Islamic Revival Closing the Century

Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick

From a Khutbah

According to a report issued by The International Center for Population Studies, an affiliate of Al-Azhar University of Cairo, Egypt: Muslims are 23 per cent of the earth's population. Contrary to popular belief, there are over 170 million Muslims in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country. There are over 70 million Muslims in China and over 54 million in the former Soviet States. The majority of Muslims, the study said are youth and children. Children below five years old represent 43 per cent of the Muslim world! By the year 2020 CE, our population will be expected to reach 2.5 billion, Insha Allah. In Canada, startling statistical data has been released. One in three children born in Canadian hospitals today is from a Muslim family! What does this mean to us?

The future is bright for Muslims if we make the right choices today. We are blessed with amazing riches in the Muslim world. Over 40 per cent of the mineral wealth of the planet lies under Muslim countries. We have thousands of doctors, engineers, scientists and intellectuals. We spend billions in technology, especially for the military. But we still are humiliated and destroyed. We cannot wake up in the morning and forget Kashmir, Palestine, Bosnia, Chechnya, Algeria, Sudan, Kurdistan, Somalia and other parts of our Ummah. Almighty Allah has revealed at the end of Surah al-Hashr: O you who believe, have the consciousness of Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forward for tomorrow and fear Allah. Surely Allah is well aware of all that you do. And be not as those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Surely they are wrongdoers.

Nisayn (forgetfulness) is a state of mind. When the person forgets Allah, they are in a dangerous position. The path of Islam is clear, but who will take hold of Islam? Who will stand up and be true, sincere Muslims? Allah has also revealed in Surah Al-Balad: Did I not make for Man two eyes, a tongue and two lips? And did I not guide him to two Paths?

Tribalism will lead us to destruction. Divisions based on color, organization, schools of Islamic jurisprudence, will decimate our ranks. We need a new Islamic World order. People who put the Qur'an and the Sunnah above all things. We need people who do not see color or focus on language, do not scandalize other believers and struggle with each other for power, who are part of our society, but not controlled by un-Islamic culture, who do not resort to Unbelievers to judge between them in their courts, people who are not afraid to speak openly but do not attack individuals without just cause.

If we do not change our ways and return to the path of Islam, Allah has made a promise: In Surah al-Ma`idah, verse 54, He says: O you who believe. If any from among you turn back from his religion, soon Allah will produce a people whom He will love and they will love Him. They will be humble with the Believers and mighty against the Unbelievers. They will struggle in the path of Allah and not be afraid of the blame of those who find fault. That is grace of Allah which He gives to whom He pleases and Allah encompasses all and has knowledge of all things.

I say this and I ask Allah to forgive me and you and all of the Muslims from every sin. Turn to Allah in repentance for surely He isthe Oft Forgiving and the Most Merciful.