The eyes have not dried, the anger has not subsided, and the pain remains like an open wound when we see the plight of the Muslims in Myanmar, Syria, Palestine, and Yemen. And now we add the plight of the Muslims in Sri Lanka!
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “Verily the destruction of the Ka’ba, rock by rock is lighter to Allah than the spilling of the blood of a Muslim.” (reported in Tirmidhi)
The violence in Sri Lanka has spread like wild-fire from Digana to many districts of Kandy such as Akurana, Ambatenna, Madawala, Pudukkada, Ambanthala, Katugostota, Dehianga as hard-line Buddhists lead impressionable and ignorant followers, like a herd of thugs, attacking Muslims, their properties and their businesses. This has rekindled memories of the communal and ethnic clashes and atrocities that engulfed Sri Lanka from 1983 until an uneasy peace was put in place in 2009.
Similar to the plight of the Rohingya Muslims, the Muslims in Sri Lanka are targeted victims of a secular political agenda and ignorant religious bigotry and hatred, where the national government and its security services tolerate and turn a ‘blind-eye’ to the attacks against the Muslims, though having declared a state of emergency.
وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَآؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا
“And whosoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein forever, and the Wrath of Allah is upon him, and His curse; prepared for him is a grievous torment.” (TMQ Al-Nisa 4:93)
The international community will keep itself busy with emotive speeches and crocodile tears over the Muslims of Sri Lanka like it has done on Myanmar, Syria, and Yemen. It will not move and neither will the national government until political objectives can be gained and secured. All the while there is no sanctuary for the Muslims.
The spineless and shameless regimes in the Muslim world will not come to the aid of the Muslims in Sri Lanka. Allah (SWT) has exposed their treachery over Myanmar, Syria, Palestine and Yemen – and their complicity in harming the Muslims.
لكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرْفَعُ لَهُ بِقَدْرِ غَدْرِهِ أَلاَ وَلاَ غَادِرَ أَعْظَمُ غَدْرًا مِنْ أَمِيرِ عَامَّةٍ
“Every traitor will have a flag on the Day of Judgement to identify them according to the amount of their treachery; there is no traitor of greater treachery than the leader of the people.” (reported in Muslim)
Oh Muslims of Sri Lanka, you are a part of the noble Islamic ummah. Though the regimes in the Muslim world will forsake you, the Ummah will not forsake you, as it has not forsaken the Muslims of Syria, Myanmar, and Yemen. You are of us, and we are of you.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) said,
مثل المؤمنين في توادهم وتراحمهم وتعاطفهم، مثل الجسد
إذا اشتكى منه عضو تداعى له سائر الجسد بالسهر والحمى
“The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with sleeplessness and fever.” (reported in Muslim)
Oh Muslims of Sri Lanka, remain steadfast and do not be intimidated by the tactics used to pressure you to compromise your Deen and obedience to Allah (SWT). You have the Support of the Lord of the Worlds when He reminds us:
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ
“Rather, We cast the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and lo it departs.” (TMQ Al-Anbiya: 18)
Oh Muslims of Sri Lanka, throw away the garment of nationalism, for it is a garment of deception and division. It is the garment that divides and separates the ummah and relegates Islam from life. Nationalism has been a disease and drug that has been injected into the Muslims for over a 100 years to maintain our weakness and prevent our political unity. Its harm and damage are clear to see.
Oh Muslims of Sri Lanka, InshAllah peace will return soon to you. But do not forget that any peace within the current system is temporary, and the unease and insecurity will remain. Do not be naïve of this matter. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:
لاَ يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ وَاحِدٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ
“A believer is not bitten from the same hole twice.” (reported in Bukhari)
Oh Muslims of Sri Lanka, organize your communities to minimize any harm – but know that the solution does not lie in this matter. The permanent solution is only a political one, the establishment of the Khilafah upon the Prophetic method, which Islam has mandated for the Muslims to establish as a matter of priority. Indeed, it is the Khilafah under which true protection and honor can be provided. Likewise, it is only under the Khilafah that all of society, regardless of ethnicity, race or religion, will be secure.
Oh leaders of the Muslim communities in Sri Lanka, throw away the politics of pragmatism – for this only serves the objective to compromise Islam and enslave the Muslims to a system that seeks to divorce us from our noble Deen and maintain our insecurities. You have taken on a noble responsibility to be the shepherd. Call the community to protect itself, expose the failure of the political system and the political parties and how the Muslims are a political cricket ball to be hit when needed. Rally the Muslims to be proactive and vocal to secure their legitimate rights as Islam has permitted without compromise. Remind the Muslims to be steadfast. Remind your communities that the only permanent solution lies in the return of the Khilafah.
Oh scholars of the Muslims in Sri Lanka, throw away the empty emotional calls that seek to paralyze the Muslims into a patience of inaction and compromise, for this is a call of enslavement and fatalism that is contrary to Islam. Duaa (supplication) is the ‘head of ibadah’ for every situation – but for each situation, there is a hukm shari requiring action. Remember you are the inheritors of the Prophets and you are descendants of the great noble scholars, like Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shaafi and Imam Ahmed that stood against injustice and rallied the Muslims upon Islam. Teach the Muslims to be proud to stand for Islam. Remind the Muslims of the danger of compromise and urge them to adopt Islamic politics as their tool of engagement. Rally the Muslims to support the work for Khilafah, upon the Prophetic method.
Oh, Muslims of the world, have our ears forgotten the echo of our brothers and sisters who have perished in Rohingya under similar oppression? Have our tears forgotten the countless scenes of thousands of women and children forced to die on boats in the middle of the sea as a result of state-sponsored atrocities?
Oh Muslims, we cannot bear to see the Muslims of Sri Lanka suffer. The oppression and hardship of one Muslim are enough. We cannot remain silent over the global massacre of the Muslims as this is a matter of brotherhood and Iman. We must speak out and expose treacherous rulers across the Muslim world and the pretense of the international community. We must increase our efforts to re-establish the Khilafah upon the prophetic method, for this is the only salvation and permanent solution:
إنما الإمام جنة يقاتل من ورائه و يتقى به
“The Imam is a shield, behind whom you fight, and you protect yourself with…” (reported in Muslim)
