Part One
Praise be to Allah! Praise be to Allah, the Sovereign enjoying power and dominion.
He has pervasive volition in dealing with His creatures. He is the Living, Eternal and
Immortal. He (Glory Be to Him) has unrivalled supremacy over His creatures in terms of
Rank, Potency, and Omnipotence. He salvaged His close companion (Ibrahim) from fire and
saved Yūnus from the whale’s belly. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah; No
minute detail can escape His knowledge or surpass His will. I also bear witness that
Muhammad is Allah’s Servant and Messenger. His Lord has embellished his character with
the best traits and the noblest qualities. May Allah send His bountiful Salāt (Graces, Honours,
and Mercy) and Peace upon him, his family, and his Companions till the Day of Judgement!
Now then!
The best speech is Allah’s Book and the best guidance is that of Muhammad (May
Allah’s Salāt and Peace be upon him). The most vicious of all things are novelties
(muḥdathāt, in religion); every novelty (muḥdathah) is an innovation (bid’ah), and every
innovation is misguidance.
Then the best advice is indeed observing taqwa (fear of disobeying Allah). So, do
adhere to taqwa vis-à-vis Allah and perform good deeds:
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... then whosoever becomes pious and righteous, on them shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve. [Al-A’rāf: 35]
Whoever observes fear of Allah will be under His guardianship, and whoever fears
humans will find no shelter from divine chastisement.
O Muslims!
The conduct of prophets (May Allah’s Salāt and Peace be upon them all) is full of
lessons and moral points. It is a radiant light procession upon a radiant light procession:
Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding.
It (the Qur'an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of the
Allâh's existing Books [the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and
other Scriptures of Allâh] and a detailed explanation of everything
and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe. [Yūsuf: 111]
The stories of the Holy Qur’ān were revealed to the Messenger of Allah (May Allah’s
Salāt and Peace be upon him) while he was still in Makkah and while the few believers who
followed him were under siege in the mountain paths of Makkah. Their way was hard and
long, and they could hardly see any end to it. The Qur’ānic stories would reveal for them the
end of the way ahead, show them its contours, guide their steps, and provide them with the
needed help. The Qur’ānic stories were also meant to keep the Prophet (May Allah’s Salāt
and Peace be upon him) steadfast:
And all that We relate to you (O Muhammad SAW) of the news of
the Messengers is in order that We may make strong and firm your
heart thereby. And in this (chapter of the Qur'an) has come to you
the truth, as well as an admonition and a reminder for the
believers. [Hūd: 120]
and say to him “You are not alone in this path.”
Therefore be patient (O Muhammad SAW) as did the Messengers
of strong will ... [Al-Aḥqāf: 35]
O Muslims!
Today, we are going to deal with the story of one of Allah’s prophets. It is a story that
said to our Prophet Muhammad (May Allah’s Salāt and Peace be upon him): “Beware! Never
renounce the mission of da’wah (calling to Islam) and the burdens of (conveying) the
Message.” It said:
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So wait with patience for the Decision of your Lord, and be not like
the Companion of the Fish, when he cried out (to Us) while he was
in deep sorrow. [Al-Qalam: 48]
That was the story of Yūnus (peace be upon him). Allah sent him to the people of
Nineveh in the district of Mosul (in modern Iraq). He called them to tawheed, i.e. to profess
belief in the unity of Allah (be He glorified) and to worship Him alone, but they disbelieved
him and obstinately persisted in their atheism. With the passage of time, he grew impatient
with their disbelief, became furious and quitted them. He threatened them that divine
chastisement was due in three days.
He therefore quitted, showing his extreme anger thinking that Allah would not
constrict the land in front of him. He thought that the earth was quite vast, the cities were
numerous, and human communities were also countless. He also thought that since those
people were too difficult to call to Allah, then Allah would certainly redirect him to other
people. This is the meaning of the verse: ... and imagined that We shall not
punish him (i.e. the calamites which had befallen him)!... [Al-Anbiyā’: 87],
that is to say, “He imagined we shall not constrict the land in front of him.”
