you. May Allah
Almighty grant us goodness and understanding I fulfill the duty
of mine today. May Allah Almighty truly grant us the ability to
appreciate and to work towards that which is pleasing to Allah,
akulu, kauliha, sallAllahu, assalamu, araka, ala Nabi na
Muhammad.