FRIDAY KHUTBAH: Dignity vs Humiliation
Feb 03, 2006
Source: The Street Mimbar

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Bismillahir-Rahmaan-ir-Raheem

Alhumdulillah. Peace and blessings on Muhammad, his Noble Companions and Family.

Ezzah encompasses meanings of Honour, Dignity, Might, and Glory, and its opposite is Zillah (humiliation). A Muslim loves Honour and hates humiliation. Islam Honours Muslims, yet why is it that we are weak and humiliated? When a Muslim slaps his wife in front of his kids, or a teacher punishes students in a humiliating way, or a father punishes his son in front of his friends, they are sowing seeds of humiliation. These seeds make Muslims accustomed to humiliation and forget that we are to be honoured in.

A person's honour is either developed or damaged. The Prophet (saw) showed us how to develop this whilst sitting in a group with a young Ibn Abbas on his right. It is the Sunnah to pass a drink to the one sitting on the right and the recipient would do likewise. This meant Ibn Abbas would drink before elders. Muhammad asked Ibn Abbas permission to pass the drink to the elders first. The Prophet didn’t have to ask permission since it is understood that preference is for the elders, but the Prophet being an advocate of honour and dignity didn't make Ibn Abbas feel unimportant. See how Islam develops Ezzah?

Most Muslim businesses respect and honour foreign Kuffaar experts, whilst the local expert is taken for granted, which sows humiliation. A plane with Kuffaar and Muslim passengers on board delayed its take-off. The crew apologised to every Kuffaar, but didn't apologise to a single Muslim - this increases one’s sense of humiliation. Self-Respect and Honour are synonymous to Muslims. A Muslim prefers death to humiliation. Even the Pagan Arabs honoured the Ka'ba. Compare this to Al-Aqsa Masjid being occupied, Baghdad being pounded, Muslim blood is the cheapest. Where is our sense of honour, respect and might?

We Muslims have to restore our honour to that of our pious predecessors, by earning self-respect, glory and honour from its source – Allah, who says:

"Whoever seeks glory and power ('Ezzah),- to Allah belongs all Glory and Power.". (35:10)

One can't get Glory nor Honour from any other entity because Allah is "Al-Mu'ez wal Muzel"- "The One who gives Honour" and "The One who humiliates and brings low".

How Are We Humiliated In This World?

Four things lead us to the lowliness of humiliation, weakness and loss of respect:

1) Obeying Shaytan, who intends to humiliate us. Allah says:

"Satan said: "Do you see? This is Adam whom You honoured above me! If You will but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway-all but a few!" (17:62).

Shaytan used word "laahtanekanna" ie. Like a bull being pulled by its nose-ring. Shaytan wants to pull us in this humiliating manner.

2) Following your desires. If you always follow your desires you approach weakness and lowliness. This is one of the wisdoms of fasting, controlling inner desires.

3) Becoming indifferent to Islam, and the Ummah’s suffering. In this manner, we loose our sense of belonging to something great, searching for another identity. This search for an alternative identity to Islam leads to a sense of lowliness and humiliation.

4) Loosing confidence in the fact that Allah decrees all. Fear of the future makes a person loose his sense of Honour and Dignity. Imam Ali (raa) once said: "Why should I fear death? If today is not the day in which Allah has decreed that I should die, then why should I worry, and if it is, then fearing it will certainly not change what Allah has decreed"?

Hazrath Omar(ra) is one of many excellent examples of Muslims’ 'Ezzah . Fearing oppression, Muslims met secretly for some time. Omar(ra) asked the Prophet: "aren't we right and the Kuffaar wrong?" the Prophet replied “Yes”. Omar asked "Then why are we hiding?” The Prophet asked him: "What do you suggest we do?". Omar replied, “March around Makkah and Ka’ba proclaiming "Allahu Akbar!" for all to see!" They did just that! No Kuffaar opposed them. During the migration most Muslims left Makka secretly, but not Omar. He armed himself, prayed at the Kaaba and declared, "I am leaving for Medina! If anyone wants to orphan his child, widow his wife, or make his mother weep in sorrow, then meet me on the way!"- and of course, nobody dared oppose him.

Having only one camel, Omar and an aide rode in turns to meet opposition leaders in Jerusalem. It was the servant’s turn upon their arrival, and he offered his turn to Omar so that the "Commander of the Faithful" wouldn’t look undignified leading a servant’s camel. Omar refused, stating that the honour of Islam was sufficient and that justice and equality in the eyes of ALLAH are far better than how he looked now. Others requested Omar ride and were concerned about his attire in a vain society. Hazrath Omar responded: “Have you forgotten that we were a low people and it was Islam that made us honourable? If we seek Honour from anything other than Islam, Allah will return us to that state of lowliness".

'Ezzah is not for men only. Let’s study Asmaa bint Abi Bakr’s example. Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr (her son) was in the running for the Caliphate. Only the Ummayyads contested the Caliphate and fought relentless battles against him in which he displayed great acts of courage and heroism. Most supporters succumbed to the strain of battle and deserted him. Finally he sought refuge in the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. It was then that he went to his old, blind mom seeking advice about whether he should hand himself to the Ummayyads. Asmaa (raa) replied, "It's your affair and you know yourself better. If you think that you are Righteous, then persevere and fight on as your martyred companions did. If you desire this world, then wretched are you. You would’ve destroyed yourself and your men."

Abdullah told her that he only feared that his body would be mutilated after they kill him. His mother told him: "There is nothing after death that man should be afraid of. Skinning does not cause any pain to the slaughtered sheep." She encouraged him to stand with honour and dignity for Righteousness in the face of oppression. Abdullah praised her noble qualities and hugged his mom whom upon feeling his armour said: "This, my son, is not the dress of one who desires martyrdom. Dress appropriately so that you can move lightly and speedily, whilst not exposing your private parts if you are killed". He went out and fought till death. His body was hung on a cross for Asmaa to come and beg for it, but she didn’t. She chose 'Ezzah by not succumbing to the whims of the evil oppressors.

We all know about the Muslim woman who was slapped in the land of the Romans. The Muslims attacked the Romans thereby starting the famous battle of 'Amouriyyah. When the honour of a woman was endangered, Muslims acted appropriately and with courage. Look at us today- how many of our women are killed and raped, and look at how we respond.

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

"Whoever allowed a Muslim to be humiliated while he could assist him, Allah will humiliate him in front of the entire creation on the Day of Judgment".

Let us chop off the head and hands of oppression and humiliation choking our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Iraq, etc., and our entire Ummah. Let us exchange our Cowardice for Honour and Dignity. Unless we change our own condition, Allah will not change the condition of our Ummah. You’ve seen anti-war protests, UN Resolutions and the like. They all failed. Jihad NEVER failed. Victory or Martyrdom!

This Friday Khutbah is brought to you by the Street Mimbar. You mail email to khutbahs@yahoo.com or visit their webpage at www.geocities.com/khutbahs.