[And (Allah desireth) that ye should complete the period (of Fasting), and that ye should magnify Allah (saying Allahu Akbar) for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.] (Al-Baqarah 2:185) Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest ! Praise be to Allah!
When Allah commands His servants to say “Allah is the Greatest” in adhan (Call to Prayer), Prayer, and `Eid, and urges Muslims to wholeheartedly chant these sweet and beautiful words of praise and glory, that, despite of being soft on the tongue, are heavy on the scales (they command great reward on the Day of Judgment). Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest! This is neither in vain nor in jest, but it is meant to implant in the hearts of the believers the essence of this religion, i.e., these words stress the fact that Allah is Omnipotent, and He is Above anything else!
Allah is the Greatest! His Might is above all psychological crises that overwhelm people, no matter how extensive these woes and crises are, even they become so mountainous to extent of encompassing the whole earth and engulfing all souls, no matter how overwhelming people’s calamities are to the extent of making the vast universe seem as small as a circle of ring, nothing can relive them from these crises except the deep belief in “Allah is the Greatest”!
Allah is the Greatest! He is Greater than all temporal lusts that disseminate mischief in the earth, spread chaos in the society, and tear apart people’s amity, cooperation, and solidarity. Nothing can curb these lusts except the belief in “Allah is the Greatest!”
Allah is the Greatest! He is Greater than all tyrants who enslave the helpless people and infringe upon their rights, for they are weak and powerless. Nothing can set these affairs in order except the belief in “Allah is the Greatest!” Here, we recall the Qur’anic verses that read, [And We desired to show favor unto those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them examples and to make them the inheritors, and to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts that which they feared from them.] (Al-Qasas 28:5-6)
Muslims! Oh you who declare in your adhan, Prayer, and `Eids your true belief in “Allah is the Greatest!” Never faint, nor grieve, nor despair, nor weaken, nor give in. Surely, the earth is Allah’s, it does not belong to America, Russia, England, or France. He, Almighty, gives it as an inheritance to whom He will amongst His servants, and the sequel is for those who keep their duty (unto Him), not for the traitors, nor for the aggressors, nor for the tyrants, nor for the oppressors. Be confident in the fulfillment of Allah’s promise, for He never breaks His promise.
Worship Him and don’t associate other deities with Him. Fear Allah and implore Him to forgive your sins. Unify your word, gather your forces, know your way, and arrange your work. Then, don’t fear the alliance of tyrant nations against you, for Allah is Predominant in His career, but most of mankind know not.
Now, Ramadan is wrapping itself up, saying goodbye to all fasting people. (Oh, how sad for us to bid this lovely month goodbye!) What are you going to do after the end of Ramadan? Would you forsake mosques, the places of worship, and hurry to clubs, the places of indulgence, play, weakness, and disgrace? Or, would you be steadfast in doing good, performing Prayers, reciting the Qur’an, and giving in charity? If you incline to the former, then what a bitter deprivation will you have after grace, and what a harsh wrath will you attain (from Allah) after pleasure.
The contemporary Muslims used to read the history of our lost Paradise “Andalusia” and have bitter feelings on looking back to those sorrowful moment in the history of Muslim nation. They cast blame on the Muslims of that time for failing to defend the rights of their Andalusian brethren, and sparing efforts to save this part of the land of believers till disbelief prevailed over faith and aggression overwhelmed tolerance.
The people of these places were forcedly driven out of their homes, and tasted the cup of humiliation and disgrace. They were unable to devise a plan nor finding a way out of this falling disaster.
More shocking, dreadful and shameful is what is happening in the Arab Muslim land of Palestine. It is being cut off from the heart of our land and be replaced, Allah forbid, under our eyes and nose, with a Jewish state.
Yet, no comparison between the two places! Andalusia is a land that we conquered and a state that we established in the midst of disbelieving states. We were careless to protect it, we paid no attention to defending it. Time played its game and our kingdom came to end due to antagonism and hatred. However, we did not lose that much when we lost it. The sea that stands between our land and the enemy brought things to an end quickly. Things were settled for a while, believing that eventually the righteous believers will inherit the land.
Palestine, on the other hand, lies here in the heart of our land. It is our home and the corner stone of our entity. How one can imagine it to be a home for other people? How can one conceive the idea having another state set up there, especially if that state is the one described in the Qur’an as the most hateful to us?!
O Muslims, it is more serious than you imagine, more grave than you expect. When things reach that limit, we have to take things seriously and work earnestly to rectify the matter.
This is a call to all Muslim nations, to all Muslim states, to every Muslim on the surface of the globe.
Remember the Day of Reckoning when you stand in front of Allah, Remember the resentment of the coming generation, Remember the curse of history! Unify your efforts! Be one man with one goal! Make that goal gaining victory in the Last Hour’s battle! At this very moment, we can tell each other – tasting the joy of victory and the thrill of triumph: “Kull Am wa Antum Bekhair”- May you have a happy and blessed `Eid!
By Hassan Al-Banna
