First Intifada and Syrian Revolution 2025 Khutbah Toolkit

Key Themes & Objectives:

1. Triumph over evil no matter how long it takes. Plant the seed even if the trumpet is blown. 
2. Light shines after the darkest moments. Victory is not obtained without paying a price.
3. Victory is determined by Allah alone and He has promised victory to the righteous.
4. Allah can change the situation of the believers in an instant.

Quranic References: 

• Surah Al-Baqara, verse 153-156

             يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ – ١٥٣  

 وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَن يُقْتَلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمْوَٰتٌۢ ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَآءٌۭ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَشْعُرُونَ – ١٥٤

 وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ – ١٥٥

 ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ – ١٥٦

“O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient. And never say that those martyred in the cause of Allah are dead—in fact, they are alive! But you do not perceive it. We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure— who say, when struck by a disaster, ‘Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.’” [2:153-156]

• Surah Ali ‘Imran, verse 200

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“O believers! Patiently endure, persevere, stand on guard,and be mindful of Allah, so you may be successful.” [3:200]

• Surah Ash-Shuraa, verse 41-43

وَلَمَنِ ٱنتَصَرَ بَعْدَ ظُلْمِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَا عَلَيْهِم مِّن سَبِيلٍ – ٤١ 

إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَظْلِمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَيَبْغُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ – ٤٢ 

وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ – ٤٣

“There is no blame on those who enforce justice after being wronged. Blame is only on those who wrong people and transgress in the land unjustly. It is they who will suffer a painful punishment. And whoever endures patiently and forgives—surely this is a resolve to aspire to.” [42:41-43]

• Surah Al-Anfal, verses 29-30

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًۭا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ – ٢٩ 

وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ ۚ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَـٰكِرِينَ – ٣٠

“O believers! If you are mindful of Allah, He will grant you a decisive authority, absolve you of your sins, and forgive you. And Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty. And ˹remember, O  Prophet,˺ when the disbelievers conspired to capture, kill, or exile you. They planned, but Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners.” [8:29-30]

• Surah Al-Anfal, verses 9-10

إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّى مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ – ٩ 

وَمَا جَعَلَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ بِهِۦ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَمَا ٱلنَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ – ١٠

“˹Remember˺ when you cried out to your Lord for help, He answered, “I will reinforce you with a thousand angels—followed by many others. And Allah made this a sign of victory and reassurance to your hearts. Victory comes only from Allah. Surely Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.” [8:9-10]

Hadith:

من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيرْه بيدِه فإن لم يستطعْ فبلسانِه . فإن لم يستطعْ فبقلبِه . وذلك أضعفُ الإيمانِ

• “Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do so, then with his tongue. If he cannot do so, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri).

وَاعْلَم أَنَّ الأُمّة لو اجْتَمَعَت عَلَى أن يَنفَعُوكَ بِشيءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلا بِشيءٍ قَد كَتَبَهُ اللهُ لَك

، وإِن اِجْتَمَعواعَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشيءٍ لَمْ يَضروك إلا بشيءٍ قَد كَتَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ، رُفعَت الأَقْلامُ، وَجَفّتِ الصُّحُفُ

• “And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2516 Grade: Sahih)

إنَّ النَّاسَ إذا رأَوْا ظالمًا فلم يأخُذوا على يدَيْه أوشك أن يعُمَّهم اللهُ بعقابٍ

• “Indeed, when people see an oppressor and do not stop him, God will surely encompass them all with punishment.” (Abu Dawud 4338 Grade: Sahih)

إن قامتِ السَّاعةُ و في يدِ أحدِكم فسيلةٌ، فإن استطاعَ أن لا تقومَ حتَّى يغرِسَها فليغرِسْه

• “If the Final Hour comes while one of you has a palm sapling in his hand, and he is able to plant it, then he should plant it.” (Al Bukhari 479)

Practical Examples:

• The peaceful conquest of Makkah and total triumph of Islam after 22 years of conflict with Quraysh.
• Salahudeen broke the majority of the Crusaders Army in one battle in Hattin, paving the way to liberate all of Al Sham after 90+ years of occupation.
• The First Intifada disrupting negotiations with the Israelis and threatening the Israeli occupation of Gaza for the first time since 1965 
• The Syrian Revolution ending 54 years of tyrannical Assad rule in 2 weeks after the world had abandoned the Syrian cause and accepted Bashar as the status quo.  

Self-Reflection Questions for Congregation:

• What is holding us back from having hope and trust in Allah regarding everything happening around us?
• Do we base our hopes and actions only on what we see? Or do we base our hopes and actions on our belief in the Unseen and trust in Allah? 
• Have we neglected the duty to tie our own proverbial camel?
• Who holds ultimate power?

Recommended Dua (with translations):

أللّهمّ إنِّي أعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الهَمِّ وَالحُزْن وَالعَجْز والكَسَل وَالبُخْل وَالجُبْن وَغَلَبَة الدَيْن وَقَهْر الرِجَال

• ‘O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.’

اللهم من اراد بالاسلام والمسلمين خيراً فوفقه لكل خير ومن اراد بالاسلام والمسلمين شراً فاهلكه بشره وارح البلاد والعباد من شره 

• Oh Allah, give success to whoever means well for Islam and the Ummah, and give failure, humiliation, and defeat to whoever intends harm to Islam and the Ummah.

اللهم اشغل الظالمين بالظالمين وأخرجنا من بينهم سالمين

•  Oh Allah destroy the oppressors with each other and deliver us safely from them.

