Translated Speech of
His Eminence Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan
Shaikh Silsilah Naqshbandiah Owaisiah
4th April 2003
With the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The whole universe is in the Hands of Almighty Allah. He is the Absolute Sovereign. He grants kingdom or takes it away from whoso He wills. He may honour or abase anyone He wills. He has His own law and system. We all feel generally grieved at the deplorable condition of Muslims, and cry and pray to Allah to have mercy on them, because Kufr has pounced upon them like a hungry wolf, everywhere on the globe. But why don't our grief, pain and prayers evoke any Divine response? Have we ever bothered to reflect, where the prayers of the whole lot of us that cry before Allah with sincerity and humility, finally get lost? No doubt this is a world of 'cause and effect' and there is always some cause for every event, but this is equally true that Du'a (supplication, prayer) is the most effective of all causes. When Prophet Ibrahim-as was cast in fire, the burning logs turned into green trees, and the fire, instead of burning him, turned into a beautiful garden for him. However, in his case, there was none else to pray for him; all others were either burners or spectators. Then why did this happen?
It is mentioned in the Ahadith quoted by learned scholars with reference to this incident that the Archangel Jibril, on behalf of all angles, submitted in the Divine Presence, 'O Allah! Your friend, all alone at this moment, is being cast into fire by a power, which despite being a creature claims divinity for itself. The inferno extends for miles together. Please allow us, the angels, to help and save him.' Allah replied, 'Ask Ibrahim. If he agrees, do help him.' The Archangel went to Prophet Ibrahim-as and explained the matter to him. He said, 'Jibril! Is Allah seeing everything personally?' Jibril-as replied, 'Of course, and He can do anything He likes.' Prophet Ibrahim-as said, 'Then why do I need you? I am His slave; fire is also His creation and He is seeing everything Himself, then what is the need for anyone else to interfere?' The fact that, he was totally attentive towards Allah; his life, death, profit and loss were all devoted for Allah, transformed the roaring fire into a lush green garden.
We do pray, but nowhere in any of the fifty-six Islamic states does Islam really exist. The holy Quran is recited everywhere, but nobody acts on it. The Salah are offered but they don't bring any change. The holy Quran mentions that Salah prevents a person from lewdness and evil. We see that our mosques are full of innumerable people offering Salah. But is our Salah reforming us? Do we abstain from lewdness and evil after offering Salah? This is the immediate effect that we should have felt. Du'a is like a fruit. First, it is the tree trunk that grows followed by branches; then leaves sprout, flowers blossom, and finally the fruit appears. Du'a is like a fruit of worship. It is mentioned in the Hadith that Du'a is the core and kernel of worship. The first effect of Sajdah (prostration) in the mosque is complete reformation. When the person goes out of the mosque, he should be a different man, bearing better conduct and speech. Explaining the effect of five times Salah, the holy Prophet-saws said that it is like bathing five times a day in the canal flowing through the courtyard of one's house. 'Can the body still remain dirty?' 'Nay, O Allah's Messenger!' 'Similarly,' he-saws said, 'the five times Salah cleans the innerself.'
Hajj, as an obligatory worship, is to be performed only once in life, even by those who are wealthy and possess abundant resources. In the medication system, there is a medicine known as the life saving drug. It is the last medicine to save life and restore health. If this also fails, the patient is sure to die. Hajj is a similar medicine prescribed by Almighty Allah. Anyone who performs Hajj once, does not need to perform it again for the rest of his life. The holy Prophet-saws said that anyone who performs Hajj is purified from all sins, just like a newly-born. Now, what is the criterion to judge the acceptance of repentance and purification from sins? It is a simple thumb rule; the person, whose sins have been forgiven and his repentance accepted by Almighty Allah, will start hating vice and loving
virtue. His life would undergo a change; he would adopt the course of righteousness and would avoid evil. If, by virtue of human nature, he commits a mistake, he would lament for hours and finally repent before Almighty Allah. Of course, he would never become an angel; would remain a human being but the love for virtue would dominate his personality and he would develop hatred for sins. A total of four and a half million Muslims have performed Hajj, this year. That is half a crore; but can we quote how many of them improved and became better on return? The holy Prophet-saws was asked about the remedy of anger. He replied that, in the event of uncontrollable anger, one should perform Wudhu; it would calm him and soothe his overwhelming fury. But, we offer prayers and that does not change us; we perform Hajj and that doesn't affect us either. Practical lives of Muslims suggest that, may God not, Islam has become impracticable during the present time. This is the logic used by non-Muslims: there are so many Muslim states, but Islam is not the law of a single one of them; if Islam was practicable during the present time, why don't Muslims practise it themselves? When we adopt the ways of non-Muslims in our politics, economics, governance and ethics, we would have to face the consequences also. If a person starts eating rotten fruit, the effect on his health is obvious. Similar is the outcome of adopting the ways of non-Muslims. According to my guess, eighty percent of global natural resources are with the Muslims. Western intellectuals place this estimate at forty-seven percent; their maligned interests inhibit them from disclosing to Muslims that they own all the resources of life. You would find that the most fertile tracts are with Muslims; beautiful mountains, fruit growing areas, cattle breeding regions are with Muslims. Similarly, most of the warm water harbours, maximum oil reserves, mineral resources including coal, gold and precious stones are mostly with Muslims. Majority of life resources belong to Muslims, but they are living on the charity of non-Muslims. These resources are under the control of multinational companies, who grant their leftover to Muslims.
It is a law of nature that, Allah does not change the condition of any nation unless they try to change themselves. Now, what should be our condition, we who proclaim Islam, but practically side with Kufr? Results are always associated with actions and not with claims. A person who takes poison but prays for long life will doubtlessly meet his fate. The natural effect of his action is death and the ultimate result would be linked with his action and not with his prayers. Nature has its own laws that our wishes cannot change. The holy Quran has stated a simple principle: those who believed and migrated and strove in the Cause of Allah with their lives and property…What is the definition of a Muslim: the one, who receives the light of Faith and migrates. Although migration means leaving the homeland, and signifies the migration of the Companions from Makkah to Madinah, but its meaning is not limited to land migration only; it also denotes migration of character. A person departs from his present thought and conduct, and devotes his total effort in the Cause of Allah. His every act becomes Jihad in Allah's way, because he endeavours to establish Allah's Law on Allah's land. He seeks justice for Allah's creation and strives with his life and wealth to establish peace and justice on earth; and it is only Allah's Law that can guarantee justice.
Remember, if two principles are made separately with different parameters and it is claimed that both provide equal justice, no wise person would ever believe. How can two principles with different basis, different modalities and different results provide justice at the same time? One of them would be right while the other would certainly be wrong. Allah has granted us the light of Faith, but we don't adopt Islamic principles in life and instead follow the doctrines of non-Muslims. We may not denounce Islam verbally, but aren't we denying it practically? What kind of Muslims are we? We offer Salah, recite the holy Book, observe Saum, perform Hajj, give Zakat, but our economic system is un-Islamic, our political system is un-Islamic, our judicial system and even law of evidence is un-Islamic; infact not even a single system of our practical life is governed by Islamic principles. Do we consider Islam to be a set of worships only? While, the place of worship in Islam is as much that, it develops, in a man, the strength to abide by the religion. As I have already stated, Salah develops in a person the strength to abstain from evil and immorality, and to adopt virtue; that is, Salah cleans the innerself, the heart and the conscience. A man stands before Allah five times a day, saying 'Allah-o Akbar' he cuts himself form the whole world and submits his requests before Allah; performs 'Ruku' (bending) and 'Sujood' (prostration), and promises with Allah We worship only You and seek Your help only. But, by the time, he leaves his prayer-mat he has already forgotten everything. And for those who remain loyal to their promise with the Lord of the worlds, it is said: They rank high with their Lord and they are the ones who are successful. They are the victorious and successful people, who have achieved their objectives. Not only are they successful in this life, but Allah gives them glad tidings that they would be rewarded with Allah's Mercy. Allah's Jannah, with innumerable blessings, would be their abode, where they would dwell forever; and there are even greater rewards with Allah. But remember, O believers, keep no relationship with your fathers or brothers, who prefer Kufr to Iman.
