Message for Friday - The Weakness is Internal

عن أبي عبد السلام ، عن ثوبان ، قال قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم
" يوشك الأمم أن تداعى عليكم كما تداعى الأكلة إلى قصعتها " ، فقال قائل : ومن قلة نحن يومئذ ؟ قال : " بل أنتم يومئذ كثير ، ولكنكم غثاء كغثاء السيل ، ولينزعن الله من صدور عدوكم المهابة منكم وليقذفن في قلوبكم الوهن " ، فقال قائل : يا رسول الله وما الوهن ؟ قال : " حب الدنيا ، وكراهية الموت "

Messenger of G'd [Prophet Muhammad] (SAAS)said, "Nations will call each other, as people make invitations to a meal, to make a concerted attack on you. Someone asked: ‘Will this happen because of our being small in number?’ G'd’s Messenger answered: ‘Rather, you will then be great in number, but as powerless as wood-chips or straw carried in a flood. G'd will remove fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and implant in you fear of death and love of the world."

So many areas of the Muslim world, which makes up 1.6 billion people are ravaged. Depravity, poverty, ignorance and oppression mark most of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. In these areas, some animosity resides regarding the exploitation of their lands by the former European colonialists, and their continued backing of tyrannical kings and dictators that oppress societies both intellectually and economically. However, it is the spiritual deviation of the majority of the people, which accounts for much of their problems today.

إن الله لا يغير ما بقوم حتى يغيروا ما بأنفسهم

G'd says in the Qur'an: Surely G'd will not change the condition of a people until they change what is inside of their souls.

The love of this world has corrupted the hearts of the people, which has manifested itself in various ways. One way is that Muslims in their quest for piling up material wealth or consolidating power will neglect or ignore Divine guidelines and ethical practices. Another way is that Muslims loose hope in changing their communities and resign themselves to "making a living" to obtain food, clothing, sheltering and small material comforts of life.

Living an austere life does not mean rejecting the good, wholesome things in life, and not fearing death does not equal having a death wish or being fatalistic.

الزهد: هو ترك ما لا ينفع في الآخرة
Ibn Taymeeah (rh) explained this as "Austerity (Zuhd) is to leave what is not beneficial for one's status in the hereafter."

So until the majority of Muslims get back to the basics of Islam such as regular prayer, paying charity and rejecting gross materialism, the intellectual advancement and social progress of Muslim nations will not happen. G'd will not allow anything that is labeled as Islam or Muslim to flourish that does not coincide with the spirit of Islam.

And surely G'd knows best.