By
Abdul-Kadir Abdullah
All praise is due to Allah, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the One who sees all that is done in the heavens and on the earth. We praise Him, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our souls and the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomsoever He allows to go astray, none can guide.
We bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone, without partners, and we bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and final Messenger.
Allah says, "O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims (in submission to Him)." (Surah Al-Imran 3:102)
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, today’s khutbah is on a topic that is urgent, important, and extremely relevant to our condition as a nation and as an Ummah in Nigeria in particular: “ *Sabotage in the Eye of Islam and the Role of Treachery in Insecurity.”*
Sabotage is the act of betraying trust, causing harm from within, or undermining one's own people. This is one of the gravest forms of treachery. It involves deceit, betrayal, and destruction often cloaked in secrecy as we can see today in Nigeria and across the globe. And in Islam, it is a major sin.
Let us reflect on how this sin is contributing to the insecurity, violence, and instability we are witnessing in many parts of Nigeria today, from banditry to terrorism, kidnapping to economic destruction, much of it has roots in betrayal and sabotage.
ISLAMIC CONDEMNATION OF SABOTAGE:
Sabotage can be translated in Arabic as “khiyānah”, betrayal, treachery, disloyalty. Allah warns against it in the Qur’an: "Indeed, Allah does not like the treacherous." (Surah Al-Anfal 8:58)
And He says: "And do not be like those who say 'we hear' while they do not hear. Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason." (Surah Al-Anfal 8:21-22)
Sabotage is not only betrayal of individuals. It is a betrayal of the nation, the Ummah, and the trust of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock..." (Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim)
Sabotaging security, economy, or governance is a betrayal of that trust.
SABOTAGE DURING THE TIME OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (Peace be upon him)
In the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), several acts of sabotage occurred, and the Prophet treated them with great seriousness.
First, the Hypocrites (Munafiqun) led by Abdullah ibn Ubayy tried to undermine Islam from within. They pretended to be Muslims but spread rumours, created divisions, and disobeyed in battle.
Allah exposed them in Surah Al-Munafiqun, and said: "They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?" (Surah Al-Munafiqun 63:4)
Secondly, the Betrayal Of Banu Qurayzah, a Jewish tribe that signed a pact with the Muslims but secretly supported the enemies during the Battle of the Trench. This was an act of sabotage in the middle of war, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) took decisive action after Allah revealed the treachery.
Thirdly, in the battle of uhud, some hypocrites turned back at the last minute, weakening Muslim ranks. Their action almost cost the Muslims the war. Allah warned us: "O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know (the consequence)." (Surah Al-Anfal 8:27)
SABOTAGE AND INSECURITY IN NIGERIA TODAY
My dear brothers and sisters, today in Nigeria, we are plagued with insecurity: Banditry and terrorism in the North; Kidnappings and armed robbery in the South; Ethnic and religious violence here and there; Fuel subsidy fraud and looting and Economic sabotage and insider theft.
Let it be known that these evils do not happen without internal betrayal. Some officials collude with criminals. Some leaders enrich themselves while people starve. Some insiders leak intelligence or supply weapons to bandits. Some spread fake news to divide Muslims and create tribal hate or religious disharmony. This is sabotage, and it is HARAM (forbidden) in Islam.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted, he betrays the trust." (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Does this not describe those who betray Nigeria for money or power? This is a question for everyone to answer.
WARNING TO THE SABOTEURS
To those engaged in sabotage of this country, whether politicians, military insiders, security agents, civilians or clerics, we remind you of the Day of Judgment.
Allah says: "And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it (in bribery) to the rulers in order that (they might aid) you to consume a portion of the wealth of others while you know (it is unlawful)." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:188)
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Anyone who harms the Muslims, Allah will harm him. Anyone who causes hardship to the Muslims, Allah will cause him hardship." (Abu Dawood, Hasan)
Let those behind Nigeria’s suffering repent now before it is too late.
O Muslims, we must do the following:
Reject all forms of sabotage, whether by word, weapon, or wealth. Let us encourage our families to do same.
Expose betrayal if we witness it. This is Amr bil Ma'ruf (enjoining good) and Nahi ‘anil Munkar (forbidding evil).
Support righteous leadership and demand accountability. The Anti-Cultism and Kidnapping War by the Edo State Government must be supported by all. In times of elections, let us vote leaders who we know are capable to deliver on their promises to the people.
Make sincere du’a for the protection of our land. Let us know that when there is fire in the neighborhood, everyone must join to quench it, if not, the entire community may be burnt.
Teach our children integrity so that the next generation will not inherit treachery. It is very important to let our children know that integrity of the family must be protected from generations to generations.
All praise is due to Allah, who guides whom He wills and leaves astray whom He wills. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us remember that security is a ni’mah (blessing) from Allah. In Surah Quraysh, Allah reminds us:
"Let them worship the Lord of this House, who fed them against hunger and secured them against fear." (Surah Quraysh 106:3-4)
But when we sabotage our own nation, we lose this blessing. Corruption, treachery, and betrayal remove the protection of Allah.
Let us repent, let us hold firm to the rope of Allah, and let us work for justice and peace in Nigeria.
O Allah, protect our nation Nigeria.
O Allah, expose and disgrace the saboteurs and traitors among us.
O Allah, grant safety to our people and guide our leaders to truth.
O Allah, replace our fear with security and our poverty with sustenance.
O Allah, forgive our sins and unite us upon Your guidance.
Abdul-Kadir Abdullah writes from the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) Edo State Chapter.
