Part of The Musk of Discourse (series completed)
· Lesson 31 of 38
Musk Al-Khattab | Episode (60) | From herding sheep to leading nations
0:000:00
Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
0:00
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1:15
"Send me a messenger from your soldiers so that I may speak with him."
1:19
Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, stood at the gates of the kingdom of Rustam, the commander of its army.
1:25
After some reflection, he sent Rib'i Ibn 'Amir to him, who was thirty years of age.
1:32
He was a young man among the scholars of the Companions.
1:35
Sa'd said to him, "Go, and do not change anything about your appearance."
1:40
"For we are a people whom Allah has honored with Islam."
1:44
"And whenever we seek honor in anything else, Allah will humiliate us."
1:48
This is an eloquent lesson: honor lies in Islam.
1:52
And seeking honor in anything else is humiliation.
1:56
Rib'i set out with his lean horse.
1:59
His worn-out clothes, and his simple spear.
2:03
When Rustam heard that the envoy of the Muslims was about to enter upon him,
2:07
He gathered the ruling family, the ministers, and the soldiers around him.
2:13
They prepared themselves to intimidate this envoy, hoping he would falter,
2:18
And be unable to speak.
2:21
When Rustam sat down, he said, "Bring him in to me."
2:26
He entered, leading his horse.
2:28
He leaned with his spear upon their carpets to show them that this world is insignificant,
2:34
And that it is cheap,
2:37
And that it is worth nothing in the sight of Allah.
2:40
Among the signs of its cheapness and insignificance,
2:43
Is that Allah gives it to those He does not love,
2:46
And causes those He does love to sleep upon the dust.
2:50
When he stood before him, Rustam said to him,
2:54
"Sit down."
2:56
Rib'i replied,
2:58
"I have not come to you as a guest that I should sit."
3:00
"I have only come to you as an envoy."
3:02
Rustam said, with the interpreter between them,
3:06
"What is the matter with you, O Arabs?"
3:08
"We have never known a people more humiliated than you,"
3:11
"Nor of lower status than you."
3:14
"You are a people of ignorance,"
3:16
"Chasing camels in the desert."
3:18
"So what has brought you here?"
3:21
Rib'i said,
3:23
"Yes, O King."
3:25
"We were as you said, and even worse."
3:27
"We were a people of ignorance, worshipping idols,"
3:30
"Where a relative would kill his own kin over a sheep."
3:34
"But Allah has raised us up,"
3:37
"To bring the servants out from the worship of servants,"
3:40
"To the worship of the Lord of the servants,"
3:43
"And from the narrowness of this world,"
3:45
"To the vastness of the Hereafter."
3:47
Yes.
3:49
This is how the Ummah rose,
3:51
On the day it held fast to its religion.
3:54
We were shepherds of sheep,
3:56
Then we became leaders of nations.
3:58
But when we abandoned our religion,
4:01
And immersed ourselves in sins and transgressions,
4:04
And became preoccupied away from precious things,
4:07
With base things,
4:09
Our enemies became ingenious in impoverishing us,
4:12
And in leading us astray and corrupting us.
4:15
The news is before you,
4:18
And reality is the best proof.
4:21
So when shall we return to leading the nations?