The Road to Victory

In the name of Allah we begin, in His book we seek guidance, and on the footsteps of His Prophet we follow.

The nation of Islam is the best Ummah evolved for mankind because of what Allah had favored it with:

“You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah.” (3:110)
All of us might wonder, how can this nation be resurrected, what is the way to do it, and where does the road to victory begin?

Well, the answer is very clear and expected.

The Prophet peace be upon him said in his hadith that this Ummah will be separated into 73 groups; all of them will be in the hellfire, except for one. This one is “the group” (al Jamaah) who follow his example and his companions’.

My beloved in Allah, this nation is going to be resurrected by following the same principles upon which it was first created and established.

Let’s display the factors that lead to the victory of those of the older times because they, with Allah’s help and guidance, will be the same factors that will lead to victory of those of the later times.

I have put together these elements from the good book “The Sealed Nectar” by Saffie Alrahman Almubarakpuri and added some conditions that would suit our present times. So Allah help me.

1. The first element: Having faith in Allah (Iman billah)

Our faith has to be only in Allah. We should know Him truly, worship nothing and nobody but Him. Allah is the creator; the Provider, and the Judge for everything. There is no creator but Him, no provider but Him. No decision can be made in the matters of the living except through His judgment.

Allah made us and He is the one who knows what is best for our sustenance and protection. Unfortunately, some seek protection and sustenance from others than Allah. Others make themselves equal to Him, trying to set up rules for people to follow, according to their likings and not according to His guidance. Our faith is not complete until we abandon worshipping, following, or seeking protection from anybody but Him alone, the most Exalted.

The faith of the companions was pure and clean from any filth of paganism. With this deeply rooted faith they stood, heads high, and raised themselves above the lies, annoyance, hardship, and stupidity of vanity. Nations can live and rule only by the truth and upon the principles of justice. No socialism, Buddhism, Christianity, Jewish Zionism, Imperialism or anything else can be more truthful or more just than Allah’s religion and His guidance.

Take the example of the very well known Bilal, the Prophet’s mu’azzen (the person who calls for the prayer). Bilal had been tortured by burdening his chest with the heaviest rocks while lying on the burning sands of Mecca, because the pagans of Quraish wanted him to revert to their idolatrous worship. With all the power in his soul he endured the torture and kept saying Ahadun Ahad (the One, the One). His body became so cheap because he knew the fact that the reward comes from the same substance of the deed.

“And those who strive in Our cause, We will certainly guide them to our Path.” (29:69)
That’s how Bilal, the slave from Habasha (Ethiopia) became the infamous Bilal known to all Muslims all over the world.

Another example is Yasser and his pure wife Sumaya, the mother of Ammar who endured the torture of the pagans and were killed only because they believed in one thing, that Allah is the only God worthy to be worshiped.

The hearts of the companions were full of faith and their religion ran in their veins like blood. When the beauty of faith mixes in the hearts, it outweighs the mountains.

This kind of a believer will be able to face any test, however huge or hard. He will see it very small next to his faith. Hardships will become nothing to him, because the sweetness of faith is all that he can taste. Hardships and torture would be like some floating froth above the huge flood of faith coming to break the high dams of ignorance and paganism.

“For the scum disappears like froth cast out; while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth.” (13:17)
So, worshipping Allah alone and following His guidance is the first step to make all the factors to achieve victory will arise from within.

2. The second element: The beloved leadership of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be Upon Him).
The Messenger peace be upon him is the commander in chief for the Islamic Ummah and for all humanity. Humanity will never be happy until this divine leadership takes over and rule again. It is true that the Prophet peace be upon him had left this world, but his legacy and example will live forever. The Prophet peace be upon him had pointed out that the heirs of the Islamic leadership are those who have the knowledge of Islam. In Sahih Ibn Majah, the Prophet peace be upon him said, “The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. The Prophet's don't leave money, but rather they leave knowledge. Whoever takes it after them such then take as much as they can."

Islamic scholars of high knowledge should represent the Prophet in their people, they say what the Prophet had said and do as he did. That is why there is no refuge for the Ummah in times of hardship except with those who Allah had appointed to hold the flag of the Prophet peace be upon him.

The Prophet peace be upon him had all the noble characteristics that would attract the hearts to him. He portrayed the highest degrees of honor, goodness, kindness and bounty. He was the honesty and truthfulness in every way that even his enemies never doubted him, although they did not believe in his message. We bring some examples for this:

- Abu Jahl, the Prophet’s uncle used to say, “Muhammad, we don’t say that you are a liar but we do not believe in what you brought to us”. In that Allah sent down “It is not you who they reject: it is the signs of Allah, which the wicked contemn” (6:33)

- Three from the tribe of Quraish (the Prophet’s tribe) gathered after listening to the Quran separately. Abu Jahl, who was one of them, was asked about his opinion in what he heard from Muhammad. He said, “It does not matter what he says, we are continuously competing with Banu Abd Manaf (the Prophet’s clan) for honor; they feed the poor, we feed the poor, they give charity, we give charity. Now that we’re almost equal like two horses in a race, they say they have a Prophet sent by God. How can we compete with that, by God we will never believe in what he brought”.

- A bunch of the disbelievers were winking and making fun of the Prophet peace be upon him. Finally he said, “People of Quraish, I brought slaughter to you”. The whole group was taken back and scared by these words. Afterwards the Prophet’s worst enemies became softer on him.

- The disbelievers poured down blood and intestine of a dead camel on the Prophet peace be upon him while he was in sujud. When he supplicated against them they all stopped laughing, and became full of concern and worries because they knew they were ruined.

- Once the Prophet supplicated against Utbah bin Abu Lahab after being excessively harassed by him. The Prophet peace be upon him asked Allah to send one of his dogs to kill Utbah. When a lion in the middle of the desert killed Utbah, he knew for sure that that was the Prophet’s supplication coming true. His final words were “Muhammad killed me while in Mecca”.

- Ubay bin Khalaf always threatened to kill the Prophet, so one day the Prophet told him “I will kill you insha’Allah”. Ubay was lightly scratched in the neck at the battle of Uhud and while dying he said Muhammad could have killed me by just spitting on me.

That was the case of the Quraish chiefs of disbelief; they believed him and could never say that he is liar. Today come from his Ummah those who claim to follow him but deny his Sunnah. They say we only follow the Book. Some say we follow only what we accept by our minds and the rest we abandon. Now they worship their minds, and they make themselves judges and prosecute Allah’s Book. Religion should not cancel the mind but it should discipline it. The mind is a tool to understand the religion and not to judge it.

The Islamic Ummah should go back under the wings of our Prophet and follow his example. By Allah, nobody will enter heaven except under his flag.

“Then let those beware who withstand the Messenger’s order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous penalty be inflicted on them.” (24:63)
So, Allah had threatened those who don’t follow the Prophet’s legacy and guidance by a trial in this world and grievous penalty in the hereafter.

Allah also said in His Book “The Day that the wrong-doer will bite at his hands, he will say, "Oh! Would that I had taken the path with the Messenger”. (25: 27)
3. The third element: Feeling responsible
The Muslim has to feel responsible for his Ummah and obligated towards other Muslim brothers and sisters. The companions of the Prophet felt this huge responsibility after the death of the Prophet peace be upon him. If Allah had not implanted this deep feeling of responsibility in the companions’ hearts, the light of this religion would have never reached us. If we don’t have the same feeling, this religion is not going to reach our children. Only then Allah will replace us with people whom he loves and they love, who will be responsible enough to deliver the religion to our children.

“O ye who believe! If any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him,- lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fault. That is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things.” (5:54)
This responsibility has to be mainly carried by religious scholars. They cannot abandon this duty just because they are being persecuted or because injustice has been inflicted on them. The consequences of fleeing the responsibility are more dangerous and harder than any torture or threats. Running away from this task carries the loss for all humanity.

Allah has destined the current blessed awakening of Islam. As our Prophet peace be upon him said, “Islam started strange and will return to being strange”. In its second return, we should follow the same principle used by the Prophet’s companions to establish this great nation “No Escape”.

4. The fourth element: The Qur’an
In this particular period and in all the other times, the Quran is the best of provisions, the best teacher and guidance to all Muslims.

In periods of prosecution and torture, surahs of the Quran came down in the most elegant style to guide the believers to the principles of Islam in order to establish the foundations of the greatest and most fabulous society known to humanity. Those Quranic verses came to urge the believers to be patient and to tell them about the wisdom of patience and remaining steadfast:

“Or do you think that you shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah." Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!” (2: 214).

“Did you think that you would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained steadfast?” (3:142).

“Or think you that you shall be abandoned, as though Allah did not know those among you who strive with might and main, and take none for friends and protectors except Allah, His Messenger, and the (community of) Believers? But Allah is well- acquainted with (all) that you do.” (9:16)

“Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.” (29:2-3).
The Quran brought the glad tidings of Allah’s mercy, His pleasure, His paradise and eternal bliss and compared it with opposite side of the enemies and disbelievers’ showing how they will be prosecuted and dragged to the hellfire on their faces, to taste the hellfire of Saqqar.

The Quran brought reason and curt responses to the disbelievers that would leave them speechless. Sometimes it would bring historical evidence with clear warnings to Allah’s enemies and glad tidings for those who seek protection from Allah.

On the other hand, the Quran took the Muslims in a completely different road, pointing their attention to scenes of the universe, the beauty of Allah’s creation, the perfection of His divinity, and the implications of His mercy. All this deepened the believers’ love for their Lord and made them long for Him, and became ready to sacrifice anything to establish His word on earth.

5. The fifth element: Belief in the Day of Judgment
Believing in the Day of Judgment increased the feeling of responsibility for the companions, and it should also increase the responsibility feeling for the nation of Islam today.

This belief increases the certainty of the Muslim that we all will return to Allah after resurrection and will be reckoned for all our deeds, however small or big. The outcome is either eternal bliss or eternal hellfire. This way, a Muslims would spend their days between fear and hope, wishing for their Lord’s mercy and afraid of his fire:

“And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord.” (23:60)

The companions knew that this life with all its struggle and happiness is less than a mosquito’s wing if compared to the hereafter. This kind of faith made life’s hardship, bitterness, and struggle so easy to face.

That’s why today’s youth should have their hearts longing for what Allah has promised them with. They should place this life in its true size; as a step in the way to reach the pleasure of Allah’s paradise. But if this life becomes our goal, that would be a huge trial and far and wide evil. This life should only be a bridge to reach the house of eternal bliss. If we are to take anything from this life, it should be only to aid to bring victory to this religion and to prepare ourselves for what Allah had ordered us to do, which is to establish God’s word on earth..

6. The sixth element: Glad tidings of success.
The invitation to Islam aims from the beginning to erase paganism and unjust systems. Also it aims at establishing Allah’s authority and His religion on earth so this earth would be full of justice and forgiveness after injustice and transgression. In addition to that Islam has to lead the whole humanity to pleasing Allah, abandoning serving other human slaves and serving Allah only, and to spread Islam’s justice instead of the injustice of the human rulers. So, serving Islam does not only bring calamities and death.

In the middle of the companions’ isolation and detention, the Quran came down with glad tidings and with verses telling the stories of the previous Prophets and their people who accused them of lying. The Quran mentions the results of the struggle and that injustice is always destroyed and believers always prevailed and inherited the lands. These verses contained description of conditions that were exactly similar to the conditions of the Makkan Muslims and pagans and gave the glad tidings that the pagans are going to fail in the future, even if they were temporarily successful.

So, these glad tidings for the Ummah are applicable in every time and in every place where Islam and Muslims are prosecuted. This is Allah’s promise and who is greater than Allah and what He says. Among these glad tidings are:

- “Already has Our Word been passed before (this) to our Servants sent (by Us), That they would certainly be assisted. And that Our forces,- they surely must conquer. So turn thou away from them for a little while, And watch them (how they fare), and they soon shall see (how thou farest)! Do they wish (indeed) to hurry on our Punishment? But when it descends into the open space before them, evil will be the morning for those who were warned (and heeded not)!” (37: 171-177)
- “Soon will their multitude be put to flight, and they will show their backs.”(54:45)
- “But there - will be put to flight even a host of confederates. Before them (were many who) rejected apostles,- the people of Noah, and 'Ad, and Pharaoh, the Lord of Stakes, And Thamud, and the people of Lut, and the Companions of the Wood; - such were the Confederates. Not one (of them) but rejected the apostles, but My punishment came justly and inevitably (on them). These (today) only wait for a single mighty Blast, which (when it comes) will brook no delay.” (38:11-15)

- “And the Unbelievers said to their apostles: "Be sure we shall drive you out of our land, or ye shall return to our religion." But their Lord inspired (this Message) to them: "Verily We shall cause the wrong-doers to perish! "And verily We shall cause you to abide in the land, and succeed them. This for such as fear the Time when they shall stand before My tribunal,- such as fear the punishment denounced."(14:13-14)

The Prophet peace be upon him also used to conduct similar glad tidings. In every Pilgrimage he would stand in the middle of the Mecca’s market Okaz to convey these messages, not only to give the prophecies of heaven but also he would say, “Oh, you people, say there is no God but Allah to succeed, own the Arabs, and the non Arabs would be indebted for you, and if you die you would be kings in paradise.”

In Bukhari in the hadith narrated by Khabaab bin Al-Araat, he said, “I came to the Prophet while he way lying by the Kaaba and we had been tortured terribly by the pagans of Quraish, so I asked him to ask Allah to remove these hardships. The Prophet sat up, his face became red and he said there were people before you who would be combed with iron combs to separate their bones from their flesh, and that would not stop them from believing in Allah. I swear that this matter (Islam) would be perfected and under Islamic rule, the passengers traveling from Hadramout to Sannaa would not fear anything in their but Allah, but you are asking Allah to hasten the matter”.