Shaytan and the Human Struggle: Faith, Family & Justice

وَقُلْنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

We cautioned, “O Adam! Live with your wife in Paradise and eat as freely as you please, but do not approach this tree, or else you will be wrongdoers.” 

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّۭ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّۭ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ

But Satan deceived them—leading to their fall from the ˹blissful˺ state they were in, and We said, “Descend from the heavens ˹to the earth˺ as enemies to each other. You will find in the earth a residence and provision for your appointed stay.”

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

)الْحَمْدُ للهِ( لَمْ تَرَكَ الْعُيُونُ فَتُخْبِرَ عَنْكَ، بَلْ كُنْتَ قَبْلَ الْوَاصِفِينَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ،

“Eyes have not seen You so that they could report of You; rather, You existed before any of Your creation who attempt to describe You.

وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عليا و أبىنائه المعصومين حجج الله ، 

أُوصِيکُمْ عِبَادَاللهِ و نفسي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ،

Key Thematic Highlights

Transcendence & Pre-existence: Allah swt is beyond sensory perception (’uyūn) and cognitive description (wāṣifīn), existing eternally before creation. 

لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ ۖ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ

“Vision cannot encompass Him, but He encompasses all vision; and He is the Subtly Kind, the All-Aware.“ (6:103)  

وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عليا و أبىنائه المعصومين حجج الله ، 

أُوصِيکُمْ عِبَادَاللهِ و نفسي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ،

Sermon 2:

اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ وَالْحَمْدُ حَقُّهُ كَما يَسْتَحِقُّهُ حَمْداً كَثيراً وَاَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسى اِنَّ النَّفْسَ لاَمّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ اِلاّ ما رَحِمَ رَبّى وَاَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ الشَّيْطانِ الَّذى يَزيدُنى ذَنْباً اِلى ذَنْبى وَاَحْتَرِزُ بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ جَبّار فاجِر وَسُلْطان جائِر وَعَدُوّ قاهِر اَللّـهُمَّ اجْعَلْنى مِنْ جُنْدِكَ فَاِنَّ جُنْدَكَ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَوَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ حِزْبِكَ فَاِنَّ حِزْبَكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ وَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ اَوْلِيآئِكَ فَاِنَّ أولياءك لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ 

والصلاه والسلام علی حبیب رب العالمین، شفیع المذنبین، رحمه للعالمین ابی القاسم محمد….

In Supplication 25 of Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah, Imam Zain al-Abidin (a.s.) outlines a holistic approach to parenting focused on three key dimensions:

• Physical Health (Abdan): Praying for his children’s strength, safety, and immunity from disease, ensuring a healthy body to sustain life and worship.
• Spiritual Faith (Adyan): Seeking divine guidance, piety, and steadfast obedience to God so they remain spiritually grounded and protected from sin.
• Moral Character (Akhlaq): Asking for noble manners, emotional maturity, and respectful social conduct so they become a source of virtue and comfort to their family and community.

Ibn Sina’s approach to raising children centers on four key principles:

• Physical Well-Being: Prioritizing healthy nutrition, sleep, hygiene, and exercise to build a strong foundation for mental and moral growth.
• Moral & Emotional Discipline: Cultivating good habits early through positive reinforcement, protection from extreme negative emotions, and minimal reliance on harsh punishment.
• Social & Structured Learning: Starting formal education around age six in a group environment so children can learn alongside peers and build social skills.
• Individualized Vocational Guidance: Tailoring adolescent training around age 14 to a child’s specific talents and interests to prepare them for a practical career and independence.

Historical Role (1917–1948)

• Issued the Balfour Declaration (1917), endorsing a “national home for the Jewish people.”
• Governed Palestine under a League of Nations mandate, laying the institutional framework for Israel before handing the issue to the UN in 1948.

Modern Policy Shift (2025–Present)

• Formal Recognition: Formally recognized the State of Palestine in September 2025, leading to a Palestinian embassy opening in London in January 2026.
• Two-State Solution: Shifted strategy to support Palestinian self-determination and international law as necessary components for long-term regional stability alongside Israel. 
• (Sir Alan Ducan former UK minister: my message to Israelies is: get out of Palestine, its not yur country or land.)

ICJ Ruling Summary

• Illegal Occupation: The International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long presence in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza illegal, ordering a rapid withdrawal.
• Settlements & Land: Required an immediate end to settlement activity, dismantling of the separation wall, and the evacuation of all settlers from occupied territories.
• Reparations & Return: Instructed Israel to provide full restitution—returning seized land and assets—or financial compensation, while allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.
• Global Obligations: Advised UN member states to refrain from recognizing or aiding the unlawful occupation, reinforcing that land cannot be acquired by force.
• Reactions: Israel rejected the non-binding advisory opinion as biased, while international bodies rely on it to anchor legal and diplomatic efforts.