Don’t be a follower of Abu Jahal

Don’t be a follower of Abu Jahal

Monday 6th Jumadal ūla 1445 AH / 20th November, 2023

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته 

Sometimes we do the work of deen all our lives. Organising talks, arranging events, and sharing content, etc. Then we start hearing some noise in the background. People speaking out against the very effort we are making. We consult the people we are following, and they tell us to ignore it. It’s all lies and jealousy. They say those people are radical and just want name and fame. They dont give us any explanation. They just say we won’t understand and we shouldn’t listen to it as it’s a danger to our imaan. So we ignore it, we don’t listen to it, and we avoid those people. We start standing up for what we believe is correct. We start speaking out because we believe we are on the right path. 

We see the scholars we are following are silent, unable to answer the questions posed to them. We start to think and wonder, if these scholars we are following are on the truth, why do they fear? Why do they hide and run? Why do they not face the accusations when they are on haq? The truth destroys falsehood, so why are the ones I’m following so scared like cowards?

This has been happening for generations. In the time of Nabi nabi ﷺ the disbelievers and idol worshipers told their followers to stay away from Nabi ﷺ. Just look into history and the stories of the Sahabah radhiallahu anhum. People avoided Nabi ﷺ. All they thought is he is doing magic and deceiving people. But as they started interacting with him and speaking to him, they realised what he said was the truth. Even those who were so adamant on killing him became from amongst his close companions, radiallahu anhum.

What did the people say about Nabi ﷺ? The disbelievers also called him names, they warned the people from talking to him and they also told people he wanted fame and wealth.

Ma sha Allah, so many people around us are speaking out. We find it strange when they tell us about the deception. We find it strange when they tell us that going on camera or on TV is haraam. We find it strange when they tell us being interviewed by women is haraam. We find it strange when they tell us interfaith is haraam. We find it strange when they say mixed marches is haraam. Remember, even the Quraysh found it strange when Nabi ﷺ told them that idol worship was shirk.

Let us not be arrogant like Abu Jahal. The times might have changed, but the situation is the same. On one side, we have those leaders who want to hold onto their influence. They want to hold on to their flock. They don’t want to become insignificant and a nobody. On the other hand we have people who don’t demand from us anything. They are not asking for our allegiance, support, or money. All they are doing is warning us about the evils and the deceptions we are facing. We should be lucky that Allah is sending us these reminders.

So my question is are we going to be like those mushrikeen of Makkah who blindly followed Abu Jahal, or are we going to be from amongst those who investigated, who listened to Nabi ﷺ and were guided by Allah?