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The Prayer of the Oppressed
The Power of this prayer of Imam Muhammad al-Dar’i lies in its simplicity, its purity, and its sincere supplication. It is essentially a plea to God that our transgressions be overlooked, that divine mercy be bestowed upon us, that social justice be restored in spite of us, that wrongs be righted, and that righteousness reign once again in our lands, so that the destitute may no longer be in need, the young may be educated, the animals’ purpose fulfilled, rain restored, and bounties poured forth. It is a plea to be freed from the aggression of foreigners in lands over which they have no right—a plea much needed in our modern world, rampant as it is with invasions and territorial occupations. Ultimately, it asks not that our enemies be destroyed, but simply that their plots, and the harm they cause, be halted. Its essence is mercy, which in turn is the essence of the Messenger of God, Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him): “And We have only sent you as a mercy to all the worlds.”
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
18 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
Hamza Yusuf
59 books952 followersHamza Yusuf is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, located in Berkeley, California. He is an advisor to Stanford University’s Program in Islamic Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. He also serves as a member of the board of advisors of George Russell’s One Nation, a national philanthropic initiative that promotes pluralism and inclusion in America. In addition, he serves as vice-president for the Global Center for Guidance and Renewal, which was founded and is currently presided over by Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, one of the top jurists and masters of Islamic sciences in the world. Recently, Hamza Yusuf was ranked as “the Western world’s most influential Islamic scholar” by The 500 Most Influential Muslims, edited by John Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin, (2009).
Hamza Yusuf is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam. He has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been a strong advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the “them versus us” problem is fundamentally flawed, as he considers himself one of “them” as well as one of “us.”
Hamza Yusuf has served as an advisor to many organizations, leaders, and heads of state. He has been an innovator in modern Islamic education, founding the highly imitated Deen Intensives, and with Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Afa, he started the first Rihla program in England, which has been running for over fifteen years. Dozens of young Muslims who were influenced by his call to reviving traditional Islamic studies in the West went to the Muslim lands in the nineties and early part of the current decade to study, many of who are now teachers in their own right.
With Eissa Bougari, Hamza Yusuf initiated a media challenge to the Arab world that resulted in a highly successful cultural religious program that he hosted for three years and was one of the most watched programs in the Arab world during Ramadan. Cambridge Media Studies stated that this program had a profound influence on subsequent religious programming in the Arab world. He has also been interviewed on BBC several times and was the subject of a BBC documentary segment The Faces of Islam, ushering in the new millennium, as it aired at 11:30pm on Dec. 31st 1999.
Hamza Yusuf has been a passionate and outspoken critic of American foreign policy as well as Islamic extremist responses to those policies. He has drawn criticism from both the extreme right in the West and Muslim extremists in the East. Ed Hussain has written that Hamza Yusuf’s teachings were instrumental to his abandoning extremism.
Hamza Yusuf has also authored several encyclopedia articles and research papers. His published books include The Burda (2003), Purification of the Heart (2004), The Content of Character (2004), The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (2007), Agenda to Change our Condition (2007), Walking on Water (2010), and the Prayer of the Oppressed (2010).
Hamza Yusuf is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam. He has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching methodologies throughout the world. He has also been a strong advocate for social justice, peace, and conviviality among peoples and places. For several years, he has argued that the “them versus us” problem is fundamentally flawed, as he considers himself one of “them” as well as one of “us.”
Hamza Yusuf has served as an advisor to many organizations, leaders, and heads of state. He has been an innovator in modern Islamic education, founding the highly imitated Deen Intensives, and with Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Afa, he started the first Rihla program in England, which has been running for over fifteen years. Dozens of young Muslims who were influenced by his call to reviving traditional Islamic studies in the West went to the Muslim lands in the nineties and early part of the current decade to study, many of who are now teachers in their own right.
With Eissa Bougari, Hamza Yusuf initiated a media challenge to the Arab world that resulted in a highly successful cultural religious program that he hosted for three years and was one of the most watched programs in the Arab world during Ramadan. Cambridge Media Studies stated that this program had a profound influence on subsequent religious programming in the Arab world. He has also been interviewed on BBC several times and was the subject of a BBC documentary segment The Faces of Islam, ushering in the new millennium, as it aired at 11:30pm on Dec. 31st 1999.
Hamza Yusuf has been a passionate and outspoken critic of American foreign policy as well as Islamic extremist responses to those policies. He has drawn criticism from both the extreme right in the West and Muslim extremists in the East. Ed Hussain has written that Hamza Yusuf’s teachings were instrumental to his abandoning extremism.
Hamza Yusuf has also authored several encyclopedia articles and research papers. His published books include The Burda (2003), Purification of the Heart (2004), The Content of Character (2004), The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (2007), Agenda to Change our Condition (2007), Walking on Water (2010), and the Prayer of the Oppressed (2010).
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 14, 2019
This book sparks my understanding and inquiry back to the Prophetic Tradition in responding to the tyrant during the 13 years of Prophet SAW in Mecca, the event of Taif and the hadith when Prophet Muhammad SAW said that the muslims are weak like bubbles on the sea due to love of the world and fear of death.
Shaykh Hamza focuses his beautiful introduction of Imam Muhammad ibn Nasir al-Dar‘i''s prayer on one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s saying on non-violent campaign which is self-purification (other than negotiations, direct action and collection of the facts to determine whether injustice exists).
In the great turbulent of the modern world, holding tight to the Prophetic Tradition is pertinent. Shaykh Hamza also eloquently blends the introduction with the sayings of Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Mutanabbi, John Milton, St. Augustine, Nietszche, Jacques Lacan, Lord Acton and Wilfrid Blunt along with the Prophet SAW as the best exemplar and the stories on how he interacts with the people during the Meccan period like Khalid al-Walid, the age of being boycotted by non-Muslims and the story when he replies good to the person who put thorns on him.
Shaykh Hamza focuses his beautiful introduction of Imam Muhammad ibn Nasir al-Dar‘i''s prayer on one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s saying on non-violent campaign which is self-purification (other than negotiations, direct action and collection of the facts to determine whether injustice exists).
In the great turbulent of the modern world, holding tight to the Prophetic Tradition is pertinent. Shaykh Hamza also eloquently blends the introduction with the sayings of Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Mutanabbi, John Milton, St. Augustine, Nietszche, Jacques Lacan, Lord Acton and Wilfrid Blunt along with the Prophet SAW as the best exemplar and the stories on how he interacts with the people during the Meccan period like Khalid al-Walid, the age of being boycotted by non-Muslims and the story when he replies good to the person who put thorns on him.
July 5, 2014
Mashallah, this man is so smart. The introduction was amazing. The rest was too, it's just that I don't usually have high expectations for introductions.
August 19, 2013
5 stars and this only for the wonderful introduction by Sh Hamza Yusuf
October 10, 2023
Suprisingly profound
Want to read
November 7, 2023Very moving recitation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APrOY...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APrOY...
November 5, 2020
I loved how Sheikh Hamza Yusuf took me out of my comfort zone through introduction. The poem is beautiful, although I only read the arabic and didn’t read the translation it self.
I don’t like the use of big academic words. I don’t know whether sheikh Hamza is writing for a more educated/academic audience or not. I’d stand with Orwell when he speaks about the use of complicated difficult language in his article “why I write”. Any way this is a good read and sheikh Hamza is one of the treasures of the American society and the Muslim world
I don’t like the use of big academic words. I don’t know whether sheikh Hamza is writing for a more educated/academic audience or not. I’d stand with Orwell when he speaks about the use of complicated difficult language in his article “why I write”. Any way this is a good read and sheikh Hamza is one of the treasures of the American society and the Muslim world
August 15, 2011
The translation is wonderful and the Fez Singers recite the poem beautifully
October 31, 2015
Great introduction!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews