الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي أحبَّ لنفسه الإحسان والجود ، وجعله لعباده من الخُلُق المحمود، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
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. ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر
. إنَّا فَتَحۡنَا لَكَ فَتۡحٗا مُّبِينٗا
“We have opened up a path to clear victory for you”
1439 years ago, the chapter of the Qur’an titled “Victory” was revealed to our beloved Prophet ﷺ in this very month, in the 6th year AH.
Before we embark on a discourse of the ayat. Let us for a moment look at the context within which this chapter was revealed, so that we may better understand these powerful verses and hopefully glean guidance for our present purposes.
Imagine approximately 1400 believers, clothed in the sacred garments of ihram, marching from Madinah to Makkah under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ earnestly yearning to set their eyes upon the Ka’aba once again. Carrying light provisions, a dagger for the ritual sacrifice of Hajj and animals for slaughtering. On route they learn that Khalid Ibn Waleed had been dispatched to intercept them outside the city, they alter their route via Hudaybiyyah instead of Badr. The Prophet’s ﷺ camel halts as if by divine decree, Uthmaan (RA) is then sent as an envoy of peace to inform the Quraysh that they are there for pilgrimage and not war, only for him to be unjustly detained by the Quraysh. False rumours start spreading that Uthmaan has been slain, igniting a fire of within the hearts of the Prophet ﷺ and the companions. In response, the Prophet ﷺ said:
لنْ نَخْرُجَ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ حَتَّى نُقَاتِلَهُمْ
“We shall not leave this place until we have gone to battle with them” They gather beneath the shade of a tree at the location known as al-Ridwan where one by one each companion gives his solemn pledge of unwavering allegiance not to flee. This profound moment is captured beautifully in the Qur’an.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوۡقَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡۚ
““Those who pledge allegiance to you are in fact only pledging allegiance to Allah. “The hand of Allah is over their hands” SubhaanAllah, this bay’a became known by three names (firstly bay’a comes from the word ba’a which means to sell): bay’a shajarah; bay’a al-Ridwan (the pledge of the pleasure of Allah) because what these companions gave or sold in this moment pleased Allah so much that it sealed the clear victory. This bay’ah was also referred to as the “Pledge of death” because, remember they were ill-equipped for battle, clad only in the garments of ihram, armed with nothing but a dagger and inside enemy territory!
Immediately after this pledge was concluded, news reached the Messenger ﷺ that the report of Uthman’s death had been false. Soon thereafter, Urwah ibn Masud comes to speak to the Prophet ﷺ on behalf of the Quraysh. He witnessed the profound reverence the companions held for the Prophet ﷺ. This is the report he gave to the Quraysh: “Hardly does this man spit before one of them catches the spittle in his hand and rubs his face or skin with it. When he gives them a command, they obey it, and when he does his ablutions, they nearly kill each other to get the benefit of the water that had contact with his body, when they speak, they lower their voices in his presence and they hold him in such high regard, that they won’t even look him ﷺ in the eye.” Thereby urging them to consider the Prophet’s wise proposal for peace.
Subsequently, Suhayl Ibn Amr was appointed to negotiate a written peace treaty with the Muslims, resulting in a 10-year non-negotiable ceasefire agreement. Terms included the return of Quraysh men who embraced Islam and the prohibition of visiting the Ka’bah that year, with the condition that Muslims keep their swords sheathed. This is when Surah al-Fath was revealed:
إنَّا فَتَحۡنَا لَكَ فَتۡحٗا مُّبِينٗا
“We have opened up for you a clear victory”.
The people wondered what sort of a victory is this? We were debarred from the House of Allah; our sacrificial camels also could not go to their right places; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had to halt at Hudaibiyah, and in consequence of this truce our oppressed brothers must be handed over to their oppressors. One can only imagine the emotional state of the Muslims, 1400 had just mentally prepared themselves to fight, Abu Jandal was returned in front of their eyes, then he ﷺ tells them “Rise, slaughter your sacrificial animals and shave your heads.”. They were silent and morose. He repeated this command three times, but not one made a move to get up. Umm Salamah advises the Prophet ﷺ to say nothing and simply slaughter his own animal and call his barber to shave his head. As usual, they fall over themselves to follow him ﷺ. To them this looks like a humiliating defeat.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ لِيَزۡدَادُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا مَّعَ إِيمَٰنِهِمۡۗ
Then “He sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in Eman along with their present Eman. Allah soothed their hearts and increased them in Eman on top of Eman. With the benefit of hindsight, we see that the peaceful armistice at Hudaibiyah was a manifest victory. Islam increased by leaps and bounds. Thus began the conversion to Islam in the thousands and within just 22 months in the 8th year AH in the month of Ramadan the Fath of Makkah took place. It has always been regarded that the conquest of Makkah and/or the truce of Hudaibiyah is the “clear victory”, but this was clearly built upon bay’a al-Ridwan, the heartfelt pledge of allegiance to fight for the cause of Allah.
This pledge was so significant, that In his tafseer, Bahr al-Madeed, Ibn Ajeebah comments that the taking of this pledge was pivotal in making the teachings, principles, and presence of Islam visible and evident to others, leading to its rapid spread.
وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا
Because “to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth…” At all times, He is in possession of the means to dispatch His enemies whenever He wills, but He is al-Aleem and al-Hakeem. He has deliberately and by wisdom only placed this responsibility on the believers that they should struggle to make the cause of Allah prevail and prosper in the world.
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، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين 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 وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته. قال الله تعالى في كتابه العزيز: هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُۥ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ ٱلْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلدِّينِ كُلِّهِۦ
“He (Allah) sent His Messenger with guidance and the way of haq (truth, justice, purpose, rights), so that it may dominate over all other ways of life.” This is the Mission of the Prophet ﷺ
Ya IbadAllah, I address you not just as believers, but as bearers of a sacred mission, as custodians of a divine cause. It is a cause that transcends Eman; it is a cause that demands our unwavering commitment, our steadfast dedication. Just as the companions did when they gave their pledge under the tree.
The Prophet Muhammad, ﷺ, was not just a messenger; he was the embodiment of a cause—a cause that became his life’s mission, a cause that now rests upon our shoulders. We are not mere followers; we are extensions of him, “messengers of the messenger” as Umar (RA) used to say when he delivered a message. In the final verse of the Surah Fath we are told how we can embody this:
مُّحَمَّدٌۭ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those with him” Allah didn’t say those who believe in him, but rather those who are “with” him. Here we see the difference between Islam as a religion and Islam as a Cause. A cause demands struggle and a religion demands that you fulfil certain obligations and you’re done. Before this, it was as if those with the Prophet were a liability, but now they’re an asset. They’re with him! They’re an extension of himself! Whatever Allah gives his Prophet, they take it without question! These “are firm with the belligerent/openly hostile disbelievers and compassionate with one another.”
But how can we contribute to this noble cause? How can we be with him ﷺ? The command from the Prophet himself echoes through the ages:
بلغوا عني ولو آية
“Convey from me even if it is just one verse.” We are tasked with spreading the message of Islam to all mankind, to be witnesses over humanity, to embody the mercy and compassion of our Prophet ﷺ. We are the elite, chosen to carry forth the banner of Islam in an age of awakening. Yes, awakening, young people, university students all over the world are malcontent with the current inequitable practices, they are protesting the injustices perpetrated by their own universities and governments for their complicity in aiding and abetting the genocide being perpetrated by the Zionist cowards. The message must be delivered, and it falls upon us to ensure its transmission. In the name of our brothers and sisters who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of this Deen, we must unite in our efforts, for indeed, it is together that we can truly fulfill our mission.
May Allah grant us the strength and guidance to be true ambassadors of Islam, to embody the noble cause for which our Prophet, peace be upon him, dedicated his life. And grant victory to our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Amen.
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 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 شَيْخِنَا، 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، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.
رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
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.
