THE STREET MIMBAR – Khutbah (17 December 2005)
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They want to extinguish the light of ALLAH with their mouths but ALLAH will complete and perfect HIS light, it doesn’t matter how averse the kaafirs and the mushriks are there-to 	
Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. 
Alhumdulillah. Peace and blessings on Muhammad, his Noble Companions and Family. 

Committed Muslims...

There can be no doubt, that amongst the first Political decisions taken by the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) was to arrange his followers into what is today called a party. But, he did not do so to gain
1	Power;
2	Popularity or
3	Privlege.
Never in the Qur’an and sunnah will we find a policy that would use popularity or numerical growth for the sake of 
1	Money;
2	Employment or
3	Political leverage.
The opposition to the establishment was an all-out, hard-core and confident one, which did not sell-out nor break-down into negotiations half-way through the struggle. To the contrary, the more the revolutionary leadership of the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) persisted in its opposition and relentless struggle against the forces of shirk, the more these kaafir leaders tried to persuade the Islamic leadership to negotiate, compromise and accommodate. (Surah Al-Qalam verse 9)

The decision makers of the quraishi system pleaded with his uncle to try and talk some sense into his nephews head on behalf of the quraishi power heirarchy. His uncle approaches him with the following proposals:
1.	If its an issue of position and status that you want, Quraish are willing to elevate you to the most luxurious and comfortable position that you wish,
2.	If it is a matter of being in-charge of the entire Makkan order, the Quraish are willing to appoint you as its supreme leader;
3.	If it a matter of you being possessed by uncontrollable spirits and forces, they will arrange the best physicians for you.
The first two are a dream come true. Any of the modern day liberal/moderate muslims would jump at this opportunity, but was this the sunnah of our leader. Was he a fanatic? Was he politically naïve? Or, was he reacting to years and years of torture and persecution that he could not accept an Islamisation process whereby he and a negotiated few of his companions could join Quraish and then gradually change the system into an Islamic one from within. Under these conditions and in these circumstances, what was the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallams) clarion reply for all Muslims to hear through-out the ages and the years, He said:
By Allah, Oh my Uncle, were they to put the sun in my right hand, and the moon in my left hand, I would not forsake my mission, until Allahs word is supreme or I am no more.
This Prophetic statement has to be the epitomy of revolutionary immunity for the manoeuvre of containment and vacillation.

6	And, every time the revolutionary leadership went into a high gear, the Quraish stepped up their dual stick and carrot approach. One of the carrots that todays Islamists are nibbling on is the formula for sharing power. This is not new, however, what is new is the departure from the sunnah/policy of the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam). The kingdom of Quraishi Arabia offered the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) to implement Islam for one or two years and they would implement their system and regulations for one or two years.Offcourse, many muslims would celebrate for such an opportunity, but Allah answered this Quraishi offer with a policy from above seven heavens:
O You who reject Allah and His signs, and His messengers, and His Power,
Before I continue, something needs to be explained here. The word a’bud when translated to worship triggers a stereotype, which automatically goes off in a tangent of rituals. This translation is so limited, that it renders the word almost meaningless. You can worship Allah for a few minutes a day in the masjid and then you go out and its business as usual. More correctly, the word a’bud means to conform, to adapt, to agree to Allah in everything we do.
I conform not to that which you conform to,
Nor will you conform to that which I conform to,
And I shall not conform to that to which you conform to,
Nor will you conform to that which I conform to,
To you be your way and to me be mine. (Surah Al-Kaafirun)

Hear that, Lakum di nukum wa li yadin.

Due to the circumstances that we find ourselves in, mental dis-connection from our Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) and hostilities against us, I will skip over the benevolent nature of the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) and focus on some of his military decisions. Not that any of these decisions conflict with his description of Rahmatul lil Aalameen- these decisions re-inforce that description. Suffice it to say, that for his mercy to remain a reality for the bulk of mankind to be at peace and for justice to prevail ie. For him to be a Mercy for mankind, he had to eliminate certain people who were a menace to the manifestation of him being sent as a mercy and peace to mankind. Unfortunately, regrettably, people these days interpret benevolence and being a mercy only as doing acts of charity and even co-existing with one’s enemies etc.

This revolutionary participated in twenty seven military battles and expeditions. He was ordered by Allah to arouse the Mu’min to do combat. (Surah Anfaal verse 65)

Revolutionary integrity made it possible for him to personally eliminate a kaafir by the name of Ubaiy bin Khalaf.

The assertive revolutionary mentality of the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) ordered the execution of seven hundred counter revolutionaries from Bani Quraida.

Even on the conquest of Makkah, the order to his commanders was that no kaafir should be killed unless they wanted to attack and kill the Muslims. But, there were certain individuals who the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) wanted to eliminate even if they were to be found within the sanctuary of the Ka’ba. Among these was Abdullah bin Saad, Abdullah bin Khattal and two of his women singers who sang songs of rhythmic diatribe against the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam). His words still ring among the justice seeking and struggling revolutionaries:
Kill them, even if you find them hiding behind the curtains of the Ka’ba.

These policies are the outcry of human rights organisations. Even some modern Muslims would question the Revolutionary portrait in the Qur’an:
MUHAMMED is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are fierce and ferocious and firm with the kaafirs and compassionate amongst each other. (Surah Al-Fath verse 28)

The war initiated by the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) was waged simultaneously on the Quraishi value and legal system. The consequence of following the divine revolutionary guidelines resulted in an increase in the torture and persecution of Muslims. The revolutionary students and companions of the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) did not depart from their torture chambers convinced that the only way to power was through joining the Quraishi power structure and changing it from within. They did not depart from their incarceration cells convinced that they had to align themselves with the devil in order to undermine the Quraishi aristocracy. Instead, they graduated from their torture chambers convinced that Allah will either deliver them to worldly power or heavenly peace. Quraish instigated policies of boycotts and embargoes, it activated its mouth-pieces against the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) and his deen, but he continued to criticise them and he continued his struggle to undermine the prevailing Meccan order. Remember, he was one individual, un-armed, un-assisted and un-supported by any secular power.

This is one of the issues- the revolutionary leadership of the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) has faded away. His revolutionary and combatant nature does not exist in the minds and hearts of the bulk of those who purport to follow him. It was this divinely inspired revolutionary drive that forced him and the Prophets before him and the committed Muslims into ex-communication, banishment, poverty, assassination attempts etc. In todays world, where do we find Qadhis, Muftis, Shaikhs etc. on the wanted lists of their respective governments? Rarely- do we find this, simply because they do not have the revolutionary impetus of Muhammed (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam).

But I remind you and myself of our obligation to change an anti/un-Islamic status quo:
Allah is describing a scenario on the day of resurrection:
And they all come forth in the presence of Allah and the people who thought they were powerless people, the mustadafin –people like you and me- say to the mustakbirs- those who were arrogantly displaying the power they thought they have- “we were your followers, we were following you”; so, can you spare us some of this adhaab that is coming from Allah
And what do these mustakbirs say- people like Bush and Blair and Sharon and Fahd and Mubarak etc.
had Allah guided us, we would have guided you now, whether we are patient or whether we are raging, it’s the same, theres no way out of this  (Surah Ebrahim verse 21)

And then, Allah tells us about shaytaan, and shaytaan speaks:
After everything is over shaytaan says "Verily Allah promised you the promise of truth I also promised you, but I broke my promise to you
And, what is this promise of shaytaan? He offers it to many people and lures many people through it, (Bi Idhnillah) it’s the intoxication with status in this world, wealth, power etc. I’ll give this to you. Go and meet Bush, go sit in the UN etc. There are many benefits which you will derive.
But I had no power over you. The only authority I had was that I called you and you responded so don’t blame me blame yourself
I cannot plead your case and you cannot plead mine I reject your act of bringing me into this relationship between you and Allah; 
Indeed, for the dhalims there is an excrutiating punishment.  (Surah Ebrahim verse 22)

The other issue I wish to speak about is unity.Many times, Muslims speak about unity. Many times, we recite these ayaat, but very few of us, if any, know that Allah revealed these ayaat in response to a plot that was being thought out and implemented by a jewish elder in Al-Medinah.

For those of us who are not familiar with some of the details of our own history…
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was persecuted in Makkah, and he eventually had to leave, he came to Al-Medinah. The people of Al-Medinah consisted of the Aws and the Khazraj. Also, at that time, there were three Yahudi/jewish tribes, that also had their presence in Al-Medina, viz. Bani An-Nadir, Bani Qaynuqa and Bani Quraida.
We also realise that the society in Al-Medinah, was not a normal society, is was a society that was characterised by wars and feuds, and that the jewish factions that were there, in Al-Medinah used to live off the animosity between the Aws and the Khazraj. So, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Al-Medinah, he saw all of this. And, he got the Aws and the Khazraj to settle their differences, in fact he did more than that, he moulded them into a single society, in which they now used to get together and have discussions and brotherly sessions.

After having done that, there was an elderly jew, and this jews name was Shaas ibn Kais, this jew was so irritated, and so agitated by this that he had do to something about it. So, what he did was, he instigated a younger jew to go and sit amongst the Aws and the Khazraj when they were having their meetings. And, he instructed this younger yahudi/jew to listen and when the right moment approached, he instructed him to remind them of their previous history. And true to these instructions, this younger yahudi/jew went to the meeting, and he sat, and he listened, and he waited for the appropriate slant of the discussion. When the right moment presented itself, this yahudi/jew began to interject some of their previous history. He mentioned a sensitive issue known as Yawm Buath. It was a day in the history of the Aws and the Khazraj, in which the Aws scored a victory over the Khazraj. Immediately, two individuals, who were still weak in their Islamic character, picked up on this, and they began to exchange verbal volleys, and then there were war like cries from both sides. Immediately, word of this came to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who immediately tried to remedy the situation. And he came to them, and he said: “How do you do this, when I am still amongst you. I remind you of Allah, who gave you this privilege of Islam, and by which you have relinquished your jahili status. And when they listened to the Prophet (peace be upon him), they understood, and they realised where and how all of this began, that it took a young yahudi/jew to come and instigate and arouse feelings of hatred within the Muslim rank and file, against each other.

It was in response to this incident that Allah revealed
Say: O you who have scripture, those who say you are Jews and Christians, why do you say that Allahs words are lies, and you reject Allah, and Allah is a witness to all that you do.
Say: O you who have scripture, those who say you are jews and christians, why do you seek to sabotage Allahs course, and you seek to subvert those who are heading towards Allah, by trying to make their path crooked, when you were yourselves witnesses to Allahs covenant. But Allah is not oblivious to what you are doing.
And then, Allah turns the attention to us, and Allah says:
O you who are committed to Allah, if you listen/obey a segment of those who were given scripture before you, you will denounce your imaan, they will have you return to a state of Kufr after you have believed.
And how do you do this, how do you return to a state of dis-belief, when Allahs signs are rehearsed to you, and amongst you is Allahs messenger, (And remember, Allahs Prophet (as) is the only personality that lives on, in our minds and in our psyches, in our conscience and in our lives.)
O you who are divinely committed, fear Allah as Allah should be feared, and die not in a state other than submission.
And then:
Hold on, all together, to that which Allah extends to you, and be not divided amongst yourselves. And recall the bounty of Allah, how you were enemies, and Allah made friendship between your hearts and joined you in brotherhood; and you were on the brink of the inferno and Allah saved you there from. Thus does Allah make clear Allahs signs, so that we may be guided. (Al-Qur’an Surah Ahl-Imran verse 98 to 103)

These ayaat were revealed fourteen hundred years ago, and they are as relevant today as they were then. Lets look around us, don’t people get disturbed when Muslims begin to get together, don’t people agitate when we begin to close ranks. Aren’t there forces all over the place that thrive on the differences we have amongst each other. Aren’t there forces out there that want to maintain and preserve the divisions we have amongst ourselves, and they want to divide us further. They come out from time to time with their propaganda, they paint pictures of Muslims and then they instigate some Muslims against other Muslims that are heading towards Allah, and then some of us, we begin to fall for this.

Remember Allah’s guiding words
Hold on, all together, to that which Allah extends to you, and be not divided amongst yourselves.

There are Muslims in this world, brothers and sisters who we have, that are giving their lives and their blood to Allah, for Allah’s course, the least we can do is to take a position that will place us in support of what they are doing, until such time that Allah extends to us the privilege of taking to the frontlines. 

There are many positions we can assume to take up a position in support of them. Even though this is not the ground breaking position, recently, you would have noticed calls from almost all quarters to boycott, to stop the purchase of certain products, this may be one position we can assume. 

Another position we can assume is, and this may sound strange, but sometimes we encounter even amongst ourselves, individuals who will tell you, I don’t agree with this or I don’t agree with that, I don’t agree with the issue of “suicide bombings”. I know that I am digressing here, but these individuals are thinking out this phenomena through the eyes of our enemies who want to define what we do in terms of their understanding. This concept of what they call suicide missions, these are not suicide missions. If you were to open a dictionary, you would find the meaning of suicide to be the act of taking one’s own life out of desperation and out of hopelessness. Muslims are not desperate, and we are not hopeless. When we embark on these missions, we do so with renewed vigour, and renewed faith, as we enter into a life that is better than this one. Muslims call these missions “Amaliyya Istish-hadiyya”, or martyrdom seeking operations. Every Muslim knows that suicide is abhorred in Islam, but these are not suicide they are military operations. Simple-, these are military acts, we know there’s an enemy there, and we confront this enemy and we send them to the inferno. You see, the choice of words is part of the effort once again, to divide us amongst ourselves. 

Remember Allah’s guiding words
Hold on, all together, to that which Allah extends to you, and be not divided amongst yourselves.

Another issue that I would like to draw your attention to, is the issue of the building of Masaajid. From the Sunnah and Seerah of the last Prophet (peace be upon him), we notice that the first thing the Muslims did upon the Hijrah, was they built a Masjid. The first Masjid being that in Quba, and subsequently the Masjid in Al-Medinah. Back then, Masjids symbolised the power of Islam, it was a symbol of Islam, that said Islam is here.

What do we have today, Alhamdulillah, we have Masaajid almost everywhere, what purpose are they serving. And there’s nothing wrong with building Masaajid, as long as there’s a need, but what purpose are they serving?

In an ayaat in the Qur’an, Allah says:

What is Allah saying here:
There are those who built a Masjid to harm, and to promote kufr, and to divide the Muslims and as an outpost, from where they will wage war against Allah and Allahs messenger. And they will say, under oath, that they only want to do good. But Allah bears witness that they are liars.
Never stand to pray there, a Masjid that was founded upon duty to Allah is more worthy that thou should stand and pray therein, where there are men that purify themselves, and Allah loves the purifiers.
Is he who founded this building upon duty to Allah and Allah’s good pleasure better, or he who founded his building on the brink of crumbling, overhanging precipice so that it toppled with him into the fire of hell? Allah guides not wrongdoers. (Al-Qur’an Surah Taubah verse 107 to 109)

Is this not a fact that speaks to reality today? Don’t we have people, who come around they pray, they fast, they do all that is required, they expend sums of money to construct Islamic Centres, and Masaajid, let us look at what Allah is telling us. Sometimes you find a Masjid next to a Masjid. Why are they building these Masajid? For what purpose?

A Masjid for harming the Muslims- DIRARAN ;
A Masjid to promote disbelief – KUFRAN ;
A Masjid to sow division – TAFRIQAN BAYNAL MU’MININ and, 
A Masjid from where war will be waged against Allah and Allahs Messenger – LIMAN HARABALLAHA WA RASULAHU MIN QABL.

And they will tell us, we only want to do good. But Allah bears witness that these types are liars. You see it, We have the Saudis, getting ready to build a multi-million dollar Masjid in Houghton, what for?  And you will find many of them and their types, that are willing to lay out sums of money. You go around the place, there are numerous Masajid, listen to what comes out of these Masajid, do you get the feeling that this Ummah is a single brotherhood. Now, many of these descriptions are apparent when you for example look at the faiths of Bid’a, deviated sects that have sprung up. But, due to the brain-washing and the cosmetic features, many Muslims cannot place the rulers of Saudi Arabia in the frame of reference of these Quranic words. I will give you one illustration, which is just a sample of the truth and relevance of this ayah. The Rulers of Saudi Arabia are the forth largest contributors to the world bank. An institution that is soaked in Riba, usury. Allah outlaws Riba to the extent that it places those who consume Riba as being on a war path with Him and His messenger.
O you who are divinely secure in your commitment, take heed of Allah’s Power presence and give up any claims you have pertaining to usury if you are indeed committed to Allah. And, if you are averse thereto, then take notice that you are Allah and His Messenger are on a war path with you.  (Surah Ahl-Imran verse 277 to 278) 
And then, they will fund the set-up of Masajid and Islamic Centres, all around, through which they will dictate what is said from the Mimbar, through which they give legitimacy to all their policies of kufr and shirk.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) says
He is not a committed Muslim, who does not desire for his fellow Muslim that which he desires for himself.
And
The equivalent of the Muslims is like one body, they care for themselves, they feel for themselves, they show sympathy towards themselves, if one part of the body aches, the rest of the body feels the pain.

Allah tells us in an ayah in the Qur’an, in Surah Hujurat
Verily this Ummah is a single brotherhood. (Surah Al-Hujuraat verse 10)

Can anyone deny it? You tell me, if you go to the majority of Masaajid that we have around, do you get the feeling that we are one ummah.
These ideas to some Muslims may sound strange, but this is where we are. You may be thinking, I’m nuts. Earlier I was going on about how we need to get together, and now I’m going on about division. We need to understand that the getting together of the Muslims should be on the basis of the Qur’an and the sunnah, and for the purpose of implementing Allahs will, and not just for the purpose of window dressing.

The last issue I want to talk about is the one that pertains to security, or the safeguarding of the lives and the things of the Muslims.

Allah says to us:
And those who disbelieve are protectors one to another, if you don’t do so, there will be confusion in the land, and great corruption. (Surah Anfaal verse 73)

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood on the plains of Arafat in his final year in this human company on earth, here’s what transpired…The Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) as he stood on Arafaat, he asked
O people- Which day is this?
He then said, 
This is a day of sanctity.
He asked
Which month is this?
He then said, 
This is a month of sanctity.
He asked
Which city is this?
He then replied, 
This is a city of sanctity.
He then said:
Then know, that your lives, and your possessions, and your honour, are as sanctimonious (HARAMUN ALAYKUM) as this day in this month in this city!
Let this message be communicated by those who are present to those that are absent, and may those that are absent, understand this better.

Oh yeh! 
Take a look at what’s happening. Is there any indication that there’s sanctity attached to the lives, and the possessions and the honour of the Muslims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is saying that our lives and our possessions and our honour has a sanctity attached to it, but what are these kuffaar saying to the Prophet (peace be upon him). They go in and out of our homes, and our lands and our territories, at will, and they spill the blood of the Muslims, at will, as if it’s worthless. And we still want to break away! These kuffaar could not even tolerate Muslims who were fully integrated in Bosnia, those Muslims who lived with and amongst them, they couldn’t tolerate their presence…What do we want to do? Are we waiting, are we going to wait, for them to penetrate each and every one of us, are we waiting for them to get to us individually. Today, it’s Al-Qaida, tomorrow, it may be Hamas, then Islamic jihad, then Hizbollah, until they will isolate you from every other Muslim, and then, they will eventually get to you. Is that what its going to take for us to wake up, and realise that what’s happening to some of us is actually happening to us.

In the ayah cited earlier, Allah says:
And those who disbelieve are protectors one to another, if you, and Allah is addressing those who are in the reference of the Qur’an, don’t do so, there will be confusion in the land, and great corruption.

This obligation of protecting each other can only be achieved by us coming together, whether it is in the form of organisations, communities or Islamic Movements, and working together, harmoniously and sincerely with each other.
If We were to cause this Qur’an to come down, its meanings to be revealed and communicated to (what can be more harsh than) a mountain, you would find this mountain to be in a state, or in a condition of utter resignation to Allah because of the awe inspired by Allah. (Surah Al-Hashr verse 21)

And here we are- one would think in the course of these events, that at least around us we would have some Muslims who are waking up to the facts. It’s a shame to find that with all of these forces around, it is a shame that they are not in touch with these vital facts that affect their own lives.