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[Allah will not change the condition of people

as long as they do not change their state] [2]
Sheikh/ Khalifa Ezzat
16 Rabi’ Awwal 1427 – 15 April, 2006

All thanks and praise are due to Allah, from whom we seek help and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the
evils of ourselves and the evil consequences of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides will never be misled and whoever He
misguides will never find anyone to guide him. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah.
Likewise, I bear witness that Muhammad is the servant and the Messenger of Allah.
Dear brothers and sisters: We are still dealing with the same subject, ‘Change the state of ourselves’ in the shade of
Allah’s words in surat Ar-R’ad verse 11. The Qur’an declares:
“Allah will not change the condition of people as long as they do not change their state [themselves]. [Ar-Ra’d:
11] and also Allah’s words:
“That is so because Allah will never change a grace He has bestowed on a people until they change what in
there is in their ownselves….” [Al-Anfaal: 53]
When Arabs were shepherds at pre-Islamic period, and changed themselves by accepting Islam, they became leaders
for nations and had great power at that time. After they became leaders, they changed themselves again, then their
state and reality became as you are seeing now.
Dear brothers and sisters: change is possible if we have the will to do so. The proof for this is that Allah SWT sent
Prophets, Messengers, and revealed books for change. These afflictions, tribulations, hardships which Muslims suffer
all over the world are not absolute evil or wrath from Allah because absolute evil contradicts Allah’s existence. In fact, all
these tribulations are a message and call from Allah to us for change.
This hard time, these difficult trials, and this war against Islam and Muslims are a message from Allah to us to change
the state of ourselves. Allah will not change us as long as we do not change.
We stated in the previous Khutbah that the change we did was externally only; while the required change should be
internally as Allah said.
Dear brothers and sisters: there is a rule in Aqeedah says: all incidents and things are done by Allah; and what Allah
wills to occur, i t surely will occur. Behind every incident, there is wisdom. This wisdom always related to good not evil.
So we should understand and consider the wisdom behind every incident either good or bad. We should consider it
through s e e ing our actions, ourselves, our relation with Allah, with parents, with relatives, with people in general. We
should understand that behind every incident there is a message. The Qur’an declares:

“And when the believers saw Al-Ahzab [the confederates] they said, ‘that what Allah and His Messenger had
promised us, and Allah and His Messenger has spoken the truth. And it only added to their faith and
submissiveness” [Al-Ahzab: 22]
The true and clever Muslim should consider the noble wisdom behind this incident, not to consider the incident itself.
This is called positive understanding and positive consideration of the incident. Muslim should regard this as a rule for
all his life. For example, you have a noisy child; he does a lot of troubles and this causes pain for you. You should see
that he will be clever and intelligent in the future for the scholars said this. This is positive understanding for this painful
child. Another example, your income is very poor; but your have good health. You grew up in a poor family, however,
poverty is sometimes a motivation to success and richness is a way to failure. You have a disobedient wife; she may be
a motivation for advance. This is a positive understanding for the tribulations. A previous prophet saw a dead cheep. His
companions said, ‘ Its s m e ll is very bad? While he said, ‘its teeth are very bright. Muslim should be positive in every
thing; Muslim should be alert in this life.
Surely there are positive sides in these afflictions and tribulations. If we consider them deeply, it will be a way to our
affinity and affection; and also a way to our unity; and a way to our glory. Consider the following verse deeply. The
Qur’an declares:

“Say, [O Muhammad]: O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to who You will, and You take
the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You
will. In Your Hand is the good...” [Al-‘Imran: 26]
Allah SWT does not say, ‘In His Hand is the good and the evil…” but He said the good. Thus giving kingdom is good;
removing kingdom is also good; honor is good and humiliation is also good. The scholars of Tawheed say that among
the most Magnificent Names of Allah, there two opposites Names which should be mentioned together such as the One
who does Harm and does benefit [Ad-Daar An-Naafi’] the One who give Honour and Humilation [Al-Mu’iz and Al-Muzill].
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This means that Allah does humiliation to change into honor and harm in order to benefit... etc. So all good things we
love and bad ones we hate are done by Allah for the sake of us. Allah wants ease not hardship and causes hardship for
the sake of ease.
Dear brothers and sisters: know that all your cases and states either eas e o r hardships are good for you. This is
confirmed the hadith of the Prophet [pbuh]. He said, ‘
“All conditions [either ease or hardship] of the believer are good for him; and this is only for the believer. Because if he
is favored by good [things] and becomes in ease and thank Allah for it, he will be rewarded by and consequently this is
good for him. By contrast, if he is afflicted by tribulation and endures it with patience and satisfaction, he will be
rewarded for this and surely this is good for him.” [Collected by Muslim and Ahmad]
Dear brothers and sisters: you should also change non-Islamic customs and characteristics such as intervening in
matters that do not concern you, do not intervene in their problems, relations, and scandals of people without right; or to
backbite; to slander your Muslim brother; for these are the characteristics of ignorant and jobless people. The Prophet
[pbuh] in many Hadiths warned us to do so.
Dear brothers and sisters: change the state of yourself and do not take care of criticism as long as the change is in
conformity with the teachings of Islam. Change the condition of yourself and do not care about the talk of people
because people will talk and criticize you in all cases either you make change or not. We the famous and funny story
when a man and his son had a donkey. The man walked and made his son ride the donkey. People criticized the son
with impoliteness for he rode and left his father walks. When the father rode and the son walked, people criticized father
with cruelty saying, ‘the little son is walking and the cruel father is riding.’ When both of them rode the donkey, people
criticized both with cruelty against donkey. When both of them got off and walked, people said, they are crazy, they are
walking beside the donkey.
The Prophet [pbuh] said, ‘Among the good attributes of the believer is to leave what does not concern him.’ [Collected
by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]
In all cases, people will criticize, change the state of yourself into better and do not care about them. The Qur’an
declares:
“Say, it is for Allah; then leave them to their whims…’
However, when you start the change of yourself, you should have some reservation towards people. In other words,
when you are going to make change, do not put yourself in the state or position which makes people are in doubt. Try to
be clear and truthful because this removes insinuations of Satan. This is confirmed in the Hadith of the Prophet [pbuh].
Once the Prophet [pbuh] walked with his wife Safiyyah a t night, s ome of the Ansaar followed him to see who this
woman is. When the prophet saw them, he said, ‘she is Safiyyah ‘my wife’ and explained for them. He also explained for
them lest Satan might insinuate in their mind evil thoughts.

Dear brothers and sisters: every one of us has a problem, learn how to solve it by fixing it perfectly because perhaps it
is not problem. If have more than one problem, try to solve every one separately in order to change your conditions into
better. For example, your wife disobeys you in some matters and you see this causes a problem for you. The problem
perhaps is not in the wife it may be in the relation between both of you.
When you reach to a good solution to the problem, go ahead and carry it out immediately. You should a strong will and
faith to carry it out
Dear brothers and sisters: we should not innovate in the acts of worships and beliefs; but we should innovate and
develop in the worldly matters.
Dear Muslims: you are responsible in the Day of Judgment for changing yourself, and your family. You are not
responsible for changing others as long as you cannot do so.
“O you who believe! Take care of yourselves; if you follow the right guidance on hurt can come to you from
those who are in error...” [Al-Ma’idah]
Dear brothers and sisters: at final we ask Allah to accept out deeds and prayers. We ask Him also to provide this
Ummah with glory, strength, and honor Ameen