Is it not obligatory for us to strive for the unification of Islamic groups?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says.
The Shaykh : (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner ; Where are we today from the Book and the Sunnah? We, my master,The Shaykh : In the time of our master 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and the noble Companions, we conquered the entire world and reached Europe with the religion. If it had been the religion... we would not have advanced a single step.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, do you want to preach or do you want to ask? If you want to preach, may Allah reward you with good, please go ahead, I am here. But if you want to ask, that is not how a question is asked.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Because this is not a matter of accountability; this is the language of oratory. "Where are we? Where is 'Umar?" This is not the language of a questioner and an answerer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. I want to get my point across.
The Shaykh : Okay, because the professor is advising us to be concise, and I am the answerer, so what about the questioner?
The questioner : I mean, the goal, my master the Shaykh, is that today Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says in His noble Book:[Ali 'Imran 3:103].
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.
The questioner : So the process... the groups currently existing in the Arab countries, what will be the outcome?
The Shaykh : Make the example smaller, in your country.
The questioner : In my country.
The Shaykh : Even easier.
The questioner : If Allah wills, we strive to work toward unifying these groups. What is your opinion on this matter?
The Shaykh : Good. And this is obligatory for the Muslim. But the question returns to the traditional one: on what basis is the attempt to gather different people?
The questioner : The Book of Allah and my Sunnah.
The Shaykh : Good. The Book of Allah and my Sunnah. On a concept that Zayd, Zayd and 'Amr invent today, or on the concept that the righteous Salaf were upon?
The questioner : The one that the righteous Salaf were upon, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Good. Have you found that all the Muslims whom you want to unify, and remove the grudges and animosities that control them all, agree on the necessity of returning to the Book and the Sunnah and to what the righteous Salaf were upon? Or do you find among the Islamic preachers today someone who says, "My brother, leave us alone from these issues; they are mere shells and have no importance; we just call to Islam and that is enough"? Do you hear this speech or not?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Can you agree with him?
The questioner : We will try. We will work.
The Shaykh : My master, I am saying do not try. But I mean, do you want to start the attempt, or has it already started? If you have not started it, others have started it before you, many years ago, and the result of that was that this position was criticized.
The questioner : But this does not lead to despair, to standing still.
The Shaykh : My question was not about despair. Who said it must lead to despair? But I am telling you, when you want to call people to unity, what is the path? The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. So, to what are we calling?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Good. But the point was not that we reach despair. We have not reached despair, and we will not reach it. But, without offense, my brother, you are not the first person with these burning emotions, who is saddened and hurt the most by finding the Muslims in the greatest of disagreement. But if you remember two things: one faith-based and the other realistic. The faith-based thing: you read with me the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic): [Hud 11:118-119]. Yes or no? So, do not let your soul be in despair over them, as long as this is the Sunnah of Allah in His creation, that they are one community.
The questioner :[At-Tawbah 9:105] .
The Shaykh : I am telling you, do not work?! Glory to Allah! How is this, my brother? I am telling you, do not work? When I say: "Even if you remain alone," what does it mean? It means that you call and do what is obligatory upon you, and then you do not grieve over them, and you do not let your soul be in despair over them, even if you remain alone. Our master Noah (peace be upon him), how long did he remain with his people? A thousand years minus fifty years. What was he doing in these thousand years minus fifty years? He was only calling them to worship Allah and avoid the taghut. Not two days, not two days, not a month, not a year, not two years. Nine hundred and fifty years. This is a wonderful example of the patience of the Muslim when he is sincere in calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So, it is obligatory upon him to do what is required, and it is not upon him whether the people responded to him or not.
In summary: May Allah bless you. You imagine that it is possible for all Muslims to gather.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a mistake. If Allah wills, we say if Allah wills. But this imagination, I am saying, you imagine that all Muslims will gather, and you follow up on my words by saying "if Allah wills." I am saying this is not possible. So, with your word now, "if Allah wills," you are contradicting the previous verse, especially when I explain the matter to you. How many Muslims are there today? Nine hundred million. You are now imagining that it is possible to gather them all on this methodology that you want them to be on, one word in belief, character, and love. This is what you want.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Yes, if Allah wills. We say with you, if Allah wills.
The questioner : And do not divide.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And do not divide.
The Shaykh : And the seventy-two sects, where do you want me to bring them from? My dear, I told you to start here. Where did you expand for me? I told you to start from here.
The questioner : If Allah wills, we start in Kuwait. If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The questioner : We start from Kuwait.
The student : If Allah wills, the Shaykh's intention is that we work and act in this direction.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But it is not necessary that we achieve this goal.
The Shaykh : One of the Islamic preachers has a very beautiful, very concise word: "Deliver your word and walk. Do not stop.[Al-Kahf 18:29]. Walk, because when this word is truth, it finds a sound heart, a head like a magnet... it picks up. There is no need for you to exhaust yourself and grieve. [Al-Kahf 18:6] Deliver your word and walk. But my hope is that you do not imagine the matter to be other than what is prescribed and explicitly stated in the Book of Allah and in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, such that you imagine that all the sects enter Paradise. Because you are a man alone. Allah, the Most Merciful of the merciful, is the one who informed us on the tongue of the master of the messengers that He said: One sect enters Paradise, and the rest are in the Fire.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says.