اللهم استخدمنا ولا تستبدلنا

• May Allah use us and not replace us.

Messaging Guidelines:

• Avoid making references to specific political groups by name
• Avoid speaking about the political specifics in either situation, and avoid glamorizing particular leaders
• Guide the community to think proactively within the solutions available to us in this country within the parameters of Islamic ethics and morals. 
• This is a charged Khutbah – do not overdo the charge in it. Emphasize zeal but do so appropriately. 
• Emphasize individual action in an organized sense: drive the reflection questions but encourage that there are already organizations and movements in place so that the passion can be effective and appropriate.

Sample Khutbah

First Khutbah

Alḥamdulillāh, we praise Allah in every condition. We praise Him when the skies are clear and when the storm clouds gather. We praise Him in times of ease and in times of hardship, for He is the One who grants victory, and with Him is the ultimate outcome.

We bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad ﷺ is His servant and final Messenger, sent as a light in the darkness, a mercy to the oppressed, and a warner to the arrogant.

Dear brothers and sisters,

History has taught us — and faith has confirmed — that oppression never lasts, and tyranny always fails, no matter how long it takes. Today, we remember two powerful chapters in our recent history: the First Intifada and the Syrian Revolution — moments when ordinary people, long crushed under injustice, stood up in the face of seemingly invincible forces.

We reflect on these events not for nostalgia, not to debate politics, but to renew our theological clarity: that truth is always stronger than falsehood, and that victory is always in the Hands of Allah.

Victory Is Promised — But Not Cheap

Allah says:

“Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe, both in this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand.”
(Sūrat Ghāfir 40:51)

Victory has always come — but never without cost. Not to the prophets, not to the righteous, and not to those who carry their legacy.

When the Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah victorious after 22 years of rejection, persecution, battles, and betrayal — it wasn’t sudden. It was the result of decades of perseverance, of planting seeds, even when it seemed like the tree would never grow. The very people who once mocked him, threw stones at him, and forced him to flee — they stood humbled at his mercy.

He could have taken revenge. Instead, he said:

“Go, for you are free.”
(Sīrah of Ibn Hishām)

But that forgiveness did not come from weakness — it came from a position of complete strength, because truth always triumphs when anchored in Allah.

The Torch of Resistance Never Goes Out

In the summer of 1987, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank — armed not with armies or allies, but with stones, conviction, and belief — sparked what would become known as the First Intifada. For the first time in decades, the occupation was shaken. Negotiations were disrupted. Eyes were opened. A spark became a flame.

And not long ago, in Syria, a people long silenced rose up peacefully — and within two weeks, a regime thought immovable for over 50 years began to crumble. The world had accepted that status quo. But Allah had other plans.

Yes — the struggle remains. Yes — the path is still steep. But as believers, we are not guided by short-term results. We are guided by this truth:

“Do not think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them to a Day when eyes will stare in horror.”
(Sūrat Ibrāhīm 14:42)

Our job is not to determine when the tide will turn — but to stay firm when it hasn’t yet.

After Darkness Comes Light

Brothers and sisters,

Think of Salahuddīn. After nearly a century of occupation in al-Shām and al-Quds, with Crusaders entrenched across the land, he broke their back at Ḥaṭṭīn in a single decisive battle. But that moment only came after years of preparation, discipline, and revival.

In each of these examples, the darkest moments came just before the breakthrough. That is the sunnah of Allah.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Know that victory comes with patience, relief with hardship, and that with difficulty comes ease.”
(Musnad Aḥmad)

Even if we feel like we’re only planting seeds while the world burns, the Prophet ﷺ said:

“If the Hour is established while one of you has a seedling in his hand, let him plant it.”
(Musnad Aḥmad)

Because the believer never gives up — even when he may not live to see the fruit. He trusts that Allah brings the harvest.

The Tide Can Turn in an Instant

Never assume that just because a tyrant has power today, he will have it tomorrow. The Quran is full of reminders:

“And We turned their plots against them…” (Sūrat al-Naḥl 16:26)
“So they schemed, and Allah schemed — and Allah is the best of schemers.” (Sūrat Āl ʿImrān 3:54)

Allah can bring an empire to its knees with a virus too small to be seen. He can collapse a dictator’s rule in days. Or He can delay it — as a test, as a lesson, as a purification for the believers.

But our role remains the same: to speak truth, to organize wisely, and to never give our hearts over to hopelessness.

So What Is Our Role?

We are not in Gaza. We are not in Idlib. But we are here — with resources, rights, and platforms. And that comes with accountability.

Your passion is not enough. It needs organization.

Your anger is not enough. It needs strategy.

Your du‘ā is not enough. It needs action.

There are already movements, institutions, campaigns, and voices doing the work — what’s missing is you.

Will you support the organizations defending truth?
Will you speak to your neighbors and colleagues with clarity?
Will you sacrifice comfort for commitment?

Or will we be among those who merely scroll, sigh, and move on?

Second Khutbah

Alḥamdulillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh…

Brothers and sisters,

We are part of a long chain — from the Prophet ﷺ in Makkah, to the companions in Madinah, to Salahuddīn in Jerusalem, to those youth in the camps and cities of Gaza and Ḥomṣ and Aleppo.

Let us not break that chain.

Let us be people of action and reliance, of hope and of struggle.

“Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession in the land…”
(Sūrat al-Nūr 24:55)

May Allah purify our intentions, sharpen our efforts, and make us part of the solution — never the silence.