Twenty-Second Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1443 A. H.
Faith-Based Brotherhood (1)
The Important Islamic Principle Essential to Change the Course of Life for the Better
I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.
One of the most important Islamic principles, religious obligations, and necessary requirements for the reality of this life and the nature of responsibility is to hold firmly to the rope of Allah and to preserve unity and brotherhood among the believers. This great principle is a religious obligation commanded by Allah as an obligation that is a must for obtaining Taqwa and adhering to faith. In other words, a person cannot be of the true believers and the pious servants in the sight of Allah if s/he does not seek to fulfil this obligation and take great care of moving according to His instructions and teachings.
This obligation is a must for fulfilling collective faith-related responsibilities. Allah (Glory be to Him) appointed responsibilities that require cooperation and collective effort based on the principle of one ummah. Some of these responsibilities include performing Jihad in the cause of Allah, enjoining what is good, forbidding what is evil, establishing justice, and other responsibilities including cooperating in righteousness and Taqwa. All these collective responsibilities that demand collective and organized effort require a state of brotherhood among the believers and should be based on the principle of unity.
In addition, the Divine Project is a collective project because people live an interconnected reality and move in a collective manner regardless of the side they support, the side of falsehood or of the truth. Human societies on this earth move collectively and among groups, such as countries, entities, etc. This is well known in the reality of people. So the Divine Project is a collective project that unifies people and appoints collective responsibilities for the believers to carry out and move to fulfil.
On top of that, it represents an element of strength, and this is a well-known fact: Unity is strength, while division is weakness. Indeed, unity gives strength in the face of enemies, in fulfilling collective responsibilities, in carrying out major projects, in securing all that requires the Ummah to obtain strength, in facing challenges and dangers, and in achieving the great and strategic goals. This is a well-known fact.
Furthermore, unity, brotherhood, cooperation, understanding, and harmony are of the most important factors for internal stability. Every nation that seeks to fulfil its responsibilities and goals needs internal stability to help it to best fulfil such responsibilities; it needs cooperation that is based on harmony and understanding.
In addition, moving in a serious way with effective collective effort needs the spirit of understanding, cooperation, harmony, and internal stability. If there is no internal stability, people will normally be busy with the problems that keep increasing, bothering them, affecting them, and completely attracting their attention at the mental, emotional, and intellectual level and at the practical level. As a result, that will reflect badly on their key obligations, responsibilities, and important goals. This is a well-known fact: Internal stability that is secured by a state of unity and brotherhood is a very important factor for achieving success, carrying out major missions, fulfilling responsibilities no matter how big they might be, and achieving great and important results. We are going to speak about this in greater detail.
In spite of all of that—in spite of the fact that this matter is a religious obligation and a great Islamic principle of great importance and that this matter is necessary for showing adherence to religion, for obtaining Taqwa, for fulfilling collective responsibilities, for facing challenges and threats, for enhancing and establishing internal stability, and for contributing to a very great extent to ensuring great results—no due attention, in spite of all of that, is paid to this obligation at the practical level. It is an obligation that is fought by Shaytan and his Auliya and receives little attention in the reality of Muslims at the general level and even at internal level.
This is an extraordinary paradox. It is a matter of great importance in terms of the attention it has received in the Holy Quran, in the many verses, and in what is attributed to the Prophet (PBUH&F). It has such importance and such a fruit and a result! At the same time, neglecting this obligation can lead to very serious consequences: The state of division is punished by Allah's great torment, which is too horrible and which every believing person with sincere faith seeks to protect him/herself from, and can lead to great loss and failure in terms of the responsibilities people seek to fulfil. Such people will fail and keep getting upset and busy with one another at the expense of their major, significant causes and sacred responsibilities. Therefore, the consequences are too horrible, terrible, and serious! They pave the way for Shaytan to widen the gap and sow division and strife, leading to very bad consequences that include various sins, which we are going to speak about in a detailed way.
The commands of Allah (Glory be to Him) in the Holy Quran that are related to this topic are numerous, direct, clear, and assured. However, those who consider themselves moving on the base of responding to Allah still have to really respond to Him. Allah says in the Holy Quran, {‘And all of you must hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not be divided’}. In the Holy Quran, Allah draws the most elegant and greatest unity, which is better than any unity that might take place in the reality of human society. This is a faith-based unity that takes faith as its starting point. That way, we all hold tight to Allah's rope, take Him as shelter, and agree on one word that is based on the guidance of Allah (Glory be to Him) and His blessed, collective, sacred, great instructions. This unity of faith is a unity that Allah is the One Who lays its solid, great, strong foundation, upon which it is built; therefore, its building is lofty, solid, fine, and strong. That is because it was based on a ground and foundation that are hard, firm, solid, and strong.
Of the important revelations on the obligation of uniting with one another and guarding against division and discord
Of the most serious factors that lead to division and discord is being at odds at the intellectual and cultural levels and at the level of visions. When it comes to the practical aspect, visions related to the practical aspect vary, which leads to division and discord, but this issue is the first issue the Holy Quran focuses on and provides solutions to. It determines the motive for us so that it must be a sacred faith-based motive that makes Allah (Glory be to Him) grant us support and success. Then it unifies our vision so that we move with a united vision and a united attitude. In addition, He assures us in the Holy Quran that it is a must to move collectively, to seek all reasons for unity and affinity, and to guard against the reasons of division and dispute. He enumerates all of that in the Holy Quran.
In this divine command, {‘And all of you must hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together’}, we are commanded to hold firmly, which indicates that the act of holding firmly must be collective in the first place: ‘all of you’. In addition, {‘all together’} emphasizes that this act of holding firmly must be a collective act. He then says, {‘And do not be divided’}—this is the third time He emphasizes that. This huge, clear emphasis shows how serious division is and that it is transgression, sin, and crime—a horrible, serious, and bad crime.
Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {‘Indeed, all the believers are but brothers’}. Therefore, believers, out of their affiliation to faith, responsibilities of faith, and the march of faith, are brothers; they have to feel this faith-based brotherhood, which is greater than ties of kinship and all other ties.
Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {‘So fear Allah and amend that which is between you and obey Allah and His Messenger, if you are true believers’}. Allah orders to amend what is between us in order to preserve unity, brotherhood, and cooperation. He (the Almighty) says, {‘Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a structure joined firmly’}. He (Glory be to Him) also says, {‘You shall establish the religion and not be disunited therein’}.
Also, He strongly warns us of division and discord as it is a horrible crime and of the major sins: He (Glory be to Him) says, {‘And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them’}. That is because clear proofs unify and are enough to make believers gather around them and solve any situations of discord and misunderstanding and to provide what solves ill feelings that negatively affect unity and cooperation among believers.
{‘And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment’}. This is a horrifying matter and a clear threat that can never go unfulfilled. This is a sin that can alone lead you to Jahannam and to the great punishment, even if you pretended to care for Salat, fasting, and other deeds, you were of those who became divided, sought division, never sought faith-based brotherhood, moved towards division and fragmentation, distanced themselves, turned away, and sought to get out of the faith-based row and brotherhood. This sin alone is sufficient to get you to Jahannam: {‘And those will have a great punishment.’} Indeed, it is a horrible sin, whose negative effects are too serious, especially on great, huge, important collective responsibilities in the reality of Ummah.
Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {‘Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects—you, , are not with them in anything. Their affair is only to Allah; then He will inform them about what they used to do’}. His saying to His Prophet (PBUH&F) {‘You, , are not with them in anything’} is a very important expression which indicates that they have nothing to do with the Messenger nor with how he was. Therefore, they have nothing to do with the religion. That is too horrible and serious.
It narrated about the Messenger (PBUH&F) that he said, ‘Do not harbour grudge against one another, nor jealousy, nor enmity; and do not show your backs to one another; and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to avoid his brother beyond three days’—avoiding one another out of discord, agitation, and estrangement. An intentional rupture in relations that is due to estrangement is not permitted. If it happens, it must be got rid of before it takes too long: ‘It is not lawful for a Muslim to avoid his brother beyond three days.’
The Messenger (PBUH&F) also says, ‘You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you shall not believe until you love one another.’ Faith plays an important role even at the behavioural level; therefore, in addition to the unifying principles it presents, it purifies the soul and shapes it to be able to love, cooperate, understand, and join efforts for the sake of obeying Allah (Glory be to Him). It also heals people from all bad and evil impurities and sediments, which represent an obstacle in the way of faith-based brotherhood, cooperation in righteousness and Taqwa, and cooperation in fulfilling collective responsibilities: ‘May I inform you of something, if you do, you love each other? Promote greeting amongst you, communicate, and exchange .’
The consequences of neglecting this sacred obligation
Many are the texts that focus on unity, its importance, and brotherhood among Muslims. They are authentic and clear and deal with this matter as a priority. Likewise, there are so many clear narrations that warn against division and are accompanied with explicit threats. Even so, it is obvious that one of the biggest problems in the Muslims' reality is that they neglected this great principle and sacred obligation in spite of its importance and great results. As a result, they have paid a high, heavy, and exorbitant price.
In the reality of the Islamic Ummah and throughout history until the current period of time, division has severely harmed Muslims. It is true that Muslims belong to a big ummah that has great capabilities, but because it is divided and scattered, its enemies have moved to unite against it and have been able to persecute it. Being affiliated to the huge Muslim Ummah (more than a billion Muslims) does not make the Muslim feel s/he has great and effective support, for s/he is aware of the fact that wherever s/he is in this Islamic world and whatever challenges, dangers, oppression, tyranny, humiliation, or offence s/he encounters, no one will care about him/her. The spirit of brotherhood, cooperation, and solidarity does not exist within the Umamh, the spirit that can motivate the Muslims in this Ummah to support one another in facing challenges, enemies, and threats, in pursuing their common and major interests that help the Ummah to rise, and in cooperating in righteousness and Taqwa.
That is why the enemies have had the nerve and boldly dared to persecute Muslims all over the world. In their countries, lots of regions, and even in continents, Muslims face direct religious persecution: They are deprived of their religious rights, tortured, oppressed, and subjected to genocide, mass displacement, etc. Also, they are prevented from any behaviour that reflects their identity of faith, such as wearing scarf and many other things. Offensive acts keep taking place against the Holy Quran (e.g., burning it), against the Prophet of Islam (PBUH&F), and against the sanctities of Muslims. They know that although this Ummah is huge in number, size, and potentials, it is weak: Its power is not as enormous as its size because it is divided and scattered. Every country is overwhelmed with its own concerns, problems, and issues; therefore, they abandon their collective responsibilities, which are the key to enhancing their relations and ties.
All forms of division do now exist in the Islamic world and the Islamic Ummah—division and discord at the intellectual level, the cultural level, and the political level. The enemies also have worked hard to tear the body of this Ummah apart, split it into small countries, divide it into tiny parts, and draw political barriers among them. They have been working continuously and tirelessly to widen the gap among the sons of the Ummah and have kept at reproducing more of the division factors that divide Muslims at the cultural, ideological, intellectual, and political levels and at all other levels, even the racial level. They are paying efforts to sow division among Muslims!
Thus, they have brought the Muslims to this miserable state of division and severe discord that has never existed in any other nations, while they turn to form alliances and coalitions and agree on unified positions against our Islamic Ummah. It has become very difficult for the Islamic Ummah to agree on adopting the same position, and if any agreement sometimes takes place, it does not go beyond a purely symbolic one, such as issuing a statement. However, even this has become something of the past.
The enemies have used the takfiri strife to enlarge and deepen the wounds of this Ummah more and more. They have come up with other banners (political ones), and they have entered into the Ummah through the help of their proxy regimes of the munafiqin who the enemies of this Ummah use as demolition shovels to widen the gap from the inside and stir up more and more chaos within this Ummah.
The foundations of the Ummah's unity do exist if there
is a genuine will
Despite the division and fragmentation of the Ummah and what the enemies are doing, if the free and good people of the Ummah who have adopted the right and positive direction, have a strong and sincere will to solve this problem through paying considerable efforts, strengthening the unifying affiliation to the Islamic Ummah, and agreeing on following the Holy Quran and focusing on common ground and on unifying their position on the main causes, this will represent a first step forward in the general Islamic reality. Indeed, it will be a very important step that benefits the Islamic Ummah. That is because talking about the unification of all Muslims at once even at the level of one position is almost impossible due to the miserable situation they have reached to and the nature of the opposing attitudes that have prevailed among many of the sons of the Ummah who do not take this matter as a priority and bear ill feelings and stick to obstacles that keep them away from paying attention to such matters to a great extent.
