Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim

1. Opening

Friends whose faith is firm,

One of the hardest tests in life is when we must uphold a right decision amid a siege of difficult circumstances and a storm of public opinion that corners us. Often, when we choose to make hijrah, to be honest, or to firmly hold to the principles of Sharia, our surroundings instead shower us with scorn, pressure, even threats that shake the stability of the soul.Yet, this is precisely where the heroism of a true believer’s faith lies. When he makes a decision for the sake of Allah, his gaze locks immediately onto Allah’s pleasure, so he no longer cares how great the storm raging around him is. True faith acts as an earth-anchor planted firmly in the chest, keeping the soul calm even when the world outside is quaking.Let us reflect on how the Qur’an immortalizes the extraordinary steadfastness of Pharaoh’s magicians who had just repented. When they were threatened with a most cruel punishment by the arrogant Pharaoh, they answered with complete serenity:

قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالَّذِي فَطَرَنَا ۖ فَاقْضِ مَا أَنْتَ قَاضٍ ۖ إِنَّمَا تَقْضِي هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا

“They [the magicians] said: ‘We will never prefer you over the clear proofs that have come to us and over Him who created us. So decree whatever you are to decree. You can only decree for this worldly life.’” [QS. Ṭāhā: 72]

إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَايَانَا وَمَا أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السِّحْرِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ

“Indeed, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and what you compelled us to do of magic. And Allah is better [in reward] and more lasting [in punishment].” [QS. Ṭāhā: 73]

Such steadfastness is what Rasulullah ﷺ constantly asked for in his tear-filled supplications. He taught us a hadith that becomes our main anchor in uncertain times:

عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ

From Anas ibn Mālik he said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would often say: ‘O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.’”[HR. Tirmidhī]

2. Lessons and Message

The highest moral lesson from this historic event is: The power of creatures has limits, while Allah’s power is boundless. A wise person will not sacrifice long-term conviction to avoid short-term pressure from people. Why did those magicians suddenly become so brave? Because their inner eyes had been opened. They realized that Pharaoh, with all his armies and threats, was only a weak human who could only touch their physical bodies in this fleeting world, but could never touch the spiritual happiness of their eternal Hereafter.

Picture that morning in the town square of ancient Egypt. Hours earlier, those magicians were people who prostrated to idols, kneeling to beg for wages and rank near Pharaoh’s throne. Yet once the light of truth touched their hearts, everything changed in the blink of an eye. Pharaoh shouted, his face red with overwhelming rage: “I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, then I will crucify you all on the trunks of palm trees!” That was no empty threat; it was the most torturous and humiliating death penalty of that era.The atmosphere turned tense; the people fell silent in fear. But look at those men who had just believed. Not one of them wept begging for pardon; not one knelt pleading for Pharaoh’s mercy to save their lives. Their bodies may have trembled enduring the pain as the executioners began their work, their blood flowing to soak the palm trunks, yet their faces gazed at the sky with a serene smile. They fell as martyrs on the very day they first came to know faith. A drama of loyalty that draws tears, proving that when Allah is enthroned in the heart, physical death is merely a small bridge toward the embrace of His mercy.

Have you ever stood at the seashore and seen a massive rock? Every day, day and night, that rock is pounded by rolling waves. Hurricanes blast it, and salty seawater constantly stains its surface. Does the rock shift or weep following the direction of the waves? No. It stands firm because its roots are planted deep in the earth’s foundation.In this digital era, public opinion, cyberbullying, negative comments, and environmental trend pressures are like those ocean waves. A person without the anchor of faith in his heart will act like sea foam—tossed to and fro following whichever way the netizen wind blows. But a true believer is that rock; he will not shift a single millimeter from Sharia, even if bombarded by millions of negative comments.

These days, the level of steadfastness in faith for some of us is rather unique and “paper-thin.” Forget being threatened with crucifixion on a palm tree like Pharaoh’s magicians; just being threatened with not being invited to the neighborhood gathering or being unfollowed by friends on social media is enough to make our religious principles waver! There are people who have firmly made hijrah to cover their aurah perfectly or to leave doubtful transactions. When they come to a reunion, their friends give subtle jabs: “Wow, you’re so stiff now, huh? Like an old person—not fun at all!”They go home from the reunion frowning, pondering in front of the mirror, and the next day their hijab comes off again because they’re afraid of being called “uncool.”It’s funny. Are we seeking Allah’s pleasure or the approval of the “reunion committee”? We’re often afraid of being ostracized by people who, if we fell ill, might not even visit us, yet we’re casual when ostracized by the inhabitants of Heaven for violating Allah’s rules. Remember, netizens’ thumbs-up or neighbors’ cynical stares will not help us when the angels Munkar and Nakīr begin questioning us in the grave. So, if you’re laughed at for choosing the right path, just smile and say in your heart: “Sorry, my casing may look old-fashioned to you, but my heart’s operating system is connected directly to the sky!”

3. Conclusion and Closing

Friends, steadfastness of faith amid situational pressure is the highest crown of a servant of Allah. When you face a choice to uphold the truth but risk losing a position, losing friends, or suffering materially, remember the magnificent words of Pharaoh’s magicians: “You can only decree for this worldly life.”This world is too short to be filled with fear of human judgment. Keep walking on the path of Allah’s pleasure; let the storm of opinion blow as hard as it may, for storms will surely pass, but the reward for your steadfastness before Allah SWT will last forever

. والله أعلم بالصواب

الحمد لله رب العالمين

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie