part 1: Words of Advice to the Muslims in the West

Words of Advice to the Muslims in the West

by Shaykh Abdul Azeez aal Shaykh حفظه الله

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE LECTURER

Dear brothers and sisters in Islaam, it is indeed our great pleasure to have with us today one of our senior scholars, a scholar who spent his life seeking and teaching knowledge – an exemplary scholar, the khaleefah (successor) of Imaam 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz رحمه الله (May Allah have mercy upon him). Today's lecturer is our honorable father, samaahatus-Shaykh al-waalidul-habeeb 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaykh حفظه الله تعالى. He is the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars and Chairman of the Permanent Committee of Islamic Research and Fataawa.


SHAYKH'S INTRODUCTION

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh حفظه الله تعالى began the lecture by thanking Allaah سبحانه وتعالى the Lord of the Worlds, and asked Allaah سبحانه وتعالى to send salaah and salaam (peace and blessings) upon sayyidinaa wa habeebinaa (our beloved leader) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, the sayyid (leader) of the first and the last (communities), and upon his family and Companions and all those who follow them in righteousness and goodness until the Day of Judgment. To proceed:

My noble brothers, my brothers in belief in the United States of America salaamu Allaahi 'alaykum wa rahmatu wa barakaatu (May the Peace and Mercy of Allaah and His Blessings be upon you). My noble brothers, I am talking to you through the telephone which is a modern-age tool that Allaahسبحانه وتعالى has made as a means for us, as a tool of communication between us and our brothers, even if the lands are far apart; so Glorified be Allaah, the All-Wise the All-Knower.

My brothers I am speaking to you today from the city of Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I ask Allaah سبحانه وتعالى that He grants us and you success, soundness and assists us to do good deeds and gives us righteousness and uprightness upon His Deen.


WHAT IS NEEDED TO UNIFY THE WORLD

Dear brothers and sisters in Islaam, indeed the 'Aqeedah of al-Islaam is the greatest link which links Muslims together. We have come together upon the belief of Islaam. This is the only means that will bring about true unity. This belief, Islaam and eemaan is what will bring together nations, tribes and all people. It is the correct, strongest and only means that can and will bring the hearts together in love, possessing the ability of unifying the world.

Allaah spoke the truth when He said:


إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ
{The believers are nothing else than brothers.} [Al-Hujuraat 49:10]

And Allaah spoke the truth when He said:


وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا
{...and remember Allâh's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together,
so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islâmic Faith)} [Aali-'Imraan, 3:103]


WHY WE WERE CREATED

Dear brothers, it is an obligation upon each of us to know without any doubt, that Allaah سبحانه وتعالى created us to worship Him Alone. Allaah says:


وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
{And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)} [adh-Dhariyaat, 51:56]

Therefore, Allaah's سبحانه وتعالى Wisdom concerning our creation, the creation of ath-thaqalayn i.e. the jinn and mankind, is to worship Him alone, and call to the Deen of Allaah with sincerity, and live on the earth in obedience to Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and attach our hearts to our Lord with love, fear and hope.


THE BEST ADVICE – HAVING TAQWAA OF ALLAAH

The best wasiyyah (advice) that a slave can advise himself and his brothers with, is the wasiyyah which Allaah سبحانه وتعالى has given to the creation from the first of them to the last of them. Allaah says:


وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ
{…We have recommended to the people of the Scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims)
that you (all) fear Allâh, and keep your duty to Him…} [An-Nisaa 4:131]

So I advise you, my brothers and sisters in Islaam, with taqwaa of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى. The reality of taqwaa is to uphold the obligations which Allaah سبحانه وتعالى has made mandatory upon you from the salawaat – upholding it in its time, in jamaa'ah (congregation) in the masaajid, and giving zakaat (the mandatory charity) and fasting the month of Ramadaan and making Hajj to the sacred House of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى.

All good deeds are structured upon achieving Tawheed of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and practicing the Deen of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى sincerely for His sake.


ATTAINING TRUE EEMAAN

I advise you with holding on to this Deen upon knowledge and actions. Indeed true eemaan (belief) – the eemaan which benefits all, is when speech and actions come hand in hand and eemaan is manifested from the deeds you do openly as well as the deeds that you conceal in your heart. So this eemaan is a beneficial eemaan, the eemaan that has good results and brings forth the good, and calls to having excellent character, and wages war and fights against despicable and lowly traits and acts.