Check our new online courses here; or see the details below.
Bismillāh.
وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ
Do not incline toward the wrongdoers, lest the Fire should touch you, and you will not have any friend besides Allah; then you will not be helped.
Sūrat Hūd, No. 11, Āyat 113
This verse appears near the conclusion of Sūrat Hūd, a chapter in which Allah recounts the stories of several prophets — Nūḥ, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, and Shu‘ayb ‘alayhim as-salām. As ‘Allāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī explains, the verse reflects back on these narratives. Each community had ultimately divided into two groups regarding the divine call: those who believed and those who rejected. The verse warns the Prophet and, by extension, the entire Muslim community not to incline toward the latter group. It cautions against leaning toward or depending on the enemies of truth — whether by compromising religious principles or granting them influence within the Muslim community.
The verb tarkanū conveys a type of dependence accompanied by an inward leaning or sympathy — a subtle but dangerous form of concession.
One of the greatest examples of someone who fully embodied this divine counsel is Sayyidah Fātimah (a). Among her many virtues, her courage in confronting the injustices of her era stands out with particular brilliance — a task that even Imam ‘Alī (a) could not carry out openly due to pressing considerations. He was:
- Commanded by the Prophet ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-ālih, to remain patient when his rights were seized, and
- Aware that taking a direct stance at that moment would ignite civil war and threaten the very survival of the nascent Muslim nation.
Under such constraints, Sayyidah Fātimah (a) herself rose to challenge oppression. In this struggle, her unborn child was martyred, and she would soon follow in martyrdom. As part of her stand, she delivered two profound speeches:
- In the Masjid of the Prophet (s) — beginning with:
“Al-ḥamdu lillāhi ‘alā mā an‘ama — All praise belongs to Allah for what He has bestowed. - To the women of Madinah during her final illness — when they asked how she had awakened that morning, she began:
“Asbahtu wallāhi ‘ā’ifatan li-dunyākunna — By Allah, I have awakened disinclined toward your world.”
Both speeches were urgent calls to rouse the Muslim community to the deviation that had taken root — especially the sidelining of the rights of the Ahl al-Bayt and Imam ‘Alī (a). At one point in her second address, she rebukes those who opposed Imam ‘Alī (a), declaring:
What was it that made them oppose Abū al-Ḥasan? By Allah, they resented the sharpness of his sword, his indifference toward his own death, the power of his strikes, the force of his blows, and his boldness in the path of Allah.
Sayyidah Fātimah (a) thus established a sacred legacy of speaking truth to power, resisting tyranny, and confronting unjust rulers with unwavering resolve — a path later exemplified by her daughter Zaynab in Kūfah and Shām, and continued by her noble descendants.
Her life shows how faith, courage, and eloquence unite to defend truth, uphold justice, and preserve divine guidance even in the harshest of circumstances.
We ask Allah to grant us the strength to follow the example of Sayyidah Fātimah (a), living with integrity, steadfastness, and devotion, and striving for justice in every aspect of our lives.
Sources: Allāmah Tabātabā’ī, Al-Mīzān; Ayatullāh Sa’ādat Parwar, Jilveh-ye Nūr.
ALI 703: Quranic Arabic and Knowledge – Level 3
In this online course, specifically tailored for serious learners, we will simplify the Quranic language. To make it interesting, we will begin with a brief tafsir of short surahs. At this level, we will continue learning grammatical rules on nouns covered in Lesson 9 onwards in Qur’anic Language Made Easy by Hafiza Iffath Hasan.
Eligibility: All Muslims are welcome to join this course.
Schedule: 5 Wednesdays, November 19 to December 17, 2025
Timings: 4:00-5:10 pm in LA/Vancouver, 7:00pm – 8:10 pm in NY/Toronto
Instructor: Sh Hasanayn Kassamali
Fees: CAD $40.00
Registration: www.academyofislam.com/registrations/