Today, I want to talk about a topic that concerns every single one of us: The Rise and Fall of the Muslim Ummah.\r\nWhen we look at history, there was a time when Muslims were the leaders of the world. We led in science, justice, education, and peace. But today, when we look around, we see Muslims facing hardships, division, and weakness everywhere

The Rise and fall of Muslims اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ۔ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا وَنَبِيَّنَا وَمَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَىٰ آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابهِ وَبَارَكَ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا كَثِيرًا۔ أَمَّا بَعْدُ: فَيَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ! أُوصِيكُمْ وَنَفْسِي بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ وَطَاعَتِهِ، فَقَدْ فَازَ الْمُتَّقُونَ۔ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ: وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَعَنْ سَيِّدِنَا عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ وَعَنْ ثَوْبَانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يُوشِكُ الْأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الْأَكَلَةُ إِلَىٰ قَصْعَتِهَا»، فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ: وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ؟ قَالَ: «بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَٰكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ.. ، قِيلَ: وَمَا الْوَهْنُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ اما بعد! My dear brothers in Islam, Today, I want to talk about a topic that concerns every single one of us: The Rise and Fall of the Muslim Ummah. When we look at history, there was a time when Muslims were the leaders of the world. We led in science, justice, education, and peace. But today, when we look around, we see Muslims facing hardships, division, and weakness everywhere. Why did this happen? How did the rulers of yesterday become the struggling nation of today? 3. The Divine Law of Rise and Fall Brothers, the rise and fall of nations is not a matter of luck or chance. It runs on a fixed law created by Allah (SWT). Allah tells us clearly in the Holy Quran, in Surah Al-Imran (3:140) وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ "And these days [of varying fortunes] We alternate among the people." Allah changes the conditions of nations. No nation stays on top forever unless they keep the qualities that brought them there. Our rise was not because we had more money, bigger weapons, or royal families. Our rise was purely because of our connection to Iman (faith) and the Quran. When Muslims followed Islam truly, Allah raised them above all others. 4. The Core Reason for Decline But what happens when we change? Allah gives us a powerful warning in Surah Al-Anfal (8:53): "ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ" "That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves." If we want to know why we fell, we must look inside our own hearts and homes. We left the Quran, we forgot the Sunnah, and we became obsessed with the material world. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) predicted this exact situation 1400 years ago. In a famous Hadith found in Sunan Abi Dawud (Book 38, Hadith 4297), the Prophet (PBUH) said: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يوشك أن تداعى عليكم الأمم من كل أفق كما تداعى الأكلة على قصعتها. قالوا: يا رسول الله، أمن قلة نحن يومئذ؟ قال: لا، بل أنتم يومئذ كثير، ولكن تكونون غثاء كغثاء السيل، ولينزعن الله المهابة من قلوب عدوكم، وليقذفن في قلوبكم الوهن. قالوا: وما الوهن يا رسول الله؟ قال: حب الدنيا وكراهية الموت. SubhanAllah, look at how accurately the Prophet (PBUH) described our situation today! We are billions in number, but we lack weight and influence because our hearts are attached to this temporary world instead of Allah. My dear brothers, the second reason for our rise and fall is our relationship with the Book of Allah. When we held tightly to the Quran, Allah raised us. When we abandoned it, we fell. This is not just an opinion; it is a reality stated by Sayyidina Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA). In a famous Hadith found in Sahih Muslim (Book 6, Hadith 323), the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ" "Indeed, Allah raises nations by this Book (the Quran) and degrades others by it." Look at history! The early Muslims were simple people living in the desert, but because they accepted and practiced the Quran, Allah made them the leaders of empires. Today, we have millions of copies of the Quran in our houses, but we do not read it, understand it, or practice it. This is why we are facing humiliation. The second danger that caused our decline is that we stopped copying our Prophet (PBUH) and started blindly copying non-Muslim nations in their lifestyle, culture, and values. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned us about this mental slavery in a Hadith found in Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7320): قال رسولُ اللهِ ﷺ: لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَن كانَ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ، وذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ، حتّى لو دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ. قُلْنَا: يا رسولَ اللهِ، اليَهُودَ والنَّصارى؟ قال: فمَنْ؟ SubhanAllah! Today we see this happening with our own eyes. In our clothes, our weddings, our business manners, and our daily lifestyle, we prefer to copy the Western or non-Muslim cultures, while feeling embarrassed to show our Islamic identity. When a nation loses its identity and copies others, it loses its power and respect. So, the question is: How do we change this? What were the specific qualities that made our ancestors great, and what are the specific mistakes we are making today? The Secret of Our Past Glory My dear brothers, let us look back at our history to understand what made us great. The golden age of Islam was not just about winning battles or conquering lands. It was about establishing justice, character, and fear of Allah. Our ancestors were successful because they prioritized the Akhirah (Hereafter) over the Dunya (world). When they ruled, they ruled with justice. When they did business, they did it with honesty. They excelled in science, medicine, and mathematics, but they never disconnected their knowledge from Allah. They understood their true purpose, which Allah mentions in the Quran in Surah Al-Imran (3:110): كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ۗ As long as Muslims fulfilled this duty of bringing good to humanity and stopping evil, Allah kept them at the peak of glory. The Shift: How the Decline Started (Minute 3 - 4) But brothers, what caused our downfall? The decline started when wealth, luxury, and internal divisions entered the hearts of Muslims. We became divided into sects, tribes, and nations, forgetting that we are one Ummah. Allah explicitly warned us against division and losing our strength in Surah Al-Anfal (8:46): وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ ۖ وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ When we started fighting among ourselves for power and worldly gains, we lost our spiritual wind, our strength, and our respect in the eyes of the world. The Practical Sins that Ruined Us Another major reason for our downfall is that we allowed major sins, corruption, and dishonesty to become normal in our societies. We stopped holding ourselves accountable. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned us about the consequences of leaving the duty of forbidding evil and promoting good. In a Hadith found in Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 2169), he said: وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ ثُمَّ لَتَدْعُنَّهُ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ Today, we see this reality. We raise our hands in Dua, we cry for help, but our situations do not change. Why? Because as a community, we have compromised on our values, we tolerate injustice, and we have ignored the commandments of Allah. Transition to the Conclusion Brothers, analyzing the past is not meant to make us feel hopeless. It is meant to show us the mirror. The same Allah who gave victory to the early Muslims is alive today. The same Quran is with us today. The medicine for our sickness is right in front of us. ۔ Turning Back to Allah My dear brothers, now that we know the reasons for our decline, what is the solution? The solution is not in changing our rulers, or gaining more worldly wealth. The solution is to change ourselves and return to Allah. We must understand that honor and respect belong to Allah alone. If we seek honor from anywhere else, we will only find humiliation. Allah gives us the ultimate formula for success and victory in Surah Al-Imran (3:139): وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ This is Allah's promise! True victory is directly tied to true Faith (Iman). If we correct our faith, fix our daily prayers, bring honesty into our businesses, and practice Islam inside our homes, Allah will change our condition. Practical Steps for Every Individual We cannot fix the whole world until we fix ourselves first. Every one of us needs to make a sincere intention today to stop committing sins, to leave the love of this temporary Dunya, and to connect our hearts with the Masjid and the Quran. Let us remind ourselves of the powerful words of Allah in Surah Az-Zumar (39:53), encouraging us never to lose hope in His mercy: قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ So let us turn back to Him today, before it is too late. Let us educate our children with Islamic values so they can become the future strength of this Ummah. Closing of the Khutbah Brothers, the rise of this Ummah is possible, and it will happen Insha'Allah, but we must do our part. Let us ask Allah to forgive our weaknesses, unite our hearts, and guide us back to the straight path. التَّائِبُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ كَمَنْ لَا ذَنْبَ لَهُ Aqoolu qawli hazha, wa astaghfirullaha lee wa lakum... اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الْإِسْلَامَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَأَذِلَّ الشِّرْكَ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ! إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ.