Future is for Islam, The

[In this hadith is a clarification that the prevalence and ascendancy mentioned in this ayah has not yet happened - its establishment is yet to be fully realised. There is no doubt that this ascendancy and prevalence continued after the death of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in the age Rightly­-Guided Khulafah and after them. And it not be completed until Islam is established over the whole of this earth - and this is realisation is certain.]{qluetip title=[1]}Added from Tahdhirus-Sajid (pp. 118-119) of Shaykh Al­-Albani.{/qluetip}

There are other ahadith which show how far Islam will reach and dominate and how far it spread, such that there is no doubt that the future is for Islam, by the permission and favour of Allah. So I quote what I am able to these ahadith and hopefully they will strengthen the determination of the workers for Islam; and be a proof against those who are indifferent and those who have despaired!

Firstly

"Indeed Allah gathered up the earth for me so that I saw its east and its west; and indeed the dominion of my Ummah will reach what was what was gathered up for me from it." [Related by Muslim (8/171), Abu Dawud (no. 4252) and others, from Thawban radhiallahu 'anhu]

And even clearer than it and more general is the [next] hadith.

Secondly

"This affair will reach what is reached by the night and the day; and Allah will not leave a dwelling of brick, nor fur, except that Allah will cause this Din to enter it - bringing honour or humiliation. Honour which Allah gives to Islam and humiliation which Allah will give to disbelief." [Sahih: Related by Ahmad (4/103), Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (no. 1631) and others. Shaykh Al­-Albani authenticated it in Tahdhirus­-Sajid (p. 118)]

[Therefore, it is upon the Muslims to prepare themselves, by turning to their Lord, holding on to His Book, following the Sunnah of His Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, turning away from all that Allah has made unlawful and uniting upon that which He - the Perfect, Most High - is pleased with.]{qluetip title=[2]}Added from Tahdhirus-­Sajid (p. 119).{/qluetip}

Indeed, there is no doubt that fulfillment of this prevalence and domination necessitates that the Muslims return to spiritual, material and armed strength, so that they are able to overcome the might of kufr (disbelief) and suppression. This good tiding is given to us in the [next] hadith.

Thirdly

From Abu Qabil who said: We were with 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-'As and he was asked which city will be conquered first - Constantinople or Rome? So 'Abdullah called for a sealed trunk and he said: Take out a book from it.{qluetip title=[3]}This saying of 'Abdullah - radhiallahu 'anhu - is reported by Abu Zur'ah in Tarikh Dimashq (96/1) and is a proof that hadith were indeed written in the time of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, contrary to what some of the innovators of falsehood think!{/qluetip} Then 'Abdullah said: Whilst we were with the Messenger of sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam writing, The Messenger of sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam was asked: Which city will be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome? So Allah's Messenger sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The city of Heraclius will be conquered first." - meaning Constantinople.{qluetip title=[4]}Sahih: Related by Ahmad (2/176), Ad­-Darimi, Al­-Hakim (3/422) and others and it was authenticated by 'Abdul­-Ghani al-Maqdisi in Kitabul-'Ilm (2/30/1) and also Al­-Hakim and Adh-Dhahabi.{/qluetip}

The conquest mentioned, occurred at the hands of Muhammad al­-Fattah al-Uthmani - as is well known - and it occurred more than eight­hundred years after the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam foretold of the conquest. So the second conquest will take place, by the permission of Allah - the Most High - and it is certain and you will hear of it after a time. There is also no doubt that the fulfillment of the second conquest necessitates the return of the rightly-guided Khilafah to the Muslim Ummah, which is what he sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam foretold with his saying in the [next] hadith.

Fourthly

"Prophethood will remain amongst you for as long as Allah wishes it to, then Allah will raise it up when He wishes to raise it up. Then there will be Khilafah upon the manner of Prophethood and it will remain amongst you for as long as Allah wishes it to, then Allah will raise up when He wishes to raise up. Then there will be harsh kingship which will remain amongst you for as long as Allah wishes it to, then Allah will raise it up when He wishes to raise it up. Then there will be tyrannical kingship and it will remain amongst you for as long as Allah wishes it to, then will raise it up when He wishes to raise it up. Then there will be Khilafah upon the manner of Prophethood." Then he was silent. [Sahih: Related by Ahmad (4/273) and others from An-Nu'man ibn Bashir radhiallahu 'anhu. It was authenticated by Al­-Hafidh Al-'Iraqi in Mahajjatul­-Qarab fi Mahabbatil-'Arab (17/2)]

From the good tidings of the return of strength to the Muslims, and their having the ability to utilise the earth to attain their goals, and that they have a bright future even in the economic and agricultural spheres, is his sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam's saying:

Fifthly

"The Hour will not be established until the land of the 'Arabs returns to being pastures and rivers." [Related by Muslim (3/84), Ahmad (2/703) and Al-Hakim (4/477) from Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu 'anhu]

The first signs of the fulfillment of this hadith have begun to appear in some parts of the Arab lands, upon which Allah has poured forth His blessings and great favours - such that plentiful water is extracted from the desert ... and tomorrow is very near for the one who awaits it.

It must also be known that his sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam's saying: "A time will not come upon you, except that which comes after it will be worse - until you meet your Lord." [Related by Al-Bukhari from the hadith of Anas radhiallahu 'anhu] Then this hadith must be understood in the light of the preceding ahadith as well as in the light of others - such as the ahadith about the Mahdi and also the descent of Isa 'alayhis-salam - which show that this hadith is not to be understood as having no exceptions. Rather, it is general and has exceptions. Thus, it is not permissible to cause the people to understand it or be unrestricted, so that they fall into despair which no Believer should have as an attribute:

"Indeed, no one despairs of Allah's mercy, except those who disbelieve." [Al-Qur'an 12:87]

I ask Allah to make us true Believer in Him.

(s) Silsilatul-Ahadethus-Sahihah (pp. 6-8) of Shaykh Al­-Albani. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, the hadith authentication and checkings by the Shaykh have been abridged.

Paving the Way for Victory

Shaykh Al­-Albani says in Fiqhul-Waqi' (pp. 49­51):

"Therefore, the key to a return of the glory of Islam is: implementation of beneficial knowledge and establishing righteous and correct actions, and this is a very great affair which the Muslims cannot reach, except through the manhaj (methodology) of tasfiyah (purification and correction) and tarbiyah (education and cultivation). These being two very great obligations. By the first of these, the following is intended:

1. Purifying the Islamic 'aqidah from that which is alien to it, such as shirk (associating partners to in those things that are particular to Him), ta'til (rejection Attributes), ta'wil (twisting the meanings of Allah's Attributes), refusing authentic ahadith, because they are connected to matters of 'aqidah, and their like.
2. Purifying the Islamic fiqh from the erroneous judgements made, which are contrary to the Book and the Sunnah, freeing the minds from the fetters of blind­following and the darkness of sectarianism and party­spirit.
3. Purifying the books of tafsir, fiqh raqa'iq (matters concerning the heart) and other than that, from ahadith which are weak and fabricated, or the the unsupported narrations from the people of the Book, and the reprehensible narrations.

As regards the second obligation, then by it I mean: cultivating the young generation upon this Islam, purified all that we have mentioned, giving to them a correct Islamic education from the start - without any influence from the disbelieving western education.

There is no doubt, that bringing these two obligations about requires huge efforts and sincere co­operation between all Muslims - individuals and groups - from all those who are truly concerned with establishing the desired Islamic society, each one working in his own field and specialty."