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MUFTI SAYED HAROON AL AZHARI
AS Muslims, when we look around and try to make sense of the chaos, pain, and injustice, we don’t just turn to headlines – we turn to the Quran and Sunnah for answers.
But the truth is, when we abandon the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (SAW), things start to fall apart. Rasulullah (SAW) didn’t leave us in the dark – he warned us about what was coming. He said: ‘During the final days of my community there will be distortion, slander and tyranny, and it will begin with people who commit injustices.’ (Adab Al-Mufrad 484)
We are living in those days. What’s right seems wrong. What’s wrong is celebrated. People follow blindly, focusing on appearances rather than the essence and reality. Liars are trusted. Truth-tellers are silenced. Injustice isn’t the exception– it’s becoming the norm.
Today, we’re watching a genocide unfold. And the world leaders in power? Mostly silent. Powerless? Or worse – complicit. So, we’re left asking: ‘What is injustice / oppression (dhulm)?
Dhulm is putting something where it doesn’t belong – whether that’s in our hearts, our homes, or the world at large.
So, what’s the solution?
Allah gives it to us – clearly and powerfully – in one of the shortest surahs in the Quran:
‘By time, surely humans are definitely in loss, except those who have Faith and do Righteous deeds, and encourage with Truth, and encourage with Patience and Constancy.’ (Surah Al-Asr, 103:1–3)
Imam Shafi’ee famously said: ‘If people contemplated on Surah Al-Asr, it would be enough for their guidance.’
Here’s the path forward. Faith with action, with truth, with perseverance. Standing against injustice and doing thingsright.
It’s not about numbers. It’s about substance
Ending oppression starts with restoring justice – putting things back where they belong. That means our actions have to come from deep sincere faith. Not just slogans and outward form. Not just lip service.
We also need to be honest about what’s happening: in Gaza, innocent people are being slaughtered. And many nations – despite their claims of justice and human rights – are complicit.
So why aren’t we, the Ummah, making a difference? We’re nearly two billion strong! But Rasulullah (SAW) already told us why: ‘We’ll be like the foam on the surface of the ocean – plentiful, but superficial. Lacking depth. Lacking substance. Our enemies won’t fear us – not because of our numbers, but because our hearts are weak, full of love for this world and fear of death.’
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Substance over form
A lot of us have the form: we look the part, sound the part – but where’s the substance?
Allah says: ‘Indeed, We have destined many jinn and humans for Hell. They have hearts they do not understand with, eyes they do not see with, and ears they do not hear with. They are like cattle – no, even more astray. They are heedless.’ (Surah Al-A’raf, 7:179)
One powerful example: during Hajj, a man from Iraq asked Abdullah bin Umar (RA) about a drop of mosquito blood. Ibn Umar asked, ‘Where are you from?’ The man said, ‘Iraq.’ Ibn Umar replied: ‘Look at the people of Iraq – they killed the grandson of Rasulullah (SAW), and yet they worry about mosquito blood!’
It’s a warning about misplaced priorities. We obsess over appearances which has no inner reality, thus ignoring major injustices – even those in our own lives.
This month reminds us to get our priorities straight. Justice begins with us. Allah gave us Nabi Ibraheem (AS), Nabi Muhammad (SAW), and their families as powerful examples of what real submission looks like. Not just worship on the outside, but sincere faith that leads to courageous action.
A legacy of real submission
Look at the life of Nabi Ibraheem (AS). When Allah told him to submit, he didn’t hesitate. And with every test, Allah gave him a solution:
- He left his wife and infant in a barren desert – Allah gave them Zamzam.
- He built the Kabah – and when he couldn’t reach higher, Allah gave him Maqaam Ibraheem.
- He prepared to sacrifice his son – Allah replaced him with a ram.
- He stood against a tyrant – they threw him into a fire, and Allah made the fire cool and peaceful.
His trials weren’t symbolic. They were real. Physical. Painful. But his obedience was real too – driven by sincerity, not by form alone.
Allah calls him a role model. He passed on this spirit of submission to his son, Nabi Ismail (AS), and it continued down to his descendant, Rasulullah (SAW), who stood up against every form of oppression – not just outwardly, but with heart and substance.
The Ahlul Bayt: Carriers of this legacy
Nabi (SAW) passed this legacy on to his Ahlul Bayt – his noble family. Imam Ali (AS) stood for justice, guided by the words of Allah and His Messenger (SAW), seeking only Allah’s pleasure. His sons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, carried that mission forward – sacrificing everything, even their lives.
Imam Al-Husain (AS) left Makkah during Hajj to protect its sanctity and to protest against a corrupt and tyrannical regime. Like his forefathers, he paid the ultimate price for standing on truth.
The meaning behind our sacrifice
As Eid approaches, we all prepare for Qurbani/ Udhiyah, trying to follow the legacy of Nabi Ibraheem. But it’s worth asking: What does our sacrifice really mean, if our intentions are hollow and our submission is missing from everyday life?
Rasulullah (SAW) warned us:
‘Masjids will be full – but empty of true believers.
‘The Quran will remain – but only its words, not its message.
‘People will read it, but it won’t go past their throats.
‘They’ll have Muslim names – but be the furthest from Islam.’
This is what happens when we focus only on form. The ritual is there, but the heart is absent.
Allah reminds us: ‘It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him.” (Surah Al-Hajj, 22:37)
And Rasulullah (SAW) said: ‘Taqwa is in the heart.’
So yes, do the outward act. Offer the sacrifice. But know that what matters most is what’s in your heart.
We need both: sincere intention and meaningful action. When our hearts are connected to Allah, our actions will naturally benefit His creation.
That’s the kind of submission Allah guides us to – not just meat, but sincerity in our lives.
Mufti Sayed Haroon Al Azhari is President of the Cape Town Ulama Board.
