[وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ]

“And do not dispute lest you lose courage and your strength departs.”[TMQ Surah Al Anfal 8: 46]
(Translated)

In the midst of the events taking place in Palestine and Lebanon, and the destruction and brutal massacres that are being inflicted on the sons of Muslims at the hands of the Jews, with the support of America and the West, we hear discordant voices rejoicing at the killing and destruction taking place in Lebanon.

It has even reached the point where some celebrate and distribute sweets over the killing of the leaders of the Hezb of Iran, at the hands of the criminal Jews. They ignore that this killing, destruction and genocide that is taking place in Palestine and Lebanon is nothing but a war on the entire Islamic Ummah. It is not a war on a group, faction or sect of Muslims. The missile that is falling on the people of Lebanon does not differentiate between Shia and Sunni. It does not differentiate between a Lebanese and a Palestinian. Instead it targets the entire Islamic Ummah. The Jews do not care which sect they are exterminating, or which group they are killing, as all Muslims are enemies to them.

It is true that Iran, its Lebanese party, Bashar and his henchmen have committed murder, brutality and barbaric genocide against the people of Syria. This is an unforgivable act that will not be erased from the memory of the people, and neither the bereaved mothers nor the grieving will forget it.

It is also true that Iran has its own agenda and conspiratorial projects in ash-Sham, Yemen and Iraq, and no sane person would ignore this. It is true that it does not support the causes of Muslims and is only concerned with supporting the resistance in what serves its interests and agenda. Joy over the killing of the most stubborn and oppressive of them may be permissible for those who have been wronged. However, for people to cheer, beat drums and rejoice over the killing of Muslims at the hands of the most hostile of enemies of the Ummah, the usurpers of its land and the expellers of its people, this is the very definition of ignorance and confusion in the understanding of the Shari’ understanding and it is standing in the ranks of the enemies and sharing their joy in achieving their criminal goals.

This is something that does not please Allah (swt) in any way, and does not serve the cause of Muslims in their war against their enemy. Instead, this is exactly what the enemies of Islam want. Allah (swt) said,

[وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ]

“And do not dispute and thus lose courage and your strength departs.”

It was stated in the hadith that was narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra),

...«وَمَنْ خَرَجَ عَلَى أُمَّتِي؛ يَضْرِبُ بَرَّهَا وَفَاجِرَهَا، وَلَا يَتَحَاشَى مِنْ مُؤْمِنِهَا، وَلَا يَفِي لِذِي عَهْدٍ عَهْدَهُ، فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي وَلَسْتُ مِنْهُ»

“...and whoever rebels against my Ummah, striking its righteous and wicked, and does not withhold harm from its believers, and does not fulfill his covenant with those who have a covenant, then he is not of me and I am not of him.” (Narrated by Muslim)

Indeed, this brutal attack on Islam must unify the Ummah against its enemy, just as the West united to strike the Ummah and gathered around it as diners gather around their dish. It is more appropriate for the Ummah to unify under its Rayah banner, unify its stance, support the mujahideen against its enemy, and remove the filth of the traitors and agents among the rulers, who conspired against it and stood, with its enemy. This mobilization against the Ummah is a valuable opportunity to muster its energies materially and morally, close ranks, reject division, and stand as one solid structure in the face of the Western hatred towards it. As for those who have been wronged, let them seek redress for themselves from Allah Almighty, who says:

[وَمَن قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَانًا فَلَا يُسْرِف فِّي الْقَتْلِ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنصُورًا]

“And whoever is killed unjustly - We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of] taking life. Indeed, he has been supported.” [Al-Isra: 44].

This is the stance of our master the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he heard the statement of the leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Salul, who said, “By Allah, if we return to Madinah, the more honorable will expel the more lowly from it,” Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and said, يا رسول الله دعني أضرب عنق هذا المنافق“O Messenger of Allah, let me strike the neck of this hypocrite.” The Prophet (saw), said, «دَعْهُ، لَا يَتَحَدَّثُ النَّاسُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً يَقْتُلُ أَصْحَابَهُ» “Leave him, lest the people say that Muhammad kills his companions.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet (saw) left the punishment of the hypocrites in order to unify the hearts of the Muslims, extinguish seditions, and not to alienate people from Islam. The entire Arabian Peninsula was looking at this state in Madinah with caution, stealth, and scrutiny, and waiting for opportunities to pounce on it. However, the wisdom of the Chosen One (saw) and his awareness of the importance of unity prevented that.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام فيه من الحلم، وترك بعض الأمور المختارة والصبر على بعض المفاسد خوفاً من أن تترتب على ذلك مفسدة أعظم منه، وكان ﷺ يتألف الناس ويصبر على جفاء الأعراب والمنافقين وغيرهم، لتقوى شوكة المسلمين، وتتم دعوة الإسلام “His (saw) statement includes forbearance, leaving some of the matters of permissible choices, and being patient with some of the corruptions, for fear that a greater corruption might result from that. The Prophet (saw) used to unify the people and be patient with the harshness of the Bedouins, the hypocrites, and others, so that the power of the Muslims would be strengthened and the call of Islam would be completed.”

The Madinah Charter, which was written by the Messenger of Allah (saw) when establishing the first state, states, «إِنَّهُمْ أُمَّةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ... وَإِنَّ سِلْمَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَاحِدَةٌ» “They are one Ummah apart from the rest of the people... and the peace of the believers is one...” And in the hadith narrated by Ahmad, it states, «الْمُؤْمِنُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ، وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ، وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ» “The blood of the believers is equal, and the least of them is responsible for the protection of them all. They are as one hand against everyone else.”

It was mentioned in Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah by Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8/p. 127), فلما رأى ملك الروم اشتغال معاوية بحرب علي تدانى إلى بعض البلاد في جنود عظيمة وطمع فيه، فكتب معاوية إليه: "والله لئن لم تنته وترجع إلى بلادك يا لعين، لاصطلحنّ أنا وابن عمي عليك ولأخرجنّك من جميع بلادك، ولأضيّقنّ عليك الأرضَ بما رحُبت “... When the Roman king saw that Muawiyah was busy with the war against Ali, he approached some of the landed with a large army and coveted them. So Muawiyah wrote to him: “By Allah, if you do not stop and return to your country, you accursed one, my cousin and I will reconcile against you and I will expel you from all of your countries, and I will make the earth narrow for you, no matter how vast it is.”

This is what the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his Companions (ra) were like in terms of unity of ranks. This is a Shariah legal requirement and a Shariah political stance. Muslims cannot be freed from the burden of Western colonialism, and its fierce attacks on them, unless their affairs are unified, and their hands join together to remove nationalist borders, close ranks, and raise the banner of tawhid under the leadership of a sincere, pure believer, who leads the masses of the Ummah to glory and victory. This is the Ummah’s opportunity today to achieve that.

As for calls of ignorance, they only serve the enemies of Islam, and only increase the division of Muslims. They will not advance the Ummah forward. Instead they drag the Ummah many steps backward. May Allah (swt) unify the hearts of the people of Iman and grant us victory and empowerment with sincere and faithful leadership that unifies the dispersed parts of this Ummah under the Rayah banner of the Messenger of Allah (saw).

[وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللهِ جَمِيعاً وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَاناً وَكُنتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ]

“And hold firmly together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He unified your hearts, so you—by His grace—became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be rightly guided.” [TMQ Surah Aali Imran 3:103]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Khalid Ali – America