Sermon's Title: The Gathering Will Be Defeated and Turned Back
Themes of the Sermon:
Allah Will Perfect His Light
The Tyranny of Disbelievers, Past and Present
A Treacherous Enemy Gathers Against Islam
Only the True Believers Will Stand Firm
All praise is due to Allah, who perfects His light even if the disbelievers detest it, and who manifests His religion even if the polytheists oppose it. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone with no partner, and that Muḥammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and all his companions.
Servants of Allah, fear Allah as He deserves to be feared and remain steadfast in your submission to Him, for He says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.” [Āl ʿImrān: 102]
Servant of Allah!
Allah says:
سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ * بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ
“The gathering will be defeated, and they will turn their backs in flight. But the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.” [Sūrat al-Qamar: 45–46]
These verses were revealed to our Prophet ﷺ in Makkah, but do you know when they came to pass? ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“When the Day of Badr came, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked upon the idolaters — they were a thousand, while his companions were only three hundred and nineteen. He turned toward the qiblah, raised his hands, and called upon his Lord saying: ‘O Allah, fulfill for me what You have promised! O Allah, grant me what You have promised! O Allah, if this small band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth.’ He continued pleading until his cloak fell from his shoulders. Then Abū Bakr came, picked up the cloak, and placed it back on his shoulders, embracing him from behind, and said: ‘O Prophet of Allah! Enough of your supplication to your Lord; He will surely fulfill His promise to you.’ Then Allah revealed:
إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُمْ بِأَلْفٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ
‘When you sought help from your Lord, He answered you, “I will reinforce you with a thousand angels following one another.”’ [Sūrat al-Anfāl: 9]
And Allah indeed sent His angels as reinforcement.” (Muslim)
Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “The Prophet ﷺ went out reciting: ‘The gathering will be defeated and they will turn their backs in flight. But the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more disastrous and more bitter.’” (al-Bukhārī)
The Arrogance of the Disbelievers
The disbelievers of Makkah were certain of victory because of their numbers and unity against Islam, boasting as Allah recorded:
نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌ مُنْتَصِرٌ
“We are a united group, victorious.” [Sūrat al-Qamar: 44]
But what gathering can extinguish the light of Allah? He decreed:
إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ
“Indeed, We will surely support Our messengers and those who believe, both in the worldly life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand.” [Sūrat Ghāfir: 51]
Kufr is one nation — a single creed of rebellion — throughout human history. Their arrogance blinds them, and so they disbelieve in the Lord of the worlds, fight His messengers and His allies, and bar people from His path. They plot and scheme, drive the believers from their homes, kill the weak, spread corruption and injustice, promote immorality, and consume people’s wealth unlawfully.
At moments of peak tyranny, the oppressors think they have silenced the truth forever and buried Allah’s religion under their might — yet the end is always as Allah says:
فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُقْتَدِرٍ
“So, We seized them with a punishment from the Almighty, the Omnipotent.” [Sūrat al-Qamar: 42]
Let us recount the story of a people of arrogance and oppression, destroyed by Allah — how similar the tyrants of today are to them.
They were the people of Shuʿayb (peace be upon him), the people of Madyan. They gathered every evil trait and corrupt habit that deserved the wrath and punishment of Allah.
They lived amidst lush gardens and fertile lands — abundant trees, sweet fruits, and comforting shade — yet instead of gratitude, they disbelieved in Allah. Satan made their deeds appealing, so they associated others with Him.
Their story mirrors that of every nation that substitutes the worship of Allah with false deities — whether idols of stone, figures of power, or manmade ideologies. In every age, the root is the same: man rebels against his Lord, intoxicated by the gifts Allah gave him. He exalts his intellect, his strength, or his authority, forgetting the Giver.
Thus grew that poisonous plant — the plant of disbelief — among the people of Shuʿayb, bearing fruits of every vile deed and crime.
They became highway robbers, ambushing travelers to seize their wealth by force and injustice, and cutting people off from the path of Allah, turning them away from faith.
They sowed corruption and wronged others in trade, cheating in measure and weight.
So their Prophet Shuʿayb (peace be upon him) — the eloquent preacher among the prophets — called them to the truth, as Allah tells us:
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ * وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنْتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ وَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
“And to Madyan We sent their brother Shuʿayb. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. There has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. So give full measure and weight, and do not deprive people of their due, and do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set right. That is better for you, if you are believers. And do not sit on every path threatening and hindering those who believe in Him from the path of Allah, seeking to make it crooked. Remember when you were few and He increased you. And see how was the end of the corrupters.’” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 85–86]
He commanded them to uphold the justice by which the heavens and the earth stand:
أَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُخْسِرِينَ * وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ
“Give full measure and do not be of those who cause loss. And weigh with an even balance.” [Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ: 181–182]
Their prophet reminded them of the blessings Allah had granted them — that what remained lawful from Allah was far better for them than unjust gain or stolen wealth — saying:
بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
“The remainder from Allah is best for you, if you are believers.” [Sūrat Hūd: 86]
Yet human arrogance leads to ruin. Instead of submitting to Allah, they met their prophet with mockery and defiance, claiming that they possessed “economic freedom,” free to do whatever they pleased with their wealth, as if Allah had no authority over them. Allah said:
قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ نَتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَنْ نَفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ إِنَّكَ لَأَنْتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ
“They said, ‘O Shuʿayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our forefathers worship or not do with our wealth whatever we please? Indeed, you are the forbearing, the right-minded!’” [Sūrat Hūd: 87]
Then their media apparatus spread false propaganda, warning people that Islam — with its call to Allah, its rule of justice, and its restoration of people’s rights — would bring them loss and deprivation. Allah the Exalted said:
وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمْ شُعَيْبًا إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ
“And the chiefs of those who disbelieved among his people said, ‘If you follow Shuʿayb, you will surely be losers.’” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 90]
The people then divided into two groups: a small, weak minority who believed, and a large, arrogant majority who disbelieved. The oppressors began threatening the weak believers with exile and expulsion if they did not abandon their faith. Allah said:
قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَاشُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا
“The arrogant chiefs of his people said, ‘We will surely expel you, O Shuʿayb, and those who have believed with you from our town, unless you return to our religion.’” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 88]
But how could a heart that has tasted the sweetness of faith ever turn back to the filth of disbelief after Allah has saved it from it?