The first relationship is this world is with the father. As soon as a person comes of age, he regards his father to be the best person in the world and expects greatest love from him. Then is the brother, whom he trusts the most. All other relationships follow. Allah has mentioned these two relationships as the basis; even if your real fathers or brothers prefer Kufr to Iman, don't keep any friendship with them. Anyone of you, who keeps friendship with such people, will be a wrongdoer in Allah's view. You can see how strongly the holy Quran has forbidden friendship with a non-believer, under this principle. The religious scholars explain, that this principle does not command us to wage a war against all non-believers in the world. It implies that relationship and trade with a non-believer are permitted, so long as they don't affect a Muslim's adherence to Islam. It is a simple principle: relationship with a non-believer, that affects adherence to Islam, is not permitted; relationship as a human being is permitted as long as it doesn't influence Islamic laws and principles. If a non-believer is sick, a Muslim may cure him; if he is hungry or thirsty, a Muslim should feed him; if he is in need, he should be helped; similarly, if he requires justices, he should be facilitated to obtain justice. But, this relationship should not extend to a limit where it starts influencing Islamic principles. Individually, there may be innumerable Muslims who don't like such relationship, but can we quote the example of a single nation or Gov't in the whole Islamic world that hasn't adopted the non-Islamic economic system or whose economy is interest free? No doubt, there are innumerable Muslim hearts ripped with pain, innumerable lips murmuring prayers and innumerable hands raised in supplication, but we should never forget that there is a definite decorum, manner and etiquette for supplication. Almighty Allah has said, When My slaves ask you where I am, tell them I am near. I am the nearest to him, I am nearer to him than his own self; he is not as near to himself, as I am to him; he doesn't know himself as much, as I know him; each cell of his body is under My control; he is not with himself, as much as I am with him! And tell him this also: I accept the prayer of the prayerer, when he prays to Me. If that be it, then, where are our prayers going to? Further, He said, there is, however, a small principle for acceptance of the prayer: you should also accept what I say. If you, helpless and worthless creatures, don't accept what I say, how do you expect Me to accept what you pray for; what can be the worth of your prayers? Believe Me and obey Me! In actual fact, Islam is not a set of mere beliefs; it is a complete code of life. Religious scholars of very high eminence, including leaders of Tafsir, Hadith and Fiqh maintain that Faith is represented by deeds. Imam Bukhari strongly asserts that Faith signifies deeds and not mere proclamation. Imam Abu Hanifah maintains that proclamation of Faith is also an act, therefore the person should be considered a believer, but even he doesn't disagree that Faith signifies deeds. He elaborates that when a person says, 'I believe', his claim is also an act; now, the truth of every claim is established by the credibility of its witnesses; if the witnesses are false, the claim stands disproved. The claim is 'I believe' and deeds are the witnesses: I consider unlawful all things that Allah has prohibited; I consider as lawful everything that Allah has permitted; I consume Halal and abstain from Haraam; I adhere to the law ordained by Allah and refrain from what Allah has stopped me from. Our conduct is the witness to our claim. Each one of us, from commoners to our rulers, should examine our witnesses; do our witnesses also substantiate our claim? And, what shall be the position of our claim, if none of them supports it? In my personal opinion, our loud slogans, rallies and meetings cannot ameliorate the deplorable condition of Muslims as much as our repentance and self improvement. Our conduct and character from individual to the national level is totally against the Quran and Sunnah. It has started bearing fruit: countless innocent lives are being lost, honours are being molested, and innumerable women, children, young and old men are being slain.
I feel that, first of all, we should sincerely make repentance, 'O Allah! Forgive us all our mistakes. We promise that we shall sincerely follow the Path defined by You and Your Prophet-saws.' If the system of government doesn't change, don't bother; we can change at least ourselves. If we change, He may accept the repentance of any one of us and deliver all Muslims from troubles. How lucky are those who are standing fast, with full determination, by Allah's Grace, in front of Kufr! Although the propaganda of Kufr is more intense, but even innocent children, lying on hospital beds, with half cut torso, display victory symbols when brought before the camera. A feeling of trust and confidence in Allah and a strong enthusiasm for Jihad has developed in a common man, as reaction to the oppression perpetrated by Kufr. May God, this motivation proliferate and spread throughout the Muslim world, and every Muslim stands up as a Mujahid and Ghazi! This monster of Kufr would otherwise stop short of nothing. When USA attacked Afghanistan, I had said that even the US president has admitted that 'The tiny state developing in Afghanistan could wipe out our civilization from the map of this world; their civilization, principles, laws and form of govt are diametrically opposite to our systems and are so strong intrinsically that if this state was allowed to exist, it would pose a potent threat to our civilization.' I have quoted his words many times, “They were going to finish our culture around the globe.” It is because both things i.e. light and darkness, water and fire, Islam and Kufr cannot exist together. It was a small state created in the Name of Allah, signifying a revival of Khilafat and was founded on the principles of Quran and Sunnah. One of our diplomats told me that he was sitting with the governor of Herat when a person came to see him. Their rulers and ministers were not like ours; they were like ordinary people in simple dress and everyone could meet them easily. This visitor had once been a class fellow of the governor, who ordered a cup of green tea and asked him the purpose of his visit. The visitor said, “Such and such a person has been sentenced to death by the court. His mercy appeal has been sent to you. I have come to request you for a favourable consideration.” The governor replied, “Relax and sip your cup of tea. This is a small matter, certainly not big enough to bring you here in person.” After tea, the governor ordered his office assistant to bring the relevant file and the holy Quran. He brought both. The governor said, “My brother, I don't expect you to advise me to act against this Book. Here is his file alongwith the evidence and here is the Book of Allah. Decide his case yourself according to the Book.” The visitor replied, “Decision, according to the Quran, has already been given.” The governor said, “You shouldn't expect me to go against the Quran and shouldn't have come to me for that.”
This is the motivation and commitment! Insha Allah (God willing!), no one on this earth, not even USA, has been able to overcome; neither can anyone defeat nor shall anybody ever be able to subdue it. Despite their claims of conquering Afghanistan, they are still facing death and humiliation there. Insha Allah, they would continue getting killed and the Islamic state shall get restored. Kufr is doomed to destruction! Even in Iraq, their achievements are still limited to verbal claims only. The war has yet not begun in full intensity. Iraqis have adopted a better style; instead of fighting in the open, they have preferred to fight in the built up area, because the coalition troops used tanks, artillery and aerial bombardment against them in the open. May Allah help them! Now the tanks can't go inside the streets, and the soldiers have to go themselves. They are received by bullets and welcome by death in all streets that they try to peep in. They are now crying that they are facing heavy resistance. There may be any number of wars and corruption may spread to any extent, but ultimately the Truth shall triumph. Insha Allah, Islam shall once again prevail all over the globe, shall save humanity from Allah's anger and lead them onto the path of His Pleasure. This is a totally different story that we are not with Islam as much as we should be. The holy Quran has declared Islam a strong fortress and has said, “Enter Islam completely.” It has defined the principle that when you enter Islam completely, you would defeat death, because within Islam, your death is also your life.
Kafirs have full media support and they are propagating white lies and falsehood. Even their own people have started criticizing them that, there is a limit to even falsehood; how many lies can you tell? By Allah's Grace, His men are fighting against Kafirs with full vigour. May Allah grant strength to all Muslims, especially the Muslim rulers! It is time that all Muslims forget trivial personal differences and unite together. Even within Muslim states, the government and opposition should drop all differences and unite under the holy Quran and the holy Prophet-saws. After all, everyone is a Muslim alike, and requires funeral prayers, whether he is the president, premier or a general. So, what is the harm, if he returns to the shade of Islam before his funeral prayers? We take refuge with Kufr, instead of Islam. Why shouldn't we seek refuge with the holy Prophet-saws? Our prayers would be accepted and our actions would also be effective. It would be a great event if the whole Islamic world unifies. As the first step, we should seek Allah's forgiveness, 'O Allah! Pardon us our previous mistakes; now we pledge to remain faithful to you and to your holy Prophet-saws.' Whenever the Muslims make this promise, they are destined to victory. Islam can never be defeated; defeat is the lot of the infidels. May Allah grant us correct understanding, we repent and turn towards Allah and seek help from Him! Pray, to Allah with sincerity, to help Muslims. May Allah make your prayers effective! Ameen!
