Let’s Pray For The Oppressed
By Nouman Ali Khan | 2026-01-08T17:10:46.931803+00:00 | Topic: Iman
Let's Pray For The Oppressed - Khutbah by Nouman Ali Khan
The Story of the Cave and Divine Protection
When they were hiding in the cave, they said something to each other that Allah deemed important enough that he should place it in the Qur'an, so we could always listen to it and hear it every Friday. And it's remarkable that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told us that this surah is something that will protect us from great fitna. And we have to go back to it in times of great fitna over and over again.
And every Friday it's a sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to recite this surah. So what we learn in this surah has a lot to do with the ummah going through fitna. So every part of it deserves special attention.
The Reality of Religious Persecution
So what they say to each other, what I read to you, is
"[Those people for sure, if they overpower you, if they come over you, if they become dominant authorities over you, yarjumuukum, they will stone you to death. So if you go back, you're from them, you're their citizen.]"
You're a citizen of that country. You are just like everyone else. You even look like them. But if you go back to them, because the only thing different now is not because you've done some crime, or because you've stolen something, because you believe in one God. Because of that, when you go back, if they overpower you, if they overrun you, they will stone you to death
"[Or they will assimilate you back into their own religion.]"
Or the only other option is, or they will assimilate you back into their own religion. They make you go back into their own religion. The thing that makes you unacceptable, worthy of hate, is that you're Muslim.
The Simplicity of Faith That Threatens
That's what makes you worthy of hate, that you have some shred of Islam left. If you have any bit of Islam. By the way, these people, these young men, the only thing we know about them is they decided not to worship multiple gods.
They know nothing about halal and haram food. They know nothing about dressing differently. They know nothing about their family life should become different. They have no other regulations or laws. All they know is, they're not gonna worship multiple gods, they will only worship one God. That's it.
From what we can tell of the historical account, they don't even have access to the Bible, or the Torah. They have no access to prophets. They've just come to the conclusion that only one God should be worshipped.
And that is dangerous enough for some people to hate them so much that they are ready to kill them. Kill them if they could. That is not a new reality in some societies in the world.
The Eternal Reality of Hatred Against Believers
That has always been there. That's always been there. People who truly believe in Allah don't fit. They've never fit. You can try to fit, you can dress like everybody else, you can talk like everybody else, but there's always going to be an element in your society, in every society in the world, that is going to absolutely despise you, because you're Muslim. They're going to hate you, because you believe in Allah.
There's nothing you can do about it. You can try to convince them that you're not all that bad. You can try to dispel their misconceptions, and try to hold programs where you try to tell them, no, no, no, we're not crazy. No, we don't hate women. No, no, no, we don't want to blow everything up. No, we're cool.
The Example of the Prophet and Quraysh
And what happened in the Prophet's time, (صلى الله عليه وسلم)? What danger did the Prophet pose to the Quraysh? He's from Quraysh. He's from them. He's from that nation.
And if you know one thing about Quraysh, they had respect in all of the region, because whoever comes to that region is safe. And if you know one more thing about the Quraysh, and the tribal life of Arabia, the only people you're ever going to be loyal to is your own tribe. So there's two things.
Makkah is Quraysh special, because they make sure that everything remains peaceful inside Makkah. And second, you never hurt the people of your own tribe. You can go to war against some other tribe, but you solve problems. You don't fight your own people. They're willing to bend their own rules, break their own rules, just because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is calling for one God.
The Futility of Trying to Fit In
So the idea, you know what happens when we go to a society, it's natural. Human beings, we're social, right? So we want to fit in with everybody. We want to be like everybody. We don't want to be the weird people. We don't want to stick out. So a lot of times, we start compromising what we look like, what we talk like, who we're friends with, so that we feel like we're more blended in with the rest of society. We're not sore thumbs.
We're not that weird. And we think, well, now that I don't call myself Muhammad anymore, I call myself Mo. You know? Or I don't call myself Issam, I call myself Sam. You know? Or I don't call myself Norman anymore. Norman. Call me Norman. You know? Let's not, you know, I don't say salam to anyone, I say, hey, what's up? You know, and I change everything about myself. Maybe I'll fit better, because then they'll think I'm, you know, maybe they'll think I'm a real Canadian, or a real American, or a real Australian. Or I'm a real, I'm a true Indian.
I'm a true this, or true that, or true the other. Because I'm gonna be like them. This is also a delusion.
The Persistence of Hatred Despite Conformity
No matter how much you pretend, no matter how much you pretend, there are forces in the world that will always be there. And even if they see one trace of Islam in you, well, you still have a Muslim name. You still identify yourself as a Muslim, even if you just pray on Fridays, that's enough for me to hate you.
Some of you know, some of you work in offices, and you go to schools, where you've experienced this. There are people, you might not even be that religious, but the fact that you're Muslim is enough that people look at you funny. And some people just have that in them.
The Root of This Hatred: Shaitan's Influence
It's not just the media. It's not just propaganda against Islam. There is a mindset that shaitan wants to perpetuate, has always wanted to perpetuate, that he will make believers, for some people, he will make believers an object of hate.
And his purpose in doing that is also clear. Shaitan's purpose is also clear. On the one hand,
"[That's just the devil trying to scare you of his friends. Stop being afraid of them.]"
Understanding Divine Wisdom in Trials
You and I have to understand, and we're, you know, the people that are going through such things, whose homes are in danger, who can hear rioters outside, and they're not sure who's gonna break into their door. Those that are trying to protect their children and their daughters and their mothers. Those people that are not sleeping for a few nights now. Those people that are afraid that their homes and their businesses are gonna get burnt down.
Those people, Allah (جل وعز) created them much stronger than you and me. Because Allah does not put a burden on someone that they can't bear. The responsibilities and the difficulties Allah put in my life, are ones that I can handle. And Allah gave them much bigger trials. Because they can handle a lot more.
Against Blaming the Victims
And so it's extremely immature and irresponsible for some people to say, this must be Allah punishing them for some of their sins. How dare you? How dare you or anyone else say that someone is going through a catastrophe in this life because Allah is punishing them because of what they've done. You and I have no right to speak on behalf of Allah. You have no right.
"[Allah will not tell you what's happening in the unseen.]"
Allah didn't tell you, I'm doing this because of that. People say these things, and this is ignorance. And sometimes it even comes from the mouths of Muslims.
The Divine Purpose Behind Trials
Those believers that are being tried and tested in such horrible ways. This may be their path to Jannah. And there are reasons Allah describes that we go through such disasters for ourselves.
"[He wants to separate those that are good from those that are filthy. He wants to test how long, how much sometimes, every safety will be taken away from you so you can truly recognize the only safety lies with Allah.]"
Divine Decree and Human Response
Nothing will happen to anyone. No one will die sooner than they're supposed to die. No one will be tortured because Allah didn't want that to happen. No one will suffer any calamity without Allah's permission. And every one of those trials that you and I go through, that those that we love as our ummah are going through, every one of those trials, Allah is watching.
And it's at that point that some people will say, where is Allah? Why isn't He helping? Where is Allah? Why isn't He giving any help? And they'll lose their iman. And there are those who will say, this is what Allah and His Messenger promised. This will come. This trial will come. This difficulty will come. And we'll stand in the face of it.
The Honor of Martyrdom
The one who dies shaheed, defending their home, who dies doing nothing wrong, an innocent who's been killed, when he comes in front of Allah, he will ask Allah to send him back so he can get killed again. He's going to do that.
Our Response: Prayer and Preparation
So we, on the one hand, we make dua for people that are going through such extreme struggles. But on the other hand, the real reason I wanted to share this khutbah with you today is for us to understand, we may be at peace here. Alhamdulillah, Allah has given us a peaceful life. You don't have to look around every corner who's got a gun out. You don't have to look on your way to the masjid.
And there are places in the world right now where Muslims have to do that. They have to think twice about going to the masjid. And whether or not they'll come back alive. That's a reality for them. That's not a reality for you and me. But that doesn't mean you and I are any safer. That doesn't mean that we're, you know, that's never going to happen to us. Don't be delusional. You and I should not be delusional.
Avoiding the Loss of Divine Protection
We should know for a fact that these trials will come and can come at any time. They can happen at any time. And the thing is, we don't want that to happen and therefore we want to look like or fit in with everybody else. That's not the solution because once you do that, once you leave Allah to try to get protection from people, then you no longer have the protection of Allah. You left Allah's protection because you thought fitting in with everybody else will keep you safe. It won't.
They're not going to hate you any less. They're not going to dislike you any less. And now you lost the people, you never had them anyway, and you lost Allah. You lost both. Don't do that to yourself. Don't put yourself in that disastrous position.
The Need for Collective Repentance
This is a time where the ummah really truly has to repent and come back to Allah. We have to support those and we have to stand up against those that are, you know, causing lives of innocents to be lost. Our deen is so powerful when any innocent is being killed, whether they're Muslim or not, our deen stands against it.
Islam's Universal Justice
When Qur'an was revealed and Allah (جل وعز) gave
"[For what crime was the baby girl killed? She will ask on judgment day.]"
That wasn't talking about a Muslim family. When Allah says
"[That the one who pushes the orphan, Allah criticizes the people, the one who pushes the orphan around, the orphan being talked about was not from a Muslim family.]"
They were the mushrikeen. Allah was standing for them.
"[People who were cheating in businesses. And Allah criticized those who cheat others in business. Neither the customer nor the business person were Muslim. And Allah stood for those customers that are being cheated.]"
Our deen is a deen that stands up for justice no matter what. And it includes of course fellow believers when they're being persecuted. So our duas are with them.
The True Nature of Dua
But please, I don't tire of saying this. Some people might find this controversial. I have to say what I'm convinced of, what I understand. The institution of dua, dua is a very powerful weapon Allah gave a believer. If you study the stories in the Qur'an, then when a believer sincerely turns to Allah with their heart, then things change. Things change.
If you study any story of any prophet, the turning points, the major events where things change is when they made dua. Actually. So dua is not just some words we say.
But you know what we've turned dua into? We've turned dua into not a conversation with Allah. We've actually turned dua into a conversation with each other. Brother, please make dua. Wait, what do you mean? I make dua. You don't tell each other to make dua. Dua comes from the heart and it's a conversation with Allah, not with each other.
Now the idea of dua is post something on Facebook. Now the idea of dua is say something on a microphone. That's dua. That's not dua. Dua is a very personal intimate conversation between you and Allah. It's always been that way.
There are some times we make dua to Allah together. That's fine. That's fine. But the reality of dua is actually not words or sounds. The reality of dua is what comes from the heart of a believer and reaches the highest heavens. That's actually what dua is. That's what it's supposed to be. And don't turn it into anything else. And the situation will not change.
Collective Responsibility of the Ummah
Allah does not change the situation of an ummah. It's not just all the Indians have to change or the Kashmiris have to change or the Uighurs have to change. Allah speaks to us as an entire ummah. And the reality is pretty scary. It may be that some parts of our ummah is suffering not because of their own sins but because of our sins. Because we're one body.
We're one body. Think of it this way. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) described the ummah like a single body. When one part of it hurts, all of it hurts. When one part of it hurts, all of it hurts. Here you are eating unhealthy food. You're eating unhealthy food. Or you're not taking care of your diet or whatever. And one part of your body starts developing a disorder.
Right? The problem is somewhere else and the symptoms show up somewhere else. So we don't assume that they're going through a trial because they're messed up. Maybe Allah is using that trial to wake the entire ummah up. How long before these shakings that Allah sends us before we wake up and say, Allah's help is near. And then we have to turn back. We have to be qualified for Allah.
