Sermon title: Faith is Courage and Initiative
Sermon topics:
Examples of Steadfastness and Courage of Allah's Obedient Servants.
Causes of Courage and Steadfastness.
The Courage of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Warning Against Cowardice.
Praise be to Allah, the Strong, the Steadfast, the Guardian of the true believers, and the Vanquisher of the confederates of the disbelievers. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the bravest of the warriors. May Allah exalt him, his family, his companions, and grant them abundant peace. As for what follows:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with true piety, and be mindful of Him in private and in secret:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
"O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims"
Oh, how welcome is Paradise and its nearing,
Fragrant and cool is its drink so endearing.
And the Romans, their punishment is drawing near,
Upon me, should I encounter it, their blows I'll bear.
O servants of Allah:
With these words, the martyr Ja'far ibn Abi Talib at-Tayyar, may Allah be pleased with him, threatened the infidels of Rome on the day of the Battle of Mu'tah, when three thousand Muslims faced two hundred thousand of those fighters. Zaid ibn Haritha was the commander of the Muslim army, and he fought until he was martyred, may Allah be pleased with him. Then Ja'far, may Allah be pleased with him, took command, advancing like a ferocious lion, steadfast, not fleeing. The swords of the disbelievers severed his hands, yet he continued fighting until he was martyred, may Allah be pleased with him. After the battle, the Muslims found on his body ninety-nine sword cuts, spear stabs, or arrow wounds, none on his back, ascending as a martyr, facing forward, not turning back. Our Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I entered Paradise last night and saw Ja'far flying with the angels." (Narrated by Al-Tabarani).
How was Ja'far, the two-winged, may Allah be pleased with him, able to stand firm against the legions of Rome and their strikes with such courage and valor? How could an army of three thousand face an army of two hundred thousand? How did the prophets and their followers stand firm against the multitudes of disbelief, in calling, struggling, sacrificing, and giving, never fleeing, altering, or changing? It is faith that performs wonders, faith in the Great Allah, which makes Allah and His messenger more beloved to the believer's heart than anything else, enduring and steadfast for the sake of his Lord, thus making light what is faced in His path.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There are three whom Allah loves, smiles upon, and is pleased with." Among them, he mentioned: "The one who, when a faction retreats, fights behind them with his soul for Allah the Almighty and Majestic. Either he will be martyred, or Allah will grant him victory and suffice him, and then Allah will say: 'Look at My servant, how he endured for My sake.'" (Narrated by Al-Hakim).
Faith is believing that Allah has total command, He alone controls all affairs, gives life and causes death, grants and withholds, contracts and expands, debases and exalts. It's the faith that implants courage, valor, steadfastness, and initiative during hardships. Faith in the truth that the believer holds, which compels him to stand for Allah, fearing not the criticism of critics.
Look at Abraham, peace be upon him, who stood for Allah. He went to his people's idols, which they had taken besides Allah, and shattered them, turning them into relics of the past. Then he stood defiantly against their arrogance and haughtiness, establishing the argument against them, saying:
أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ * أُفٍّ لَكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
"Do you worship besides Allah that which does not benefit you at all, nor harm you? Fie on you and what you worship besides Allah. Have you then no sense!?'
They ordered his burning, but he neither feared nor wavered nor altered, saying nothing but: "Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best disposer of affairs." So, Allah saved him from the fire, turning their plot to ruin and loss.
And there is Hud, peace be upon him, who stood calling his people, who boasted:
مَن أشدُّ منا قوة
"Who is mightier than us in strength?"
He called them to abandon idols and to worship the One, the Unique. They threatened him and warned him with their false gods, but he stood courageously, steadfast, saying:
إِنِّي أُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ وَاشْهَدُوا أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ * مِنْ دُونِهِ فَكِيدُونِي جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ لَا تُنْظِرُونِ * إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُمْ مَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
"Indeed, I call Allah to witness, and witness yourselves, that I am free from what you associate with Allah, other than Him. Plot against me all together, then give me no respite. Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path."
He believed that the control of all creation is in Allah's hand, so how could he fear when the King is with him. It's the divine companionship that reassured the hearts of Moses and Aaron, with Allah saying:
لَا تَخَافَا إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَا أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَى
"Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see."
It is the faith that nothing befalls a servant except what Allah has decreed, and if all creation were to unite to bring even an atom of harm to a servant, they would not be able to do so without Allah's permission, who says:
قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
"Say, 'Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector,' and upon Allah let the believers rely."
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Everything has a reality, and a servant does not reach the reality of faith until he knows that what has afflicted him was not to miss him, and what has missed him was not to afflict him." (Narrated by Ahmad).
