Lessons from the Battle of Uhud

That doesn't come from us.

The Contrast in Attitude

What happens with us is we look at our lack of resources, our lack of money, our lack of power, our lack of means, our lack of reach, our lack of influence, lack, lack, lack, lack, lack, and then we look at the plentiness of the resources on the other side, the machinery, the propaganda, the military might, the technological advances. We look at all this other stuff and then we say, well, the enemy of Islam has all of this and we have nothing. Well, you know we have one thing they'll never have and that's Allah and that's more than enough.

"Allah is sufficient for us, and how excellent a Disposer of affairs [is He]." (Quran 3:173)

The Result of True Trust

So then they respond this way and what does Allah say?

"So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty" (Quran 3:174)

So they went after, instead of waiting for the enemy, they're injured, remember? Instead of waiting for the enemy to come to them, they went after the enemy. And then at the time Abu Sufyan was not Muslim, he hears that the Muslims have recharged and they're coming after them. So they were thinking about turning back, they ran away.

The enemy ran away. They got scared. And so Allah says they came back:

"They returned"

"with favor from Allah"

Because of a special favor that came from Allah. And on top of that, a bonus added on top:

and bounty"

An additional favor was, even though the enemy had just won, yes? Now the enemy leaves in fear. And the biggest victory you get in battle is actually the mind propaganda, the hearts and minds. Now even though they've won, they've left in fear. So they're not gonna have the moral will to fight again.

And even if they do, it's gonna be hollow from the inside. They're gonna have to garner outside support. Which is why the next time they came, they had to get al-ahzab, they had to get everybody else involved.

"No harm touched them" (Quran 3:174)

No harm touched the believers. Not even a little bit. This is the least bit that can be touched. Believers weren't harmed in the least bit because they stood up when they were injured.

"And they followed the pleasure of Allah" (Quran 3:174)

How can that be the case? They followed the pleasure of Allah. All they were looking to do was make Allah happy. And then he says:

"And Allah is the possessor of great bounty" (Quran 3:174)

Allah possesses huge favor. In other words, Allah will give you favor that you can't imagine and He will only give it to you when He sees in you and me that we're only interested in making Him happy.

The Wrong Intentions in Da'wah

Now let's stop here for a second. What does that mean for us before I finish this? When we get under pressure, when the Muslims are being asked all kinds of crazy questions, all of a sudden, everybody becomes interested in da'wah. But not da'wah for the sake of Allah.

I would argue it comes for many people, da'wah for the sake of PR. We just have to let everybody know we're not that bad. We're not crazy. We should do an open house for them and let them know that we're not cannibals. And we're not insane. And we don't hate women. And we're not carrying explosives. And we're not doing this and we're not doing that. So that they are at ease with us.

We want to be able to have better relations with our neighbors. So we want to learn. My co-worker is asking me these questions. How do I answer these questions? Let me tell you. If your intention is to answer the questions of your neighbor or your co-worker or your non-Muslim friend is so they like you a little bit more or they hate you a little bit less, you've got the wrong intentions.

The only reason we should be sharing the word of Allah is because it's the word of Allah. Not to please anybody. Making people happy is a goal you'll never achieve. You can't even make your mother happy. You can't even make your mother-in-law happy - they're more impossible. You know? You can't make anybody happy. Forget these people.

They're not going to be happy with you. And there's a group among them. They will always ask questions and no matter how many times you answer, they'll still be unhappy.

"And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion." (Quran 2:120)

And that's that. They're never going to be happy with you. There's a group among them.

You're barking up the wrong tree. Learn your deen. Love to explain your deen. Talk about your deen. But don't talk about it for PR. Don't talk about it for that. Don't talk about it so that your relationships with

them are better. No. Talk about your deen because your master, your Rabb, asks you to share this beautiful deen.

Your Messenger (peace be upon him) gave you the inspiration:

(Bukhari hadith 105)

"Let the one who is present convey to the one who is absent." (Bukhari hadith 105)

That's why you should share your deen. Sure. These incidents are an opportunity to share something beautiful about your deen. These crises can be turned into a good thing. But only if it's done for the right reason.

The Importance of Right Intentions

And by the way, why am I saying for the right reason? The act can be exactly the same. But the intention behind it can be different. So on the outside, it looks like we did exactly the same thing. But if you do it with the right reasons, the help of Allah arrives. And that same act, if you did it for the wrong reasons, problems continue. But on the outside, it looks exactly the same.

It was a da'wah event. I was talking about Islam. I was spreading the word of Allah.

The Reality of Fear and Pressure

Then Allah says, here's the reality of the fear and pressure that you feel:

"That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters." (Quran 3:175)

All that was was Shaytan. Instilling fear into you of his friends. That's all it was. Another interpretation of this ayah is, Shaytan is only able to scare his friends. In other words, if you got scared, you befriended Shaytan.

"So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers." (Quran 3:175)

Don't be afraid of Shaytan's friends. Be afraid of me. If in fact you truly believe in me, then there should be no reason for you to fear anybody else, Allah said.

Don't Be Saddened by Their Efforts

Then:

"And do not be grieved by those who hasten into disbelief." (Quran 3:176)

This ayah we should literally, you know how people have like, big giant art pieces in their homes, Ayatul Kursi, or they have pictures of the Kaaba or something, or they have Suratul Ikhlas, Suratul Asr. I say

nowadays, this is the ayah we should poster in our homes and just stare at.

"Indeed, they will never harm Allah at all." (Quran 3:176)

The people who are constantly making efforts to further the cause of disbelief, the people who are tirelessly working to undo Islam, to destroy Islam, their efforts should not make you sad at all.

Allah's advice to you and me is whatever efforts they're making should not make you sad. How many people come to you, "Brother, do you know what they're doing on this website? Do you know these videos that they're making? Brother, do you know what they're doing on this channel? Do you know what they said on CNN? Do you know what they said on Fox? Do you know what they did here? Do you know what they did there? Do you know the book that they published? Do you know this other translation that they made of the Quran? Oh my God!"

And we see this stuff and what happens to us? We panic. Somebody has to respond. Somebody has to give an answer. Because they made a video. If you're going to worry about them making videos, you're going to be worried for a long time in your life.

These efforts will not stop. They shouldn't worry you. They shouldn't make you sad.

"Indeed, they will never harm Allah at all." (Quran 3:176)

They're not going to be able to harm Allah in any way, shape or form. Allah didn't say they won't be able to harm Islam or they won't be able to harm you. Right? Allah said they won't be able to harm Allah.

Why? Because we're not afraid of Allah being harmed. We're actually afraid of us being harmed, the cause being harmed. So why is Allah saying, don't worry, Allah has not been harmed? Because all of the work that we do, all of the deen that we try to spread, all of the community that we try to build, everything we try to do, we only do because our source is Allah.

And when that source is uninterrupted, then we have a constant supply of strength. Where you get your barakah from, where you get your rizq from, where you get your peace and safety from, that source is Allah and that source is inaccessible to them. So don't worry.

So now:

"Allah intends that He should give them no share in the Hereafter." (Quran 3:176)

Allah just wants that they should have not even a little bit in the afterlife. Don't worry about it. They're just digging their own grave. That's all they're doing. They're just digging their own hole. And then:

"And for them is a great punishment." (Quran 3:176)

They're going to have terrible punishment at the end.

Those Who Trade Faith for Disbelief

Now the subject changes and listen carefully:

"Indeed, those who purchase disbelief [in exchange] for faith - never will they harm Allah at all." (Quran 3:177)

The people who have sold their faith out and they've sold it for disbelief. When pressure rises on Muslims, sometimes people say, "This whole Islam thing is way too hard. Everybody hates us. I don't want to be looked at as a Muslim anymore. I don't want to act Muslim anymore. I don't want to pray in front of people anymore. I can't deal with this anymore."

And you know, she was a devout Muslimah, he was a devout Muslim but the hijab came off and the prayer stopped and they changed their name or don't like to tell people that they're Muslim and slowly but surely they start giving up their religion. Because they think the pressure is too high. "I can't deal with the pressure."

Allah says, people who sold off their faith for disbelief, they haven't harmed Allah at all either. Don't worry, Allah didn't need that. People that walked away from this religion, as Allah will describe a little bit later, they were like dirt on clean clothes. They were meant to be washed off.

You just weren't good enough for Islam. It's not that Islam wasn't good enough for you. You weren't good enough for Islam.

"And they will have a painful punishment." (Quran 3:177)

Don't worry about it. Don't be demoralized because somebody left Islam. Don't do that. Don't be worried about the people from the outside that attack. And don't worry about the people from the inside that walk away. Don't let that get to you.

Don't Let the Disbelievers Think Their Success is Good

"And let not those who disbelieve think" (Quran 3:178)

Now they are all together. The الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا - those who disbelieve, now are two groups. Those who have always been attacking Islam and those who walked away from Islam and became disbelievers. Allah says, don't let those who disbelieve ever dare imagine for a moment:

"that Our extension of time to them is good for them." (Quran 3:178)

That the extension that we've given them, the resources that we've given them, the opportunities that we've given them, the power that we've given them is good for them. Muslims ask, "Why do these people

have all this money? Why do these people have all these resources? Why did Allah give them this, this, this and this so they can harm Islam?" We start asking that question.

Allah answers that question and says, let them never imagine for a single moment that the resources that they have been given by extension:

"We only extend their time that they may increase in sin." (Quran 3:178)

We only give them extra extension, give them more resources so they can earn even more sin. They can increase in sin. They can enhance themselves in even more trouble with Allah. And then at the end of it all:

"And for them is a humiliating punishment." (Quran 3:178)

Very powerful. They'll have humiliating punishment. All of their efforts were there to try to humiliate Islam. The compensation should be in accordance with the crime. If they were trying to humiliate Allah and His Messenger and His Deen, then they will have humiliating punishment.

You don't have to worry. What's the bottom line up until now? Relax. You have work to do. Don't be distracted. Don't be distracted by the efforts of these people. You don't have to impress anyone else. Just impress Allah. And that's it. Then your job is done. Allah will take care of the rest.

The Positive Attitude of the Sahaba

That is the attitude, the positive attitude that is ingrained in the hearts of Sahaba as they're bleeding. As they're bleeding. They know they're gonna die if they walk forward. And yet they have the most positive of attitudes. And we don't have a thousandth of what they go through and we get depressed.

We don't have any optimism like, "Oh man, the situation."

"Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." (Quran 2:156)

What's wrong with you? What Quran do you believe in?

Allah Will Test the Believers

And so I come to this last Ayah that I wanna share with you. Two Ayahs. I promise I'll be done very soon.

"Allah would not leave the believers in that [state] in which you are" (Quran 3:179)

Scary Ayah. So listen to this carefully. Allah will not leave believers alone. Forget the Kuffar leaving believers alone. Allah will not leave the believers alone in the state that you guys are in.

"until He separates the evil from the good." (Quran 3:179)

Until He can tell the filthy from the good. He will give you a hard time and He will give you a harder time and He will give you a harder time because He wants to see who is purely there for the sake of Allah and who gets rattled and walks away. He wants to see the strong.

And you cannot find the strong until they're tested. So He'll keep testing us until He can tell who is filthy and who is good. SubhanAllah.

So know that the troubles that we're going through perhaps this is Allah's way of doing the laundry of the ummah. This is the way of Allah cleaning this ummah up. Checking you and me and everybody else. Where we stand. Whether we're gonna last or not.

"And Allah would not reveal to you the unseen." (Quran 3:179)

And Allah is never gonna be one to tell you what's happening in the unseen. Allah will never tell you why is this happening? When are things gonna get better? When is victory gonna arrive? He doesn't owe you any explanation. You might feel entitled for an explanation. He owes you nothing.

"But Allah chooses from His messengers whom He wills." (Quran 3:179)

However Allah chooses from His messengers whoever He wants. The only thing you need to know is what He teaches His messengers. Don't seek answers beyond what you need.

You've been kept on a need-to-know basis. And the thing that you needed was the Book of Allah, what was given to the messengers (peace be upon him). The wahi that's been given is enough for you. Focus on what's been given.

Like the Arabs have told us, focus on what's in front of you. We just want some other mysterious answers. Allah has sent the perfect Kalam.

"And is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book which is recited to them?" (Quran 29:51)

Isn't it enough the Quran is being read on to them, the Book is being read on to them. No, for so many people it's not enough. I need some other kind of relief. I need some other mysterious answer to solve our problems. No. The answer that you needed, that I needed, Allah already sent.

And He's not sending you anything else. You're not entitled to anything else.

"So believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe and fear Allah, then for you is a great reward." (Quran 3:179)

Believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you can hold on to your iman and be cautious, protect yourselves from disobeying Allah, then you'll have great compensation. You're gonna be taken care of.