However, at the general level, if the good, wise, and mindful people of the Ummah move based on the agreed-upon titles (the Islamic title, which transcends above doctrinal, geographical frames; returning to the Holy Quran) and pay efforts in support of the same unifying positions and causes that concern the whole Ummah in general, paying efforts in this way—even it has (Allah willing) proved to be promising as seen in the efforts paid by the freemen and mujahidin from the Ummah in support of the Palestinian cause and other unifying causes—will be of good results (Allah willing).
With regard to a specific society (such as our Yemeni society where we share the same unifying identity, the identity of faith, and the unifying affiliation to faith and we live as one country unified by so many ties), seeking to enhance this faith-based affiliation and this unifying identity of faith, which is a blessed and great identity, and to move according to the Holy Quran is one of the most important, sacred, and greatest things that Allah might use to unify our hearts and bring them together in the face of the serious challenges and threats.
There are destructive factors that are being used to sow division among our people, notably the takfirists and munafiqun. The takfirists are munafiqun, but they have their own special characteristics: They wave religious banners, seek to deepen the state of division and to widen the gap among the Yemeni people, consider the rest of the Yemeni people who do not share the same ideology or take an opposing position from them as kafirin, and work as tools serving the enemies of Islam and Muslims.
At the general level, whenever the unifying identity of faith is strengthened, whenever the connection with the Holy Quran and its guidance is strengthened, and whenever efforts are paid for the sake of fulfilling the collective responsibilities (such as Jihad in the cause of Allah, establishment of justice, enjoining good, and forbidding evil), we then can seek to free out country from the subordination and slavery to our enemies and prevent the control of the munafiqin over our nation. That is because it is a great Muslim nation whose identity is based on faith and is not acceptable for it to be controlled by munafiqin, who follow the enemies of the Ummah, are loyal to them, and seek to implement their agendas and conspiracies from the inside.
The characteristics of those believers who seek to strengthen faith-based brotherhood
When it comes to our reality in terms of this faith-based movement, what can help us strengthen this faith-based brotherhood? As we mentioned, Allah has laid the foundation for it : the united vision. When we move in accordance with Allah's guidance, which is light and insight (we do not move according to our desires and views, some of which might be absurd and away from wisdom and the truth), and go back to the Holy Quran, this is the solid ground upon which faith-based brotherhood can be built in the most appropriate way.
Then Allah (Glory be to Him) says about paying efforts for the sake of fulfilling collective unifying responsibilities, {‘The believers, both men and women, are Auliya of one another. They encourage good and forbid evil, establish prayer and pay Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is they who will be shown Allah's mercy. Surely Allah is Almighty, All-Wise’}. Among their characteristics and commitments of faith, as well as what has to do with that commitment of faith and Istiqama, is what is revealed in Allah's saying, {‘The believers, both men and women, are Auliya of one another.’} So they move as one ummah with a spirit of brotherhood and cooperation that enjoys harmony and joins efforts to fulfil this collective responsibility: {‘They encourage good and forbid evil.’} At the end of the blessed verse, Allah says, {‘It is they who will be shown Allah's mercy. Surely, Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.’}
He also says, {‘Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row’}: one row that sticks to the same belief and position and enjoys the spirit of cooperation. They join efforts with one another {‘as though they are a structure joined firmly’}: In their cooperation, brotherhood, cohesion, solidity, and strength, they are like a structure joined firmly.
The Holy Quran greatly guides to the factors that help to gain faith-based brotherhood and maintain the unity of word at all levels: at the intellectual level, the cultural level, and the level of having the same practical vison and moving towards fulfilling the same collective responsibility, with which Allah brings their hearts together due to their sincere efforts, their sincerity to Him (the Almighty), and their implementation of that for His sake.
There is what lays the foundation for unity to be built upon, what can maintain it, and what can help one to gain it at the psychological and educational levels. The Holy Quran provides what purifies the soul and cleans it of dangerous impurities that prevent brotherhood and cooperation. Indeed, it can clean the human's soul of selfishness, envy, arrogance, greed, and avarice. It helps the human to purify his/her soul. Purification of the soul makes the human's mentally ready for affinity, free from ill feelings, and close to brotherhood. Such a soul does not contain what can create obstacles or ill feelings, which are of serious consequences.
Then at the level of treating well, doing good, being kind, seeking to get things straight between them, and having the values that help one achieve that, there are important characteristics that show how they are among themselves. An example of this is what Allah (Glory be to Him) said : {‘compassionate with one another’}. If these great characteristics are well grounded, and if mercy prevails among people (in their interactions with one another, in their taking care of one another, in the way they treat one another, in paying attention to one another's affairs)—if mercy prevails, does it not result in affinity, brotherhood, and cooperation? It does! The state of being merciful is a permanent state that has become one of their main characteristics they stick to and apply to the way they behave, interact with one another, think of one another, do one another a favour, and sympathize with one another in situations that call for mercy.
Also, Allah describes them, {‘humble with the believers’}, and He presents it as one of the essential characteristics: {‘humble with the believers’}. They, among themselves, in how they deal with one another, and in their behaviours towards one another, they deal in extreme humbleness. They do not rush into becoming offensive, tough, or cruel towards one another or committing a crime or violation against one another. They are far away from such practices, and they have reached the highest degree of humbleness in dealing with one another. They do not rush into offending or committing aggression, injustice, or any kind of intentional bad actions against their believing brothers: {‘humble with the believers but firm towards the disbelievers’}.
Restraining rage and pardoning others is evidence of having
a pure soul and great awareness
In addition, He says that they {‘restrain their rage, and pardon others’}. So they are characterized by their ability to restrain their rage: Even if s/he has faced what might bother or irritate him/her by a believer brother, s/he does not immediately resort to offence, reply with what is worse than what has been said to him/her, or bring out what is in his/her heart in the form of offences, accusations, or cruel words when in rage. Rage is the worst state of anger, and it is a dangerous state for many people who cannot have control over themselves when they fall into this state: They would say any words no matter how offensive or cruel. Sometimes, these words contain falsehood, offence, false accusations, and hurtful language, so they bear a huge sin and create a gap that grows day after day.
Allah says that they {‘restrain their rage’}, which indicates that it is a continuous characteristic. They are not of the kind of persons who, when nervous, start to talk , offend others, or overreact. Most of the times, reactions are exaggerated: They are mostly exaggerated and contain more accusations, more offence, and more pain. Only a few people can control themselves when reacting to what really upsets them or hurts their feelings. However, in most cases, a person overreacts and falls into sin when s/he seeks to bring satisfaction to him/herself or as said, ‘to calm his/her rage’. That is, s/he talks and talks, offends, hurts, and says what satisfies him/her. However, this cannot be acceptable at the ethical level, the humanitarian level, and the level of faith. In addition, this inflicts a burden and sin upon the person. Indeed, this happens to many people as they wrong with their reactions that are full of falsehood, offences, hurtful words, and false accusations. Some may swear and add some oaths. This is an awful and horrible thing when a person swears on lies and adds an additional sin to the previous ones.
{‘And pardon people’}—s/he may even forgive because s/he has great priorities and great responsibilities. Actually, s/he is busy with what is more important: the major cause and confronting the serious challenges. S/he is truly mindful of the consequences of division and what it causes of weakness, disintegration, and failure, as well as how it benefits the enemies and results into horrible consequences for people in their religion and life.
Allah says about them (the believers), {‘And forgive when angered’}. Among themselves, when a word or action provokes or angers them, they do not react quickly, boldly, or toughly and show an offensive, hurtful, painful, vengeful reaction. They do not have ill feelings, such as hatred or revenge against everything, so that they might meet the simplest words, the slightest provocation, and the easiest problem with an exaggerated reaction that is vengeful and cruel in its nature and reflects malice, hatred, and ill feelings within the person. The soul of such a person cannot be healthy. In contrast, Allah says about them, {‘And forgive when angered.’} This indicates the purity and serenity of their souls, their great attention to great matters and responsibilities, and their awareness of the danger of the enemies, the danger of not paying enough of effort to face them, and the magnitude of the issues at hand. Therefore, they do not make a big deal out of nothing or make any problem, any issue, or any misunderstanding look like the biggest problem. Some people consider the most trivial issue to be greater than the Palestinian issue, greater than the ongoing aggression against our country, and greater than any other issue. When they are provoked and angered, their reaction, their stress, their annoyance, and their concern surpass everything else. This reflects a mental state that is unhealthy and constricted, a state that does not pay attention to the great issues at hand, bear the feelings of faith, or value the guidance of Allah. We will speak more about this later (Allah willing).
This subject calls for great details; we will speak about it later (Allah willing).
That is enough for today.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah (Glory Be to You), have mercy on our martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are All-Hearing! O Allah, accept our fasting, night prayers, and good deeds.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
