The Worsening Hardship is a Sign that Victory is on its Way

The dark clouds of hostility and persecution that gathered over the Muslims throughout the world in recent years have darkened even further. The Western powers have exploited the horrific attack on Paris by the shadowy and dubious ISIS to intensify their campaign against Islam and Muslims throughout the world. Speaking during a joint session of both houses of parliament on 16 November 2015, the French President announced measures providing 5,000 extra police posts in the next two years, making it easier to strip dual nationals of their French citizenship if they are convicted of a "terrorist" offence and speeding up the deportation of foreigners who pose "a particularly grave threat to the security of the nation." These measures fueled the current climate of fear within the Muslims living in the West. In addition the French added their weight to the American-Russian campaign against the Muslims of Syria, a formidable coalition of the major powers of the East and the West, which is allegedly to attack ISIS, but is in fact targeting the sincere Muslims who are working for the return of the Khilafah upon the methodology of the Prophethood. As for the agents of the West, in the Muslim World, in order to prove their worthiness, they not only treacherously join the coalition, they walk briskly ahead of their masters, such is the depth of their servitude. Jordan's King Abdullah II warned on 16 November of a "third world war against humanity... This is a war, as I've said repeatedly, within Islam... So therefore we must act fast and holistically to tackle and respond to the interconnected threats whether it is in this region, Africa, Asia or in Europe." And the rulers of Pakistan demanded a minute's silence for the innocents slaughtered in Paris, though they have never made similar demands for the innocents slaughtered at the hands of Western coalitions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria or any other place. As for the Jewish state, on 16 November, when it banned the radical wing of the country's main Islamist organisation 16 November, it took care to make reference to that which keeps the major powers of the East and West awake at night, with Netanyahu declaring, "it seeks to subvert the state in order to establish an Islamic caliphate in its place."

The gathering of the darkest of clouds is not a source of despair for the believer. No, in fact, the hardest of times are a sign that victory is on its way. For, in the hardest of times, Allah (swt) tests the believers and makes them worthy of receiving the His Help and Victory. Moreover, when the Help and Victory of Allah (swt) arrives, overwhelming the Kuffar despite their material strength, this astounds them by confirming the truth of Islam. Thus, the Battle of Khandaq, when the best of generations faced a mighty coalition, showed that the hardest of times are a prelude to victory.

In the Battle of Khandaq, yes, the enemies of Muslims gathered in a grand coalition, when various peoples including the Ghatafan gathered with the leaders of the Kuffar, the Quraysh, as Allah said,

{إِذْ جَآءُوكُمْ مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ}“When they came upon you from above you and below you.” [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:10]. Yes, the crisis deepened as the Qurayzah treacherously broke their pledge and sided with the coalition forces of the Confederates, as Allah said,

{هُنَالِكَ ابْتُلِىَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَزُلْزِلُواْ زِلْزَالاً شَدِيداً}“There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking.” [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:11]. Fear prevailed over the Muslims when faced with the formidable coalition, as Allah (swt) said,

{وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ الاٌّبْصَـرُ وَبَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوبُ الْحَنَاجِرَ}“and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats.” [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:10] Indeed, fear reached the point that Muslims had doubts and thought that the outcome would be against the believers, and that Allah would allow that to happen, as Allah (swt) said, {وَتَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ الظُّنُونَاْ} “and you were harboring doubts about Allah.” [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:10] Fear prevailed such that even hypocrisy emerged to such an extent that Mu`attib bin Qushayr, the brother of Banu `Amr bin `Awf said, "Muhammad was promising us that we would win the treasure of Chosroes and Caesar, but one of us cannot even go and relieve himself."

Yet, whilst hypocrites thought that Islam would be eliminated, the believers were certain that what Allah and His Messenger (saaw) promised was true, and that He would cause the Deen to prevail at this very time, of all times. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Sa`id (ra) said: "On the day of Al-Khandaq, we said: `O Messenger of Allah, is there anything we should say, for our hearts have reached our throats'. He said,

نَعَمْ، قُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِنَا وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِنَا

“Yes, say: O Allah, cover our weak points and calm our fears.” Moreover, the true believers saw the arrival of the coalition sign as a good sign of impeding victory.

Allah (swt) said  [ وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الاٌّحْزَابَ قَالُواْ هَـذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ]

“And when the believers saw the (al-Ahzab) Confederates, they said: "This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us; and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth.” [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:22]. Ibn `Abbas (said), "They mean what Allah said in Surat Al-Baqarah:

{أمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَآءُ وَالضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ أَلاَ إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ}

﴾“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When (will come) the help of Allah'' Yes! Certainly, the help of Allah is near!” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:214]. This means that this is the trial and test that Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaw) promised us would be followed by the help and victory of Allah that is near.

Thus, there were men amongst men within the Muslims who stood firm, earning the help of Allah (swt). So the Battle of Khandaq was witness to men who stood firm even as the forces crossed the defensive ditch. The slaying of the champion Amr Bin Abd Wadd al-Amari by Ali (ra) was a sign of impending victory and it was then, only after the brave stand of the Muslims, that Allah sent an intensely cold wind with strong gusts against the Confederates, and they were left with no tents or anything else. They could not light any fires or do anything, and so they departed, disappointed and defeated, as Allah Almighty said,

{يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَآءَتْكُمْ جُنُودٌ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحاً وَجُنُوداً}

“O you who believe! Remember Allah's favor to you, when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a wind and forces.” [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:9]. And Allah (swt) sent His help in the form of angels who shook the coalition forces and cast fear in their hearts, as Allah (swt) said, )وَجُنُوداً لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا( “and forces that you saw not.” [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:9]. The chief of each tribe within the coalition said, "O Banu so-and-so, to me!'' So they gathered around him, and he said, "Let us save ourselves,'' when Allah cast fear and terror into their hearts. Thus the coalition collapsed and Islam prevailed, just as the dark clouds disappear as if they had never existed, making way for the bright sun.

So today, in our times, we must be strong in the harshest of testing, patient, persevering and anticipating of victory. We must be of those who care for the pleasure of Allah (swt) above all else, speaking the truth and working for the Khilafah project, even if it leads to harm for our dunya, whether in the form of persecution at the hands of the tyrants, separation from our beloved through imprisonment or abduction or even harm to our bodies through torture. We must be as RasulAllah (saaw) commanded when he said,

«مَنْ أَحَبَّ دُنْيَاهُ أَضَرَّ بِآخِرَتِهِ ، وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ آخِرَتَهُ أَضَرَّ بِدُنْيَاهُ ، فَآثِرُوا مَا يَبْقَى عَلَى مَا يَفْنَى»

“Whosoever loves worldly life harms his afterlife, whosoever loves his afterlife harms his worldly life. So give preference to that which is lasting over that which is fleeting.” [Tirmidhi 5179]In these darkest of times, we must remember that it is the believing men and women that will earn the victory of Allah (swt) that will make them leaders and rulers of mankind after their fear. For Allah (swt) said,

{ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى الاْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِى ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدّلَنَّهُمْ مّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً}

“Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them. And He will surely, give them in exchange a safe security after their fear...” [Surah An-Noor 24:55]. As we face the grand coalition of the major powers of the East and the West, we must remember the promise from Allah to His Messenger that He would cause His Ummah to become successors on earth, replacing fear with security, through the authority of Islam. So, let us earn this victory in these days, such that the dark clouds of Kufr are obliterated by the return of the bright light of Islam, as a Khilafah Rashidah state upon the methodology of the Prophethood. Let us strive to become that promised generation that will carry the flags of Islam over the world, such that it will prevail decisively over the East and the West. RasulAllah (saaw) said,

«إِنَّ اللهَ زَوَى لِيَ الْأَرْضَ فَرَأَيْتُ مَشَارِقَهَا وَمَغَارِبَهَا، وَسَيَبْلُغُ مُلْكُ أُمَّتِي مَا زُوِيَ لِي مِنْهَا» “Allah showed me the earth and I looked at the east and the west. The dominion of my Ummah will reach everywhere I was shown.”

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Musab Umair, Pakistan