You'll be just fine.

Increase the Positive During Hard Times

Now that Allah has said, don't worry about the negative. Don't worry about it. Just take care of Allah. This last thing I wanna share with you is actually about how we have to now increase the positive. Now it means that we have to go out of our way to make Allah happy. And in this, when times are hard, when times are hard, the believer has to be actually more active in making Allah happy, not less.

For anybody else, in these times, they would get depressed. For the believer, in these times, they are more optimistic to serve Allah than any other time. They are more charitable. They are more diligent in their worship. They are more sincere. They make more voluntary efforts. They do more and more and more than they've ever done before because times are tough. This inspires them even more. This fires them up even more.

Don't Be Cheap with Allah's Gifts

So what does Allah say?

"And let not those think who are stingy with what Allah has given them of His bounty that it is better for them; rather, it is worse for them." (Quran 3:180)

Don't let the people who are cheap with what Allah has given them and they hold on to what they have, think that holding on to it and saving it is something better for them. It's bad for them. It's evil for them.

"They will be encircled by what they were stingy with on the Day of Resurrection." (Quran 3:180)

The very thing that they try to be cheap with, don't be cheap. And it's not just about money. I'm specifically talking to young people.

You have aspirations. The aspirations to have a career, make good money, start a family, get your own car, it's gonna be pretty sweet, get your own apartment, and be financially independent. You have all these aspirations.

That's great. But the ummah is in a hard time right now. So have all of those aspirations. But at the top, the number one aspiration you should have is what am I gonna do for the ummah? What am I gonna do for Allah? How am I gonna contribute? I don't wanna make money to make money. I wanna make money so that I can have the financial freedom to serve Allah's deen. I wanna do something more than myself.

Times are tough. The ummah, the young blood of the ummah is needed. What goals do you have? What intentions do you have to serve? What plans have you made? Other than Allah, I just wanna get a job.

What plans have you made? Because if you haven't used the talents and the skill and the creativity and the intelligent mind Allah has given you to put to His service, you're being cheap. You're being cheap with what Allah gave you.

"what Allah has given them of His bounty" (Quran 3:180)

It's whatever Allah gave you. Don't be cheap with it. Give it back to Allah.

"And spend from that in which He has made you successors." (Quran 57:7)

Spend out of everything Allah has empowered you with. Give Him everything you've got. Have that aspiration, and Allah will open His pathways to you.

Everything Belongs to Allah

And Allah says at the end:

"And to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, of what you do, is Knowing." (Quran 3:180)

At the end of the day, the inheritance of all the skies and the earth belongs to Allah. What is it that you're gonna get that you're gonna hold on to? What car is it that you're gonna get buried with? What furniture is gonna go with you in your grave? What big screen TV? Where is this stuff gonna go?

You're gonna go into the earth and all of this is gonna be left behind and somebody else will inherit it. And they'll die and somebody else will inherit it. Eventually that car will be in the junkyard. Eventually that nice big screen TV that you paid the top dollar for will be in some recycling facility. That's where it's gonna be.

And at the end of it all, the entire skies and the earth are gonna be inherited by Allah Himself. That's the reality of all the things around you. And you yourself, I myself, are gonna be inherited by Allah. Allah is letting us walk around on this earth.

So make these few years that you have on this earth count for something. And don't waste your time being overwhelmed with negativity. You know, people of the Book of Allah don't have that kind of time.

The Power of Alhamdulillah

Every time you and I stand in salah, I end with this. Every time you and I stand in salah. We don't pray except we recite Fatiha. And when we recite Fatiha, we begin with the positive:

"All praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds." (Quran 1:2)

You cannot say Alhamdulillah and not be positive. You have to think about things to be grateful for it, to be optimistic about it. And if you can't think that, you don't even understand, Alhamdulillah, how's the rest of salah gonna go?

Closing Du'a

May Allah truly make us a people of positive attitude. And may Allah make us of those that are inspired in tough times to do even more good than we've never done before. And may Allah as a result, pour His help and His blessings and His mercy and His guidance upon this ummah and upon all of humanity.

"Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded." (Quran 16:90)

"And Allah knows what you do." (Quran 16:91)

"Establish prayer"

"And peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and His blessings"

"Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest"