Summary
Written at the request of a global summit and presented to its delegates, this letter addresses the Ummah at a moment of profound trial. It outlines the moral and spiritual responsibilities that accompany carrying the final divine message, emphasising inner reform, steadfastness, and faith-driven action as the prerequisites for meaningful change and long-term renewal.
All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the final Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ, the seal of Prophets and the guide for every heart that seeks the light.
O Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ,
The genocide in Gaza has shattered all "isms" and exposed all hypocrisy. It has revealed to us the cruelty of tyrants, the fragility of worldly powers, and the extraordinary steadfastness of those whose hearts remain connected to Allah even as the world collapses around them.
But it also revealed something else: that our Ummah still carries a mission, and therefore still carries hope.
We are the Ummah of da‘wah and the inheritors of a message that will never be renewed by another prophet.
Allah chose us to carry what His prophets carried. And with this honour comes great responsibility.
Allah says:
{ كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ }
“You are the best nation sent forth for mankind…”
(Āl ‘Imrān 3:110)
This title is not by entitlement, but by duty.
Accordingly, the Messenger ﷺ taught us that every believer stands at a post:
He did this when he said...
“Each of you is a guardian, and each of you is responsible for those under their care.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Our post is the protection of this dīn: in creed, in worship, in justice, in da‘wah, and in civilisation.
And the mandate of our deployment is clear:
Do not let Islam be penetrated from your post.
O Ummah if Muhammed... There are verses in the Qur'an that Aged the Prophet ﷺ
In one revelation, Allah said...
{ فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ }
“So remain steadfast as you have been commanded.”
(Hūd 11:112)
Steadfastness (istiqāmah) is the bridge between grief and revival. It is the inner struggle that precedes...yes...precedes any outward transformation.
And this Ummah, in the aftermath of Gaza, stands on the threshold of such a transformation, but only if it understands what Allah expects from it.
The reality is that we are not only capable of renewal, but we are responsible for it.
That said, a civilisation, such as ours, can only rise again upon a foundation that is aligned with the pure nature (or fitrah) that Allah created within us:
This foundation entails the following:
1. A Creed (ʿAqīdah) in Harmony With the Human Fitrah
Meaning... a belief system that resonates with the soul’s natural longing for truth and clarity.
2. Worship That Drives Purposeful Action
Meaning, acts of worship that move us to build, cultivate, and uplift. Not escape or withdraw.
3. A Mind Illuminated by Revelation
And that means a mind guided by divine clarity, not enslaved to impulse or desire.
4. Knowledge Tethered to Faith
Such knowledge that elevates, protects, and benefits... not corrupts.
5. Faith That Blossoms Into Action and Invitation
Yes...not just stagnant faith void of effort. It has to be a faith that produces work that naturally becomes da‘wah.
6. Character refined by Ihsān and excellence.
Meaning...a character filled with beauty and compassion...
7. A body enlivened by spiritual clarity.
Meaning... a body that isn't physically alive but spiritually dead and blind.
8. Families that safeguard the individual and can nurture and protect the identity of Imaan.
9. Laws That Achieve True Benefit and Justice... Founded upon fairness, wisdom, and public benefit (almaslahah almurasalah).
10. Manners that beautify life and etiquette that adorn our interactions and elevate society.
11. Justice supported mercy.
Meaning a justice that is principled yet compassionate.
12. Power restrained by righteousness, not ego.
O you who believe...
This is not poetry, and by Allah, it's not nostalgia.
This is the blueprint of a civilisation that once illuminated the world and can do so again.
But...
Yes, there is a but...
But only if its people defeat the enemy 'within' before confronting the enemies 'without'.
It is for this reason that ‘Alī رضي الله عنه said:
«أَخْوَفُ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمُ اتِّبَاعُ الْهَوَى وَطُولُ الْأَمَلِ؛ فَإِنَّ اتِّبَاعَ الْهَوَى يَصُدُّ عَنِ الْحَقِّ، وَطُولَ الْأَمَلِ يُنْسِي الْآخِرَةَ»
“The most frightening things I fear for you are following desire and long unchecked hopes; for following desire blocks you from the truth, and long hopes make you forget the Hereafter.”
Also, Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī was once asked, “Which form of jihad is best?” and he replied:
«جَاهِدْ هَوَاكَ»
“Strive against your own desire.”
And Bishr al-Ḥāfī summarised the human condition with shocking clarity:
«الْبَلَاءُ كُلُّهُ فِي هَوَاكَ، وَالشِّفَاءُ كُلُّهُ فِي مُخَالَفَتِهِ»
“Every affliction lies in following your desire, and every cure lies in opposing it.”
And before them all, the Prophet ﷺ, their inspiration, warned of the “destroyers”:
«شُحٌّ مُطَاعٌ، وَهَوًى مُتَّبَعٌ، وَإِعْجَابُ الْمَرْءِ بِنَفْسِهِ»
“Greed that is obeyed, desires that are followed, and a person’s admiration of himself.”
Where We Go From Here
Gaza revealed the strength of the believers. Is it not time that we must reveal the sincerity of our response?!
On you who believe...
Allah promises:
{ وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا }
“Those who strive for Our sake, We will surely guide them to Our paths.”
(al-‘Ankabūt 29:69)
And He reminds us:
{ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ }
(ar-Ra‘d 13:11)
Taghyīr (تغيير) in Arabic comes from the root غ-ي-ر (gh-y-r), which carries the meaning of alteration, transformation, or becoming different from a prior state.
Linguistically, taghyīr is a verbal noun (maṣdar) derived from the verb ghayyara, and the presence of a verb is crucial. A verb, by definition, entails action, and action implies movement through time, not an instantaneous occurrence.
This is why taghyīr in the Qur’anic sense is not framed as a sudden event but as an unfolding process. While Allah is fully capable of saying “Be” (kun) and change occurs immediately by His will, He clarifies that in the life of this world, change does not ordinarily manifest through a single divine command detached from human effort.
Rather, Allah ties change to human action, intention, and persistence: a process of moral, spiritual, and practical transformation. Thus, taghyīr is not merely about outcomes but about the journey where sustained effort becomes the means through which Allah brings about change.
We are nurtured to understand that:
- Revival begins in the heart.
- Civilisation begins in the heart.
- Victory begins in the heart.
If the heart stands firm, the Ummah stands firm.
Our Pledge
Today, as a gathering of this vast Ummah, let us affirm:
We will not let Islam be penetrated from our post.
We renew our commitment to:
- The Qur’an in our hands,
- the Sunnah in our hearts,
- sincerity in our intentions,
- ihsān in our actions,
- steadfastness in our journey,
- and civilisation-building as our long-term vision.
We ask Allah to make us worthy of carrying the final message of the final Prophet ﷺ.
Āmīn.
Your brother,
Sajid Umar
Location: 'somewhere en route to the hereafter'
06/07/1447 (AH) - 26/12/2025
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