Clarification of whether the spiritual weapon (concern for Islam) is necessary to confront the disbelievers today.

The Shaykh : There must be two weapons. The first is the spiritual weapon. They say now, "Leave this spiritual weapon aside and take up the material weapon." But there is no material weapon, because this is not possible given the conditions we are currently under. This is not only due to the disbelievers who surround us on all sides, but also because of some of the rulers who rule over us. We cannot, despite our noses, take up the preparation of the material weapon today. We cannot do it. So we say, "We want to fight with the material weapon," but there is no way to it. The spiritual weapon, which is in our hands, is knowledge, then action to the extent of our ability. We say this with the utmost simplicity: "Leave this aside." This is possible, and we are ordered to leave it aside. That one is not possible, and we say, "We must fight." With what do we fight? We have lost both weapons. The spiritual, scientific weapon, we say, "We will postpone it because this is not its time and place." The material weapon, we cannot do it. So we remain in ruins, desolate, weak in both the spiritual and material weapons. If we return to the first, brighter era, which is the era of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the beginning, did he have a material weapon? The answer is no. Why? If the key to victory is the material weapon, or the spiritual weapon? There is no doubt that it was the spiritual weapon, and with it the call began, as in that verse: So knowledge comes before everything. Knowledge of Islam comes before everything. Then applying this Islam to the extent of our ability. We can know the correct Islamic creed. Of course, we can know the Islamic acts of worship. We can know the Islamic rulings. We can know Islamic conduct. All these things, although they are possible, the masses of Muslims, with their parties and groupings, are turning away from them. Then we raise our voices high and say, "We want jihad." Where is the jihad? As long as the first weapon is missing and the second weapon is not in our hands. If we found today a group of Muslims truly united on the correct Islam and they applied it correctly, but they have no material weapon, then the command of the Exalted comes to them in the well-known verse: If we had the first, spiritual weapon, we would be addressed by this material preparation. Do we fight if we do not have material preparation? The answer is no, because we have not realized this verse that orders us to prepare materially. How can we fight when we are bankrupt of both the spiritual and material weapons? The material, we cannot do it. The spiritual, we can do it. So Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. Fear Allah as much as you are able. What we can do now is beneficial knowledge and righteous action. Perhaps I have lengthened the answer more than necessary, but I will summarize now. I say, the problem of the Muslims is not only in Palestine, my brothers. Because, unfortunately, one of the deviations that befall Muslims today is that they contradict their knowledge with their action. When we speak of Islam and the Islamic homeland, we say that all Islamic lands are the homeland of every Muslim. There is no difference between an Arab and a non-Arab. There is no difference, for example, between a Hijazi, a Jordanian, and an Egyptian, and so on. But these are practical differences that exist. These practical differences exist not only politically, which is not surprising at all, but they exist even among Islamists. For example, you find some Islamic preachers who care about Palestine, but they do not care about what befalls other Muslims in other countries. For example, when the war was ongoing between the Afghan Muslims and the Soviets and their communist lackeys, there were one or more Islamic parties that did not care about this war ongoing between the Afghan Muslims and the communists. Why? Because these people are not, for example, Syrians or Egyptians or the like. So the problem now is not confined to Palestine only, but it has extended to many Islamic lands. How do we treat this general problem with the spiritual and material powers? With what do we begin? We begin, before everything, with the most important, especially if the most important is easy, which is the spiritual weapon: understanding Islam correctly and applying it correctly. Then the material weapon, if it is easy. Today, unfortunately, what happened in Afghanistan: the material weapons with which the Muslims fought the communists, were they Islamic weapons? The answer is no. They were Western weapons. So we are now, in terms of the material weapon, enslaved. If we wanted to fight and we were strong in terms of spiritual power, if we wanted to fight with the material weapon, we would need to import this weapon, either by price, or by grant, or something for something. As you know, Western politics today, according to the common saying, "I scratch your back, you scratch mine." That means any country today, even for a price, will not sell you weapons except in exchange for concessions that you, the Muslim people, make in exchange for this weapon for which you also pay the price. So, my brothers, the matter is not as we imagine, consisting of the enthusiasm and heat of the youth and uprisings like the foam of soap that rises and then subsides in its place, leaving no trace at all. Finally, I say: to the end of the verse. But I repeat that action is not beneficial unless it is accompanied by beneficial knowledge. And beneficial knowledge is only what Allah said and what the Messenger of Allah said, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Knowledge is: Allah said, His Messenger said *** The Companions said, not deception."
"What is knowledge? You set yourself up for foolish disagreement *** Between the Messenger and the opinion of a jurist. No, and not denying the attributes and negating them *** Out of fear of denial of the divine attributes and likening Allah to creation." The calamity of the Islamic world today is a calamity more dangerous, and some of you may object to what I am saying. The calamity of the Islamic world today is more dangerous than the occupation of Palestine by the Jews. The calamity of the Islamic world today is that they have strayed from the straight path. They did not know the Islam by which happiness in this world and the Hereafter is realized together. And if Muslims live in some circumstances as humiliated and oppressed by the disbelievers and polytheists, and they are killed and crucified, then they die, there is no doubt that they died happy. And if they lived in this world as humiliated and oppressed, as for the one who lived as honored in this world while being far from understanding Islam as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His Messenger intended, he will die wretched, even if he lived happily in appearance. So may Allah bless you. And perhaps we will receive other questions. The cure is: "Flee to Allah." The cure is: "Flee to Allah." This means: understand what Allah and His Messenger said, and act upon what Allah and His Messenger said. And with this, I end this answer.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And beware of yourselves, I am calling you.
Abu Layla : May Allah bless your age.

The questioner : Another question, to open the floor for our brothers. And I wish I had not lengthened the answer on us, and then they find in themselves from us...

The Shaykh : I hear my neighbor and I say that the one who asked the question instructed me, and we were leaving the mosque, to explain and lengthen... The problem is setting material limits for theoretical scientific ideas, and this is one of the most difficult things. So what is the limit? I lengthened... You lengthened, my brother.

The questioner : We wanted to lengthen, may Allah bless you, likewise...

The Shaykh : Okay, give the turn, please. What do you have?