It is faith that victory and domination are from Allah, not from causes, for how many times did a small group overcome a large group by Allah's permission. Here are the faithful few of Talut's army encountering the vast numbers of Goliath's army and soldiers, all they had was sincere turning to Allah, supplication to Him, and trust in His promise. Allah said:
قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو اللَّهِ كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ * وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ * فَهَزَمُوهُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ
"Those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, 'How many times did a small group overcome a large group by Allah's permission.' And Allah is with the patient. And when they advanced to meet Goliath and his troops, they said, 'Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people.' So they defeated them by Allah's permission, and David killed Goliath."
Certainly, it's faith that what is with Allah is better and more lasting, and that this world is fleeting enjoyment, and life over there, near the Most Merciful, in gardens and rivers, in a seat of truth near an Omnipotent Sovereign. This faith made them smell the fragrance of Paradise while in this world, so how could they flee or be cowardly? Did not Anas bin An-Nadr, may Allah be pleased with him, smell its fragrance on the day of Uhud, saying, "Ah, the fragrance of Paradise, I find it beneath Uhud." Then he advanced and fought them until he was martyred, and they found on his body more than eighty wounds, between a strike, a stab, and a shot. (Agreed upon).
This courage and initiative became the hallmark of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), to the extent that on the day of Badr, they said: "O Messenger of Allah! If you commanded us to plunge into the sea, we would plunge into it, and if you commanded us to charge to Bark al-Ghimad, we would do so." (Narrated by Muslim).
The Prophet (ﷺ) instilled courage in their hearts through teaching and guidance, planting faith in their hearts, and he was among them the bravest and most steadfast at the meeting, truthful in confrontation, and calm in crisis. How could he not be, as the Prophet of War, sent with Jihad against the enemies of Allah (ﷺ).
Anas bin Malik said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the best of people, the most generous of people, and the bravest of people. One night, the people of Medina were startled, so people went towards the sound, and they encountered the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returning from the sound, having preceded them to it, riding a bare horse of Abu Talhah with the sword on his neck, saying: 'You were not alarmed, you were not alarmed,' and he said, 'We found it like a sea.'" (Agreed upon).
Al-Bara' bin Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "By Allah, when the battle heated, we shielded ourselves with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and the brave among us was the one who matched him." (Narrated by Muslim).
And Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "When the battle intensified on the day of Badr, we shielded ourselves with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he was one of the fiercest people, and no one was closer to the polytheists than him." Narrated by Ahmad.
Brothers in Islam:
It is not hidden to the wise the difference between praiseworthy courage and blameworthy recklessness. Courage is the steadfastness of the heart and its initiative in doing good and defending religion, honor, and self, with knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and skill, within the natural and legislative laws of Allah. As for venturing into dangers without care for taking natural causes, without considering consequences and outcomes, or without regard to legal interests, it is recklessness and undesirable audacity.
May Allah bless me and you with the Noble Qur'an, and benefit me and you with the verses and the wise reminder, and I ask Allah's forgiveness for me and for you, so ask His forgiveness, for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Second Sermon:
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah exalt and send blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him. As for what follows:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, and be conscious of Him. Obey Him and do not disobey Him.
Brothers in Islam:
Cowardice, hesitancy, and turning back on the day of battle are characteristics of the hypocrites and those with weak faith. Therefore, Allah has warned those who flee from the battlefield, craving the fleeting pleasures of this world. The Almighty says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمُ الْأَدْبَارَ * وَمَنْ يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَى فِئَةٍ فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ
"O you who believe, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing [in battle], do not turn to them your backs. And whoever turns his back to them on such a day - unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company - has certainly returned with anger [upon him] from Allah, and his refuge is Hell - and wretched is the destination".
The Prophet (ﷺ) has counted turning back on the day of battle as one of the major destructive sins, as has been mentioned in a hadith that is agreed upon. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to seek refuge in Allah from cowardice, saying: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from cowardice." (Agreed upon).
And why would he not seek refuge in Allah from it, as cowardice is the worst in a person: the coward is faint-hearted, weak in resolve, trembling, and despicable. If he hears a bird flutter, his heart flies away, and if a mosquito buzzes, his sleep is prolonged. The creaking of a door frightens him, and the buzzing of a fly troubles him.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The worst things in a man are voracious greed and debilitating cowardice." (Narrated by Ahmad).
O servants of Allah:
How much we need today, as we witness the steadfastness of a blessed group of Muslims and their valor against a cursed Zionist army, comprised of the dregs of the earth and mercenaries, supported by the criminal powers of the West with weaponry and strength. How much we need to learn courage, bravery, and initiative, as they fight with their hearts firm, advancing and not retreating.
O Allah, grant victory to the soldiers of Islam and honor the Muslims. Destroy the Jews and their criminal allies. O Allah, instill tranquility in the hearts of our believing brothers, prepare for them the means of honor and empowerment, save Your oppressed servants, and raise the banner of religion, with Your power, O Mighty, O Steadfast.
O Allah, guide our leader to what You love and are pleased with, and lead him to righteousness and piety. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
O servants of Allah: Remember Allah abundantly, glorify Him morning and evening, and our final call is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