Days passed, and the criminals assumed they were victorious — yet Allah, the Almighty, the Avenger, sent upon them a threefold punishment, in perfect justice: the Cry, the Earthquake, and the Shadow.
They had cried out against Shuʿayb and the believers, ridiculing and forbidding them from Islam, so their recompense was a mighty cry that silenced their arrogance and left them lifeless. Allah said:
وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ
“And the Blast seized those who had wronged, and they became lifeless bodies in their homes.” [Sūrat Hūd: 94]
They sought to drive the believers from their land, so Allah caused the earth to quake beneath them. He said:
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ
“So the earthquake seized them, and they became lifeless bodies in their homes.” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 91]
And in their arrogance, they demanded Allah’s punishment, saying to their prophet:
فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
“So cause fragments of the sky to fall upon us, if you should be of the truthful.” [Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ: 187]
Thus, the punishment came: a dark cloud rose above them, from which flames burst forth, burning both the land and their wicked bodies. Allah said:
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
“So they denied him, and the punishment of the Day of the Shadow seized them — indeed, it was the punishment of a terrible day.” [Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ: 189]
Their end was exactly as Allah described:
فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ * كَأَنْ لَمْ يَغْنَوْا فِيهَا
“So they became lifeless bodies in their homes, as if they had never prospered therein.” [Sūrat Hūd: 94–95]
Do you know what it means: “as if they had never prospered therein”?
Their towns and dwellings became desolate, as though no one had ever lived there, as if no life had ever flourished before. Where did they go? Where are their civilizations and markets now? They became but traces wiped away — and your Lord is never unjust to His servants.
May Allah bless me and you through the Noble Qur’an, and benefit us with its verses and wise remembrance. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for me and for you, so seek His forgiveness; indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon:
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and all who follow them.
When Quraysh disbelieved in the message of Islam, Allah commanded them to take heed from the fate of the nations before them, saying:
أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ * أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌ مُنْتَصِرٌ * سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ * بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ
“Are your disbelievers better than those [former nations], or have you immunity in the scriptures? Or do they say, ‘We are an assembly supporting each other’? The assembly will be defeated and will turn their backs. But the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more disastrous and bitter.” [Sūrat al-Qamar: 43–46]
Their power deceived them, and they took no lesson — yet Allah is forbearing though He never forgets. A day comes, as Allah said:
فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا انْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ
“But when they angered Us, We took retribution from them.” [Sūrat al-Zukhruf: 55]
Today we witness the alliance of Jews, Crusaders, and idolaters — all united against a single enemy: Islam and its people. They plot against us with the vilest of schemes. Every inch of our land is a target, and every resource a temptation. They have cast aside their false masks, trampled their international treaties underfoot, and devoured their own idols with which they deceived the gullible.
They are now mobilizing their legions, and one day they will march upon the very heart of the Muslim world with eighty banners, under each banner twelve thousand soldiers — an army nearing a million criminals. Our Prophet ﷺ foretold this, saying:
“Count six things before the Hour... then there will be a truce between you and Banū al-Aṣfar (the Romans). They will betray you and come against you under eighty banners; under each banner there will be twelve thousand soldiers.” (Bukhārī)
As ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “An enemy will gather against the people of Islam, and the people of Islam will gather against them.” Asīr ibn Jābir asked, “Do you mean the Romans?” He said, “Yes.” (Muslim)
This will surely come to pass — Allah alone knows when — but when it does, none will stand firm against that vast horde except the believers: those who preferred Allah over their desires, who strove in His cause with sincerity, whom the world did not seduce. They are servants of Allah alone, enslaved neither by wealth, nor power, nor authority. They will have prepared their strength and arms, relying fully upon the Ever-Living, the Sustainer.
For the end belongs to the righteous, and the word of Allah is supreme — though the criminals detest it.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor to the Muslims. Destroy the disbelieving criminals. O Allah, send tranquility upon the hearts of those who strive in Your path. Deliver Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of Your religion by Your might, O Mighty, O Strong.
O Allah, grant us safety in our lands, rectify our leaders and those in authority over us, and make our leadership among those who fear You, obey You, and seek Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
