He spoke about the hadith: “What should we do when trials become widespread? (… keep away from all those groups … even if you have to bite on the trunk of a tree …).”

The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed his Muslim followers during the time of trials. Did he order them to engage in tribal fanaticism, with some supporting this state and others supporting that other state, without any adherence to the Book and the Sunnah? In fact, you will find that many of those who are fanatical for these or those know nothing of Islam except its name. You will find many of those who are fanatical for this state or that one do not preserve many of the Islamic pillars, foremost among them being the five daily prayers. Despite this, they become enthusiastic, elevating those who were considered disbelievers or near-disbelievers in their eyes just yesterday, and lowering those who were the exemplary model among Muslim rulers just yesterday to the lowest of the low. All of this is nothing but their following of desires and personal interests. Their minds are like dust; they think they are on something, but they are on nothing. What is the remedy that the Messenger (peace be upon him) established for this Ummah when such a calamity befalls them, or even something less than that? It came in the well-known hadith of Hudhayfah in the two Sahihs, the beginning of which is: he said (may Allah be pleased with him): In the end of this hadith, it is mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the Muslims would split up, and he ordered Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) to be with the group that has an Imam over them. He said: “What if there is no Imam?” He said: This is simply because groups and small states exist that do not have a Muslim ruler leading them by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So he (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: This applies even if such a great trial did not occur. What about us now, in the midst of such a great calamity? It came in some of those hadiths, the hadiths of trials, that if that were the case, he (peace be upon him) said: Meaning: do not join one of the two warring factions. Here is a lesson: it is a great foolishness for some individuals among the Muslims to think that by their enthusiasm and allegiance to one of the two contending states, they are supporting the religion of Allah and the Shari'ah of Allah. It is a great foolishness, because the Arab states, in number and strength compared to other states, did not feel that they could cut off the root of this trial except by seeking the help of the disbelievers. So can individual Muslims eliminate this trial by their own individual efforts? Therefore, the remedy is to adhere to his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: And I remind you that trials blind the insight of those who are most intelligent and most prudent, let alone the general people. And one of the greatest examples of that is … .