The iron resolve of the Muslims of Syria before extreme oppression is an inspiration. The tyrant of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, tried to break their will by arrests, torture and even rape of the women and kidnapping of children. Then when he failed to break the resolve of the Muslims, his masters in America mobilized their other agents in defense of the tyrant of Syria, with the rulers of Iran being foremost, to prevent the blessed revolution reaching its conclusion. Then when even this was not enough, America arranged for Russia to share in its crimes, by bombing the people with all manner of sophisticated weapons, to add to the barrel bombs that Bashar’s forces had long been using. And then the enemies of the revolution resorted to using hunger as a weapon, besieging cities, forcing their inhabitants to hear the cries of starving children and eating leaves from trees, made wet with rain water.
Whilst this exemplary commitment to Islam has alarmed the major powers to the point that they are bent on suppressing the call to the Khilafah (Caliphate) on every front and in every place, from Kyrgyzstan to Jordan, it has inspired Muslims all over the world and in particular the advocates of Khilafah have quickened their steps in their march towards Islamic revival. Indeed such iron resolve is what strengthens the fearful and the fatigued and it is such iron will which will bring about the return of the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood and raise this Ummah again as a witness before all humankind, raising the call for Islam.
It is this iron resolve which is essential for the era that will unfold soon, with the return of the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood. The Muslims of Syria have awoken within Muslims the realization of the important lessons and messages that Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Messenger ﷺ put before the Muslims in their address to them. Words that have been known before, read before, but were allowed to be dormant in their impact upon the weary soul and the tired limbs. It is these lessons that must be embraced wholeheartedly and sincerely. They must be acted upon to move us forwards to our actual station in this Dunya, witnesses before humankind of the Truth, victors over the tyrants.
Let us consider the People of the Ditch, which is an incident not unlike the calamity the people of the Syria face today. Ibn Ishaq explained that the people of Najran became believers after the brave boy who called them to submit, was murdered by the tyrant. He further said, “Then (the king) Dhu Nuwas came to them with his army and called them to Judaism. He gave them a choice to either accept Judaism or be killed, so they chose death. Thus, he had a ditch dug and burned (some of them) in the fire (in the ditch), while others he killed with the sword. He made an example of them (by slaughtering them) until he had killed almost twenty thousand of them. It was about Dhu Nuwas and his army that Allah revealed to His Messenger which is similar to what we see today in Syria.
As we pray for the Muslims of Syria in their suffering, let us reflect upon what Allah سبحانه وتعالى said of this incident,
قُتِلَ أَصْحَـبُ الاٍّخْدُودِ * النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ * إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ * وَهُمْ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ شُهُودٌ * وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ * الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
“Cursed be the Companions of the Pit –the fire well stocked with fuel –when they were seated right beside it witnessing what they did to the believers. The only reason they punished them was because they had iman in Allah, the Almighty, the All-Praiseworthy – Him to whom the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs. Allah is Witness of all things.”
(Al-Burooj, 85:4-9)
Thus Allah سبحانه وتعالى relates how the cursed companions of the Ukhdud, a group of people who were among the disbelievers, went after those among them who believed in Allah سبحانه وتعالى and they attempted to force them to give up their Deen. However, the believers refused to recant, so they dug a ditch for them in the ground, lighting a fierce fire in it with some fuel prepared in order to keep it ablaze. Then they tried to convince them (the believers) to apostatize from their religion, but they still refused, so they threw them into the fire.
As we weep for the Muslims of Syria, burnt today by exploding barrel bombs and missiles, let us remember that believers are punished by tyrants, simply because of their unrelenting commitment to Islam. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said,
وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ
“The only reason they punished them was because they had iman in Allah, the Almighty, the All-Praiseworthy”
meaning, they did not commit any sin according to these people, except for their faith in Allah the Almighty, Who does not treat unjustly those who desire to be with Him. He is the Most Mighty and Most Praiseworthy in all of His statements, actions, legislation and decrees. And we remember what happened to the believing servants of Allah at the hands of the disbelievers is in His knowledge- and He is the Most Mighty, the Most Praiseworthy – and that He سبحانه وتعالى is master of His affairs and will send His Victory to heal the hearts of the believers and confound the tyrants at the height of their arrogance and oppression.
No doubt, iron resolve is the anvil upon which tyranny is smashed and this is the lesson that we learn in the words of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. And it is this lesson that RasulAllah (saaw) also conveyed to his Ummah when he informed us of the need for unyielding defiance in the heat of the confrontation with the tyrant and the good consequence of doing so. It is narrated from Khabab bin Aratt, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:
شكونا إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يومئذ متوسد بردة في ظل الكعبة، فقلنا: ألا تستنصر لنا؟ ألا تدعوَ لنا؟ فقال: «قد كان الرجل فيمن كان قبلكم يؤخذ فيحفر له في الأرض، فيجاء بالمنشار على رأسه فيجعل بنصفين فما يصده ذلك عن دينه، ويمشط بأمشاط الحديد ما دون عظمه من لحم وعصب فما يصده ذلك، والله ليتمنَّ الله عز وجل هذا الأمر حتى يسير الراكب من صنعاء إلى حضرموت لا يخاف إلا الله تعالى، والذئب على غنمه، ولكنكم تستعجلون»
“We complained to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, while he was laying his head on a garment (Burdah) under the shadow of Ka’bah. We said: Don’t you ask (Allah) for our assistance? Don’t you pray for us? He ﷺ said: “The person from peoples before you used to be taken and a pit is dug for him in the ground; a chain saw used to be put on his head making him two halves, but this would not make him abandon his deen; and whatever beyond his bones of flesh and nerves used to be combed with iron combs; yet this would not divert him (from his deen). By Allah, He The Almighty will complete this matter (Islam) till the passenger would travel from San’aa to Hadramout, fearing nobody except Allah Ta’ala and the wolf for his sheep; but you are impatient.” [narrated by Ahmad]
And the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said to his Companions (ra), the best of this Ummah,
«كونوا كحواريي عيسى بن مريم، رفعوا على الخشب وسمروا بالمسامير وطبخوا في القدور، وقطعت أيديهم وأرجلهم وسُمِّرت أعينهم، فكان ذلك البلاء والقتل في طاعة الله أحب إليهم من الحياة في معصية الله»
“Be like the disciples of ‘Eisa (Jesus) son of Mary: They were, raised on wood, fixed with nails, cooked in pots, and their hands and feet cut off and their eyes punched with nails; yet that scourge and murder in obedience to Allah was dearer to them from life in disobedience to Allah.”
Let each and every one of us take these lessons and strive for Islam wherever we find ourselves with the same resolve that the Muslims of Syria have shown. Let us strive, assured of His promise to grant victory in this life and on the Day when the Witnesses shall come forth, that nothing He wills escapes His power and none can resist Him. Let us strive, assured that Allah affirms that He is Able to exact retribution from those who disbelieve in Him and deny Him. Let us march towards victory, knowing that our suffering is never wasted and Allah سبحانه وتعالى is with us against the tyrants, whose time draws to a close imminently.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى the Almighty said:
وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ * وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنُرِي فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُونَ
“We desired to show kindness to those who were oppressed in the land and to make them leaders and make them inheritors and establish them firmly in the land and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their troops the very thing that they were fearing from them.”
(Al-Qasas, 28:5-6)
Musab Umair – Pakistan