Dear brothers and sisters,
The Suffa Team extends a warm greeting to you on this special day of Eid al-Fitr to celebrate, and perhaps mourn, the passage of a divine and wondrous month of Mercy, Forgiveness and Opportunity.
We reflect on the first ten nights of Ramadan as the days of Mercy - a reminder that our every existence is due to the Mercy of Allah (SWT) through His (SWT) all-encompassing divine concern for His (SWT) creation. The next ten nights that follow are the nights of Forgiveness, a timely reminder to reflect on our own shortcomings and busy ourselves with correcting and improving on our deficiencies, rather than focus on the shortcomings of others with contempt. The final ten nights are an opportunity to eagerly seek the infinite bounties of our Lord.
Even though Ramadan is seen as the month of remembrance, worship and spiritual growth, it is also a month of victories and conquest, that begins with the victory in the Battle of Badr and repeating throughout different periods of the ummah's (Islamic Nation) history, including:
- The Conquest of Mecca
- The Conquest of Andalus (Spain)
- The Victory in the Battle of Qadisiyyah over the Sassanian Persians
- The Victory of the Mamluks over the Mongols in the Battle of Ayn Jalut in Palestine
- The Victory of Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi over the Crusaders in the Battle of Hattin
"How many a small company has overcome a large company by the permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient."
[Al-Baqarah, 2:249]
We reflect on the beauty of this special friend who comes to visit us each year, bearing sweet and delicious gifts for the mind, heart and soul. As our friend departs for another year, we must begin to ask ourselves what’s next - what will we do with the seeds of blessing that we planted in this month, and more importantly, what do we intend to harvest in a year from now?
Our beloved Prophet and Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) provides us with the answer to this question, when he raised a generation of righteous, steadfast and great sahabah (The Noble Companions) who took the banner of Islam to the four corners of the world. His legacy is not the legacy of emperors, kings, politicians and wealthy businesspeople, who only leave behind offspring, buildings or wealth that ultimately disappear, crumble or are lost to the passage of time, but a legacy of great men and women. The rise of Islam began with the toppling of ignorance, the crushing of oppression and establishment of Justice under the banner of tawheed (Divine Unity), bringing light to what was once darkness, and in its place ushering in a new civilisation through the struggles and sacrifices of great men and women of da’wah (Islamic Call). However, to understand the sahabah and the generations that followed them, we first need to understand who Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was - to restrict our understanding of him (peace and blessings be upon him) to Prophethood is to deny him (peace and blessings be upon him) all his qualities, character, manners and skills.
We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ only as a mercy for the whole world.
[Al-Anbiya, 21:107]
The beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was more than a prophet and a messenger: he was a leader, loving husband, father, friend, businessmen, military commander, strategist, eloquent speaker, a voice for the oppressed, and importantly, a teacher, who, during his 23 years of da’wah (Islamic Call) established two schools of Islamic instruction:
- A school in Mecca during the Meccan Period of Revelation called Darul Arqam
- A school in Medina during the Medinan Period of Revelation called Suffa on the hallowed grounds of Masjid Nabawi
An example of the impact and effect of The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) Islamic education is found in the example of the sahabah who emigrated from Mecca to Madinah, known as muhajiroun ('the emigrants') received their education at Darul Arqam. In Mecca, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) attended to their education and spiritual development according to each companion's level and capability.
In the years later that followed after the hijrah (migration to Madinah), when news reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during his ghazwa (expedition) to intercept the caravan of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb about the advancing Quraysh Meccan, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) convened a council with his companions and asked for their counsel:
'Counsel me, people!'
Abu Bakr (r), Umar ibn Khattab (r) and al-Miqdad ibn Amr (r) (from the muhajiroun) spoke unhesitatingly, reaffirming their support on behalf of the muhajiroun, much to the pleasure of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), even though many of the emigrants' suffered hardships and loss when they embraced Islam.
Battle of Badr - The Day of Decision / The Distinguisher between Truth and Falsehood (Yawm al-Furqan)
The Battle of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramadan (2nd year of Hijri) a momentous day in the annals of history and described as The Day of Decision in the Qu’ran when Truth triumphed over Falsehood. It was the first battle the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) physically participated in.
Lessons and Wisdom:
- A Battle of Revival, Not Destruction - to revive the people and communities, instead of causing destruction to them
- A Battle of Correction, Not Corruption - to establish the Haqq (Truth)
- A Battle of Conquest, Not Invasion - in our Islamic civilisation, military conquest is not a means to conquer lands and wealth, but as a means to conquer the hearts and minds of the people and bring victory and justice to oppressed lands
And Allah made this a sign of victory and reassurance to your hearts. Victory comes only from Allah. Surely Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
[Al-Anfal, 8:10]
We dedicate this newsletter especially to our oppressed brothers and sisters across the globe, a generation of worthy 'teachers' for this ummah to instruct them on patience, perseverance and courage against the oppressor.
May Allah (SWT) accept your good deeds and grant you success and happiness in this world, and in the world to come.
Eid Mubarak