Heroic Stands by Shiekh Abu Nizhar Ash Shaami: The Believer from the Family of Yaseen

The Believer from the Family of Yaseen – Heroism of talk

Our lives are a collection of stands taken. These stands are what will decide our status and value before Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgement. Heroic stands, which changed the course of history, produced events, and greatly influenced all who witnessed them or heard of them. Heroic stands, which we mention while living at a time when most stands we see are those of humiliation and shame. Heroic stands, we mention them whose heroes are mentioned in the Quran, and the pages of the Seerah and our Ummah's past and recent history are overflowing with them. Heroic stands, which we mention in order to take lessons from. We mention them in order to receive flames of glory, optimism, and expecting good from Allah (swt), and to prove that our Ummah, by the permission of Allah (swt), is capable of bringing back the dignified stands which will fill the world with justice and light after it was filled with injustice and tyranny.

There are stands which are similar to martyrdom operations; stands made by individuals where they put the interests and duty of the Dawah ahead of their lives and interests. One of the most prominent of these stands mentioned in the Quran is the one taken by the believer from the family of Yaseen; a man who believed in the Dawah of Allah (swt) and the messengers, in a town where all its people were ungrateful Kuffar. Allah (swt) sent to them one messenger after another after another; three messengers who were all rejected and threatened. Despite all this, and despite having a strong illness and being far away, this man decided to take his part in the Dawah and came rushing from the far end of the city "He said, "O my people, follow the messengers."" So, they rejected him, beat him up and killed him, such that he acquired the honour of Allah showing him Jannah on the Day of Judgement. "He said, "I wish my people could know""

My brothers, we can take many heroic lessons from this heroic story. One of these is that we learn to have compassion; the compassion a Dawah carrier has for his Ummah. When this man saw the corruption in his people, he didn't excommunicate them, he didn't say "there is no good in these people" and start whipping the backs of the Ummah as we hear nowadays day and night: "there is no good in us", "we have been defeated", "the West has won". Rather, compassion manifested in him just as it was in our Prophet: "O my Lord, guide my people, for they do not know".

One of the lessons is that the Duaat (Dawah carriers) should not isolate themselves from their Ummah using the excuse of reforming ourselves first. Real Dawah is to reform the self and the society at the same time just as this hero did; he did not isolate and busy himself with reforming his self. He rather came to call his people.

One of the lessons is to hasten and not make excuses. He came rushing from the far end of the city. Despite having leprosy, he didn't make excuses and say "my house is far". Rather he came rushing with apprehension. He wasn't like the indifferent ones. And these, my brothers, are the scales which split the people in terms of their reactions to the Dawah: "But as for he who came to you striving" and "As for he who thinks himself without need". So, which of these two camps are you from?

One of the lessons, my brothers, is that the Dawah requires implementation and not just belief. This man did not just say "believe in what the messengers brought". He didn't say "believe". Rather, he said "follow". "He said, "O my people, follow the messengers."" I.e. implement this path. And this is what we need today. How many are those who memorised the Book of Allah. What we need is for the Book of Allah to be implemented and for its laws to be followed within a State and authority on Earth.

One of the lessons, my brothers, is the prohibition of despair and leaving it to others. This man saw that the Duaat and Messengers were being rejected and threatened. He didn't become scared. He didn't despair. He didn't leave it to others and say "It's their job, what has it got to do with me if the prophets failed." Not at all. Rather, he took his part and called them as if he was the one that was sent. This is what we need, my brothers, in the children and youth of the Muslims today. We have to treat "Arise and warn" as if it was revealed to us. This is how the early Sahabah were. The greatness of the Dawah, my brothers, makes it deserve to have heroic stands which Allah (swt) immortalizes and raises the mention of those who took them just as He raised the mention of the believer from the family of Yaseen. So, whoever wishes Allah (swt) to raise their mention, then they should hasten to book their place among the Duaat today and perhaps we will be raised (in the Akhira) with those predecessors and Allah (swt) raises our mention in 'Illiyyun. HE (swt) is our Lord who is capable of that and is its custodian.

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