The Bond of Faith
When I say we have to make dua for the ummah, and I want to end with this really. Of course we have to make dua for the ummah and those that are suffering. Those that are suffering in our own families. Those that are suffering that we share la ilaha illallah with. This bond of la ilaha illallah what makes me a new Muslim. This is a stronger tie than blood. This is stronger than blood. It's not just some people that you hear. It's not just some newsfeed.
This is our ummah. This is someone you have to have love for. You and I have to have love for it. And the best thing, the best thing you can do for them is dua. But fine, let's take one last step. I agree, the best thing we can do for them right now, at the very least you can do dua for them.
If you can't support in some way, you support in some way. You stand up. You want to contest what's going on, fine. But dua is only effective when it's acceptable to Allah. Isn't it? Dua is not just me making some sounds and crying. It has to be acceptable to Allah.
Conditions for Accepted Dua
And when you read the Prophet's warning, (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that somebody that travels across the desert whose clothes are torn and they're disheveled from the journey and they're holding on to the walls of the Kaaba and they're asking Allah for dua that they made. They traveled back then, they didn't take a flight to get to the Kaaba. They traveled, they walked through a desert to get to the Kaaba.
You understand? And they get to the Kaaba and they're begging Allah and Allah (عز وجل) tells, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) tells us (وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَلْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ) (Muslim 1015). The thing he's drinking is haram, the food he's eating is haram, the clothes he's wearing is haram, the money he makes is haram basically. He's okay earning from wrong means, he's okay with taking somebody else's inheritance money, he's okay with not paying the loan back and saying, I never borrowed money from you. He's okay with eating somebody else's food, he's okay with lying and cheating and scamming, but now he's showing up at the Kaaba, crying in front of Allah's house and making dua, (فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابٌ لَهُ) (Muslim 1015). How is he going to be answered? What good is that dua?
Personal Accountability Before Collective Prayer
So before you and I say, make dua brother, make dua brother, let's make dua together. Are you qualified for dua? Have we left haram? Have we left questionable things that make our duas worthless before Allah? So before you and I, if we really care about the chaos that's happening and we really care to make dua, then let's care about our dua itself. Let's make the dua right because it's not just empty words, it's not just emotional prayers that are felt from the heart. There's conditions that have to be met.
Allah says, I will respond to the call whenever they call me. I'll respond to the dua whenever they make dua. He says, then respond to me. That's the same ayah. Then they should respond to me. They should at least try to respond to me.
The Condition for Divine Change
Allah is asking you to leave certain things. Allah is asking you to do certain things in your life. None of you here don't know that. I know that and you know that. It's not complicated. Everybody here knows what we're supposed to do and we're not supposed to do.
And we're still doing all that stuff and we have the audacity to ask, how come Allah doesn't answer my duas? How come the ummah's duas are not being answered? I mean, we're not even making our part of
the deal. We don't get to be hypocritical and say we care about the plight of the ummah if we're not changing ourselves. This is what Allah means when He says
There's no doubt about it.
Allah will not be one to change what is happening to a nation until they change what is happening inside of themselves. He will not change the tragedy of the ummah, the catastrophe of the ummah. He will not lift us from it. Doesn't matter where it's happening in the world. We will not lift from it until something deep changes inside of ourselves. Until we turn back to Allah.
Personal Responsibility and Empty Prayers
We have to take, you and I have to take personal responsibility for our share and our du'a is becoming empty. Our share. It's not just, oh it's Ramadan time, let's raise our hands and cry and then go back and just obey Allah again. We made so much du'a this year and the year before, and the year before and I cried so much. How come it didn't go anywhere? Yeah, it didn't go anywhere because we're not doing it right. Something's missing. Something's deeply, deeply missing.
Two Key Points: Eternal Hatred and Divine Response
There's two points I wanted to make to you and remind myself of. One, we're never gonna make some people happy. Some people are always gonna hate us. That's never gonna change. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was the nicest human being you could ever meet, they still hated him, right? So it's not that you're not nice.
It's not that you're not worthy of being liked or you're evil in some way. Didn't matter. It's the fact that you have truth. That you carry some reflection of your Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). That's enough for shayateen and those who listen to the shayateen to hate you. That's enough for them. And that will never go away.
And no matter how much you try to present yourself in a different light, there are people that are balanced, there are non-Muslims that are balanced, that are sensible, they can see through it. And there are those that are drowned in hate. They're drowned in the whisper of shaytan. And they are now in the devil's playground. There's nothing you can do about that. Don't bother.
Stay True to Your Faith
Don't bother becoming likable. Be yourself. Don't sell your religion to anybody. They're not worth it. So they knew, if they go back, there's only two things that are gonna happen. Either they're gonna stone you to death or they're going to take you back into their own religion.
And they said, either way... And the second option, that they will take you back in your own religion, okay, okay, okay, I'm no longer Muslim. If they do that, then you will never be successful. Then you will never be
successful.
The Status of the Martyrs
The people who have been killed, the people who have been massacred, they haven't been killed. They're not dead. This is the last thing I share with you. I know I'm over my time. One minute, that's all it'll take.
Don't you dare assume about those who were killed in Allah's path, that they are dead. Don't you dare even think that. They are dead.
They are alive, being provided for in the company of their Master.
They are overjoyed at what Allah is giving them from His own favor.
And they're congratulating each other about those who haven't joined them yet. They haven't even joined them yet.
The Joy of the Martyred
Allah is talking about those who've been killed, holding on to their Islam. They were killed holding on to their Islam. We may be crying for them, they're happy for themselves. They're overjoyed. And they're looking down at those that are still alive and saying, Man, they're gonna join us soon. They already made it into Jannah.
Final Duas
May Allah (جل وعز) make us worthy of His Jannah. May Allah (جل وعز) accept our shuhada as those that are worthy of no questioning and are being given Allah's forgiveness and the grace of Jannah immediately. May Allah (جل وعز) ease the suffering of those that are going through whatever kind of trial, be it political suffering, military suffering, physical suffering, sickness suffering, but in any kind of suffering, may Allah (جل وعز) make that suffering a reason for which our faith in Allah increases and doesn't decrease.
Because no matter what loss we face, whether it's loss of life or limb or money or whatever else, the one loss we cannot afford is the loss of iman. Every other loss, everything was gonna go anyway. Everything else was gonna go anyway. One day you and I are gonna be in the ground, none of this stuff will matter. One thing that will matter though is where our hearts were. May Allah (جل وعز) not compromise the iman of any believer no matter what trial they go through.
May Allah (جل وعز) ease our trials and never put us in a situation that we feel we're no longer able to bear the trials that He has given us.
7)
Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a Fire, whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.
Community Announcements
Once again, I'd like to remind you that tomorrow there's a story night event at 6.30. I'd love to see all of you. Bring along some friends if you'd like. Insha'Allah, it's something to learn about the Qur'an in a way that's easy for them to process also.
Additionally, I wanted to tell you that our intention, hopefully, is to complete at least the second and third floor construction before Ramadan starts. So, Alhamdulillah, it's been going, progressing pretty well. The city has approved the construction of the elevator outside. The deal for that has already started. You'll see the post outside of what the budget for it is. I don't do fundraisers here. I'm never going to do one. I'm just letting you know that that's the budget.
And those of you who'd like to contribute can do so on their own. Alhamdulillah for this summer. Tickets? Now? Yeah, I mean, yeah, why not? Yeah, it's already outside. Yeah, and there's a play being held by the kids and the kids' event in the middle of March. There are tickets being sold outside by them, so you can insha'Allah get the tickets for that event too. Alhamdulillah.