The Battle for Hearts and Minds

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Battle for Hearts and Minds Under the Guise of Clarity and Prevention of Harm

We recalled these supplications today after encountering the affair of some Muslims who abandon truthful and transparent discussion and instead make strenuous efforts in the battle for hearts and minds, both in private and in public.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَتَرْكَ الْمُنْكَرَاتِ وَحُبَّ الْمَسَاكِينِ وَأَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي وَتَرْحَمَنِي وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ فِتْنَةَ قَوْمٍ فَتَوَفَّنِي غَيْرَ مَفْتُونٍ أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُ إِلَى حُبِّكَ

O Allah! I ask of you the doing of the good deeds, avoiding the evil deeds, loving the Masakin, and that You forgive me, and have mercy upon me. And when You have willed trial among the people, then cause me to die without being put to trial. And I ask You for Your love, the love of whomever You love, and the love of the deeds that bring one nearer to Your love.’” Allah’s Messenger said: “Indeed it is true, so study it and learn it.” [Sahih at-Tirmidhi 3235]

أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُ إِلَى حُبِّكَ

“I ask You for Your love, the love of whomever You love, and the love of the deeds that bring one nearer to Your love”.

This supplication encompasses all that is good. The chosen actions of Allah’s servants arise from love and intention. If the love of Allah is firmly established in a person’s heart, it will lead to actions of the limbs that align with what Allah loves and approves. Thus, one will cherish all actions and words that Allah loves, resulting in the performance of all good deeds and the avoidance of all wrongdoings, as well as loving those whom Allah loves among His creation. (1)

اللّهُـمَّ رَبَّ جِـبْرائيل ، وَميكـائيل ، وَإِسْـرافيل، فاطِـرَ السَّمواتِ وَالأَرْض ، عالـِمَ الغَيْـبِ وَالشَّهـادَةِ أَنْـتَ تَحْـكمُ بَيْـنَ عِبـادِكَ فيـما كانوا فيهِ يَخْتَلِفـون. اهدِنـي لِمـا اخْتُـلِفَ فيـهِ مِنَ الْحَـقِّ بِإِذْنِك ، إِنَّـكَ تَهْـدي مَنْ تَشـاءُ إِلى صِراطٍ مُسْتَقـيم

O Allah! Lord of Jibraa’eel, Meekaa’eel, and Israafeel, Creator of the heavens and the Earth, The Knower of the seen and the unseen. You judge between Your slaves regarding which they differ. Guide me to the truth regarding that in which there is differing, by Your Will. Verily, You guide whomever you will to the straight path. [Sahih Muslim 770]

The scholars say that these creations [i.e. Jibraa’eel, Meekaa’eel, Israafeel, the heavens, and the earth] have been specifically mentioned, even though Allah is the Creator of all the creation, just as has been established in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah with regards to the specific mention of every created thing that has a great and mighty status as one of Allah’s creation, such as the statement, “Lord of the Heavens and the Earth”, “Lord of the Supreme Throne”, “Lord of the Angels and Jibreel”, “The Lord of the two Easts (places of sunrise during early summer and early winter) and the Lord of the two Wests (places of sunset during early summer and early winter)”, “The Lord of Humankind”, “The King of Humankind”, “The Only True God of Humankind”, “The Lord of all Created Things”, “The Lord of the Prophets”, “The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth”, “The Originator of the Heavens and the Earth” etc. All these things and what is similar to them show Allah’s Greatness, All-encompassing Power, and absolute Sovereignty. [2]

In this supplication, one employs the means of seeking Allah’s (love, aid, pleasure, assistance, etc) through belief and affirmation that He is the Lord – in general and specific – of these three Angels, who have been given a means of giving life. Jibra’eel is given the responsibility to convey the revelation (to the Prophets) by way of which the hearts and souls are given that type of life that necessitates the presence of sound belief in the heart that leads to all righteous deeds. Meekaa’eel is given the responsibility to bring the rain by way of which the earth, the vegetation, and animals are given life, and Israafeel is given the responsibility to blow the trumpet by way of which the creation is resurrected after their death.

Also employing the means of seeking Allah’s (love, aid, assistance, pleasure, etc) through belief and affirmation that Allah alone is the Originator of the heavens and earth, meaning, He is their Creator and the one who brought them into existence prior to their non-existence, and that He is the knower of the unseen and the seen- meaning, the hidden and apparent, and because He alone is the One Who judges between the servants in that which they differ, so that He guides you to the truth in that which they differ. As for guidance, it is knowledge of the truth together with having the intent to follow the truth and preferring it over other things. The guided person acts upon the truth and desires it, and it is the Greatest blessing of Allah bestowed on the servants. We ask Allah to guide us all to the straight path and grant us every good. [3]

[1] An Excerpt from “Ikhtiyar Al-Awwal” 118-125 by Imam Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him

[2] Sharh Saheeh Muslim 5/50

[3] An Excerpt from Fiqh Al-Ad’iyah Wal Ad’kaar 3/139-140