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The Most Important Ashura of Our Lives? | Khutbah
On Ashura, we commemorate the victories of the servants of Allah SWT. But victory does not always manifest as visible triumph in this world. From Musa (as) defeating Firaun, to the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ being martyred, to Nuh (as) being saved on the Ark, how is true victory defined? Are the people of Gaza winning?
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings.
We begin by praising Allah, and bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped or unconditionally obeyed except for Him. And we bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His final messenger.
We ask Allah to send His peace and blessings upon him, upon the prophets and messengers that came before him, upon his family and companions that served alongside him, and those that follow in
his blessed path until the Day of Judgment. And we ask Allah to make us amongst them. Allahumma ameen. Dear brothers and sisters, as the day of Ashura is on the horizon, I want to start from a place
where a conversation was being had in a battlefield. And it wasn't a conversation
between Musa (عليه السلام) and Fir'aun, but it was a conversation between an oppressed believer
and Fir'aun of this Ummah, as the Prophet (ﷺ) called him, and he is Abu Jahl, 'Amr ibn Hisham. And the conversation takes place in the battlefield of Badr.
The dust has still not settled. And Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه),
who represented the epitome of the oppressed man. He was small in his physical stature.
He was unknown in his lineage. He belonged to the lowest of economic classes. And he was a follower
of Muhammad (ﷺ), which made him the most vulnerable class or of the most vulnerable class in Mecca.
And one day, he was the first man to recite the Quran in front of the Ka'bah. And just left the month of Dhul Hijjah and the scenes of Hajj, where you saw the people in the millions around the
Ka'bah reciting the dhikr of Allah (ﷻ). Once upon a time, he was the only man who stood in front of
the Ka'bah and recited the Quran out loud. Until that same man, the Pharaoh of this Ummah,
stomped him and broke his collarbone and left him unconscious and almost dead. And now he's in the battlefield of Badr.
The days go by and the days go by and they are switched. A day for you and a day that is hard
upon you. A day of hardship and a day of ease. A day of defeat and a day of victory. And this time, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه), stands on the chest of that Pharaoh of this Ummah.
And the Pharaoh of this Ummah says, You have climbed the difficult climb, O shepherd of sheep. And he asked him,
Who is winning the battle? Give me your commentary. Who's winning this battle?
Between the believers and the disbelievers. Between the kuffar of Quraysh and the believing men and women that fled their persecution. The followers of Muhammad (ﷺ).
Who's winning this battle? And the last words that Abu Jahl heard before he left this world was Abdullah ibn Mas'ud saying,
Al-ghalabatu lillah wa li-Rasulillah ya 'aduwallah. Victory belongs to Allah and belongs to the Messenger of Allah, O enemy of Allah. Those were the last words that he heard before his soul left
his body. And after he was killed, the Prophet (ﷺ) speaking to those dead ones who persecuted and saying to them,
We have found what our Lord has promised us to be true. Have you found what your Lord has promised you to be true? And so Abu Jahl heard the words of defeat before he was killed and he heard the
words of defeat after he was killed. A Fir'aun who left this world humiliated and Allah (ﷻ) will surely humiliate all of the Fir'auns, all of the Pharaohs. Allahumma ameen. Now we go back to
Ashura. It is not an exaggeration to say that perhaps this is the most important time in our recent lifetime to reflect upon the lessons of Ashura with what is happening to our brothers
and sisters in Gaza. There may be no more important time to really absorb ourselves in the lessons of Ashura and the reflection of Ashura than this particular Ashura, the first
Ashura since this genocide in Gaza has begun. And I want to take you to the moment where the Prophet (ﷺ)
came into Madinah and he asked (ﷺ) about what their fast was about.
And the Jewish tribes of Madinah were fasting to honor the victory of Musa (عليه السلام) over Fir'aun. And the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
we are closer to Musa (عليه السلام) than you. We have a greater right. So we too will observe this fast
out of gratitude of the day that Musa (عليه السلام) was given victory over the Fir'aun. The day that the Fir'aun
drowned in the sea while Musa (عليه السلام) and his followers had the sea parted for them. The way that this
story started was the mother of Musa (عليه السلام) throwing him into a river to protect him from the brutality
of this Pharaoh. And the way the story ended was this young man now walking between the parted seas and then the sea engulfing and drowning the Fir'aun with the same punishment, the same terror
and tremor that the mother of Musa (عليه السلام) once feared for him as a baby. Allah (ﷻ) has days like this and days like that. And what I want you to appreciate before we get into all of the lessons
of Ashura is that when the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the Muslims to fast this day in Al-Madinah, Mecca was still under the occupation of the disbelievers. They were technically still a
people in exile. They were still fresh in the taste of the oppression of Mecca. They had not yet experienced Fath Mecca. They had not yet experienced the promise of Allah (ﷻ). The followers
of Muhammad (ﷺ) were still a few people. But they fasted that day out of gratitude to Allah
(ﷻ) for the victory that he gave to Musa (عليه السلام). And with an understanding that Allah (ﷻ) gives victory to the believers. It is only a matter of when and it is only a matter of how.
It is never a matter of if. Allah (ﷻ) gives victory to the believers. But perhaps not in the way that you want and not at the time that you want. But victory is promised.
Wa'dallah, la yukhlifullahu wa'dah. The promise of Allah (ﷻ). He does not betray His promise. Wa lakinna aktharan-nasi la ya'lamun.
Most people can't think. Most people can't grasp. They can't see past the circumstance that's immediately in front of them. They can't see past the dunya that they are living in at this moment.
Now subhanAllah, as we look at this day of Ashura, what I want you to realize is that it is not only that the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the believers to fast that day in gratitude to the victory of Musa (عليه السلام).
Even though the Prophet (ﷺ) had not yet been given victory. But I want you to think about the decades of oppression that Fir'aun wreaked on this earth
before the moment that he was drowned. What happened to the hundreds of thousands perhaps
of shuhada, of martyrs that Fir'aun massacred? What about them? Did Allah (ﷻ) not too give them
victory? Did Allah (ﷻ) not give them what was promised to them? Were there not vulnerable mothers and children that begged to Allah (ﷻ) while Fir'aun wreaked his tyranny on earth?
A core collection of the catalog of atrocity we see happening in Gaza right now with the Pharaoh of this day. Were there not women and children that begged Allah (ﷻ) for a year
and people that waited for the destruction of Fir'aun? Did Allah (ﷻ) let them down? Absolutely not. They had no doubt when they made their du'a that the day would come that the Fir'aun
would drown in this life and that victory would be achieved. But they also understood It is either victory in this world or it is martyrdom and that too is victory.
You see as Ibn Mas'ud stood on the chest of Abu Jahl and said,
victory is for Allah. There are also other companions who had a spear put right through them
and they say, I have succeeded by the Lord of the Ka'bah. That was their personal victory that Allah (ﷻ) granted them of shahada. Because the moment that they left this world,
they knew that the promise of Allah was true before their soul even left this body. Because the Prophet (ﷺ) says that the martyr sees their place in Jannah at the first strike.
The first strike before Asiya (رضي الله عنها) could feel the full thrust of that boulder hitting her.
And this was a woman of perfect iman, perfect faith. Did Allah not hear her du'a when she said, Oh Allah build for me with you a palace in paradise.
Did Allah not hear the du'a of a woman with perfect iman, strong as the boulder was falling on top of her? If you were an onlooker maybe you would think her du'a was in vain because you would
have seen her body shred to pieces the way that we see our brothers and sisters in Gaza literally shred to pieces. But before her soul even left her body, before she could even feel the pain
of that boulder, she already experienced the pleasure of her paradise. Asiya had victory over the Fir'aun. Asiya had victory over the Fir'aun. Even if the witnesses saw
a defeat, Asiya was victorious. Musa was victorious. We know that on this day as well that the beloved grandson of our Prophet (ﷺ), Al-Husayn (رضي الله عنه),
marched forth against the tyrants of his day because the tyrants existed every time. And Allah (ﷻ) granted him victory, but not like the victory of Musa over Fir'aun,
like the victory of Asiya over Fir'aun. Allah (ﷻ) granted him shahada. Al-Husayn (رضي الله عنه)'s body was also dismembered. But Allah (ﷻ) rewards the souls.
The believer has a different way of thinking about things. We don't believe that victory is relegated or limited to worldly circumstances of victory. We believe that victory is being
pleasing to Allah (ﷻ). In fact, if Allah (ﷻ) grants you victory over a Fir'aun in this world, but that victory was granted to you despite your disobedience, despite your evil,
and you had the name Muslim on you, and you said la ilaha illallah, but everything about your actions represented the opposite of la ilaha illallah, but you have material victory in this
world, you've still failed because you were displeasing to Allah (ﷻ). Victory is not in the worldly circumstance of victory. Victory is in the soul being in a place that is pleasing to
Allah (ﷻ). Ashura is a collection of this. And the days of Allah (ﷻ) are not random, dear brothers and sisters. It's not just what happened in history after on the day of Ashura,
after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ) with Al-Husayn (رضي الله عنه). It's even before. As Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله), there's a narration from him that this was the day that the
Safina of Nuh (عليه السلام), the ship of Noah, the Ark of Noah arrived at its landing place. And subhanAllah, on that day, people drowned. And on that day, the only people that were saved
were those on the Safina of Nuh (عليه السلام). I ask you to reflect, dear brothers and sisters, and I come to you from the United States of America. And in Europe, they say that there's
been a 400% increase in people embracing Islam since Gaza. And I tell you that there is not a khutbah that I give in my masjid, except that there's someone who embraces Islam. And that
since the people of Gaza have undergone this atrocity with beautiful patience, through the ugliness of the genocide, through the ugliness of this atrocity, people have seen the beauty of Islam.
They've seen the beauty of the faith of those people. That should not make us want any less to bring victory to the people of Gaza in the material sense and victory to the people of
Palestine. But that should allow us to reflect that more people have boarded the Safina of Nuh (عليه السلام), the Ark of Noah, in this time than any other time in our lives. More people are coming on board
where true salvation and safety and victory is found. The day of Ashura is a day to reflect on the victory of Nuh (عليه السلام) and the people who found safety on that ship.
And to want to be on that ship ourselves and to bring as many people as possible onto that ship. The day of Ashura is a day to reflect on what true victory means. Whether it is the victory like the
one of Nuh (عليه السلام) over Fir'aun or like the one of Asiya (رضي الله عنها) over Fir'aun. What victory truly means and every incident that has happened through Ashura is for us to go back to them and to reflect.
Now when we fast, dear brothers and sisters, our siyam, Shahru Ramadan, alladhi unzila fihi al-Quran, the month of Ramadan came down to honor the Quran. The fasting of
Ramadan is a celebration of the Quran. The day of Arafah which we have fasted is a day that honors the moment of our original covenants. The day of Ashura is to honor victory and to show gratitude
and to show gratitude to Allah (ﷻ). And someone might say, but in this day and age,
what are we thanking Allah (ﷻ) for in terms of the victory of Gaza? First and foremost, we thank Allah (ﷻ) for the blessing of iman. Alhamdulillah 'ala ni'mat al-iman. Alhamdulillah
'ala ni'mat al-Islam. All praise is due to Allah for the blessing of faith, for the blessing of truth, and being on the side of truth and justice. I don't care what the odds are against the people
of Palestine, against the people of faith. I ask Allah that all of us be on the side of faith and the side of truth and the side of justice. And may Allah not let us incline towards the oppressors in
any way whatsoever. I don't care what they have. I care what we have. And so gratitude to Allah that we have the content that brings victory in this life and the next, that we have the substance.
As the Prophet (ﷺ) and his desperate followers in Medina started to fast this day, knowing that one day Allah would give the Prophet (ﷺ) victory like he gave his brother Moses, his brother Musa (عليه السلام) victory.
So we have the content and we thank Allah for that. We reflect upon that. Secondly, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, How wonderful is the affair of the believer.
And nothing or no one has this except for the believer. Everything that happens to the believer is good.
No one has this except for a believer. When good comes to him. When good comes to him, he says, Alhamdulillah, he's grateful.
And that's better for him. And when hardship strikes him. He's patient. And that's better for him. No one has this except for the believer.
No one has this mindset that whatever happens to me, Alhamdulillah. That whatever happens to us, Alhamdulillah. So long as you are not able to take away my deen and that I attain true victory,
Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah. The shahid in Gaza does not feel sorry for himself or herself.
The tyrant, the Zionist tyrant that murders our people in Gaza will certainly feel sorry when they encounter what they have been promised and stuff. And I give you this, dear brothers and sisters.
On this day of Ashura and in fact, on every day, the true defeat of Fir'aun was not the day that he drowned. It's what Allah (ﷻ) says,
That An-Nar, the fire, Allah states, starts this verse with, it is the fire that they are presented to every morning and every night. The Fir'aun is presented to the fire every single morning and
every night and the fire of hell is far worse than drowning in the sea. Every day he is dipped into that fire, morning and evening. Until Allah (ﷻ) says,
Enter, O people of Fir'aun, into the worst of punishment. And you know what, dear brothers and sisters? Fir'aun had no children. Fir'aun had no kids. So who is Allah (ﷻ) referring to
when he says, some of the scholars, they say the people of Fir'aun are the people surrounding Fir'aun, his generals and those that participated in the tyranny. And some of them said,
Those that were on his way, his religion, his methodology, his way of oppression, all of these people are Al-Fir'aun. They're all the people of Fir'aun.
The question that we ask ourselves, are we the people of Musa (عليه السلام)? Are we the people of Muhammad (ﷺ)? Are we the people of Ibrahim (عليه السلام)? Are we the people of Nuh (عليه السلام)? If we are,
these people that have been killed are in Jannah. Our dead are in paradise, your dead are in hellfire. Look at Fir'aun now and look at all
of the mothers and children that we have never heard of and what they achieved right now. In fact, the Prophet (ﷺ) even saw the hairdresser of the daughter of Fir'aun and her children on the night of Isra wal-Mi'raj. How many mothers and children that are unnamed
casualties of Fir'aun are in Jannah eating from its fruits in joy. And every day Fir'aun, even when the world has moved on from his policies and his tyranny, every day he is
dipped in the fire two times until the greater punishment will come to him. So why do we fast?
It's not about circumstance. The one who eats and is grateful is like the one who fasts and
is patient. It's not about your circumstances. It's about your gratitude to Allah. The one who's given worldly victory and thanks Allah (ﷻ) is like the one who is killed and thanks
Allah (ﷻ). The one who loses limbs but doesn't lose their life is like the one who loses their life if they are patient for the sake of Allah (ﷻ). The one who has a
heart and an intention to support the oppressed, to support the truth, to support the people of the truth, no matter what the circumstances are, are like those people because their hearts are there.
Allah knows who you are. Allah knows what's in your heart. Allah knows what's in your du'a. Victory is promised to the believers. Ashura is a celebration of victory. We celebrate the
victory of the past and we anticipate the victory of the future and we thank Allah (ﷻ) for the victory of the present which is the victory of being upon la ilaha illallah.
Alhamdulillah.

































































































































































































































































































