Courage (2): to speak the truth

Courage to face the enemy and to speak the truth

إِنَّمَا ذَٲلِكُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوۡلِيَآءَهُ ۥ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمۡ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ (١٧٥) وَلَا يَحۡزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡكُفۡرِ‌ۚ إِنَّهُمۡ لَن يَضُرُّواْ ٱللَّهَ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا‌ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَلَّا يَجۡعَلَ لَهُمۡ حَظًّ۬ا فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ‌ۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ 

Allah SWT says in surah 3: 175-176 "It is none but Satan who frightens (you) of his friends. So, do not fear them; but fear Me, if you are believers. Those who hasten towards disbelief should not make you grieve. They cannot harm Allah at all. Allah intends not to spare for them any share in the Hereafter. For them there is a mighty punishment.

The world of men is more frightening than any creatures of the unseen. War, torture, rape, killing of the innocent, mass murder, nuclear bombs and white phosphorus bullets are more devastating and destructive than the harm committed by evil spirits.

The world today is dominated by the Capitalist system that puts profit and economic value above any other value. The present superpower, US has created itself as the icon of power and invincibility, instilling fear across the globe with their military presence. They use guns, jet fighters, drones and tanks to force weaker nations into submission. 

For years, the western powers have planted puppet leaders all over the Muslim world, leaders who would fulfill the bidding of their masters and betray the rights and honour of their own people. These western backed dictators have ruled the lands with an iron fist, using the military and security personals against their own people. These leaders would sacrifice the lives of millions all for their own selfish gains. They abuse and torture the people to make them conform and to keep silent.

Tahrir Square, Egypt 2011

However, the people in these lands have shown courage and bravery. They stood up peacefully, without guns, without tanks, with nothing but the word of truth to speak against the tyrant ruler. Let me reassure you, if you did not believe me before that the ordinary people in Egypt who demonstrated in Tahrir Square, the people in Tunisia, the people in Syria have shown the world the true meaning of courage. Bravery and courage is to stand up for what is right, in the face of fear and hostility. 

Prophet Muhammad (saw) said

"The master of martyrs (sayyid al-shuhada) is Hamza, and a man who stands up to a tyrant ruler and gives him nasiha (advice). And so the ruler kills him" 

The Prophet (SAW) continued to say : 'By Allah you have to enjoin good (Maroof) and forbid evil (Munkar), and hold against the hand of the unjust ruler (Zalim), and force him on the truth strongly, or you have to limit him to the truth'

There is courage in working to change the corrupt man-made system that has plagued the world. We live in a system that feeds on the blood and sweat of ordinary people as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This requires courage to stand up for the truth, to go against the flow of the current and it requires perseverance. This is because the struggle is not a physical entity but the struggle is against an idea...a mentality that has spread its tentacle like an odourless poisonous gas, its poison affecting every person inhaling it and the person is corrupted without even realising. This work requires awareness and the struggle to wake others into awareness. It takes courage, it takes perseverance and it takes time...and far more pertinent, it takes a strong belief in Allah SWT that He will give us the victory. 

The courage in our men

We believe in our men, whoever you are, wherever you are and no matter what you do or do not, however good or bad you are ... we believe that as long as you have Iman, you believe in Allah SWT, one day when the time comes, and when the Khilafah (Islamic state) is re-established and when the Khalif will rise up and call you, you will answer him because...

Allah SWT says in surah al Anfal (spoils of war) : 24

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمۡ لِمَا يُحۡيِيڪُمۡ

O you who believe, respond to Allah and the Messenger when He calls you to what gives you life,

We belief that you will have the courage to protect us, to liberate the innocent men, women and children who are imprisoned, to liberate the people from the clutches of oppression, to liberate humanity from this plague of Capitalism and to bring truth and justice to the world. You will be like Umar bin Al Khattab when he entered Jerusalem in his tattered clothes, and the people saw him and cried due to his humbleness, courage and strength. He entered Jerusalem not as an occupier but as a liberator. We believe that is what you will be.

وَمَا لَكُمۡ لَا تُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡوِلۡدَٲنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهۡلُهَا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّ۬ا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا (٧٥)  
What has happened to you that you do not fight in the way of Allah, and for the oppressed among men, women and children who say, “Our Lord, take us out from this town whose people are cruel, and make for us a supporter from Your own, and make for us a helper from Your own. " An Nisa: 75

Courage is the one who stands for the truth.
Courage is the one who fights for the oppressed to bring back the justice system of Islam.
Courage is the one who humbles himself to the ordinary people but speaks out against the powerful oppressors and dictators.
Courage is the leader who is at the forefront of the battle in protecting the people. 
Courage is the one who faces his fears and overcomes them.

Lord of the rings. The return of the king. Aragorn.

Aragorn: I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth.

There are lessons to be learned from movies but only if we have the correct viewpoint in life, a view that has been shaped and molded by Islam.

NEXT: Children and courage