The Fourth Ground Rule: That the absence of this Qadarī promise of Allāh, Ta’ālā, giving victory to the Believers, means the absence of its conditions, and that is by the slave having shortcomings in the performance of the two preparations; the Īmānī and the material, or in one of the two.
And the absence of this promise means the dominance of the disbelievers over the Muslims, and that the State belongs to
kufr and its people. And all of this is due to the lack of
Īmān and due to the disobediences and the sins. He,
Ta’ālā, said,
وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ
…and whatever of evil befalls you, then (it is) from yourself
20
And He,
Ta’ālā, said,
وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ
And whatever of misfortune befalls you, then (it is) because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much
21
And He,
Ta’ālā, said,
That is because Allāh will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in their own selves 22
Ibn Kathīr said, “He,
Ta’ālā, informs about the perfection of His justice and His fairness in His judging that He,
Ta’ālā, does not change a grace which He has bestowed upon anyone, except due to a sin which he has committed.” End Quote.
And He,
Ta’ālā, said,
Truly! Allāh wrongs not mankind in aught; but mankind wrong themselves 23
And this
Qadarī Tradition does not give preferential treatment to anyone from humankind, even if he is from the best of creation. And from this is what befell the Companions on the Day of Uhud, from defeat, injuries and death, due to some of them disobeying the order of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,and from this is taken that the disobedience of some in the
Jamā’ah work harms all. He,
Ta’ālā, said, regarding that which befell the Companions during Uhud,
أَوَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُم مِّثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَـذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ
(What is the matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you, although
you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: “From where does
this come (to us)?” Say (to them), “It is from yourselves (because of your evil
deeds).”
24 25
So the
disbelievers overpowering the Muslims is only a
Qadarī punishment for them
because of their disobediences. This is concerning the human enemy. And it is also like that concerning the
Jinnī enemy, as He,
Ta’ālā, said,
وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ
And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allāh) (i.e. this
Qur’ān and worship of Allāh), We appoint for him a
Shaytān to be a
Qarīn (an intimate companion) to him
26
So with the disobediences, the slave gives the
Shaytān a path over himself to humiliate him in front of his human enemy, as He,
Ta’ālā, said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْاْ مِنكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُواْ
Verily, those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met (i.e. the Battle of Uhud), it was the
Shaytān who caused them to backslide (run away from the battlefield) because of some of what they had earned (i.e. their sins)
27
And it is possible for us to phrase this ground rule with another phrasing, and it is that the
causes for the failure of the Muslims are causes that are fundamentally personal, internal causes.
And this is clear in that which was narrated by Muslim, from Thawbān, may Allāh be pleased with him, who said, “
Verily, the Messenger of Allāh, صلى الله عليه وسلم , said, ‘Verily, Allāh drew the ends of the Earth near one another for my sake, so I saw its East and its West, and verily, the dominion of my Ummah will reach that which was drawn near for me. And I was given the two treasures; the Red and the White. 28 And verily, I asked my Lord for my Ummah, that He not destroy it with a general tradition, 29 and that He not put in power over them an enemy from other than themselves who will permit their foundation. And verily, my Lord said, ‘O Muhammad, if I judge a judgment, then it is not stopped, and verily I have given you for your Ummah, that I will not destroy them with a general tradition, and that I will not put in power over them, an enemy from other than themselves who will permit their foundation, even if all those who are in its areas (i.e. the Earth’s areas) gather against them, but that each of them destroy each other, and each of them take each other as slaves.’”
So this
Hadīth clarifies that the disbelieving enemy,
“…from other than themselves…”, will not come into power over the Muslims, unless they reach a (high) level of corruption, and this is a clear Text on the topic of the cause for the failure of the Muslims is fundamentally internal.
And from here you know the mistake of those who attribute the failure of the Muslims and their weakness to the plots of the
kuffār, and their plans, as is the case of some of the writers who go to extremes with fear about the issue of the Jews and their satanic plans, and they attribute every evil and corruption to them. So the reality, which is obligatory upon every Muslim to know, is that
there is no tragedy that befalls the Muslims, except that the Muslims are responsible for it in the first place, due to His,
Ta’ālā’s, saying,
وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ
…and whatever of evil befalls you, then (it is) from yourself
30
And because Allāh,
Ta’ālā, informed us about the
weakness of the plot of the disbelievers in front of the Complete Believers. He,
Ta’ālā, said,
لَن یَضُرُّوكُمۡ إِلَّاۤ أَذࣰىۖ وَإِن یُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ یُوَلُّوكُمُ ٱلۡأَدۡبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا یُنصَرُونَ
They will do you no harm, barring a trifling annoyance;
and if they fight
against you, they will show you their backs, then they will not be helped
31
And the trifling annoyance (
Athā) is the minute harm, and this is clear, due to it being made an exception from the general harm. Then the outcome is for the pious. And He,
Ta’ālā, said,
فَقَاتِلُواْ أَوْلِيَاء الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا
So fight you against the allies of the
Shaytān; Ever feeble indeed is the plot of the
Shaytān 32
And this is a clear Text concerning the weakness of their plotting and their planning. And He,
Ta’ālā, said,
That is because Allāh is the Mawlā (Lord, Master, Helper, Protector, etc.) of those who Believe, and that the disbelievers have no Mawlā (lord, master, helper, protector, etc.) 33
So the failure of the Muslims is from themselves, before it being due to their enemies. And the Muslims, through their sins, have given their enemies a
Qadarī way over them.
And this fourth ground rule needs to be a measure, upon the basis of which the individuals and the Islāmic congregations hold themselves accountable, and they review their accounts in the light of knowing that
there is no tribulation except due to a sin or a shortcoming. And this reviewing of the self is obligatory, due to His,
Ta’ālā’s, saying,
ظَهَرَ ٱلۡفَسَادُ فِی ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَیۡدِی ٱلنَّاسِ لِیُذِیقَهُم بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِی عَمِلُوا۟ لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡجِعُونَ
Evil (sins and disobedience of Allāh, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allāh may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allāh, and begging His Pardon).
34
And due to His,
Ta’ālā’s, saying,
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَى دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment (i.e. the torment in the life of this world, i.e. disasters, calamities, etc.) prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may (repent and) return (i.e. accept Islām).
35
And look to the saying of the followers of the past Prophets, in order for you to know that this ground rule is confirmed in all of the
Sharī’ahs, because when they were harmed in the Path of Allāh, they knew that this was due to their sins, so they rushed to seeking forgiveness (
Istighfār) and returning (to Allāh in repentance). He,
Ta’ālā, said,
And many a Prophet fought (in Allāh’s Cause) and along with him (fought) large bands of religious learned men. But they never lost heart for that which did befall them in Allāh’s Way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allāh loves the patient ones. And they said nothing but, “Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions in our matter (in keeping our duties to You), establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” 36
And likewise, the People of the Garden did when their garden was destroyed, so they knew that it was due to their sins, so they repented and returned. He,
Ta’ālā, said,
قَالَ أَوۡسَطُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ قَالُوا۟ سُبۡحَـٰنَ رَبِّنَاۤ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِینَ فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ یَتَلَـٰوَمُونَ قَالُوا۟ یَـٰوَیۡلَنَاۤ إِنَّا كُنَّا طَـٰغِینَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّنَاۤ أَن یُبۡدِلَنَا خَیۡرࣰا مِّنۡهَاۤ إِنَّاۤ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا رَ ٰغِبُونَ
The best among them said, “Did I not tell you: why do you not glorify (Allāh, i.e. by saying
In Shā ’Allāh).” They said, “Glory to Our Lord! Verily, we have been
Thālimīn (wrong-doers, etc.).” Then they turned, one against another, in blaming. They said, “Woe to us! Verily, we were
Tāghīn (transgressors and disobedient, etc.) We hope that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this. Truly, we turn to our Lord (wishing for good that He may forgive our sins, and reward us in the Hereafter).”
37
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20 Sūrat An-Nisā’, 79
21 Sūrat Ash-Shūrā, 30
22 Sūrat Al-Anfāl, 53
23 Sūrat Yūnus, 44
24 Sūrat Āl ‘Imrān, 165
25 Look to the
Tafsīr of Ash-Shanqītī, “
Adhwā’ Al-Bayān”, Vol. 3/452-456
26 Sūrat Az-Zukhruf, 36
27 Sūrat Āl ‘Imrān, 155
28 Trans. Note: “
The Red and the White” is referring to gold and silver, and that is referring to the kingdoms of
Kisrā and Caesar, the kings of ‘
Irāq and Ash-Shām. Look to Imām An-Nawawī’s explanation of this
Hadīth in his
Sharh of “
Sahīh Muslim”.
29 Trans. Note: “
A general tradition” is referring to a famine reaching all of them. Look to Imām An-Nawawī’s explanation of this Hadīth in his
Sharh of “
Sahīh Muslim”.
30 Trans. Note: Sūrat An-Nisā’, 79
31 Sūrat Āl ‘Imrān, 111
32 Sūrat An-Nisā’, 76
33 Sūrat Muhammad, 11
34 Sūrat Ar-Rūm, 41
35 Sūrat As-Sajdah,
36 Sūrat Āl ‘Imrān, 146-147
37 Sūrat Nūn, 28-32