Do Not Ignore History

Do Not Ignore History | Juma Khutbah

Opening Praise and Testimony

All praises are due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and surely the best reward is for those who have taqwa. And surely there is no animosity except for the oppressor. And I bear witness that Allah is one and has no partners.

And that Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, is his servant and his last messenger. May Allah always, may Allah constantly send peace and blessings to Muhammad, to his family, his companions, and all those who call to his way and establish his sunnah to the day of judgment.

The Call to Taqwa

As to what follows, I begin by cautioning myself and you to remain vigilant in the consciousness of Allah. And to know that there is one mighty in power who is surrounding all things with his knowledge. And Allah has revealed in the last testament:

"O you who believe, fear Allah in the way that He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims." (Quran 3:102)

Allah has given us the bottom line: that we should live in this world remembering the Creator, and we should try our best to pass out of this world as Muslims.

The Essence of the Struggle: Belief and Existence

The bottom line today is not just territory. It is not just physical property. The bottom line in the struggle today is aqidah wa wujud - belief and existence. It is the essence of the struggle going on in this world. The existence of our community. The existence of the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

And Allah told us very clearly in Surah Al-Baqarah that even if fighting ends, even if you fight them, if fighting even ends, our struggle against zulm, against oppression continues. It is a continuous struggle to the day of resurrection.

Understanding Zulm (Oppression)

Zulm is translated in many cases as oppression. But the scholars have shown us there are deeper meanings to zulm. One is that we can transgress over the boundaries of our self. We could be oppressors of our own self - zalim linafsi. We can oppress our body. We can oppress our minds.

But there is also transgression over the boundaries of others. When you transgress the boundaries of others, also when you transgress or when you claim something which does not belong to you, that is a form of zulm. And finally, one of the root definitions is not only to claim what does not belong to you, but to deny the claims of others. This is also a form of oppression.

The Importance of Teaching History

We have to teach our children. We have to teach our community. We have to make it clear even to non-Muslims, those who are ignorant of what is happening in the world, ignorant of history.

History is crucial for us. Our experiences before inform what we are doing today. And when we look at the land of Philistine, when we look at this land, never forget that in 1917, 99% of Palestine was controlled by the Palestinian people. 99% was Palestinian territory.

But with World War I and World War II happening, by 1946, 90% was Palestinian and 10% was occupied. And then after 1948, in 1949, Israel, the illegal state, occupying state of Israel, controlled 77%. It changed because of the war. And by 1967, the occupiers took over the land completely, so that anybody who lived within that territory was an occupied people.

The Reality on the Ground

We have to teach our children the reality, not just what comes on the television or the internet or on the papers - reality on the ground. October 7th changed the course of history. And now the move is being made by the occupying powers. Remember your history: in 1917, 99% was Palestinian territory. But now their move is total genocide, to completely wipe out the people who are living within those lands and to drive them out of their own territory.

The Present Devastation

The present situation: there are over 25,000 people died. It's not just 18. If you include the people under the rubble, over 25,000 people have been killed. Two thirds of them women and children. Over 60 to 70% of the housing units have been destroyed. By the day the house is being destroyed. Hospitals are destroyed. Power stations are being destroyed. Water systems are being destroyed. It is a complete destruction that is happening in front of the eyes of the world.

Environmental Genocide

And for those who attended the environmental meeting in the Emirates, the COP28 environmental meeting, they should never forget that what is happening in Palestine is an environmental genocide. It's a genocide of the environment as well, which will have an impact not only on the Middle East but on the rest of the world. The water is polluted. White phosphorus is being thrown down upon the people. Disease is now spreading. The systems of life are being destroyed.

And so the intention is clear: the complete destruction of a land, the complete destruction of a people, and to drive them into the desert.

Cultural Genocide: Destroying Memory and Identity

But what we have to realize - there's something else happening at the same time. It is not only a physical destruction and genocide. It is a cultural genocide. It is the culture of the people.

As we saw in the Bosnian conflict, when Bosnian people were being exterminated by the Serbians, and it was so strange to see that the Serbians were attacking schools, museums, historical sites. And we asked, why would they do this? And the answer was: if you destroy the history of a people, you will destroy their memories. They will not understand who they are. And if you can do that, then you will have a permanent slave. Because if the mind is enslaved, even if the body is so-called free, you're still a slave. And so a cultural genocide is happening in front of our eyes.

The Destruction of Masjid Al-Omari Al-Kabir

Teach our children. Show to the world. Recently, a destruction happened at the Grand Mosque of Gaza - Masjid Al-Omari Al-Kabir. This masjid is one of the important historical sites for the Muslim world, not just Palestinian people.

It was built in ancient times, originally by the Palestinian people called Philistines. It was a pagan temple for the goddess of fertility. In the 5th century, when the Romans took over, they changed the pagan temple into a church. And that continued until the Muslims then opened up the territory. And that church was transformed into a masjid. And it was under the rule of Sayyidina Umar Ibn Al-Khattab. That's why it is called Al-Masjid Al-Omari. And so that masjid continued, and it was built up by the Muslims. It was a trust, not just of Palestinian people, but it was a trust for all of the Muslims.

Historical Accounts of the Masjid

Ibn Battuta (may Allah have mercy on him), the famous Muslim traveler, when he visited Gaza in the 14th century and he writes about this in his history book, he said: Masjid Al-Omari, beautiful masjid. It has 38 columns. It is a beautiful historical structure.

But that minaret, in 1033, the minaret was destroyed by an earthquake. But it was rebuilt. Keep this in your mind: it was destroyed, but the Muslims rebuilt it.

The Cycle of Destruction and Reconstruction

The Crusaders then came, and the Crusaders took over the building. And they turned it into a church. The same as what happened with Masjid Al-Aqsa. You have to realize, history is repeating itself. The Crusaders took over Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, and they turned it into a barn. They turned it to a place for their pigs, for their horses. 88 years they controlled it.

But Muslims rose back up. We were resilient. Our ummah is resilient. It's like a giant that takes time to stand. But when the giant stands, it finishes its opposition. And so, in 1187, the Ayyubid family of Sultan Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, they took it back from the Christians. And they rebuilt it again. So the masjid is taken over, being rebuilt.

The Mamluk dynasty in the 13th century, they rebuilt it as well. But the Mongols came. The Mongols came in 1260. The Mongols came and they destroyed the masjid until there was nothing left but rubble. Nothing but rubble. Muslims stood up.

And Saifuddin Qutuz (may Allah have mercy on him) of the Mamluks, who are not Arabic-speaking people, they are Mamluks, mercenary soldiers from Central Asia, they took over. They defeated the Mongols and they rebuilt it again. So every time they tried to destroy it, it was rebuilt.

And the Ottomans came. The Ottoman Turks, and they restored it and built it again. But in World War I, in the 20th century, the British destroyed part of the masjid with their bombs. But in 1925, the Supreme Muslim Council restored the masjid again. And so it stood until December 7th, 2023, when it was totally destroyed again. So the cycle happens.

The Loss of Historical Artifacts

Inside that masjid were old copies of the Quran, old mushafs, historical books, historical artifacts. So when you destroy a structure like this, you are destroying the memory of the people. Or you are trying to destroy the memory of the people.

The Scale of Destruction Since October 7th

But we have to recognize what is happening. Since October 7th, 104 masjids have been destroyed. Even a number of churches are destroyed. A 1,000-year-old Greek Orthodox church was destroyed. All of this is happening right in front of the eyes of the people. And instigation is going on.

Our Response: Resilience and Steady Pressure

But the reality is, every time they destroy it, we come back and we rebuild it again. They are trying to incite us, Zionists in masjids, singing songs. They want Muslims to do something crazy, overboard, so they get the sympathy of the world.

Our way is to hold the line. Our way is to be resilient and to continue to apply pressure. As a person who you have his neck with your hand, and you apply the pressure, slowly and slowly you apply it until that person is finished. And so our pressure needs to continue.

Taking Action in Our Communities

Every single person in the prayers that we make, in the actions that we make, even here in Canada, our demonstrations have had an effect. The petitions have had an effect. And we need to support our groups like NCCM, those groups that are out front, that are defending the Muslims. Sign the petitions. Boycott, even if it means not drinking certain cups of coffee. Change your lifestyle and realize we don't have to be consumers based upon a false capitalistic system.

Allah's Promise of Victory

But we need to continue and realize what Allah has told us:

"They want to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will complete His light, even if the disbelievers despise it." (Quran 61:8)

Never Forget, Always Remember

So teach our children, never forget. Never forget the suffering. Never forget the humiliation. Never forget the oppression that is going on. And teach our children also that we are coming back. We have continued to come back, and we will not be defeated except by the permission of Allah.

The Promise of the Victorious Group

And Allah has told us through His Prophet that there will continue to be a group from this ummah. They will be victorious. And they will not be affected even if everybody runs away, until Allah has issued His order for the changing of history. And so we are right at that point. We have Muslims who are holding the line, waiting for Amrullah. And we have to have the patience to wait for the command of Allah.

A Lifestyle, Not Just an Incident

But continue the pressure on the neck. Don't let go. And teach our children, this is a lifestyle. This is not one incident. This will be for the rest of our lives.

Closing Supplication

May Allah have mercy on the innocent children in Gaza and Palestine. May Allah protect the dignity and the honor of the women in Gaza and Palestine. May Allah raise up strong Mujahideen all over the Muslim world to bring back the honor of Palestine. And may Allah take our leaders, our confused political leaders, take their minds from darkness into light. And may Allah unite all of us that our last words would be:

"I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself, for you, and for all the Muslims from every sin, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful."