Praise be to Allah Who has honoured the Ummah with the religion of Islam!
I praise Him ‒Glory be to Him‒ and thank Him
for His great favours and magnificent blessings
I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone with no partner
no peer and no match amongst mankind
I bear witness that our Master and Prophet Muhammad is the Servant and Messenger of Allah
who is the Best amongst all creatures
Proofs and authoritative personalities have attested to the credibility of his prophethood
O Allah, send Your profuse and eternal Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy) and Peace upon Your Servant and Messenger, Muhammad
his family, and his Companions
as long as years, months, days and nights keep alternating
Now then,
O servants of Allah!
Do observe taqwa vis-à-vis Allah (fear of disobeying Allah)
for taqwa is the best of provisions for one’s journey towards
Allah and the ideal support
for going through the successive stages of one’s lifetime, away from stumbles
and safe from immorality and the heavy burdens of sins.
O Muslims!
Divine blessings are abundantly and successively bestowed on us
There is indeed a huge variety of apparent
and less perceptible favours and privileges conferred by our Lord
the Generous and the benefactor‒May He be exalted‒ on His servants
They resemble incessant heavy rain in density or a ceaseless super abundant flow of water.
Nonetheless, the most significant and unmatchable blessing
and the greatest gift ever remains the bi’thah of this noble Prophet
May Allah’s profuse Salat and Peace be upon him
who was sent with the Guidance andthe Religion of Truth
in order to bringpeoplewith his Message out from the darkness into light
guide them to the ways of peace
relieves them from the burdens and the shackles which were upon those before them
lead them to sublime ranks of goodness and virtue
keep them away from the pits of evil and the mires of vice
and guide them through all possible tracks leading to bliss in the Herein
and success, accomplishment, and salvation in the Hereafter.
That is why the bi’thah of the Prophet –May Allah’s profuse Salat and Peace be upon him
was Mercy to all creatures and a Blessing to all humanity
as affirmed by Allah –May He be glorified– in the followingwords
And We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).[Al-Anbiya’: 107]
Thus, his (divine) Message –May Allah’s profuseSalat and Peace be upon him
was Mercy to all creatures –Arabs and Non-Arabs
blacks and whites, males and females
and humans and jinn
As pointed out by some scholars of Islam
the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– “came to them with such a profound and encompassing faith
extremely refined prophetic teachings, such a wise and meticulouseducation
his unique personalitythanksto this heavenly
miraculous Book whose wonders never cease and
whose novelty never wears out(by the passage of time).”
The Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
breathed a new life into civilised humanity
when he approached the unused human treasures
which were piles of raw material
none knew its potential richness and usefulness
andwere wasted by (the pre-Islamic)Jahiliyyah, unbelief, and adherence to the earth
and instilled in it ‒with Allah’s leave‒ faith and creed
He breathed into it a new life
elicited its hidden richness, triggered its talents
and then placed every individual in the right position
It seems as if the static and inanimate human ego had metamorphosed into a dynamic organism
and a human being capable of action
It seems as though such a reborn entity were resurrected from death
and as if someone who used to be blind regained his sight and became a leader of nations
Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out? Thus it is made fair¬seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.[Al-An’am: 122]
O servants of Allah!
The facets of such universal and all-encompassing mercy inherent
in the Message of this noble Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
are literally countless and limitless
However, one of the most obvious and greatest facets
which attest to the significance of this all-encompassing mercy and prove its undeniable existence
is what this Message has brought: the clear, unparalleled care
to preserve people’s lives, spare their blood, and safe guard the irsouls
Such care is not restricted to the followers of Islam
but is extended to include people embracing other religions
Among the clearest proofs of such care
there is that outstandingly and unique approach
adopted by Prophet Muhammad –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
He ordered his Ummah to follow it
in peace as well as in war
and cautioned it against deviating from it or violating its rules
During peace, there are instances of a recorded hadith by Prophet Muhammad –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
where he vehemently and directly threatens the killer of a covenanter
a person from dar al-harb (hostile, non-Muslim territoriesundernon-Islamicrule) entering dar al-Islam (territories under the rule of Islam) pursuant to a covenant of non-aggression concluded with Muslims
In this respect, Imam Bukhari reported in his Sahih(a book of hadith) a hadith
narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas –may Allah be pleased with him
where the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said
“Whoever kills a covenanter will never smell the scent of paradise, knowing that its scent can be smelt from a forty-year walking distance.”
This hadith ‒O servants of Allah‒ contains a serious and horrifying warning
which is likely to cause insomnia to the reasonable
and panic to the judicious!
On the other hand, during war, there are unequivocal statements recorded in the directives and instructions of the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him–to the commanders of his armies
during the allocation of military responsibilities
Such statements contain irrefutable proof
about the sanctity of human blood
and the inviolability of property
These issues must not be forfeited to the benefit of judgemental thinking based on personal opinions
presumptions, and interpretations which are not backed by knowledge, guidance, oran enlighteningBook (from Allah)
A case at hand is the hadith reported by Imam Muslim in his Sahih where Buraida ‒May Allah be pleased with him
narrated that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him–said
“Engage in battle in the cause of Allah and fight those who do not believe in Allah. Engage in battle but do not usurp the spoils of victory, do not betray, do not mutilate corpses, do not kill infants…”(See the rest of the hadith)
Another piece of evidence can be found in the hadith reported by Imam Muslim and Imam Bukhari in their twoSahihs(their respective books of hadith)
and narrated by ibn Omar –May Allah be pleased with him and his father (Omar ibn al-Khattab)– who said
“A killed woman was found on the battlefield in one of the Prophet’s ghazwas(conquests in the cause of Allah) –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
and the Messenger of Allah warned against killing women and children
”In another version of the same hadith reported by Imam Ahmed in his Musnad(a book of hadith) and Abu Hurairah in his Sunan (a book of hadith)
“When the Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him–saw a killed woman, he said
“This (woman) could not have been fighting.”
Then, he said to one of the people there: “Go after Khalid and tell him: ‘Do not kill children nor hired workers.’”
The Caliphs of the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
as well as the subsequent Commanders
of the Faithful have held fast to the teachings
of the Prophet and followed in his footsteps
This is quite clear in the directives they gave to their army chiefs
when they sent them to fight the enemy
For instance, when the rightly-guided Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq –May Allah be pleased with him
gave directives to Yazeed ibn abi Sufyan –one of hisarmy commanderswhom he marshalled to fight in the Sham region
he said to him: “I want to advise you about ten things
Never kill a woman, a child, or a decrepit old man
Do not cut off fruitful trees; do not demolish inhabited premises
do not slaughter a sheep or a camel except as food
do not cut or burn palm-trees
and do not usurp the spoils of victory” [Reported by Imam Malik in his book titled al-Muwatta’.]
Examples also include exhortation from the part of the Commander of the Faithful, Omar ibn al-Khattab –May Allah be pleased with him
to the leaders of his armies when appointing them army chiefs
He would say to them: “In the name of Allah, and through His assistance
march forth with His support for there is no victory except through Him
Do observe righteousness and patience. Fight in the cause of Allah the infidels
and never commit acts of transgression for Allah does not like transgressors
Never lose heart when you face the enemyand never practice torture or exaggeration when victorious
Never kill old people, women or babies
avoid killing them when facing the enemy
or launching attacks.”
It was reported that all of the Commanders of the Faithfull, without exception
had given their army leaders such glorious
and bright exhortations that reflect the beautiful
just, merciful and perfect nature of this religion
These exhortations rightly express
embody in all sincerity
and reflect sogenuinely and effectively the implementation of the Message included in the following words of Allah ‒Exalted be He:
And fight in the Way of Allâh those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allâh likes not the transgressors.[Al-Baqarah: 190]
It is fighting purely for the sake of Allah and in His cause
not for the sake of arrogance, haughtiness on earth
seizing booty and resources, dominance
using people and controlling their lives
It is fighting to make the word of Allah the uppermost
ensure the freedom of calling to Islam and wipe out all obstacles in its path
all for the purpose of protecting people’s rights to freedom of choice and decision-making
It is, therefore, a just fighting for a just cause
where there is no room for aggression, destruction or corruption on earth.
This religion, whose Book and Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
brought much enlightenment to this world and cleared its darkness
Shouldn’t it be entitled to light up the whole world once again today
just as it did yesterday?!
Shouldn’t this ultimate religion be entitled
to the true merits of justice, peace, and freedom
rather than be equated with terrorism, killing and bloodthirstiness?!
Yes, indeed. I swear by Allah! It (this religion) is the headspring of peace and the fountainhead of Islam
it is a security resort and the birthplace of faith
Its serenity and purity shall go unscathed
by extremists and outlaws
It will always remain as Allah meant it to be enlightenment for all
guidance and mercy for the believers
justice spread in the East and West
and a light house guiding those heading towards the Day of Judgement
Justice has its own gown to wrap it
and security and peace have their own force to defend them
a force without which they could neither exist nor persist
O servants of Allah! This Islamic alliance to combat terrorism
has been invigorating news that has brought happiness and joy to the hearts of the believers
an alliance that has been created to support truth
lift injustice
side with the oppressed, remove aggression
shun terrorism, ensure security
and deploy peace-keeping forces
Hence the shield for this alliance was so completely set in place
it was that “thunder”, the “Thunder of the North”
that came as a live picture, an articulate voice, practical evidence
and a blessed ‘fruit’ for this mighty Islamic force
this coherent Islamic alliance
May Allah help it achieve its objectives
render successful its endeavors, and make its hopes cometrue, by His Grace and Generosity as He is the Magnanimous, the All-Generous!
May Allah grant me and you benefit from the guidance of His Book
and the Sunnah of His Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peacebe upon him!
I say this and ask Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic to forgive me
you and all Muslims for all our wrongdoings, as He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful!
Praise be to Allah Who has decreed victory to His religion until the Day of Judgement!
I Praise him‒Exalted be He! He grants power and honour to the true believers
and bestows His Mercy on the righteous
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone, with no associate
and that our Prophet Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger
who was sent as mercy to the worlds
O Allah! Send Your Salat and Peace upon Your Servant and Messenger, Muhammad
his family, and his Companions, the righteous and pious Imams!
Now then, O servants of Allah!
Observe taqwa of Allah
and always remember that no matter how much dust truth might collect
and no matter how suffused it could get under the effect of falsity
Allah’s religion will always prevail and come out victorious in the end
Just as He sent down His Revelation and took it upon Himself to protect it
Allah also promised to grant His religion victory and raise its banner
His promise is true; itis neither altered nor is it held back. He ‒Glory be toHim‒ said:
It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islâm), to make it superior over all religions even though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh) hate (it).[Al-Tawbah: 33]
Therefore, it is incumbent upon the believer to have good faith in his Lord
to trust in His promise, to rest assured of that which is promised
and to work hard towards attaining it
He must beware lest despair and despondency infiltrate into his heart
and take over his soul, for this is not characteristic of the believers nor is it a trait of the pious.
Therefore, do send your salat and peace upon the Seal of the prophets, the Imam of the messengers
and the Mercy sent down to the worlds, for you were commanded to do so in the Clear Book (the Holy Qur’an)
where Allah ‒Be He exalted‒ said: Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), and also His angels (ask Allâh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât[1] on (ask Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum).[Al-Ahzab:56]
O Allah! Send Your Salat and Peace upon Your Servant and Messenger, Muhammad!
O Allah! Be satisfied with His four rightly-guided Caliphs
Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali, all of his family, Companions, the tabi’in (the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ after his death)
and those who righteously follow them till the Day of Resurrection!
O Allah! Be also pleased with us along with them, by Your Mercy, Generosity, and Grace, O You, the Most Generous of all!
O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims!
O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! And protect Your Religion!
Destroy the enemies of Your religion and all the despots and the corruptors!
Unite the hearts of Muslims and unify them
set right their leaders and unite their word on the Truth, O You, the Lord of al-'alamîn (the worlds)!
O Allah! Grant victory to Your religion, Your Book, the Sunnah of Your Prophet Muhammad ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him
and Your true believing servants and mujahedeen!
O Allah! Grant us security in our homelands, set right our leaders and those responsible for our affairs
support with the Truth our Imam and leader
provide him with a righteous retinue
and guide him to do whatever you love and accept, O You, the All-Hearing of our prayers!
O Allah! Guide him, his two deputies and his brothers to do what is good for Islam and Muslims
for the country and for the people, O You, to Whom people shall return on the Day of Resurrection!
O Allah! Protect us against Your enemies and ours in any way that pleases You!
O Allah! Protect us against Your enemies and ours in any way that pleases You O Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! We leave them to You (to deal with them)
and seek refuge with You from their evils!
O Allah! We leave them to You (to deal with them) and seek refuge with You from their evils!
O Allah! Protect our soldiers who are stationed in all fronts
and borders!
O Allah! Grant them a resounding victory! O Allah! Grant them a resounding victory!
O Allah! Grant them a resounding victory! O Allah! Make Your Religion strong and glorious through them
and make them an asset to Islam and Muslims, O Lord of the worlds!
O Allah! Protect them from the front and the back
from their right and their left, and from below and above them!
O Allah! Grant martyrdom to those of them who have lost their lives, and cure the wounded among them!
O Allah! Cure the wounded among them!
O Allah! Grant our souls piety
and purify them, You are the best to purify them! You are their Guardian and Master!
O Allah! We ask You to guide us to do good deeds, forsake reprehensible actions
and love the needy! O Allah! We ask You to forgive us and have mercy upon us!
O Allah! If You want to send an affliction on a nation, please make us die before your affliction was sent!
O Allah! We seek refuge with you against the disappearance of Your blessing
the change in the good health you have granted us, the suddenness of Your vengeance, and all kinds of Your wrath!
O Allah! Cure those of us who are sick
have mercy on our dead, help us achieve our goals that please You
and make our last deeds good ones!
O Allah! Make better our religion which is the bond of our lives!
Make better our Dunya (life in this world) where we live!
Make better our Hereafter to which we are returning!
Make life an increase in our records of good deeds
and death a relief from every evil!
Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.[Al Aaraf: 23];
Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire! [Al-Baqarah: 201]
O Allah! Send Your Salat and Peace upon our Prophet, Muhammad
his family and Companions! All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!