Victory of Islam – Lesson 1
[My Lord! Infuse the spirit of blessing into this composition of mine and inspire the hearts of people to incline towards it.] O readers! [May Allah forgive in this world and the hereafter.]
Today, after a lengthy duration of time, this humble one calls your attention to an important treatise concerning the divine mission that God Almighty has entrusted me with for the defence of the religion of Islam.
In this treatise, I wish to impress upon you gentlemen—with the fullest capacity of speech that God Almighty has Himself conferred upon me—the greatness of this mission and the need to support this undertaking, that I might be absolved of the duty incumbent upon me to convey the message.
Therefore, in setting forth this topic, I am not the least concerned with what impact this composition has upon the hearts.. My sole objective is to discharge—in the manner it ought to be done—the duty that is obligatory upon me and the conveying of the message that is demanded of me as a mandatory debt, regardless of whether people listen to it with attentive ears or look upon it with aversion and constraint, and whether they think well of me or entertain ill-thinking about me in their hearts.
[And I resign my affair to Allah, and Allah is Ever Watchful over His servants.]. I now proceed to write the treatise which has been promised above, as follows:
O seekers after truth and true lovers of Islam! It is clear to you all that this age in which we are expending our lives is such a dark time that extreme wickedness has permeated whatever exists in matters of faith and deeds. A fierce tempest of vice and depravity rages from every direction.
What is called faith has been replaced by a few words of mere verbal profession, and the phenomena referred to as good deeds are deemed to be satisfied by so many rites of ceremony or extravagance, or acts of hypocrisy, whilst being completely oblivious to what true piety is.
Even the philosophy and naturalism of this age stand in stark opposition to spiritual well-being. Infatuation with them proves to have an extremely O seekers after truth and true lovers of Islam! It is clear to you all that this age in which we are expending our lives is such a dark time that extreme wickedness has permeated whatever exists in matters of faith and deeds.
A fierce tempest of vice and depravity rages from every direction. What is called faith has been replaced by a few words of mere verbal profession, and the phenomena referred to as good deeds are deemed to be satisfied by so many rites of ceremony or extravagance, or acts of hypocrisy, whilst being completely oblivious to what true piety is. Even the philosophy and naturalism of this age stand in stark opposition to spiritual well-being. Infatuation with them proves to have an extremely negative influence upon those acquainted with them, and seduces them towards [spiritual] darkness.
They stir toxic elements and awaken the slumbering satan [within]. Those who indulge in these disciplines frequently develop such scepticism in religious matters that they begin to view the principles established by God Almighty, as well as the acts of worship related to fasting, prayer, etc., with an attitude of contempt and derision. Their hearts do not so much as hold any regard or reverence even for the Being of God Almighty. On the contrary, most of them are coloured with apostasy and filled with atheism and despite being recognized as the progeny of Muslims, they are enemies of the Faith.