Be advocates for the Sunnah in order to be helpers in the cause of Allah

"O you who believe! Be you helpers (in the Cause) of Allah." [Surat As-Saf: 14].

This is the great call by which Allah concluded Surat As-Saf to demonstrate to the believers that the way to victory, glory and empowerment is one which is supporting the religion of Allah (Glory be to Him) as the formers did. Consequently, Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) supported them strongly and made the religion superior at their hands; verily victory comes only from Allah, the Wise and the Cherisher who exalts whomever He wills, humiliates whomever He wills, and grants victory to whomever He wills, it is sufficient that your Lord is the Guide and the Helper.

Allah's victory is given to His Servants:

Allah grants victory to His Believing Servants and defends those who believe as He granted victory to His Sent Prophets. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our slaves, the Messengers, * that they verily would be made triumphant, * And that Our hosts! they verily would be the victors." [Surat As-Safat: 171 - 173]. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism) in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth , (i.e., Day of Resurrection)" [Surat Ghafir: 51]. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Truly, Allâh defends those who believe. Verily, Allâh likes not any treacherous ingrate to Allâh [those who disobey Allâh but obey Shaitân (Satan)]. * Permission to fight is given to those (i.e., believers against disbelievers), who are fighting them, (and) because they (believers) have been wronged, and surely, Allah is Able to give them (believers) victory. * Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly only because they said: "Our Lord is Allâh." For had it not been that Allâh checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the Name of Allâh is mentioned much would surely have been pulled down. Verily, Allâh will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allâh is All-Strong, All-Mighty. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat-as-Salât. [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salât (prayers) (the males in mosques)], pay the Zakât and they enjoin Al-Ma'rûf (ie Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e., disbelief, polytheism and all that Islâm has forbidden) [i.e., they make the Qur'ân as the law of their country in all the spheres of life]. And with Allâh rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures)." [Surat Hajj: 38 - 41].

How to achieve victory?

The first way to achieve victory is to believe in Allah (may He be Exalted) because there is no way to achieve victory except by believing that Allah is the Lord, the Creator, the Provider of sustenance, and the Manager of affairs of this entire universe and that is called the monotheism of Lordship.

Victory is also achieved by monotheism of the Beautiful Names and High Attributes of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted), and recognizing Allah through them without negating, distorting, or disabling them, and without comparing His Names and Attributes to humans. We must attribute to Allah the names and attributes which He attributed to Himself without comparing these qualities to the qualities of humans because Allah (Glory be to Him) has no parallel "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer." [Surat Ash-Shura: 11].

It is important to stress that there is no way to understand the essence of Allah and His Attributes because Allah (Glory be to Him) is higher and more sublime than the perceptions of His Servants because He has the highest example and without this knowledge a person cannot be a true believer because by this knowledge a believer worships Allah alone without associating partners with Him in confirmation to Allah's Saying: "You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)." [Surat Al Fatihah: 5]. And acting according to the advice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said: "If you beg, beg of Him Alone; and if you need assistance, supplicate to Allah Alone for help. And remember that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except that which Allah had foreordained (for you); and if all of them gather to do harm to you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which Allah had pre-destined against you. The pens had been lifted, and the pages have dried."

Following the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him):

There is no way for victory except by responding to Allah and His Messenger, and following the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his words, actions, approvals, and in things which he abandoned, and by following the example of the Righteous Predecessors who had a strong faith and followed the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) truly, therefore they deserved the victory of Allah until they gained the pleasure of Allah. "And the foremost to embrace Islâm of the Muhâjirûn (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansâr (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhâjirûn) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allâh is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success." [Surat At-Tawbah: 100].

Following the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) should be through reviving his Sunnah to gain the pleasure of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted). However, if we turn away from following his example, Allah shall grant victory to His Religion and His Messenger and shall substitute us with another people whom He loves and who love Him to achieve victory at their hands, therefore Allah says: "And if you turn away (from Islam and the obedience of Allah), He will exchange you for some other people, and they will not be your likes." [Surat Muhammad: 38]. He also says: "O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islâm), Allâh will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the Way of Allâh, and never fear of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allâh which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allâh is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower." [Surat Al Ma'idah: 54]. Allah rebuked those who had neglect the support of His Prophet (peace be upon him): "If you help him (Muhammad peace be upon him) not (it does not matter), for Allâh did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they (Muhammad peace be upon him and Abu Bakr may Allah be pleased with him) were in the cave, he (peace be upon him) said to his companion (Abu Bakr may Allah be pleased with him): "Be not sad ( or afraid), surely Allâh is with us. "Then Allâh sent down His Sakînah (calmness, tranquility, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost , while the Word of Allâh that became the uppermost; and Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [Surat At-Tawbah: 40].

The greatest thing which Muslims must follow in the Prophet (peace be upon him) is faith and the sound creed which he brought from Allah and called people to as well as leaving out the delusions of misleaders such as philosophers and theologians who spoke about the attributes of Allah, His Destiny and Fate, Wisdom, Promise, and Threat with their corrupted minds and deviated rules, leaving aside the approach of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which His Lord sent down with guidance, useful knowledge, and with the clear truth.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islâm), to make it superior over all religions even though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh) hate (it)." [Surat At-Tawbah: 33]. Therefore, Allah (Glory be to Him) reproached the approaches of misleaders and praised the approach of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He says: "Glorified is your Lord, the Lord of Honor and Power! (He is free) from what they attribute to Him!. * And peace be on the Messengers!. * Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]." [Surat As-Safat: 180 - 182].

The Prophet (peace be upon him) exhorted us to follow his approach and Sunnah in the time of disagreement and error because avoiding errors lies in following his example, he said: "Because whosoever among you shall live after me, will see much discord. So hold fast to my Sunnah and the examples of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs who will come after me. Adhere to them and hold to it fast. Beware of new things (in Deen) because every Bid`ah is a misguidance." He also said: "He who innovates an action against our Shari `ah, it will be rejected."

Uniting the word and participating in Jihad for the sake of Allah

Allah will not bring victory to this nation but after following the true religion, leaving aside the approaches of the people of innovation and misguidance, and dedicating oneself to the call of Allah and Jihad, for this is the way of success, survival, and achieving victory.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "O You who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment?. * That you believe in Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him), and that you strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allâh with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know!. * (If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in 'Adn (Eden) Paradise; that is indeed the great success. * And also (He will give you) another (blessing) which you love, help from Allâh (against your enemies) and a near victory. And give glad tidings (O Muhammad peace be upon him) to the believers." [Surat As-Saf: 10 - 13]. Victory shall not be achieved by wishes and raising slogans but it is achieved by hard work to enlighten Muslims about the approach of Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jama`ah, work to revive it and hold firm with it, and declare self-struggle against desires, Satanic insinuations, errors, polytheism, and polytheists.

Obstacles in the way of achieving victory

1- Leniency in dealing with the matters of faith and neglecting the following of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the following of the Righteous Predecessors, claiming that reformation of the nation shall not be achieved but through others' approaches such as the sayings of some people: "The approach of the Pious Predecessors is safer but the approach of the Successors is more knowledgeable and more precise." The conditions of this nation shall not be reformed but by the things that reformed the first generation.

2- Raising bright slogans and false promises and satisfying with words rather than work. Allah censured people for doing this by saying: "O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? * Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do. * Verily, Allâh loves those who fight in His Cause in rows (ranks) as if they were a solid structure." [Surat As-Saf: 2 - 4].

3- Harming the Prophet by leaving his example and attacking his approach. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And (remember) when Mûsa (Moses) said to his people:" O my people! Why do you annoy me while you know certainly that I am the Messenger of Allâh to you? So when they turned away (from the Path of Allâh), Allâh turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And Allâh guides not the people who are Fâsiqûn (rebellious, the disobedient to Allâh)." [Surat As-Saf: 5].

How did the former believers support the religion of Allah?

Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Be you helpers (in the Cause) of Allah." [Surat As-Saf: 14], therefore former believers provided victory to the religion of Allah and the His Messenger (peace be upon him) until Allah fulfilled His Promise by providing victory to His Servant [Muhammad], His Soldiers, and defeated the Confederates alone. The first people who supported the religion of Allah were the Muhajereen [migrants] then the Ansar [Helpers]. Allah (Glory be to Him) said about them: "(And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking Bounties from Allâh and to please Him, and helping Allâh (ie helping His religion) and His Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him). Such are indeed the truthful (to what they say). * And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Banû An- Nadîr), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from hisown covetousness, such are they who will be the successful." [Surat Al Hashr: 8 - 9]. Therefore, there is no way to achieve victory but through following them righteously, revive their approach, and support the religion of Allah by following their example and declaring loving them as Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And those who came after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord ! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful." [Surat Al Hashr: 10].

Loving the Pious Predecessors is a sign of faith

Loving the Pious Predecessors is a sign of faith, and following their approach is the way of victory and empowerment. However, hating them is a sign of hypocrisy, and leaving aside their approach is a sign of weakness and disagreement. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The sign of faith is the love of the Helpers and the sign of hypocrisy is hating the helpers." The Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicated Allah to them when he said: "O Allah, grant forgiveness to the Ansar, and the sons of the Ansar and the sons of the sons of the Ansar.

O Allah, make us follow them, make us join them safely, grant us their love, and send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.