Tragedy & Courage
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
203 |
| Khutbah Date: |
06/30/06 |
[b]خلُقان يُحبُهُمَا الله ، و خلقان يُبغِضُهُمَا الله ؛[/b][b]فأما اللذان يحبهما الله ، فالسخاء و الشَجاعة ؛[/b][b]فأما اللذان يبغضهما الله ، فسوءُ الخلُق ِو البُخلُ .[/b][i]Allah loves two human qualities and dislikes two;[/i][i]The two qualities Allah loves are generosity and courage:[/i][i]The two qualities Allah dislikes are bad character and miserliness.[/i][b][Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)][/b][b]Flooding[/b]We are witnessing devastating flooding East Coast Pennsylvania , Washington, New Jersey, New York) that have resulted in at least 16 deaths, thousands displaced and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. We once again realize that we live in a universe of cause and effect, the consequences of which are inescapable. Fire burns, diseases infect, time ages, germs destroy, water drowns … these facts have moral and social implications and all of these are realities with which we have to contend and each of these challenge our existence, our instincts and our very humanity. We note that tragedy carries a tremendous power within it. Power to cause grief, power to cause mourning, and power to cause sadness. It also carries power to cause cooperation, power to cause reflection, and power to cause change.[b]On-Going Genocide [/b]Zionist occupation forces are continuing there genocide of Palestinians with absolute brutality. They wish to 'secure' Israel, by unilaterally claiming whichever territories found strategic - based on military logic, access to water aquifers and fertile lands - and ditching smaller pockets of land that were a demographic liability and were strategically irrelevant. With its punitive incursions into Gaza, which it does with impunity; the zionists security forces have arrested 65 key members of the ruling Palestinian political party in an early-morning operation in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Among those arrested were eight ministers of the Hamas government who reside in the West Bank, and 20 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. The mayor of the town of Qalqilyah was also taken into custody. Aside from friendly but superficial gestures from some Arab and Muslim countries, Palestinians are under total isolation… politically and financially. One need not be a world-class economist to deduce that such physical restrictions will make it impossible for any economy to thrive in the Palestinian territories, hence fueling further uprising. Needless to say, the Israeli scheme in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is in total violation of international law and represents the most obscene disregard for human rights, as it aims to imprison an entire population, holding its hopes and aspirations hostage. In the past 2 days attacks, hundreds of thousands have lost electricity; public health is endangered. Food was already perilously low. Infrastructure has been damaged beyond repair. What does blowing up a Gazan bridge or power plant do to advance a corporal's freedom? Palestinian civilians did not take Corporal Shalit prisoner, and they can’t release him. What did the Palestinian people do to deserve these collective attacks?“Today the civilized world's only practitioners of open genocide are the Israelis. Golda Meir was known for her comment that Palestine was seized "by a People without a land," because it was "a land without a people." Actually, "people" had inhabited the land mass of Palestine since the dawn of civilization. The concept of a "land without a people" was a racist and genocidal concoction that Golda Meir used to justify Israeli expansionism.”[b]Need for Courage[/b]History is filled with accounts of individuals who reached deep inside themselves to find the courage of their convictions to do the right thing when all around them were doing otherwise. They realize that those who merely follow the crowd usually get no further than the crowd. Moral courage is the courage of one's convictions, the courage to see things through. Wise are the words of one who said …[i]The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It's the age-old struggle - the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of your conscience on the other. [/i]Courage motivates one to do what is best despite the challenges. In the absence of courage, cowards would rule everything. As the philosopher said … [i]All that is needed for evil to triumph, is for good people to do nothing. [/i]So, what is demanded from people of conscience is to the courage of their convictions to speak up for the oppressed, the moral courage to do their utmost to help those in need.Intelligent human action should be intentional, purposeful and goal-directed. So, when pain, injustice or danger intrude, it is difficult to sustain a subdued equilibrium. In fact, a response of heightened awareness and extra-ordinary strength of character may be required. Lack of spirit or ignoble fear in the face of such challenge is considered cowardice.Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, challenge, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.Courage is a result of a realistic appreciation of prevailing circumstances and of bravely choosing the wisest course of action between alternatives; and in the absence of alternatives, never to loose your sense of integrity. [b]Courage is the Cornerstone of Character[/b]Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali stated that the [i]most significant battles are waged within the self. [/i]Those struggles to maintain the internal virtues that dictate how we think and how we act. The Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato suggested that the four cardinal virtues are [i]wisdom, courage, self-control and justice. [/i]Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq stated that the cardinal virtues are …
[b]الورع و القَناعة و الصبر و الشكر و الحِلم والحياء[/b][b] و الغِيرة والير و ِصدقُ الحديثِ و اداءُ الامانةِ والسخاوة والشَجاعة[/b][i]piety, contentment, patience, gratitude, humility, modesty, generosity, courage, enthusiasm, benevolence, truthfulness and trustworthiness.[/i]When we think of courageous people, we don't think of those who take great risks to show off, to become famous or to receive some personal gain. We think of those whose hearts directed them, in spite of fear, to accomplish something great, often times for others.Genuine courage is the moral virtue which prompts a person to undergo hardships, face dangers, be patient, and support the efforts of human struggle according to the demands of justice and reason Sayedna ‘Ali said;
[b]الجُبن منقصة و الصبر شَجاعة[/b][i]cowardice is a defect in character and patience requires courage.[/i]{Reflect on the companion of the Prophet who requested that he be allowed to pray his last prayer before being killed and as he prayed his enemies kept changing his position so that he could not face towards the
qiblah; and as his detractors mocked him he read the verse… [i]“to Allah belongs the East and the West; whichever direction I turn, there I face Allah.” [/i][b][Qur’an 2:115] [/b]Wise ones have said that
courage is contagious. When a brave person takes a stand, the backbones of others are stiffened. It is the commitment of some (often of one) that motivates others to search their conscience and to introspect the level of their own convictions. [i]. “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” [/i][b][Roman playwright, Seneca] [/b]For a person of integrity, all challenges are met with the highest degree of conviction} Courage is indeed a cornerstone of good character, and we pray the prayer of the Prophet (pbuh)
[b]اللهم اني اعوذ بك من الهَم و الحُزن و العَجز و الكَسَل و البُخل و الجُبن[/b][b] و ضَلَع ِ الدين و غلبة الرجال[/b][i]O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee from anxiety, grief, incapacity,[/i][i]laziness,, stinginess, cowardice;[/i][i]from the burden of debt and from the domination of people.[/i][b][Prayer of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ][/b]
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