How Similar is Today to Yesterday!

How Similar is Today to Yesterday!

Dr. Rāghib As-Sirjānī

At-Tibyān Publications

“In the previous lectures, we spoke about the story of the Tattār from the beginning until [the battle of] ‘Ayn Jālūt. We mentioned details from it, and we omitted others. And what we omitted was only due to the lack of time and out of fear of being lengthy. Otherwise, my brothers and sisters, the story truly requires multiples of [the time it was given] so that it may be analyzed with care and studied with precision. But, after this story, we must pause. We did not narrate this story solely for the purpose of chronicling the events of the Earth that have passed. Nor for the sake of speculation and analysis, without concern or pause. We narrated the story, as we mentioned in the beginning of the lectures, as a lesson, to ponder over it, for benefit. We narrated the story to read into the future. Subhān Allāh, how similar is today to yesterday!

How similar is the fall of Baghdād under the feet of the Americans to the fall of Baghdād under the feet of the Tattār. How similar are the Muslims in the time of the Tattār to the Muslims of today. How similar are the rulers of the Muslims in the time of the Tattār to the rulers of the Muslims today. How similar are the Tattār to the Americans. How similar are the allies of the Tattār to the allies of the Americans. A picture of history that has repeated itself in a strange way. And the examples of such a picture are many throughout history, but we will tie this story to our present reality. And if we wanted to speak about other pictures in areas of Islāmic history specifically or areas of human history generally, we will find that many of the pictures can be compared with our present reality now.

And look at the closeness of the first fall of Baghdād to the second fall of Baghdād.

The Tattār appeared suddenly on the stage of [world] events, exactly just as the Americans appeared. A nation without a history. It was established through looting and plundering. The Tattār killed millions of innocent people so that they may establish their nation upon the skulls of mankind, and so that their civilization - if it can be called civilization - may drink from the blood of millions, from the blood of the oppressed. The Americans did likewise. The Americans killed hundreds of thousands, rather millions, from the Native Americans, so they could establish a nation for themselves. They plundered the resources of others and established what they also call their civilization, also upon the torn-off limbs and skulls of the original inhabitants. And the days passed, and the Americans became [the dominant force] on the earth, exactly as the Tattār did. And they could never accept another, and implanted oppression and subjugation and violence on the Earth, with their continued claim that they did not come except to spread justice and freedom and security amongst the people. This is what the Tattār did, and this is what the Americans do.

How similar is the Tattār’s table of negotiations to the American’s table of negotiations. Covenants with no conscience. Agreements and no trust. Empty words spoken into the air, to pacify the people for a time, and to fool people for a time. And the determination to break the covenant is concealed before the entering into the covenant. And the intention is made before the meeting to defame the other side.

The Americans entered the Muslim lands with weak evidences, exactly and precisely as the Tattār entered the Muslim lands with weak evidences. They were not in need of crushing or astounding evidence. Rather it is all illusion on top of illusion, and claims upon claims. One time, they are fighting terrorism; another time, they are establishing democracy; another time, they are freeing the people; another time, they are looking for weapons of mass destruction; another time, they are looking for a leader here or there, and so on. It is not important which reason they will enter as a result of, or under what name they will enter, but unquestionably, they will enter.

And the Americans fought wars in the Muslim lands like the wars of the Tattār. They fought wars without any heart, that did not differentiate between a combatant and a non-combatant. Never. They did not differentiate between a man and a woman. They did not differentiate between a child or a man or an elder.

And the Americans seized possession of the resources of the Muslims exactly as the Tattār did. What is the difference between oil and gold or silver? And what is the difference between changing the curriculum [of study] and replacing and distorting them, and the drowning of the Baghdād library? Obliterating everything Islāmic. and a barbaric spirit that does not accept civilization.

And SubhānAllāh. It is as though Allāh ‘Azza Wa Jall desired to make the actions of the Americans coincide with the actions of the Tattār, so He made their steps in bringing the fall of Baghdād extremely similar to the steps of the Tattār.

So just as the Tattār concentrated first on Afghānistān, likewise the Americans concentrated on Afghānistān first.

And just as Badr Ad-Dīn Lu’Lu’, the leader of the Kurds in the north of Irāq, allied with the Tattār, likewise the Kurds of Northern Irāq allied with the Americans.

And just as Kikāwos II and Kalj Arsalān IV opened the Turkish ground way to the Tattār forces, the Turks of today opened their airspace to the Americans. What is the difference between land and airspace?

And just as the armies of the Tattār penetrated the lands of the Muslims without any resistance to reach Irāq, likewise the American armies penetrated the lands of the Muslims today, and not only without any resistance, but rather with the facilitation of the world, and a big reception. Truly, how similar is today to yesterday.

And just as the Tattār, my brothers, thought about working with the Shī’ah in their invasion of Irāq, the Americans thought about this.

And just as the Tattār took advantage of some of the hypocrites from among the Muslims to propagate the media war, which crushes the spirit of the Muslims, and casts fear into their hearts, the Americans undertook the same thing. We saw the national newspapers in the Muslim countries speaking about the military exercises and weapons and capabilities of the Americans and widening the gap between America and the Muslims. And kills any capacity to resist by the Muslims.

And as Hulāko resorted to recommending to Mu’ayyid Ad-Dīn Al-’Alqamī, the Shī’ī (Shī’ah man), that he try to lesson the numbers within the Muslim army, likewise did the Americans with many of the Muslim countries. So they placed upon them restrictions in their armament, and in the numbers of the soldiers and in the exercises, and other military things.

And just as Baghdād underwent sanctions from the Tattār, it underwent sanctions from the Americans.

And as Baghdād was cannonaded by the Tattār, it was bombed by the Americans.

And as the walls of Baghdād collapsed under the cannons of the Tattār, the walls of Baghdād also collapsed under the missiles of the Americans.

And just as the Tattār requested that the Mujāhidīn be handed over, the Americans did likewise.

And just as the Tattār requested the destruction of [the Muslims’] weapons, the Americans did likewise.

And just as Al-Musta’sim Billāh (the last of Abbāsid Khalīfah) fled from the situation and was satisfied with disgrace, Saddam Hussein did likewise.

And just as the two sons of Al-Musta’sim were killed before he was captured, the two sons of Saddam were killed before he was captured.

And just as the Tattār went back on their promises to give security before their entering Baghdād, likewise did the Americans break their promises.

And just as the Tattār said they would leave the land after freeing it from Al-Musta’sim Billāh, likewise did the Americans say this.

And the Tattār did not leave, and the Americans did not leave.

And just as the Tattār created a government body to rule from amongst the Muslims who were allied with them, the Americans created the same body, and in the same manner.

And just as this body did not mean anything to the Tattār, likewise this body does not mean anything to the Americans.

Subhān Allāh. A carbon copy of history.

But, my brothers and sisters, all of these similarities between the Tattār and the Americans do not scare me or frighten me. For the religion of Kufr is one, and the situation of the Kuffār will be similar in all eras.

But, what scares me truly and frightens me is the similarity between the reality of the Muslims today, with the reality of the Muslims in the time of the Tattār.

For we, as we mentioned in the previous lesson, never ever get defeated due to the strength of the Kuffār, whether they are the Tattār or the Persians or the Europeans or the Russians or the Americans or any one else. Rather, we are defeated due to our weakness in the first place. The Muslims in the time of the Tattār lost all the components of victory. Before ‘Ayn Jālūt exactly, before the days of [Sayf Ad-Dīn] Qutuz, may Allāh have Mercy on him, they lost all the components of victory, so defeat and humiliation and disgrace were necessary. And likewise, the Muslims in our era have lost the same components of victory. And the result was the American and Russian and Hindu and Jewish and Serb carousal in the Muslim lands.

My brothers and sisters, the moral diseases that have spread in the Muslim lands and were a reason for this frightening collapse in front of the Tattār are the same moral diseases that have spread in the Ummah today. The Muslims must take a truthful pause with themselves and search for the dangerous diseases within themselves. Why do the people of the earth do what they want with us and we are over one billion? Why? It is a question that must be answered with honesty.

How come the people of the east and the people of the west do not pay any heed to us?

Why has Allāh removed the fear of us from the hearts of our enemies?

And why has He cast upon our hearts Al-Wahn (love of the Dunyā and fear of death), and weakness, and debility? Why?

Let us review history, my brothers, and review the present…”

TO BE CONTINUED

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Minutes 0.37-10.30 from the lecture “Baghdād, Between Two Falls” by Dr. Rāghib As-Sirjānī; which can be found here, and is part 12 of 12 from the series “The Story of the Tattār, From the Beginning Until ‘Ayn Jālūt”