الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلَا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ ، نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونؤمن به ونتوكل عليه، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهده الله فلا مضل له، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا ومولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، أرسله بشيرًا ونذيرًا بين يدي الساعة، من يطع الله ورسوله فقد اهتدى، ومن يعصهما فإنه قد ضل، وإنه لا يضر إلا نفسه ولا يضر الله شيئًا. أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم، سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَسۡرَىٰ بِعَبۡدِهِۦ لَيۡلٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡأَقۡصَا ٱلَّذِي بَٰرَكۡنَا حَوۡلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِنَآۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ
“Glory to the One who took His servant by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed…” (Surah Al-Isra, 17:1)
Many authentic reports highlight the virtues and blessings of Bilad ash-Sham, yet when we look at the region today, we see widespread corruption, conflict, and suffering unlike anything we’ve seen before. This raises a question: how do we reconcile the prophetic praise for Sham as the most blessed land with the current state of affairs in these countries?
There is no doubt that the land of Sham is a region Allah (SWT) has blessed, which is evident by the verse quoted before and many other verses in the Qur’an and Prophetic statement also attest to this fact. Sham encompasses what we know today as Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon, this is Bilad ash-Sham. It is a land rich in history, in Prophets, in Companions, in Tabien, in Ulama, in Awliya, in leaders, Imam Nawwawi, Salahuddin Ayyubi a land deeply rooted in our Ummah. The Prophet ﷺ made the famous duah that tells us exactly what Sham should mean to us:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَامِنَا اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي يَمَنِنَا ” . قَالُوا وَفِي نَجْدِنَا . فَقَالَ ” اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَامِنَا وَبَارِكْ لَنَا فِي يَمَنِنَا ” . قَالُوا وَفِي نَجْدِنَا . قَالَ ” هُنَالِكَ الزَّلاَزِلُ وَالْفِتَنُ وَبِهَا أَوْ قَالَ مِنْهَا يَخْرُجُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ ”
“O Allah bless us in our Sham! O Allah bless us in our Yemen.” They said: “And in our Najd” He said: “O Allah bless us in our Sham and bless us in our Yemen.” They said: “And in our Najd” He said: “Earthquakes are there, and tribulations are there.” Or he said: “The horn of Shaitan comes from there.” (Hasan Sahih Tirmithi)
This du’a, was made long before the people of Sham embraced Islam, when they were under the control of the Byzantine empire, it shows us that this land holds an eternal blessing. The Prophet ﷺ further emphasized this point by explicitly saying:
البركة في الشام
“Blessings are in Sham.” (Tirmidhi). At-tabari notes that the barakah being referred to in the ayah and subsequent ahadith concern provision, like fertile soil, good produce, resources etc.
However, other scholars have said:
واعلم أن البركة في الشام : تشمل البركة في أمور الدين والدنيا، ولهذا سميت الأرض المقدسة
“Know that the blessings in Sham encompass blessings in both religious and worldly matters, and for this reason, it is called the ‘Blessed Land.'”
This is a tangible reality, as the land of Sham is one of the best regions in terms of provision. Secondly, there is also evidence indicating that Sham contains more Eman and goodness than other lands.
The most famous hadith I learnt in the early of days of my studies in As-Sham about Sham was when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ sent two companions to Sham. Upon their return, one companion reported finding only evil, while the other reported finding only good. The Prophet ﷺ then concluded that Sham is a land where one finds what they intend: if one seeks good, they will find great good; if one seeks evil, they will find great evil.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ الإِيمَانَ لَيَأْرِجُ إِلَى الشَّامِ.
“Indeed, Eman will always return to Sham.”
This narration is found in multiple sources, including Sahih al-Bukhari (No. 3125), Sahih Muslim (No. 2930), and other hadith collections that discuss the virtues of Sham. It emphasizes that despite trials and tribulations, the Eman in Sham will always persist, and it is a land of great importance to Islam. Another related narration is:
لَا تَزَالُ فِئَةٌ مِّنْ أُمَّتِي قَائِمَةً عَلَى الْحَقِّ لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَن خَالَفَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَذَٰلِكَ.
“There will always be a group from my Ummah, standing firmly on the truth, unshaken by those who oppose them, until the command of Allah comes.”
The Companions asked: “Where will they be, O Messenger of Allah?” He ﷺ replied:
“They will be in Sham.” This narration is found in Sunan Abu Dawood (No. 4251) and Sahih al-Jami’ (No. 2201).
The virtues of our Sham are too numerous to mention in a khutbah. It is a land that was chosen for many Prophets and Messengers. Ibrahim عليه السلام journeyed to Sham, as did Musa and Harun عليهما السلام. Isa عليه السلام was raised in Sham, and it is here that he will return at the end of times to confront the Dajjal. Sham was also a focal point for the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, who worked tirelessly to spread Islam to its people.
Abu Ad-Darda’ رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ فُسْطَاطَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَوْمَ الْمَلْحَمَةِ بِالْغُوطَةِ إِلَى جَانِبِ مَدِينَةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا دِمَشْقُ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَدَائِنِ الشَّامِ
“The stronghold of the Muslims on the Day of the Malahim (great battles) will be in Ghouta, near a city called Damascus, one of the best cities of Sham.” (Abu Dawood)
But this does not detract from the reality that we are witnessing today. Suffering, Displacement and mass poverty are rife among the people of sham, all the parts of sham are bleeding and bloody. The tests from Allah are pouring onto the people of Bilad ash-Sham and they are manifesting their servitude in a strange and beautiful ways.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، أرسله بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين، ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته
Ya Ibadallah, it is indeed our Sham, when we see what is unfolding there – then we are truly observing the condition of own selves, the true hal of our Ummah. Despite its blessed status, Sham today is suffering. Its people are enduring immense trials—war, torture, displacement, poverty, and devastating destruction.
In the darkest moments, hope often arises unexpectedly. We reflect on the recent events in Sham, where unity began to emerge from despair. In a little place like Idlib, long overlooked, people came together, transcending differences to unite against oppression.
For those who do not know, I studied in Sham, in Damascus specifically, for more than 5 years I called it my home. Last night I contacted an old friend to ask him to explain the situation on the ground to me. He said,
إِذَا أَعْطَىٰ أَعْطَىٰ جَمْعًا وَإِذَا أَخَذَ أَخَذَ بَحْرًا
‘When Allah gives, He gives abundantly, and when He takes, He takes slowly’. The taking of the city of Damascus is not the focal point here but rather it is the how it was taken! The residence of Sham had long abandoned the idea of witnessing great feats that they’d long relegated to the books of history and legend. But how it happened was something truly Divine, truly inspirational and spiritually uplifting. The community in Idlib, of all places, ,made up of factions, each having its own agenda and struggling to work together, but coexisting as a functional society nonetheless. The Asad regime was preparing to bomb Idlib and destroy them all in one fell swoop. However,
وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ
“And they planned, and Allah planned, and Allah is the best of planners.” Amazingly, all the factions were able to unite under one banner. Suddenly and even more astonishingly, under this united leadership they started moving as a cohesive army towards Aleppo (Halab). They sent drones ahead of them to deliver letters to the people informing them they were not the enemy, the enemy is the system, they asked them to drop their weapons and carry a white cloth ensuring that they would not be harmed and there would be no revenge.
In what seemed almost miraculous, cities like Aleppo, Hims, and Damascus were liberated. In a stunning turn of events, they captured Aleppo (Halab) in a single day, followed by Homs in two days, and then Damascus, clearly guided by– قَدَرَ اللهُ مَا شَاءَ – The Will of Allah is as He has decreed. Their advance was swift and largely unopposed. The Russians, distracted by the war in Ukraine, were caught off guard. Iranian bases were being bombed by Israel, leaving them unable to intervene. As Assad’s regime crumbled, Zionist Israel entered Syria to strike key positions, claiming that the 1974 agreement on disengagement was nullified with Assad’s fall.
This story reminds me of the story of Salahuddin Ayyubi when he liberated the city of Al-Quds but before that he invited the people to take whatever they wanted and then leave the city and he protected them as they left.
As Salahuddin once said:
نصرت برهب نصير شهر
“Victory through fear is a victory that lasts for only months”
Ya IbadaAlalh, remember, the trials of this world are temporary, but the rewards with Allah are eternal. Be steadfast in your prayers, supplications, and actions. Let us strive to emulate the unity and resilience that brought about change in the past and pray for a brighter future for Sham and the entire Ummah.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ
“Indeed, this Ummah of yours is one Ummah, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.”
(Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:92)
Oh Allah grant the righteous in Bilad ash-Sham victory over their oppressors and rectify their affairs, and preserve their land and people.
إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْصُرْ أَهْلَ الشَّامِ عَلَى مَنْ ظَلَمَهُمْ، وَأَصْلِحْ حَالَهُمْ، وَاحْفَظْ أَرْضَهُمْ وَعِبَادَهُمْ اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شُيُوخِنَا، وَعَلَى رئيسنا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ. ربنا آتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الآخرة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار.
إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.