By Imam Murtadha Gusau
Sunday, November 01, 2026
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all creation, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, his family and all his Companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! Surely, the final outcome for anyone who fights, mocks, or opposes the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)—whether directly through open hostility or indirectly by undermining his Sunnah—is absolute, divine humiliation. This is an immutable law of the cosmos, written into the fabric of existence by Allah Almighty Himself. Throughout history, empires have fallen, tyrants have vanished into obscurity, and detractors have been cut off, while the name of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) continues to be raised in praise five times a day across the globe.
Allah Almighty has guaranteed the protection of His Messenger’s legacy. In the shortest and most powerful chapter of the Qur’an, the divine reality is made absolute. Allah the Most High says:
“Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.” [Qur’an, 108:3]
When the pagans of Makkah mocked the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) after the passing of his infant son, calling him Abtar, the one who is cut off from lineage and legacy, Allah flipped the cosmic scales. The historical reality is stark:
● Their names are entirely forgotten, or remembered only as symbols of arrogance, disgrace, and failure.
● His legacy, family, and spiritual lineage span billions of souls across centuries.
The warfare against the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) manifests in two ways, but both lead to the exact same ruin.
Consider the historical archetype of Abu Lahab. He spent his wealth, his status, and his poetic wit to attack the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) directly. Allah did not wait for the Day of Judgment to seal his fate; He revealed Surah Al-Masad while Abu Lahab was still alive, decreeing his eternal ruin. He died of a repulsive, contagious skin disease, abandoned by his own family who feared catching it, and his body had to be pushed into a grave with sticks.
The famous Islamic scholar Ibn Taimiyyah noted a profound historical pattern in his masterpiece, “The Drawn Sword Against the One Who Insults the Messenger.” He said:
“It is the sunnah of Allah that when the Muslim believers are unable to punish an enemy of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) who mocks him, Allah Himself takes vengeance on his behalf, usually exposing the enemy and cutting off his power very quickly.”
To those who feel disheartened when they see the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) or his Sunnah attacked in the modern world: Do not fear for the Messenger of Allah; fear for those who attack him. They are throwing dust at the sun, only for it to fall back into their own eyes. Allah Almighty states:
“Is Allah not sufficient for His Servant?” [Qur’an, 39:36]
Dear brothers and sisters! Remember, to love him is to survive; to oppose him is to self-destruct. And the ultimate response to indirect warfare against the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is to live his character, implement his ethics, and embody his mercy. Ensure you are not indirectly fighting the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) by harbouring arrogance toward his Hadith or his guidance or feeling embarrassed by his lifestyle.
The light of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is fueled by the Creator of the universe. Whoever tries to blow it out will only find themselves breathless, defeated, and lost in the dark.
Respected brothsrs and sisters! Allah the Most High says:
“So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet’s order, lest trial strike them or a painful punishment.” [Qur’an, 24:63]
The above Qur’anic verse addresses those who subtly or overtly turn away from the Hadiths, commands, lifestyle, and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him). It acts as a profound psychological and spiritual boundary line for the Muslim believer.
“Those who dissent from his order”: Islamic scholars of Tafsir, like Imam Ibn Kathir note this means contradicting the Prophet’s Sunnah, law, and path in inner belief or outward action.
“Lest trial (Fitnah) strike them”: Fitnah here is defined by classical Islamic scholars as Shirk/polytheism, misguidance, hard-heartedness, or the sealing of the heart against truth.
“Or a painful punishment”: A swift consequence in this world or an agonising recompense in the Hereafter.
Dear servants of Allah! Know that, every structural collapse begins with a microscopic fracture. We often look for the downfall of nations, communities, and individuals in grand catastrophic events, but Allah points us to the source: the quiet, deliberate departure from the Prophetic model.
To bypass the command of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) is not a mere tactical error; it is a psychological displacement of the divine hierarchy. When we choose our whims over his guidance, we introduce a subtle arrogance into our souls. We are essentially saying, “My era knows better. My intellect is sharper. My convenience is weightier.”
Look closely at the architecture of this warning:
● The Anatomy of Deviation
It begins as a slight tilt—turning away from a Prophetic command.
● The Spiritual Epidemic (Fitnah)
Allah does not say physical destruction will immediately rain down. He warns that Fitnah will strike. Your heart becomes desensitised to sin. Doubts begin to taste like sophisticated intellect. Internal chaos replaces peace.
● The Ultimate Ruin
Once the protective barrier of the Sunnah is dismantled, the soul stands exposed to an agonising punishment.
The Mirror Test:
Where are we bypassing his order today?
● Is it in our financial transactions, where we justify slight compromises?
● Is it in our character, where we trade Prophetic patience for toxic reactivity?
● Is it in our homes, where entertainment takes precedence over devotion?
The Remedy:
Return to the center. Aligning your life with the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is not a restrictive cage; it is the only anchor keeping your ship steady in a raging ocean of modern chaos. If you want protection from the fitnah of this world, let his choices dictate your choices.
Allah Almighty says:
“Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers.” [Qur’an, 15:95]
When the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stood alone in Makkah, bombarded by the psychological warfare of the Quraish—their insults, poetry of slander, and coordinated character assassination—Allah descended this definitive decree:
“Inna Kafainakal-Mustahzi’in.” Truly, We suffice you against those who mock.”
This is not just a historical comfort to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him); it is an eternal divine law. When the world tries to diminish your worth, ridicule your faith, or sabotage your path, Allah steps in as your Ultimate Defender.
History records that the five chief mockers of Makkah, Al-Aswad Ibn Abdal-Yaghuth, Al-Aswad Ibn al-Muttalib, Al-As Ibn Wa’il, Al-Walid Ibn al-Mughirah, and Al-Harith Ibn al-Talatilah, were each physically neutralised through divine interventions that mirrored their arrogance.
Beloved brothers and sisters! Look around you. We live in an era where cynicism is a currency and mockery is weaponised. Whether it is the global stage ridiculing your faith, a toxic workplace undermining your integrity, or critics laughing at your grandest visions—the psychological weight of being mocked can paralyse the human soul. It makes you want to shrink, compromise, and hide your light.
But listen to the cosmic reassurance of your Creator:
“Inna Kafainakal-Mustahzi’in.”
When Allah tells you He is sufficient for you, it means the opinions of the creation are instantly rendered bankrupt. Mockery is the weapon of the weak; it is the desperate smoke blown by those who cannot handle the blinding light of truth, purpose, and faith. Let them laugh. Their laughter is loud, but it is hollow. Your protection is silent, but it is absolute.
You do not need to fight dirty to defend your honour. You do not need to match their insults or lose your dignity in the mud of internet comment sections or petty drama. When you are on the side of Truth, Allah takes the case personally. Your job is to build, to pray, to excel, and to keep walking. Allah’s job is to clear the path. Every arrow of ridicule they shoot at you will be caught by the shield of Divine Sufficiency and redirected to dismantle their own arrogance.
Stop giving your precious cognitive space to your mockers. When you worry about what the cynics say, you are doubting Allah’s promise of Kifayah and Sufficiency. If the Creator of the Galaxies has your back, who on this earth possesses the power to diminish you? Stand tall. Speak clearly. Practice your faith unapologetically.
The best response to mockery is an unshakeable, beautifully lived life of purpose. Let your character be so bulletproof that their insults merely bounce off and shatter at their own feet.
Turn your back on the mockers, face the Qiblah of your destiny, and remember: They are fighting against a decree that was settled over 1400 years ago.
Allah Almighty says:
“And Allah will protect you from the people.” [Qur’an, 5:67]
These powerful words were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) at a moment of intense vulnerability, surrounded by hostility, assassination plots, and political isolation.
Classical commentators like Imam Ibn Kathir note that prior to this revelation, companions would guard the Prophet’s tent at night. Upon the descent of this Qur’anic verse, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) leaned out of his tent and told his guards:
“O people, you may leave, for Allah has protected me.”
