Imad Benjelloun
December 28, 2023
For a Friday Khutba
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise is due to the Lord of the worlds. May God shower His peace and blessings upon our Master Muhammad, his family, his companions, his brothers, and his party.
Indeed, all praise is due to God. We praise Him. We seek His help. We seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge with God from the evil of our own selves and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever God guides, no one can misguide him, and whomsoever God leaves misguided, no one can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but God, the One and Only One, having no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.
“Oh, you who believe fear God as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.” Q.3:102 [يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ]
Given the continued ethnic cleansing and the many brutal massacres of the Palestinians in their own land for a century, we, American Muslims, are asking how we can stop this evil especially that it is mostly and unconditionally supported by our own government against our own will. More than a quarter of a trillion dollars (about $263 billion)[1] has been spent from our own tax money between 1948 and 2023, in our biggest foreign aid, in support of the terrorist Zionist Regime of Israel. We, Muslim Americans cannot be complicit in this genocide that is now condemned by the vast majority of the international community. So, here is how we, Muslim Americans, can help Palestine:
Have Faith in God
Keep your Faith (Iman) in God unshakable that victory is guaranteed by God Himself for the believers because He Almighty says in Surat ar-rum (The Romans) number 30 verse 47: “It is Our duty to give victory to the believers.” [وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ]. So, the primary key to facing any adversity it to strengthen your faith in God.
Keep your Faith in God firm that whatever God Almighty allows to happen is best for the believers. A lot of good things came out of the struggle to free Palestine, such as the worldwide wake-up to discover the truth about the century long genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, the countless people discovering and entering into the Islamic Faith, and the nearly two billion Muslims being united on a common good cause.
Keep your Faith in God strong so that you can gain protection and defense by God Himself. If God defends you no one can defeat you. God Almighty says in Surat al-hajj (The Pilgrimage) number 22 verse 38: “Certainly, God defends those who have Faith.” [إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدَٰفِعُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟].
One simple yet powerful way to renew your Faith, is to repeat a lot and every day: “laa ilaaha illallah” (there is no deity worthy of being worshipped except God” as recommended by Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace.
Truly, “laa ilaaha illallah”, “laa ilaaha illallah”, “laa ilaaha illallah”, …, “laa ilaaha illallah”
Be thankful to God
Thank God Almighty for preparing the Palestinians to strive for His cause, making them role models of faith, courage, resolve, patience, perseverance, sacrifice, and selflessness, who, despite their lack of basic resources and very limited weapons, are facing the worst terrorist occupier of the century that is shamefully backed by the #1 superpower of the world.
Thank God Almighty for making the Palestinians an exemplary inspiration for all oppressed people around the world, Muslims and non-Muslims.
Thank God Almighty for all those around the world including Christians and Jews who have shown great courage to support the Palestinians, to uncover the lies of their heartless occupier, and to expose the hypocrisies of the backers of this heartless occupier.
Your single act of thanking God results in additional and lasting blessings because He Almighty says in Surat Ibrahim (Abraham) number 14 verse 7: “And your Lord has proclaimed, ‘if you are thankful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are unthankful, My punishment is surely severe.’” [وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ]
So, alhamdulillah! Only God is worthy of all praise and thankfulness.
Be thankful to the Palestinians
Thank the Palestinians for their courage and perseverance to resist the most evil oppressor of our time. Abu Hurayra, God be pleased with him, narrated that Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, said: “He who does not thank people does not thank God.” (Recorded by Ahmad and Tirmidhi) [مَنْ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ].
Thank the Palestinians for their struggle for almost a century to defend and free the Aqsa Mosque (al-Masjid al-Aqsa) on behalf of all of us, the nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide,[2] because the Aqsa Mosque is the third sacred Mosque for all Muslims.
Your single act of thanking the Palestinians gives them support and a boost to continue to persevere in their fight for existence and freedom.
So, thank you, O Palestinians, so very much for your outstanding courage, persistence, and resilience.
SEEK FORGIVENESS
Ask God Almighty to forgive us for not doing enough to stop the ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinians. Constantly seeking God’s forgiveness purifies your heart, generates the necessary power to suppress any transgression in the land, and results in a divine way out any distress such as the one we are suffering about the blessed land of Palestine.
Ibn Abbas, God be pleased with him, narrated that Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, said: “If anyone constantly seeks God’s forgiveness, God will make for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety and will provide for him from that which he could not expect.” [من لزم الاستغفار، جعل الله له من كل ضيق مخرجاً ومن كل هم فرجاً، ورزقه من حيث لا يحتسب] (Recorded by Abu Dawud)
MAKE DU’A
Make dua, a lot of dua, every day and night. Du’a is the least you can and should do. Your single du’a (supplication) can make a difference because God Almighty says in Surat Ghafir (All-Forgiving), number 40 verse 60: “And your Lord has said, If you supplicate me, I will answer your supplication.” [وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ]. Once your single du’a is answered by God, it will surely support and strengthen the oppressed Palestinians.
Make du’a with full certainty that God the Omnipotent has the ultimate and supreme power to defeat the transgressors in the land. Do not underestimate your single dua.
O God the Most Great, the Most High, the Most Glorified, the Most Powerful, defend the oppressed Palestinians and defeat their oppressors.
SPEAK-OUT AGAINST THE BIG LIES
Expose the lies and spread the truth. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, God be pleased with him, narrated that he heard God’s Messenger, God bless him and grant him peace, say: “Anyone of you who sees evil, should change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then he should change it with his tongue. If he is not able to do so, then he should change it with his heart and that is the weakest of faith.” (Recorded by Muslim)
[مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ].
So, let’s at least use our tongue to change the most brutal evil of the century by exposing its lies:
The first big lie is: “God gave the Zionist regime of Israel the land of Palestine” and so they have the right to occupy it and own it. That is absolutely not true and there is no evidence for such claim. The historical fact is that the present Palestine -formerly part of the greater land of Canaan- and its native inhabitants and owners called Palestinians, existed several centuries before Jews even existed.
The second big lie is: Palestine is “a land without people for a people without land” but the truth is that the land of Palestine does have people who are called Palestinians and who have been living in Palestine for so many centuries, which is a well-documented historical fact that no decent person or honest historian can deny.
The third big lie is: the aggression of the Zionist regime of Israel is just “self-defense.” The truth is that such aggression is clearly an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians. Also, self-defense cannot be claimed against a people under occupation, according to international law.
The fourth big lie is: what is happening between the Palestinians and the Zionist regime of Israel is a conflict. The truth is: it is not just a conflict; it is genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and brutal occupation in the form of the biggest, longest, and worst open-air prison in the history of mankind.
The fifth big lie is: the Temple of Solomon exists under the Aqsa Mosque. The truth is that there is no such temple under the Aqsa Mosque.
The sixth big lie is: Our US government supports the Zionist regime of Israel unconditionally because such Zionist regime has the right to own the land of Palestine. The truth is that the US supports the Zionist regime of Israel because it wants a guardian over the treasures of the Middle East and a protector of the US strategic interests in there.
The seventh big lie is: Our US government supports the Zionist regime of Israel because it is in the best interests of our country. The truth is that such unconditional support is not in our best interests because it has cost us, we American taxpayers, significant financial loss and damage: financially about $263 billion since 1948 and militarily in 1967 and 1973 wars, other wars against Arab countries, and the current war in Gaza, which tarnished the image of the US in the Muslim world and everywhere else.
JOIN A RIGHTLY GUIDED MOVEMENT AND VOTE
Join an Islamic organization that is guided by righteous believers to strengthen yourself and build enough power to change the American government’s unconditional support of the terrorist Zionist regime of Israel into supporting the liberation of the Palestinians.
Alhamdulillah rightly guided Islamic organizations and grassroot movements in the USA are getting stronger and more impactful in advocating justice for all.
An essential means to promote justice is to vote!
Vote for those who truly defend the US constitution that states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Like Americans who fought for liberty from the occupation of Great Britain, the Palestinians have the right to fight for liberty from the occupation of the Zionist regime of Israel.
Vote your conscience according to the core tenets of your Islamic Faith. Vote for those who value human life, freedom, and dignity.
Vote for those who put people first before profits and special interests, those who are not puppets of giant corporations and wealthy lobbyists.
STAY FOCUSED ON THE ROOT-CAUSE
Stay focused on the root cause of the problem, which is the 75-year occupation of Palestine along with the ethnic cleansing of its native inhabitants and owners, the Palestinians, and their besieging in an open-air prison. Do not be dragged into discussions that do not attack the problem at such root cause.
PARTICIPATE IN PEACEFUL PROTESTS AND DO NOT USE VIOLENCE
Participate in peaceful protests to put pressure on lawmakers and government officials to make the right decision that serves justice for the Palestinians and bring lasting freedom and real peace to their land. Join peaceful protests such as marches, rallies, and picketing to let the truth be known and keep the pressure on.
Do not use violence in speaking out against those who are violent and their proxies and sponsors. Show your outrage at evil but do not be violent. Speak up but do not get too emotional or overreacting. Act to make a positive change for the good of the cause of the Palestinians, without causing or inciting violence.
SHOW EMPATHY AND CONDEMN EVIL
Show your empathy towards all lost innocent lives of not only Muslims but also Jews and Christians and anyone else, because every single life deserves dignity regardless of religion, race, color, country, or gender.
God Almighty says in Surat al-Isra’ (The Night Journey) number 17 verse 70: “Certainly, We have bestowed dignity on the children of Adam.” [وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ]
Show your empathy towards every innocent life because a single lost innocent life is too many.
God Almighty says in Surat al-Maa’ida (The Table Spread) number 5 verse 32: “That is why We decreed for the children of Israel that whoever takes a life, not as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land, is as if he has killed all humanity, and whoever saves a life is as if he has saved all humanity. Certainly, Our messengers have come to them with clear proofs, yet many of them after that, still transgressed in the land.”
[مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًۢا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ]
Condemn that which is wrong or evil even if and especially if it is deliberately committed by Muslims because the latter are expected to be role models for humanity to aspire to.
In Closing …
In closing, let us all turn to God in supplication seeking His forgiveness and remembering Him a lot. Let us all use this affliction on Palestine for self-reflection, self-purification, and self-accountability. What might I have done or not done that led to this affliction? What can I do now to help remove it? I can surely make a difference and I should. I should rise to the occasion and do my best to do any of the above the least of which is to have faith in God and make du’a.
Let us all turn to God and remember that He is the All-Powerful; we are weak. He is the Creator; we are the created. Let us all think positive of Him and remember that whatever adversity He allows to happen is always good for the believer.
Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, said: “How wonderful is the situation of a believer; all of his situations are good for him, and this is for no one except the believer. If prosperity attends him, he is thankful to God and that is good for him. And if adversity befalls him, he is patient and that is good for him.” (Narrated by Suhayb Ibn Sinaan, God be pleased with him; recorded in Muslim)
[عجبا لأمر المؤمن إن أمره كله له خير، وليس ذلك لأحد إلا للمؤمن: إن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خيراً له، وإن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيراً له]
Let us all Turn to God and remember that He allows things to happen for a reason. He allows such affliction on Palestine to awaken you and the umma, to test you and test the umma, to elevate your status and that of the umma, to purify you and the umma, to mobilize you and the umma, to strengthen you and the umma, and to unify the umma so that it can once again serve humanity.
There is no god but God, Muhammed is the Messenger of God. [لَا إلَهَ إلاَّ اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ].
There is no change or strength except by God. [لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله].
God is sufficient for us, and He is the best to trust. [حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل]
“Oh God shower Your peace and blessing upon our (master) Muhammad, the Prophet, and his wives, the mothers of the believers, his progeny, and his family, as you have blessed the family of our (master) Abraham, surely You are Praiseworthy, the Glorious.”
And all praise is due to God the Lord of the worlds.
[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/11/how-big-is-israels-military-and-how-much-funding-does-it-get-from-the-us
[2] https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/04/02/muslims/
