Heroic Stands by Shiekh Abu Nizhar Ash Shaami: Sayyid Qutb

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.

The difference between the safe (correct) path and a path of safety is like the difference between heroism and immaturity. This is especially so when the safe path is not popular during the time of concessions. The martyred hero, Sayyid Qutb lived at the time following the destruction of the Islamic State. The assault of the Western civilisation, and the permeating of Secularism between Muslims; but the more hideous scene which provoked his very being was the appearance of propositions which claimed to be Islamic and tried to make ridiculous reconciliations between Islam and other civilisations. Propositions which abandoned Dawah to making the Shariah of Allah (swt) to be ruled, and made flimsy stands that call to partner with the tyrants and co-existing with Jahiliyya systems for the sake of safety and getting benefits. Sayyid took a heroic and principled stand. Through which, he rejected the status quo imposed by the Colonialists. He demanded governing by Islam completely and to bring back the Khilafah which had collapsed. He faced the corruption of the authorities and did not accept their offers to buy his speech or silence him. He said: "The tyrant in reality is but a man who possesses no power or authority. It is rather the unaware and submissive public who offer their backs so he sits, offer their necks so he drags them, lower their heads so he lords over them, and surrenders her right to dignity so he transgresses." He faced the people of the path of safety and Faqihs of concessions. He debated them, nullified their misconceptions, and proved that real change can only be radical, and that patch-working is not the work of the prophets and rather serves the tyranny and prolongs its existence.

Of what he said: "If you have fallen into the swamp of concessions then do not attack the steadfast and describe them as extreme. Instead, look at your footing to know that you are stranded in the mud." It is not possible for Islam to accept or agree to having part-Islam and part-Jahiliyya. The result as expected was that Sayyid was imprisoned and the tyrannical authority suppressed him just as the case was for everyone who went down this path of the prophets. However, anyone who thinks that imprisonment silences the truth will be disappointed. Since, Sayyid took advantage his years in prison to give the Ummah one of the most impressive Tafseers of the Book of Allah (swt): "In The Shade of The Quran". He didn't talk about the suffering of imprisonment. He wandered through the meanings of the word of Allah (swt) and applied them to the corrupt reality his Ummah lives in. He presented it to be a stitch for the Ummah's wounds and balm for her suffering. Sayyid was inspiring his Ummah to make change and tried to awaken her from her slumber. He used to say: "Tyranny is not afraid of anything like it is of the awareness of the people and alertness of hearts, and doesn't hate anyone like it hates those who call to awareness and alertness, and does not hold a grudge against anyone as much as it does against those who disturb dozed consciences. He detailed the concept of Hakimiya (sovereignty) and that it is the sole right of Allah (swt), no one shares it with Him. He affirmed the obligation of completely contrasting the truth with the falsehood. Sayyid was imprisoned but his shade shone from behind the bars and it traveled around awakening the downtrodden and reviving the dead and unaware. Allah (swt) decreed for it to become widely-accepted and widespread. The tyrants found it necessary to immediately eliminate this man who became a real threat to the existence of a state which stood helpless in the face of his steadfastness. Sayyid was executed but his illuminating words were not nor his towering heroic stands. He died in dignity. His name lives on while the names of his enemies and opponents faded. They offered him choices like Al-'Izz bin Abdussalam was, just like all the greats before him: "Will you backtrack and support the ruler?" He said: "The index finger which testifies with the oneness of Allah (swt) refuses outrightly to write even one letter in support of the tyrant's rule." Allah (swt) have mercy on the pious Alim, fierce statesman and ideological thinker, Sayyid Qutb who died a free man behind those walls, who died a free man in those shackles. Unlike the deaths of the capitulators and those trying to force-marry Islam with Kufr whereby history has wıped out theır names and they neither pleased their Lord nor their enemy for whom they angered their Lord. Instead, their enemy spat them out like a pulp once he no longer needed them. A message to Dawah organisations today: Learn that Islam's material is unique and does not accept being divided or reduced. Neither is it detailed according to the measurements of the tyrants. So, whoever takes it as it should be taken, then he would be giving life to himself and his Ummah. O Allah (swt) there is no legitimate rule except Yours so make us live as its caretakers or give us death as martyrs while trying.

Ummah Voice Podcast