The Shaykh : (peace and blessings be upon him).
The questioner
I have left among you that if you hold onto it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.
لقد تركتم فيكم ما إن تمسَّكتم به لن تضلُّوا أبدًا : كتاب الله وسنَّتيThe Shaykh : Excuse me, do you want to preach or do you want to ask? If you want to preach, may Allah reward you with good, please go ahead, I am here. But if you want to ask, that is not how a question is asked.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Because this is not a matter of accountability; this is the language of oratory. "Where are we? Where is 'Umar?" This is not the language of a questioner and an answerer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. I want to get my point across.
The Shaykh : Okay, because the professor is advising us to be concise, and I am the answerer, so what about the questioner?
The questioner : I mean, the goal, my master the Shaykh, is that today Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says in His noble Book:
And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْThe Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.
The questioner : So the process... the groups currently existing in the Arab countries, what will be the outcome?
The Shaykh : Make the example smaller, in your country.
The questioner : In my country.
The Shaykh : Even easier.
The questioner : If Allah wills, we strive to work toward unifying these groups. What is your opinion on this matter?
The Shaykh : Good. And this is obligatory for the Muslim. But the question returns to the traditional one: on what basis is the attempt to gather different people?
The questioner : The Book of Allah and my Sunnah.
The Shaykh : Good. The Book of Allah and my Sunnah. On a concept that Zayd, Zayd and 'Amr invent today, or on the concept that the righteous Salaf were upon?
The questioner : The one that the righteous Salaf were upon, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Good. Have you found that all the Muslims whom you want to unify, and remove the grudges and animosities that control them all, agree on the necessity of returning to the Book and the Sunnah and to what the righteous Salaf were upon? Or do you find among the Islamic preachers today someone who says, "My brother, leave us alone from these issues; they are mere shells and have no importance; we just call to Islam and that is enough"? Do you hear this speech or not?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Can you agree with him?
The questioner : We will try. We will work.
The Shaykh : My master, I am saying do not try. But I mean, do you want to start the attempt, or has it already started? If you have not started it, others have started it before you, many years ago, and the result of that was that this position was criticized.
The questioner : But this does not lead to despair, to standing still.
The Shaykh : My question was not about despair. Who said it must lead to despair? But I am telling you, when you want to call people to unity, what is the path? The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. So, to what are we calling?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Good. But the point was not that we reach despair. We have not reached despair, and we will not reach it
And if Allah were to guide a man through your hand, it would be more beloved to you than red camels.
ولئن يهدي الله على يديك رجلًا أحب إليه من حمر النعم(118) And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ. (119) Except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them. But the word of your Lord is to be fulfilled that, "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together."
وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ * إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّكَThe questioner :
And say, "Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds
وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْThe Shaykh : I am telling you, do not work?! Glory to Allah! How is this, my brother? I am telling you, do not work? When I say: "Even if you remain alone," what does it mean? It means that you call and do what is obligatory upon you, and then you do not grieve over them, and you do not let your soul be in despair over them, even if you remain alone. Our master Noah (peace be upon him), how long did he remain with his people? A thousand years minus fifty years. What was he doing in these thousand years minus fifty years? He was only calling them to worship Allah and avoid the taghut. Not two days, not two days, not a month, not a year, not two years. Nine hundred and fifty years. This is a wonderful example of the patience of the Muslim when he is sincere in calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So, it is obligatory upon him to do what is required, and it is not upon him whether the people responded to him or not.
In summary: May Allah bless you. You imagine that it is possible for all Muslims to gather.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a mistake. If Allah wills, we say if Allah wills. But this imagination, I am saying, you imagine that all Muslims will gather, and you follow up on my words by saying "if Allah wills." I am saying this is not possible. So, with your word now, "if Allah wills," you are contradicting the previous verse, especially when I explain the matter to you. How many Muslims are there today? Nine hundred million. You are now imagining that it is possible to gather them all on this methodology that you want them to be on, one word in belief, character, and love. This is what you want.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Yes, if Allah wills. We say with you, if Allah wills.
The questioner : And do not divide.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And do not divide.
The Shaykh : And the seventy-two sects, where do you want me to bring them from? My dear, I told you to start here. Where did you expand for me? I told you to start from here.
The questioner : If Allah wills, we start in Kuwait. If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The questioner : We start from Kuwait.
The student : If Allah wills, the Shaykh's intention is that we work and act in this direction.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But it is not necessary that we achieve this goal.
The Shaykh : One of the Islamic preachers has a very beautiful, very concise word: "Deliver your word and walk. Do not stop.
And say, "The truth is from your Lord
وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْThen perhaps you would kill yourself through grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe in this message, [and] out of sorrow.
فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ إِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.