As to the people of Yūnus, when they noticed that he quitted them and that Allah’s
punishment would certainly befall them, Allah threw into their hearts repentance, so they
regretted their negative response to their prophet. They, then, submitted themselves to Allah,
showing their humility to Him. It was really a great moment! Allah lifted off, with His Might,
Strength, Compassion, and Mercy, the punishment that was otherwise to befall them due to
their deeds. That divine favour was granted only to the people of Yūnus.
Indeed, no nation in history, which disbelieved its messenger and was about to be
punished, but then declared belief and was saved from the due divine punishment (except the
people of Yūnus). Allah the Almighty says in the surah of Yūnus:
Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the
punishment), and its Faith (at that moment) saved it (from the
punishment)? (The answer is none,) - except the people of Yûnus
(Jonah); when they believed, We removed from them the torment
of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to
enjoy for a while. [Yūnus: 98]
O servants of Allah!
The fury of Yūnus (peace be upon him) led him to the sea shore where he boarded a
ship laden with passengers and merchandise. In the middle of sea, the ship badly struggled
against high winds and rising waves. In common creed, that symptom was ominous of wrath
٤
against one of the passengers who must have committed a sin and should accordingly be
thrown into the sea so that the ship could be saved from sinking. They may have alternatively
wanted to alleviate the cargo of the ship in order to avoid sinking. After they drew lots to
decide on who should be thrown into the sea to save the ship, Yūnus’ name emerged, but they
pitied him and could not throw him into the sea. However, on drawing lots, Yūnus’ name
emerged repeatedly:
And, verily, Yûnus (Jonah) was one of the Messengers. When he
ran to the laden ship [Al-Ṣāffāt: 139-140]
To describe Yūnus’ departure, Allah used the Arabic verb “abaqa”, to run away in the
same a slave does from his master, because he departed without Allah’s permission: He
(agreed to) cast lots, and he was among the losers. [Al-Ṣāffāt: 141]. He was
then thrown into the sea. Then a (big) fish swallowed him and he had done an
act worthy of blame. [Al-Ṣāffāt: 142]. He indeed deserved blaming because he
disengaged himself from the mission Allah entrusted him with. Furious with his people, he
left them before taking permission from Allah. Then, the big fish (whale) swallowed him
without eating his flesh or smashing his bones. He remained inside the whale’s belly for a
while (preordained by Allah). It was a triple obscurity: the obscurity of the whale’s belly, the
obscurity of the sea, and the obscurity of the night. He (peace be upon him) called up his
Lord in supplication:
... Lâ ilâha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You
(O Allâh)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they
associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers." [Al-
Anbiyā’: 87]
It was reported that when the angels heard his voice, they said, “O Lord! A feeble
familiar voice coming from an alien country.” So, Allah answered his supplication and
salvaged him from grief:
And thus We do deliver the believers (who believe in the Oneness
of Allâh, abstain from evil and work righteousness). [Al-Anbiyā’: 88]
Had he not been of them who glorify Allâh He would have indeed
remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day of Resurrection. [Al-
Ṣāffāt: 143-144]
Had he not shown obedience to Allah through performing prayers and evoking divine
attributes in the time of well-being before being swallowed by the whale, he would have
remained in the fish’s belly till Resurrection Day. This point is implicit in the Prophet’s
hadith, “Be mindful of Allah’s commandments, He will protect you; Be mindful of Allah’s
commandments, you will find Him in front of you.” Yūnus (peace be upon him) was one of
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those who glorify Allah and supplicate Him even inside the whale’s belly because he was
before accustomed to doing so.
Then, the big fish threw up Yūnus (peace be upon him) on the sea shore in a place
where there was neither vegetation nor shade. His body was very weak:
But We cast him forth on the naked shore while he was sick. And
We caused a plant of gourd to grow over him. [Al-Ṣāffāt: 145-146]
The gourd plant cast its shade over Yūnus with its large leaves and protected him
from flies which are said to be repelled by such a plant. In the Arab culture, every plant
having no stem is categorised as gourd. It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (May
Allah’s Salāt and Peace be upon him) was fond of al-dubbā’ (a dish made of gourd) to the
point that he would eat up every bit of it even in the edges of his bowl.
Then, Allah ordered him to return to his people, who believed him and embraced his
faith. Their number reached no less than one hundred thousand people, which means that
Allah honoured and favoured His prophet. That is why our Prophet Muhammad (May Allah’s
Salāt and Peace be upon him) has the highest number of followers. He said, “Every prophet,
without exception, was given what humans were supposed to embrace as creed; and what I
was given was divine revelation inspired to me by Allah; thus, I hope I will have the
highest number of followers on Resurrection Day.”
O servants of Allah!
That was (the story of) Yūnus (peace be upon him), a noble prophet. In the two Sahih
Books by Imam Muslim and Imam Bukhari, it is confirmed that Prophet Muhammad (May
Allah’s Salāt and Peace be upon him) said, “None should say: ‘I am better than Yūnus Ibn
Mattā (Matthew) was’.” He was one among many other noble prophets. Allah mentioned
them in the surahs of Al-Nissā’ and Al-An’ām when He said, They are those whom
Allâh had guided. So follow their guidance. [Al-An’ām: 90]
The great guidance in this story is the right guidance that Allah commended His
Prophet to follow when He said:
So wait with patience for the Decision of your Lord, and be not like
the Companion of the Fish, .... [Al-Qalam: 48]
So, all the people entrusted with a particular da’wah must, by all means, endure its
painful burden and keep their patience in the face of disbelief and harm, for its sake.
Disbelieving sincere and confident people is indeed very bitter for the soul to cope with, but
these are the dear costs to be paid (for being entrusted with a da’wah).
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Followers of the messengers must observe patience and endurance; they must stay the
course and maintain perseverance. They must re-engage the da’wah and keep calling people
time and again. They must not, however, give up faith in the goodness of souls and the
responsiveness of hearts no matter how much denial, refutation, arrogance and ingratitude
they may face.
It is easy for reformers to feel frustrated and give up on the people they are calling on
because they do not find them responsive enough, but this does not help the truth to come out
victorious. A believer must suppress his anger and carry on. It is better for him to be patient
as all shall end well for the righteous:
Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say.
(98). So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who
prostrate themselves (to Him). [Al-Ḥijr: 97-99]
O servants of Allah!
O you, who are feeling distressed, burdened and afflicted! You shall find a set
example in those supplications by the prophets. Imam Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi narrated with
an authentic chain of narration on the authority of Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqāṣ (May Allah be
pleased with him) who reported the Messenger of Allah (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be
upon him) to have said: “The supplication of Dhi Al-Nūn (Prophet Yūnus) when he
supplicated, while inside the whale’s belly was: ‘There is deity (worthy of worship) except
You, Glory be to You! I have been of the transgressors.’ No Muslim man has ever asked
Allah for anything using this supplication without being answered.”
Therefore, think about this great supplication, for it includes tawheed (monotheism)
of Allah Almighty, His tanzeeh (elimination of anthropomorphic elements wrongly attributed
to Him) as well as gratitude (towards Him):
La ilaha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O
Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they
associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers." [Al-
Anbiyā’: 87]
Imam Ahmad narrated that Abdullah Ibn Mas’ūd (May Allah be pleased with him)
said: “The Messenger of Allah (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) said: ‘No servant
(of Allah) suffering from distress and worry has ever said (supplicating Allah Almighty):
Oh Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, and the son of your maid! My
forelock is in Your hand; I am subject to Your supreme power and I confess to the wisdom
in Your justice. I call on You with every attribute You possess, have sent down in Your
book, taught anyone of Your creatures, or have solely reserved for Yourself, I call on You
to make the Holy Koran the spring and light of my heart, the vanishing of my sorrow and
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sadness’ - No servant (of Allah) has ever supplicated Allah Almighty in these words
without having his concerns blown away, and replaced with joy’, (or ‒as reported
elsewhere with the word‒ relief.”
They said: “O Messenger of Allah! Should we learn these words?” He said: “Those
who have heard them should learn them.” Of course, ‘learning them’ includes memorizing
them, understanding them, and supplicating Allah using them.
In the two Sahihs (the two hadith books by Imam Muslim and Imam Bukhari), the
Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) used to supplicate Allah using the
following words whenever he felt anguished: “There is no deity but Allah, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise. There is no deity but Allah, the Lord of the Great Throne. There is no deity
but Allah, the Lord of the heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the Noble
Throne.”
These supplications are Prophetic remedies against all sorts of grief and sadness. He
who uses them in good faith, Allah would ease up his grief and make go away his sadness.
Whenever you are graciously guided to voluntarily perform two rak’ahs1, do
supplicate Allah Almighty in humility. (In this context, the Sheikh quotes a few lines of
poetry paraphrased as follows):
Ask your Lord to grant you success through them (rak’ahs).
Ask Him in good faith whenever you implore Him;
Whenever you prostrate yourself before Him in gratitude, supplicate Him
In the same words uttered by ‘Thu Al-Nūn’
Observe perseverance when knocking at His door,
So that He may open it for you when you do so.
Do remember Him continuously for as long as you are on Earth,
So that you will be mentioned in the Heavens whenever you do so.
May Allah bless you and me by the Qur'ān and Sunnah and benefit us with their
verses and wisdom! Having said this, I ask Allah, be He exalted, to forgive me and you!
1 A rak’ah is an individual unit of salat (prayer). For instance, Ṣubḥ (or Fajr) prayer is made up of two rak’ahs.
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Part Two
Praise be to Allah Alone, Who granted victory to His Servant2 and might to His
soldiers, and Who defeated the confederates alone. Praise be to Allah, the One and only One,
the Single, the Ṣamad3, Who begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal
or comparable unto Him.4 I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah Alone with no
associate and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah send His Salat and
Peace upon him, his family, Companions, the tābi’ῑn, and those who followed them with
righteousness until the Day of Judgement!
Now then, O Muslims!
“Palestine: the Usurped Territory”, “Jerusalem: the Captive City”, and “The
Palestinians: an Oppressed People while among their kin and brothers and sisters in faith.”
All the above are epitomes as to the current incapacitation within the Arab world, an arena
for political auctioneering and state-sponsored terrorism which is perpetrated by the
occupying entity (Israel) no matter how hard those governments that installed and sponsored
it try to justify its crimes and cover up its massacres. One day, the cover will certainly be
lifted and the media blackout will eventually come to an end.
While dismayed on account of the victims (of Israeli bombing), and aggrieved over
the displacement of many families and the terrorizing of scores of citizens, and despite the
differences among people over the circumstances involved, there is still shining hope through
the gloomy night of aggression which is embodied in a number of aspects including the
sympathizing from the part of many nations on earth as they realize the criminality of the
occupier and usurper, the aggressor and bloody criminal, the appalling and insidious killer.
The blackout over those crimes committed against the Palestinians and Palestine is the
quilt which has long covered up the enemy’s hideous acts. This evil face, however, has been
unveiled and along with it many other evil faces. Those who have always concealed and
justified such crimes and occupation have now been exposed:
And Allah drove back those who disbelieved in their rage, they
gained no advantage (booty, etc.) [Al Aḥzāb: 25]
They have achieved nothing but the killing of children and civilians, the destruction of
mosques and homes, collective massacres excluding no one, war crimes against humanity,
2 Used in reference to Prophet Muhammad (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) during the Battle of the
Trench.
3 It is one of Allah’s attributes mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān, meaning the Eternal, the Ever-Lasting, the Self-
Sufficient.
4 The expression in bold borrowed from sūrat Al-Ikhlāṣ, verses number 3-4.
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with no moral scruples or human consideration. All has been carried out under the gaze of the
international community and its silent and languid institutions and organizations.
The recent confrontation on the land of Gaza, despite the similar assaults that were
previously launched against its territory, features a new outcome where the balance of power
has slightly shifted as never before in favour of the oppressed. This bears evidence of change
towards a new type of rivalry; one that is carried out on the grounds of more equity in terms
of the balance of power in the face of the unjust occupier, especially with the changes taking
place in the region, despite their negative and blurry aspects. The sparks in the face-off are
bound to strike a long-oppressing aggressor and an enemy who has continued killing and
displacing people.
May Allah Almighty have mercy on the souls of the martyrs of Palestine, heal its
wounded, make up for its losses in money and homes, and grant it success in setting up a
righteous and truthful leadership.
We thank those nations who, despite the fact that they share neither language nor faith
with the Palestinians, have taken commendable positions vis-à-vis the recent offensive.
However, we have no consolation to offer for those who are still too weak in this regard!
And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of
men know not. [Yūsuf: 21]
O Allah! Send your Salat and Peace upon Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, the best and
most honest of all mankind.
O Allah! Send Your Salat (Graces, honours, Mercy), Peace and Blessing on Your
Servant and Messenger, Muhammad, his good and pure family, and his magnanimous and
auspicious Companions! O Allah! We implore your satisfaction with the rightly-guided
Imams and Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali, with all the Companions of Your
Prophet and those who followed them in righteousness and taken up their sunnah, O Lord of
the Worlds!
O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims, and fail polytheism and polytheists (who
associate partners with You). O Allah! Destroy the enemies of Your Religion. O Allah!
Grant safety and security to this homeland and to the rest of Muslim homelands!
O Allah! Fail those who want to harm or divide our country, turn their plots against
them, and make that the cause of their own destruction, O Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Grant us safety in our homelands! O Allah! Grant us safety in our
homelands, set right our leaders and those responsible for our affairs, and support with the
Truth our Imam and leader! O Allah! Help him follow Your guidance, make his deeds the
source of Your Satisfaction, and provide him with a righteous and truthful retinue! O Allah!
١٠
Grant him and his deputies success in their endeavours to achieve good and welfare for the
people and the country! O Allah! Lead them to the path of guidance and righteousness!
O Allah! Shove away from us expensiveness, epidemics, usury, earthquakes, trials,
and the worst ordeals whether implicit or explicit!
O Allah! Set right the conditions of Muslims everywhere! O Allah! Unite them on the
Truth and right guidance! O Allah! Stop their bloodshed, alleviate their fear, and protect their
religion, honour, homelands and property!
O Allah! We implore You to be on the side of the oppressed and the afflicted, to grant
victory to the defenceless Muslims everywhere! O Allah! Grant them victory in Palestine! O
Allah! Unite them around Your Truth, O Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Grant victory to Your Religion, Your Holy Book, Your Prophet’s Sunnah,
and Your true servants! O Allah! We leave to you the enemies of religion, for they are no
match to You! O Allah! We leave to you the enemies of religion, for they are no match to
You! O Allah! We leave to you the enemies of religion, for they are no match to You!
…Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the
Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the
Fire! [Al-Baqarah: 201]
O Allah! We ask You for pardon, well-being and long-lasting soundness in religion in
the Herein and the Hereafter!
O Allah! Forgive our sins, cover our flaws, make easy our affairs and let our wishes
come true in what pleases You! O Allah! Forgive our sins, those of our parents, our
grandparents, their progeny, our wives and children, You are All-Hearing!
O Allah! Lead us to the path of righteousness and expiate our shortcomings! Do
accept from us our salat, fasting, supplications, and good deeds as You are All-Hearing, All-
Knowing! O Allah! Forgive us, for You are All-Forgiving, All-Merciful!
Glorified be Your Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! You are free from what they
attribute unto You! May peace be upon the Messengers! The last of our supplications is all
praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!