Dear servants of Allah! Look at the chaos of the world around you. We live in an era dominated by the fear of public opinion, the dread of cancellation, the anxiety of economic sabotage, and the constant threat of human malice. We compromise our values, silence our truths, and bend our spines because we fear what people can do to us.
But Allah breaks that psychological chain with a single, shattering decree. He says:
“And Allah will protect you from the people.”
This is not just a historical statement given to the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him); it is an eternal cosmic law for anyone who dares to walk the path of truth.
When you realise that your ultimate safety is micro-managed by the Lord of the Throne, the power dynamic of your life completely flips.
● Human malice becomes a shadow
A shadow can look terrifyingly large, but it has no physical mass. It cannot crush you unless you choose to fear it more than the light.
● The illusion of power is shattered
The people who threaten your livelihood, your reputation, or your peace are themselves breathing by permission of the Almighty Allah. How can a creation trap you when the Creator has declared your immunity?
True protection does not mean you will never face trials. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) faced stones at Ta’if and lost teeth at Uhud. Rather, divine protection means the enemy will never succeed in extinguishing your purpose.
● They can attack your body, but they cannot touch your soul.
● They can plot against your career, but they cannot lock the doors of provision that Allah has carved out for you.
● They can manufacture lies against your character, but Allah will elevate your honour in the hearts of the righteous.
To absorb this Qur’anic verse is to practice true detachment or Zuhd. It demands that you stop worshiping the approval of people. The people cannot harm you by a fraction of a millimeter unless Allah has decreed it, and they cannot benefit you by a single drop unless Allah has allowed it.
Why do you tremble before the creation when the Creator has backstopped your journey? Why do you swallow your faith to please a crowd that will abandon you at the edge of your grave?
Stand up straight. Speak the truth with kindness but absolute courage. Do not let the digital mobs, the corporate pressures, or the whispers of the cynics make you falter in your devotion to the Almighty Allah.
Wear this Qur’anic verse as your spiritual armour. When the world gathers to break you, anchor your heart to the heavens and remember: If the entire universe conspires against you, but Allah has promised to protect you, you are the absolute majority.
And Allah the Most High says:
“Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.” [Qur’an, 108:3]
When the enemies of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) sought to break his spirit after the agonising loss of his infant sons, they weaponised his grief. They called him Al-Abtar—the man cut off, the one without a legacy, a tail-less man whose name would die with him.
But Allah Almighty shattered human logic with a single cosmic decree. This final Qur’anic verse of Surah Al-Kawthar is not just a historical defense of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him); it is a permanent psychological law, an eternal spiritual sanctuary, and a clarion call for every Muslim believer facing isolation, mockery, or loss.
● The Anatomy of Hatred (Shani’akah)
The Arabic root shana’a denotes a deep-seated, intense hatred that breeds malice. Allah does not just say “the one who dislikes you.” He targets the one whose heart is consumed by resentment toward your truth, your light, and your devotion.
● The Illusion of Abundance
The Quraish measured legacy by numbers—by sons, wealth, lineage, and physical inheritance. They looked at the Prophet’s material loss and claimed victory.
● The Reality of Al-Abtar, The Cut Off
Allah flipped the definition of legacy. True “cutting off” is not the absence of physical lineage; it is the severance from divine mercy, spiritual legacy, and ultimate purpose. The mockers retained their sons but lost their eternity. Today, their names are either forgotten or cursed, while the name of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is echoed in praise by billions multiple times a day.
● Your Pain is Monitored by Heaven
When you are mocked, misunderstood, or marginalised for doing the right thing, remember that Allah answers on behalf of His servants. You do not need to fight petty battles when the Lord of the Worlds has decreed the end of your detractors.
● The Ascetic Paradigm
True abundance is spiritual. The world may strip you of your material attachments, your status, or your comfort. But if you have connection to the Almighty Allah, you have Al-Kawthar, the fountain of compounding goodness.
● The Psychological Shield
This Qur’anic verse cures the trauma of exclusion. When people try to “cancel” your impact or isolate your voice, their animosity becomes the very catalyst for their own obscurity.
Stop measuring your worth by the metrics of your detractors. Let them count their fleeting gains. Your responsibility is only to turn to your Lord, pray, and sacrifice.
The light of truth cannot be extinguished by the breath of those who hate it. Every trial designed to cut you off is actually a divine pruning—removing the dead weight so your spiritual legacy can bloom eternally. Hold fast, for the opposition is already a ghost in the pages of history.
Respected brothers and sisters! Know that, wallahi, to reject the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is to dismantle the very foundation of Islam; one cannot truly submit to Allah while discarding the voice, actions, and character of His final Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Dear servants of Allah! Imagine a traveler who claims to love a map but intentionally burns the compass. He declares, “I believe in the destination, but I refuse the guide.” Would you call him wise, or would you call him lost?
This is the exact reality of those who seek to sever the Qur’an from the Sunnah. They claim to follow the Book of Allah, yet they systematically erase the very man who brought it to them. Let it be known with absolute, unyielding clarity: Wallahi, wallahi, wallahi, the Qur’an and the Hadith are inseparable twins. To dismantle one is to destroy the other. To reject the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him] is to step outside the fold of Islam.
The Qur’an is not an abstract piece of literature left to human whim or philosophical guesswork. Allah established a dual obligation throughout the text. He says:
“He who obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah…” [Qur’an, 4:80]
Allah Almighty did not say, “Obey the Book only.” He tied His obedience directly to the living, breathing example of His Prophet. If the Hadith is rejected, how do we establish the Salah, prayer? The Qur’an commands us to pray, but it is the Hadith that teaches us to bow, to prostrate, and to stand. The Qur’an commands Zakat, charity, but the Hadith calculates the percentages. Without the Hadith, Islam becomes a hollow shell, stripped of its soul, its practice, and its reality.
Rejecting the Hadith often stems from a psychological trap: arrogance disguised as intellectualism. It is a desire to reshape Islam to fit modern whims, to strip away the boundaries of sacred law so that desires can rule supreme.
But true faith, true Iman requires submission. It softens the heart to say:
“We hear and we obey.”
To look at the meticulously preserved legal, historical, and spiritual heritage of the Prophet’s companions—who bled, sacrificed, and memorised his every breath—and dismiss it as “unreliable” is not just intellectual laziness; it is a betrayal of the community of Muslim believers.
Let this be a warning and a heart-softening reminder. Islam is built on testimony, the Shahadah. You cannot witness that “There is no god but Allah” while invalidating the second half: “and Muhammad is His Messenger.” Being His messenger means his commands are binding, his character is the standard, and his words are divine inspiration and Wahy.
Fellow servants of Allah! Return to the Sunnah. Anchor your heart in the words that guided generations through the darkest of times. Guard your faith against the whispers of doubt, and remember that to love the Prophet is to live by his legacy.
● Even Fir’aun (Pharaoh) had followers
This singular, sobering truth stands as a profound psychological and spiritual mirror for humanity. It shatters the dangerous illusion that the size of a crowd reflects the righteousness of a cause, or that charisma equates to truth.
How does a tyrant, Fir’aun who proclaimed, “I am your lord, most high” (Qur’an, 79:24), secure the absolute devotion of an entire civilisation?
The Qur’an provides the definitive psychological diagnosis. Allah Almighty says:
“So he fooled his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were a people defiantly disobedient.” [Qur’an, 43:54]
Fir’aun did not rule by brute force alone; he ruled by manipulating human vulnerability. He utilised three powerful levers that continue to misguide the masses today:
- The Illusion of Security and Prosperity
He pointed to the flowing rivers of Egypt and his vast treasures to prove his supremacy. People bartered their conscience for worldly comfort and stability.
- Fear and Intimidation
He exploited the psychological dread of isolation, persecution, and loss of status.
- Systemic Gaslighting
He convinced his followers that Prophet Musa—the true deliverer—was a sorcerer out to destroy their way of life and cause corruption in the land.
● The Deception of Numbers
Human nature naturally seeks validation in numbers. We falsely believe that if a path is crowded, it must lead somewhere safe. But the divine metric is entirely different. The Qur’an repeatedly reminds us that majorities can be blind. Allah the Most High says:
“And most of them follow not except assumption…” [Qur’an, 10:36]
And He says:
“And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah…” [Qur’an, 6:116]
So truth is independent of its popularity. Prophet Musa stood with a small, enslaved, and terrified minority, yet he possessed the ultimate reality. Fir’aun stood with an empire, a massive army, and the applause of millions, yet he possessed nothing but a mirage that drowned with him in the Red Sea.
This is a heart-softening admonition for every seeker of truth. It demands that we ask ourselves hard, introspective questions:
Who are we following? Are we following leaders, trends, and ideologies simply because they are powerful, wealthy, or widely accepted?
What are we trading for comfort? Are we silencing our moral compass to fit into a modern-day “court of Pharaoh” for the sake of career, social status, or peer approval?
Are we intoxicated by ego? Remember that the followers of Fir’aun internalised his arrogance. When we refuse to accept the truth out of pride, we carry a piece of Pharaoh’s legacy in our hearts.
The story of Pharaoh’s followers ends in a sudden, catastrophic awakening. When the walls of the sea collapsed, the illusions of wealth, power, and majorities vanished in a single breath. In that final moment, numbers meant nothing. Power meant nothing.
Do not be deceived by the roar of the crowd or the glitter of worldly success. Stand with the truth, even if you are standing alone. For in the end, it is better to wander the desert with Prophet Musa than to drown in luxury with Fir’aun.
And in Surah At-Tawbah, Qur’an, 9:84, Allah issues a definitive, chilling cosmic decree regarding the hypocrites or munafiqin. He says:
“And never pray [funeral prayers] over any of them who has died, ever, nor stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.”
Dear servants of Allah! Imagine the scene in Madinah. A man dies. He walked among the Muslim believers. He spoke the language of faith. But his heart was an empty fortress of treason. He spent his life mocking the divine project from the shadows.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), a mercy to the worlds, steps forward to pray over him. Suddenly, the heavens tear open. Angel Jibril descends not with a comforting whisper, but with a terrifying, absolute veto. “Step back, O Muhammad! Do not pray. Do not stand. Do not intercede. They are evicted from the community of grace.”
This is not merely a historical verse; it is a psychological earthquake. It tells us that spiritual alignment is absolute. You cannot live with your feet in the camp of the Muslim believers and your heart in the camp of the mockers. Death freezes your internal reality into an eternal monument. When the hypocrite died, the universe stripped away his masks, leaving him completely naked in his rebellion.
This Qur’anic verse is a mirror held up to the modern soul. It forces us to ask: Who are we when the lights are off?
Hypocrisy, Nifaq is the ultimate psychological fragmentation. It is the exhausting, miserable act of performing Islam for human applause while harbouring cynicism, resentment, or disbelief in the heart.
● Check Your Devotion
Please, do you pray to satisfy an audience, or to encounter the Creator?
● Check Your Loyalties
Do you champion the values of Islam only when it is socially profitable, but mock or abandon them when the secular tide turns against you?
● Fear the Final Stamp
The most terrifying words in this Qur’anic verse are ‘and they died while they were defiantly disobedient’. The mask became their skin. They performed the lie for so long that they died within it.
Wake up to the gravity of your internal life! Your heart is the only currency that matters in the grave. Do not let your life be a sequence of empty performances. Strip away the dual identities. Align your private thoughts with your public prostrations. Seek a heart that is raw, authentic, and utterly transparent before Allah, so that on the day you enter the dirt, the heavens embrace you instead of issuing a decree of absolute rejection.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761 or +2348024192217.