Those Left Behind and the Means to Act

Occasion: Transcription of a Fajr khatira delivered on 26 February 2026 Source: A transcription of a video khatira by Dr. Ahmed Abouseif — Watch the original video on YouTube

O Allah, set right for us our religion, our worldly life and our Hereafter, and prepare for us right guidance in our affair; bless us, O Allah, in what You have provided us, protect us from the punishment of the Fire, and turn away from us the causes of punishment in this world and the Hereafter, through a mercy, good pleasure and generosity from You, O Lord of the worlds.

The Rejoicing of Those Left Behind in Their Seat

Dr. Ahmed pauses at the words of the Exalted about those who stayed behind from the expedition of the Prophet ﷺ: ﴿فَرِحَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَافَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَكَرِهُوا أَنْ يُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَالُوا لَا تَنفِرُوا فِي الْحَرِّ﴾ (“Those who remained behind rejoiced in their staying back, contrary to the Messenger of Allah, and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah and said, ‘Do not go forth in the heat’”).^[1]

The Psychology of the Wavering

He describes the psychology of these people as wavering and hesitant, like someone sitting on a swinging tire who never settles: between going forward and holding back, they do not stand firm. And he counts their rejoicing in staying behind as a crime.

The Sincere Excuse

By contrast he mentions those who had a genuine excuse: ﴿لَيْسَ عَلَى الضُّعَفَاءِ وَلَا عَلَى الْمَرْضَىٰ وَلَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يُنفِقُونَ حَرَجٌ إِذَا نَصَحُوا لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾ (“There is no blame upon the weak or upon the ill or upon those who do not find anything to spend, if they are sincere to Allah and His Messenger”), and he mentions the words of the Exalted: ﴿تَوَلَّوْا وَأَعْيُنُهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ حَزَنًا﴾ (“they turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief”).^[2]

Means Within Our Reach

Then he brings the meaning close to our own situation and says: In this land Allah has given us a means from everything, and in our hands are all the means that help us fulfil the trust of Allah in the fullest and most complete way. And what remains is that, before Allah, Blessed and Exalted, there stands the one whose resolve was stirred, whose will was awakened, and who determined to do something, and the one who sat with those who sit. And there is a great difference between the two groups.

I ask Allah, Blessed and Exalted, to bless us and you in this noble day, to extend the means of provision into our hands and yours, to grant us and you the means of well-being, to accept from us our deeds, the righteous ones, and to forgive us our shortcomings in the right of His religion and His call. O Allah, amen.

--- ^[1]: Editor's documentation: al-Tawba 81. A colloquial phrase whose context was unclear was omitted from the body (it could not be determined whether it was a quotation of the discouragers' words or a comment). The verses are in the context of the expedition of Tabūk, which was not stated explicitly in the transcript (it has a garbled number after “expedition”). ^[2]: Editor's documentation: al-Tawba 91 and 92. The clause «تولوا وأعينهم تفيض…» is from al-Tawba 92, and before it the transcript has «كلفني يا رسول الله», with unclear context, so it was not included.