May Allah bless you all. A warm welcome to each one of you, with a special mention to the esteemed scholars. I welcome all official and popular personalities and all those present here. May Allah bless you all. Allow me to congratulate you in advance on the occasion of the blessed birth anniversary of the Prophet.

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.

O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.

Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

Today's speech is meant to cover both our speech regarding the weekly developments (which highlights the new events related to the major battle against the oppressive and tyrannical Israeli, Jewish, and Zionist enemy) and our speech that marks the beginning of activities and events in preparation for the blessed birth anniversary of the Prophet, which is a great, blessed, and sacred occasion . This is within the important title of commemorating this occasion this year, which is the saying of Allah, {'O Prophet! Struggle against the disbelievers and the munafiqin, and be firm with them. Jahannam will be their home. What an evil destination'}[At-Twabah 9:73]. All of this is due to its significant connection to our position as a Yemeni people, who embark on their position based on faith and carry the banner of jihad in the path of Allah out of obedience to Him and for the sake of emulating the Messenger of Allah and following his example, as he presents the perfect example of faith, the march of faith, and jihad in the path of Allah.

Every year, our Yemeni people pay special attention to the blessed birth anniversary of the Prophet (PBUH&F). This has become known globally: All nations recognise, see, observe, and hear that the Yemeni people lead the way in celebrating this blessed occasion. Preparation for this occasion involves many important, beneficial activities that are rich in intellectual, cultural, and awareness-raising content, as well as in terms of jihadist and faith-based mobilisation. This continues for weeks, and it is evident. Although we announce the beginning of the events today, activities have been underway for days at both official and public levels. This remarkable and distinguished interest primarily stems from our dear Yemeni Muslim people's embodiment of their faith. Also, what distinguishes them in this regard is a feature they have maintained throughout history. Since the dawn of Islam, since the time of their early Ansar [supportive] ancestors and conquering forefathers, and throughout history, our dear people have stood out in their prominent faith-based relationship with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F); in embodying the principles, values, and ethics of Islam; and in their movement within the march of jihad for the sake of Allah, the Almighty. The effects remain clear; the milestones are significant; and the positions are recorded in history. History will continue to record more and more positions of honour, positions of loyalty, and positions of jihad for the sake of Allah, in which this faithful people will continue to engage. Throughout generations and until the Day of the Hour, by the will of Allah, this believing people have been granted the great honour and badge: 'The belief is that of the Yemenites, and sagacity is that of the Yemenites.'

The Occasion of the Prophet's Birth Is a Great School and an Educational and Instructional Occasion.

Considering the great attention this occasion receives, starting with preparations that involve numerous activities and events, expressions of joy and happiness, and recognition of Allah's grace and His greatest blessing (the Seal of His Prophets and the Master of His Messengers, Muhammad bin Abdullah—PBUH&F), along with various charitable, humanitarian, and relief activities and diverse cultural and intellectual activities, our people have turned this occasion into a great, expansive, significant, and generous school. Moreover, they have made it serve as an educational and cultural occasion that benefits them in their spiritual growth.

Indeed, when we come to speak about the Messenger of Allah (a topic that is always present in our educational, cultural, and upbringing paths) and pay even more attention to this during such an occasion, we see how it transforms into an occasion that helps achieve a significant leap in awareness, culture, thought, moral and faith-based instruction, and enhancement of both the jihad spirit and the sense of responsibility, among other things. This is something tangible in the reality of our dear people.

For years, we have witnessed remarkable leaps manifested in the distinctive positions and interests of our dear people. When we observe the situation in some nations and countries that are experiencing regression and decline in terms of values, morality, spirituality, culture, thought, positions, and action, we see our dear people move on a path of elevation and progress and excel in their commitment to faith, ethics, and values, in their jihad, and also in the positions they take.

Indeed, we see how such important and blessed occasions contribute to these leaps. Our dear people have made it the greatest occasion they celebrate and the largest occasion in whose events they gather and participate, culminating in the grand event. In the grand event, millions of our people attend, unmatched by any other country in the world. This is truly a blessing. All this serves to benefit from the occasion's rich content in spiritual growth and to strengthen the connection to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) and the divine message.

As for those who have a negative position towards our dear people due to the great attention they pay to this occasion and their benefit from it at all levels, they are the ones who have a completely different attitude towards the state of those who experience loss and concern themselves with what leads to corruption, misguidance, and decline and deals a blow to their spirit of faith, morals, and values. Some direct harsh and numerous criticisms towards our dear people for commemorating this blessed occasion and benefiting from it as a great, generous, important, and valuable school. At the same time, they have no position regarding what others do: engaging in events labeled as parties for dancing, debauchery, immorality, nudity, and other forms of corruption. Hence, it is clear that the negative position of some towards this occasion and towards seeking to commemorate and benefit from it, reflects ill-feelings or comes as a position towards Islam as a whole.

Regarding this occasion, all aspects related to its commemoration are of great importance, as I have mentioned. Its cultural, intellectual, educational, spiritual, and thus practical contents are substantial and significant. They all come in the context of the practical effort made by our dear people within their jihadist, Quranic, and faith-based march, embodying their affiliation with faith in a practical way. Therefore, this is not merely about celebrations or expressions of joy, delightfulness, and happiness that quickly fade. Our people follow a practical course and lead a significant practical march, and they make practical effort in all fields, moving in the faith-oriented path that leads them towards Allah (Glory be to Him), His pleasure, and His guidance—all within the framework of faith and moral commitment.

The effects and results are tangible. The blessings of this occasion, through the way our people commemorate it, are evident in their souls, in the purity of their spirits, in the morale of the people, in their sense of responsibility, in their wisdom, in their awareness, in their insight, and in their moral, intellectual, and cultural growth (Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds). In the reality of our dear people, when compared to many other peoples and countries, we see that our dear people have made a significant leap in terms of awareness, insight, wisdom, and understanding. This is evident and clear among the young and the old and even among children. They all have a high level of awareness, wisdom, insight, understanding, and a sense of responsibility. Hence, our people are distinguished in their practical positions based on this.

The Importance of the Occasion in Our Connection to and Emulation of the Messenger of Allah

When it comes to the essence of the occasion and what it entails, it is a blessed occasion. It connects us to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) and reinforces within us emulating him, following his example, studying his biography through the Holy Quran and biography books and narrations that align with it. This is a very important aspect of our relationship with the Messenger of Allah as an ummah [nation] that believes in him: that he is the Messenger of Allah, the Seal of His Prophets, His proof to His creation, and His mercy to the worlds. All of this reflects the meaning of our connection to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), following of him, emulation of him, and guidance through him.

In terms of the personality of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), when we study it and reflect upon what has been said about it, the traits of his character represent a complete and grand school. Muslims are in dire need of it. However, as I mentioned, one should rely on the Holy Quran as a fundamental reference in that. Indeed, the scope is vast when it comes to the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), for he is the most perfect of creation. In his perfection of faith, mission, manners, humanity, and values, he reached the highest rank attainable by a human being. In fact, he achieved the highest status among messengers, prophets, and all humans. Therefore, no matter how much a person reads, listens, or delves into the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), he will find that he has only grasped a small portion and there remains much more to discover. In fact, they are an extensive and significant school in every sense of the word. They are a school of perfection in wisdom, awareness, insight, knowledge, light, morals, and spiritual purity. They are a school of success, triumph, victory, human elevation, and closeness to Allah, the Almighty. They are a school of great perfection that guides a person while preserving his humanity (rather increasing in his humanity) and granting him great success in this world and the Hereafter, in his future with Allah, the Almighty.

Therefore, the Ummah urgently needs to return to the character of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) in his prophetic, human, and moral perfection, as well as his perfection of faith, from which it can benefit in the march of guidance, emulation, and following his example. The Ummah's connection to its Messenger (PBUH&F) must be strengthened, for this will elevate it on all levels, allowing it to rise again and retain its role among all nations as it moves forward, carrying the message and project Allah presented for His servants. This allows it to become an ummah that calls to goodness, enjoins what is right, and forbids what is wrong and to play a leading role in human society. That is because the Ummah has left the field open and made way for the most wicked of Allah's creations. When its connection to the Messenger, the divine message, and the Holy Quran weakened, it descended in its reality among the nations to the extent it reached rock bottom and gave way to the most wicked of Allah's creation: the Zionist Jews, the leaders of disbelief, evil, crime, and tyranny. That was so until they became ahead of other nations, trying to lead human society to the abyss, spread corruption all over the world, and immerse humanity in misguidance and moral decay. This all is a result of Muslims neglecting to move forward with the divine message and fulfil their sacred and holy responsibility, and this all is due to the significant decline in their connection to the Messenger and the divine message.

Jihad in the Path of Allah as the Prominent Characteristic of the Messenger Required for the Current Era

When we reflect on the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), we usually, due to their being vast, present a specific title each year to give it more focus, without neglecting the other aspects. Speech as part of the educational and awareness-raising activities in all the occasions and events related to this occasion encompasses multiple aspects of the personality of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) and his blessed biography. However, there is typically a title that receives greater emphasis in order to give it more attention and understand it more comprehensively, due to being relevant to the urgent needs of the current stage we live in.

The title of this year highlights the blessed verse: {'O Prophet! Struggle against the disbelievers and the munafiqin, and be firm with them. Jahannam will be their home. What an evil destination'}[At-Twabah 9:73]. Therefore, in light of this blessed verse, this title should receive great attention in the various educational activities and diverse events, particularly through speaking about the jihad of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) and how he led the believers to fulfil this sacred duty and great obligation, which is jihad in the cause of Allah. As we are at this stage and with the new developments and challenges our Ummah is facing—in the context of the American and Israeli, Jewish, and Zionist attack against it and the Palestinian people and their war on Islam and Muslims—we need to focus on this aspect and understand it well, for it is can bring about a leap in our reality and achieve greater progress, as well as in the reality of all those among the Ummah who are concerned with this aspect.

The jihad of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), the effort he made to fulfil this sacred and blessed obligation and lead those who responded to him (the believers, the Muslims, the Ummah) in performing this sacred duty, and the outcomes resulted from such efforts on all levels—all that presents a very important title. The Ummah, at this stage, is in dire need of benefiting from the Messenger of Allah in this regard, within the framework of seeking guidance and following his example, and this is a significant matter.

We have witnessed and continue to witness the suffering of Muslims in Palestine (who are part of all Muslims around the world), the brutal Israeli aggression they suffer from, and genocide in every sense of the word. We also witness the extremely heinous crimes committed by the Israeli enemy, which is an enemy of Islam and Muslims. It excels in committing those crimes in all forms and types. This issue is very destressing to human conscience, to the extent that it has stirred the human conscience of people in non-Muslim countries: European countries, Asian countries, African countries, countries in Latin America, and others. Speaking of human conscience, the Israeli enemy is practicing this extremely horrific criminality and committing acts of brutal genocide, starvation, and others crimes against the Palestinian people, including children and women, the elderly, and the young. However, we all know that there is still a responsibility other than that one related to human conscience. There is a moral, human responsibility, but there is also a religious responsibility that is considered to be one of the most significant faith-related obligations for those who belong to Islam, believe in the Holy Quran and the divine message, and believe in the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (PBUH&F), and all the messengers and prophets—those who believe in Allah, His books, messengers, and prophets. Indeed, there is a religious responsibility according to the clear and explicit divine commands.

When we look at the position of many of the sons of the Ummah towards what is happening to their Muslim brothers in Palestine, which is an occupied Muslim land surrounded by an Arab and Islamic environment (Muslim and Arab countries) and in spite of this surrounding of Muslims, Islamic countries, and Muslim peoples, the Israeli Zionist enemy (the criminal, Jewish enemy) comes to occupy, kill, destroy, violate the sanctities, assault honour, and commit criminal acts of genocide, which are captured on videos for the whole world to see—what is happening can be clearly assessed even by any individual to reflect a position of passivity on the part of the Arab and Islamic world, in its majority, including most regimes, peoples, and elites. This is not to mention the colluding position with the Israeli enemy on the part of some regimes that have become exposed in their complicity and collaboration with the Israeli enemy, along with their connection and loyalty to it. However, regarding this state—which is a very negative, very distressing, and simultaneously disgraceful and which has very serious impacts and dangerous consequences for all those who remained in a state of inaction and spectatorship and did not take any position even a simple one, as if nothing were happening there—what does this state mean? This means a clear decline, almost a complete extinguishing of jihad spirit. Most peoples and governments among the Ummah have completely lost the spirit of jihad, which is evident, regrettable, and distressing.

The Real Danger to the Ummah Is Its Loss of the Spirit of Jihad!

Thus, the decline and lack of jihad spirit within the Ummah poses a real danger to the Ummah. In fact, this is one of the important lessons we learn from the life of the Messenger (PBUH&F) and from what the Holy Quran presents about his jihad, the motives of his jihad, and the outcomes of his jihad to recognize the significant threat to the Ummah if it loses the spirit of jihad. This creates a large gap in the march of following the Prophet and the Islamic and faith-based affiliation and leads to serious consequences at all levels.

Indeed, serious consequences can arise in multiple aspects. First, in terms of neglecting and undermining significant and sacred responsibilities, the consequences of such neglect are evident in the threat of Allah, the Almighty. Neglecting them leaves a clear impact on one's commitment to faith, morals, and religion.

In the divine message, the belonging of this Ummah to Islam, which applies to all Muslims, is not limited to the performance of certain obligations and religious rituals, but it involves a commitment, responsibility, and mission to be fulfilled. It is not enough for Muslims to merely practice some religious rituals or fulfil certain responsibilities or ethical obligations within a limited scope: This is not the entirety of the divine message, but rather a part of it. There are sacred and important responsibilities, including the responsibility to call others to goodness, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, strive in the path of Allah, and establish justice on the earth. These are major and important responsibilities within the framework of faith and religion-based commitments, and they will be taken into account in terms of reckoning, reward and punishment, and one's destination for Jannah or the Fire. They are not trivial matters that Muslims can disregard or remove from their list of concerns and practical commitments, expecting that the situation will be normal and Allah will be satisfied with limited ethical obligations and with just a few religious rituals performed imperfectly and disconnected from other aspects. These are the major responsibilities that Muslims must perform, and neglecting them means placing Muslims within the realm of Allah's threat.

It is of serious consequences to abandon jihad in the cause of Allah, during critical stages, in which the Ummah is being targeted, amid a full-scale assault from its enemies that targets the Ummah in every aspect, and in a time when oppression, disbelief, evil, and tyranny attempt to spread across the globe, as if there were no entity to be concerned about confronting it or embracing Allah's message in its ethics, values, justice, and goodness.

When Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran, {'If you do not march forth, He will afflict you with a painful torment and replace you with other people. You are not harming Him in the least. And Allah is Most Capable of everything'}[At-Tawbah 9:39], this manifests that there are many warnings in the Holy Quran.

Those who were contemporaries of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) and used to make such choices—choices of shirking responsibility, abandoning jihad, and not moving with the Messenger of Allah and the believers to carry this divine message as jihad and responsibility— what was the position of the Holy Quran and the Messenger of Allah towards them? The Quran rebuked them. It portrayed their position of staying behind, abandonment, shirking responsibility, slackening, and attempts to demoralise and discourage others as evidence exposing the extent of their sincerity in belonging to faith. In fact, it attacked them and categorised them in various classifications.

It classified some of them as munafiqin [hypocrites], such as those who had a flawed allegiance to Allah, to Islam, and to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), while they maintained their allegiance to the disbelievers. The Holy Quran called them munafiqin and threatened them with the most severe threats, to the extent that Allah says in the Holy Quran: {'The munafiqin will be certainly in the lowest depths of the Fire, and you will never find a helper for them'}[An-Nisa 4:145].

The munafiqin are a group whose allegiance is tied to the disbelievers. Although they embrace Islam, they play a destructive role within the Muslim community: demoralisation. They provide service to the enemies through demoralisation, spreading fear, discouraging, creating discord, and seeking to hinder Muslims from striving in the cause of Allah and standing up to His enemies.

The most prominent role of the munafiqin was one related to the disbelievers and serving them through their persistent efforts to hinder Muslims from jihad in the cause of Allah, through demoralisation, discouragement, intimidation, exaggeration, and all means through which they attempt to hinder people from moving forth in the cause of Allah. In other words, they hinder them from responding to Allah and His Messenger.

The verses of the Holy Quran kept descending, commanding people to strive in the cause of Allah and move forward with Allah's Messenger (PBUH&F). These verses contained straightforward commands for jihad and mobilisation in the cause of Allah through with life and wealth. They were the ones who would seek to demoralise, frighten, discourage others, exaggerate, spread offensive propaganda, and make every effort to divert people. This destructive and destabilizing role earned them the wrath of Allah to such an extent that He threatened them with being {'in the lowest depths of the Fire, and you will never find a helper for them'}[An-Nisa 4:145].

The Quran also classified some as 'with sickness in their hearts'. Their emotional and psychological state and what is within their hearts reflected an unhealthy and negative state. They did not have trust in Allah, nor did they possess the intellectual and psychological stability or the faith-based purity that leads a person to respond to Allah, trust in Him, and move with eagerness and purity of the soul in the path of Allah.

Moreover, the Holy Quran classified some others (or as a more comprehensive title for all of them) as 'those who stayed behind'. It rebuked and ridiculed them; moreover, it made severe judgments and took very harsh positions against some of them: {'If Allah should return you to a faction of them [after the expedition] and then they ask your permission to go out [to battle]}—that is, they later ask him permission to go out in another round of conflict or in another situation—{Say, "You will not go out with me, ever, and you will never fight with me an enemy. Indeed, you were satisfied with staying behind the first time, so sit [now] with those who stay behind." And do not ever pray [the funeral prayer, O Muḥammad], over any of them who has died or stand at his grave'}[At-Tawbah 9:83-84]. This was how it [the Holy Quran] distinguished between the sons of the Muslim community, based on the level of one's interaction and response to jihad in the cause of Allah, the Almighty.

Thus, the flaw in this regard within the reality of the Ummah is when it completely loses its spirit of jihad, as if jihad in the cause of Allah were neither one of its obligations nor a religious and faith-based duty. When you see this Ummah, from one end to the other, spanning an important large geographic portion of the earth, you see hundreds of millions of people there. Can you seek an excuse for hundreds of millions?! When standing on the Ground of Judgment on the Day of Recompense and Reckoning, could we (300 million Arabs) say to Allah, the Almighty, 'Forgive us, O Allah, because we did not strive in Your cause?' What an argument could 300 million persons make on the Day of Resurrection?!

When the inhabitants of Al-Madinah (both men and women) numbered 5,000, they had no excuse for abandoning jihad in the cause of Allah. The people of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah had no excuse for abandoning jihad in the cause of Allah, despite the fact that the number of their men and women, elders, youth, and children was only 5,000. Today, 300 million Arabs turn away from jihad in the cause of Allah, watching their Muslim brothers in Palestine being killed with utmost brutality and subjected to genocide. The elderly and the young, children and women are all being killed. Despite the fact that honour is violated, copies of the Quran are burnt, mosques are destroyed, and millions are starved, they watch without taking any action, whatsoever! This reflects a significant flaw in one's religious and faith-based belonging.

The position of the Quran and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) was decisive in considering this state of losing the spirit of jihad and completely shirking from taking action for the cause of Allah as a flaw in faith-based belonging, a major flaw in values and morals, a decline in faith, and even a loss of the state of faith. Indeed, it represents a loss of the state of faith! Therefore, this poses a real danger.

One of the most important aspects of major events and significant trials is that they reveal everything to people, enabling them to assess their reality comprehensively and thoroughly. Thus, one can lament the state of many members of our Ummah that it is a dangerous state for their religion and faith. This means that a person is heading towards destruction on the Day of Resurrection! There is a great loss when people lose their faith and sincerity with Allah. When people's loss has to do with values, morals, principles, and faith-based commitments, it is a truly devastating loss that is extremely dangerous for people's relationship with Allah and their future on the Day of Resurrection. The repeated warnings of punishment from Allah in the Holy Quran are truthful warnings. Allah (the Almighty) has said to His servants and will say to them again on the Day of Resurrection, {'And My word cannot be changed, and never will I be unjust to the servants'}[Qaf 50:29]. Thus, it is such a very serious state.

There are also dangers for the Ummah in this world. If our Islamic Ummah loses the spirit of jihad and if this aspect dies within it, it loses its dignity, courage, independence, and freedom. How can an ummah that loses the spirit of jihad retain anything of dignity, freedom, or honour? When the Ummah loses the spirit of jihad, this means it has become humiliated, degraded, weakened, broken, and cowardly, and this emboldens its enemies. Indeed, the current state of those who belong to the Ummah—their state of shrinking from taking any action in the cause of Allah to support the Palestinian people in the face of what is happening to them—is a state of humiliation and cowardice, without any doubt. It is a state of fear. Many have become shackled by the chains of humiliation, fear, panic, and cowardice. This is a very unfortunate state that poses a great danger to the Ummah, as it emboldens its enemies.

In fact, the truly unfortunate reality of our Ummah is that the Jews, upon whom Allah has placed humiliation and weakness, have now become emboldened against the sons of this Ummah. This indicates a very significant state of decline and regression in the reality of the Ummah, which is very unfortunate. It is deeply saddening to see the Ummah humiliated before those upon whom Allah has placed humiliation, weak before those upon whom Allah has placed weakness, and under the mercy of those who have incurred the wrath of Allah! This is an extremely dangerous state!

Undoubtedly, the enemies assess the reality of the Ummah. When they observe a people who are humiliated, terrified, scared, dominated by cowardice, fear, horror, and anxiety, and who lack a sense of responsibility—having lost the spirit of jihad, along with courage, boldness, and the willingness to sacrifice, take risks, and fulfil their responsibility, as well as all other values—such a people become the target of their greed, as this emboldens them. They want to take everything from this Ummah: They want its land and resources, and they seek to control it, enslave it, humiliate it, and subdue it. This represents a very serious threat to all Muslims.

Among the other serious dangers is that of being forsaken and losing divine support. In fact, if the Ummah shirks its essential and sacred responsibilities, becoming a negligent and slack ummah that is remiss in fulfilling its great and sacred duty, it will then lose divine support, assistance, and victory. This is because all this is tied to the divine promise that is conditional on the Ummah's fulfillment of its responsibilities and its response to Allah (Glory be to Him). Thus, when Allah, the Almighty, says in the Holy Quran {'O you who have attained faith, if you support Allah, He will grant you victory and strengthen your foothold'}[Muhammad 47:7], this promise is linked to that. {'And Allah will surely grant victory to those who support Him'}[Al-Hajj 22:40].

The Danger Arising from the Subordination of Muslims to Their Enemies and Their Failure to Benefit from History!

It is truly regrettable that Muslims do not learn from their history. The Ummah has gone through historical phases filled with many lessons and insights. When invasions occurred, such as the Mongol invasion or the Crusades, against a Muslim land, they would commit similar acts to what the Zionists are committing today in Palestine, albeit with different means of killing and destruction. At that time, they used swords, lances, burning of cities, burning of people, and destruction with the means available to them then. However, the scale of criminality at the time, in terms of the number of those killed, the criminal acts committed, and the violations of sanctities and honour, was indeed considerable. Other peoples would do nothing except watching, as if what was happening there did not concern them. They thought that what was happening would remain confined to that particular people. The peoples remained passive, but after a certain period of time, that evil extended to other peoples. It indeed extended, as seen in the Mongol invasion, from one people to another, with each people watching what was happening to the other one. At that time, there were no media outlets, but news did reach people; they did receive details. Although there were no live broadcasts like today on television, news were reaching out to people. They did know that during the Mongol invasion, three hundred thousand people were killed in a single day in one city—three hundred thousand lives—honour was violated, women were raped, property was looted, and homes were destroyed. Yet people at the time remained silent and inactive, failing to recognise the danger or feel a sense of responsibility. It was only a matter of time before a new town would face the same threat. That was also the case during the Crusades.

Even after that period and up to the present day, nothing has changed: We do not see any awareness of the great dangers of taking no action and losing the spirit of jihad and the resulted divine punishments, nor do we see any realisation of the fact that such a state causes the Ummah to even lose divine support, emboldens its enemies, and allows them to target it with audacity and assurance. This is so as there is no longer any deterrent to restrain them, in addition to the fact that the Ummah losses divine care, assistance, and support and that such a state of inaction subjects the Ummah to Allah's wrath and punishment. The dangers are thus extremely severe.

If the Ummah loses the spirit of jihad and no longer has the drive to fulfil its major responsibilities (including engaging in jihad for the sake of Allah, bearing the message of Allah, and striving to establish justice on the earth), it descends across all fields, for it has no longer the incentive for construction, nor the impetus to build strength or anything. Weakness becomes a prevailing culture; surrender and submission become common behaviours; and the state of submission to enemies, subordination to them, and appeasement of them becomes the general policy. Consequently, the Ummah loses all the factors and elements of construction that build it as a strong ummah, present in the global arena to stand in an independent and distinct position, based on its affiliation with Islam.

This state encompasses many countries, where the prevailing approach is about how to appease the enemy, make concessions to it, pay tribute to it, and strive to be under its protection, as is the case with some regimes. They, in return, offer everything to the enemy and collaborate against their own Ummah and people. They do so in a foolish manner. In fact, they fail to realise that once they become dispensable, the enemy will not appreciate their efforts, regardless of what they have done for it, even if the extent of their cooperation, service, and what they have offered to the enemies are very significant. The enemy will not appreciate any of that, once they are no longer needed. The enemy will wipe them out. To the enemy, they have no value and dignity and deserve no respect or any consideration. This is because the enemy views them not as humans but as mere animals to be exploited.

And there are other risks within the context of this very danger: the risks of subjugating the Ummah to serve its enemies and their interests. The reality of many of those who belong to the Ummah serves the enemies in everything; there is nothing worse than transforming the reality of a people or a country into one in which their efforts, energies, potentials, capabilities, wealth, and everything are used to serve a criminal, oppressive, corrupt enemy. Indeed, this results in a loss of both this world and the Hereafter. This is a state of humiliation, disgrace, enslavement, and loss in every sense of the word. Such a situation badly affects people. Indeed, it has a negative impact on them, leaving them with no value, neither in this world nor in the Hereafter.

They also divert the compass of enmity in a way that serves the enemy, as is the case with takfiris. What is their position regarding what is happening to the Palestinian people? The takfiris' scandal is among the greatest scandals concerning what is happening in Palestine. Where is the banner of jihad, which they activate solely to destroy the Ummah from within and sow discord among the people under sectarian and doctrinal pretexts to serve America and Israel? They did not fire even a single bullet, nor did they take any action or carry out a single operation to support the Palestinian people, despite their significant, massive capabilities, their extensive presence, and the support they receive from empowered Arab regimes that pay billions of dollars at the behest of America in support of their destructive and destabilizing role within the Islamic Ummah—the kind of role that spreads discord and divides Muslims under sectarian and doctrinal pretexts. Indeed, it is a major scandal! Where is their jihad? Where is martyrdom? Where are the suicide bombers to carry out their suicide bombings against the Jewish Zionists? Everything has faded, and everything has ended. However, their activities still persist in trying to pull the Ummah back into sectarian conflicts, serving America and Israel and diverting the Ummah's attention from its real enemy, the real enemy as stated in the Quran and evidenced by reality and events. So, this state is evident in the reality of the Ummah. In other words, this also reflects another aspect of the state of deviation, which subjugates some of the Ummah for the benefit and the service of their enemies.

Therefore, we realise the importance of awakening the Ummah and reviving the spirit of jihad within it, with insight and awareness through the Holy Quran and the biography of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F). It becomes clear that the revival of the spirit of jihad is accompanied by the revival of the entire Islamic Ummah. Alongside the revival of the spirit of jihad, there must be a revival of morality, awareness, and faith in all its aspects. Even civilisation revival is intertwined with the revival of the spirit of jihad, allowing the Islamic Ummah to reclaim its glory, honour, and rights, and to free itself from subordination to its enemies. There is no other way, and reality proves this fact.

The Demise of the Zionist Enemy Can Only Be Achieved through Jihad as Proved by Manifested Truths

Regarding the Palestinian cause, over decades—since the British occupation of Palestine and their subsequent empowerment of the Israeli Zionist enemy to continue the unjust occupation, killing, usurpation, and violation of sanctities and holy sites—and despite all the concessions and offers made by the Arabs, and the unfortunate stages that witnessed their decline and sometimes even their conspiracies against the Palestinian people and their cause, has any of that resulted in any positive outcome? The outcomes have all been negative. All other options and paths have clearly led to failure and defeat in every sense of the word. The Islamic Ummah needs to revive the spirit of jihad to serve its causes, restore its civilisation and its historical role, and attain Allah's care, victory, support, and assistance.

The current situation makes it clear that the Israeli enemy is a clear enemy that explicitly demonstrates enmity towards Islam and Muslims. There is no ambiguity about this; it is a clear enemy. Refer back to the Quran and to reality, as this matter is very clear. In fact, this matter was generally acknowledged among all Arabs. It is true that some have recently retreated from that position, but this only brings into light what they secretly held in previous stages, since it is the way of Allah to distinguish the impure from the pure and reveals what is hidden: Allah warned in the Holy Quran saying, {'Or do those with sickness in their hearts think that Allah will not expose their [feeling of] malice?'}[Muhammad 47:29]. Things become clear and manifest in reality.

Now, in facing the Israeli enemy, the principle of jihad must be revived. It must be the key principle that leads to results. Indeed, according to the promise and law of Allah and what He has affirmed in His book, it represents the true solution that can lead to the demise of the Zionist enemy. Its demise is certain, as promised by Allah in the Quran. In this ongoing conflict, the inevitable outcome, victory, and success lie in following the path of jihad in the way of Allah, in line with His guidance and with faith in Him: {'And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed. Indeed, the party of Allah will be the predominant'}[Al-Ma'idah 5:56]. Triumph will come, divine victory will be achieved, and the inevitable result of Allah's promise will be fulfilled: {'Then when the final [second] promise came, they will sadden your faces and enter the mosque, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had taken over with [total] destruction'}[Al-Isra 17:7]. This is the inevitable outcome, as Allah says, {'But if you do this again, We shall do that again, and We have made Jahannam for the disbelievers a prison-bed'}[Al-Isra 17:8]. These are certain matters.

All other bets are doomed to failure, fruitless and unsuccessful. All other options carry dangerous consequences for those who adopt them, reflecting badly on their faith, their worldly affairs, and their ultimate fate, which is loss and regret. This is confirmed by Allah's promise in the Quran in Surah Al-Ma'idah—that is, they will end up facing regret and loss. The path to success and salvation is the path of jihad in the way of Allah.

In light of what is happening in Palestine, we see the honourable position of our brothers, the mujahidin there, as they face the enemy with faith and reliance on Allah, despite the lack of capabilities. Their capabilities are almost nothing compared to what the Israeli enemy possesses, and despite the abandonment they face from their own Islamic Ummah and its regimes, and governments, which possess vast weapons and enormous capabilities. Yet, they continue to stand firm and move with faith over the course of eleven months. The mujahidin in Gaza are fighting in the path of Allah with bravery, steadfastness, and dedication, despite their limited capabilities. The level of resilience and endurance they display could not be matched by the large armies of Arab regimes that have taken a different direction. If subjected to even a single blow from the Americans or Israelis, some of these armies would likely collapse within weeks, if not days. However, this extraordinary resilience, steadfastness, and cohesion among the mujahidin in Gaza is due to their jihad for the sake of Allah, from a foundation of faith. As a result, Allah has granted them this steadfastness, this high spirit, this tranquillity, and this tremendous cohesion, even though they are few in number and have extremely modest and simple capabilities—yet they remain effective.

Despite the Tyranny of the Israeli Enemy, Its Reality Testifies to Its Failure!

Despite its tyranny, oppression, brutal aggression, genocide, and mass killing of children and women, the elderly and the young, the reality of the Israeli enemy is one that testifies to its failure. To this day, it has not been able to achieve its declared objectives:

• It has not been able to eliminate the mujahidin in the Gaza Strip, including the Al-Qassam Brigades, Al-Quds Brigades, and other resistance factions in Gaza.
• Nor has it been able to recover its prisoners without a prisoner exchange; it only retrieves some of their corpses without any benefit, which further attests to its failure.

What if that steadfastness of those mujahid brothers had received support and assistance from their Ummah, by providing them with resources and backing at all levels, including the political, economic, and media levels? The situation would have been much better. However, despite the extent of this lack of support, they still show such steadfastness and resilience.

Those few mujahidin in the West Bank, although few in number, also stand with high effectiveness, steadfastness, bravery, dedication, and resilience. The Israeli enemy needs to send hundreds, sometimes thousands, of its soldiers to confront a small group of mujahidin in the West Bank! To target a limited group of mujahidin there, it exercises all its tyranny, destroying homes over the heads of their inhabitants and bulldozing the streets. The level of criminality, arrogance, and total destruction exercised by the Israeli enemy reveals its cowardice, weakness, and frailty. Therefore, it resorts to using that level of violence, criminality, tyranny, total destruction, and comprehensive targeting. Its soldiers are too cowardly to engage in a battle that is fair even to a reasonable or logical extent, such an extent people would generally expect in military battles. Instead, it acts with such criminality, brutality, and aggression.

What is happening in Palestine is an important test for our Ummah, and it reveals the reality of all its peoples, all its regimes, and all its elites, including the religious, intellectual, and academic elites. Even at the social level, it is a very significant test. Therefore, at this stage and in the context of this occasion, we are in urgent need of reviving the spirit of jihad in our Ummah.

We Thank Allah for Granting Us a Jihadist Position to Support the Palestinian People!

As a Yemeni people, we praise and thank Allah that, by His grace, we are moving in a position based on jihad in the cause of Allah and for the sake of supporting the oppressed Palestinian people, and we are engaged in an open, real, and clear confrontation against America, Israel, and Britain. By the grace of Allah, our armed forces, along with our dear mujahidin, have launched bold military operations to strike the enemy with all they can, without any concern or hesitation, and without any low threshold, whether political or otherwise. We even strive for what is greater than this with the help of Allah, the Almighty. The operations continue to be carried out, and every week brings with it a new statistic of missile strikes and operations targeting the enemies with ballistic and cruise missiles. Since the beginning of the aggression against Gaza, our dear people and all the free individuals among them have been eager for the opportunity to mobilise hundreds of thousands of mujahidin to support the Palestinian people through direct engagement on the battlefield in the Gaza Strip.

However, there is what stands between us and that: a vast geography ruled by Arab regimes, many of which are complicit with the Israeli enemy. We hoped that they would—even as a test for us, as we said, or a means to get rid of us, since they dislike us—open the way for us to the Gaza Strip, but they did not, and they will not. That is so because of their complicity with the Israeli enemy, as they utilize all their resources to intercept any drone or missile aimed at the Israeli enemy. They have made of themselves shields for the Americans to use in intercepting what targets the Israeli enemy. This is truly unfortunate, regrettable in every sense of the word, and it has consequences for them before Allah (the Almighty), affecting the final outcomes they will have in this world and their future in the Hereafter.

However, our efforts know no stop, and by the grace of Allah (the Almighty), the operations in the seas—specifically the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, reaching the Indian Ocean, and operations even extending to the Mediterranean Sea—have yielded significant results, thanks to Allah. The enemies are now speaking about the Red Sea battle using terms like 'defeat' and 'failure'. They have talked extensively about their failures, and now some of their leaders and media outlets openly declare their defeat in the Red Sea, acknowledging that they have failed and faced a defeat in this battle, as they could not protect the ships associated with the Israeli enemy so that they could continue securing its needs by transporting supplies through the Red Sea. In fact, this has caused them substantial losses and exorbitant costs.

Therefore, as part of their jihad in the cause of Allah, our people contribute through these operations, and they are also continuing to develop their capabilities. In this context, I reiterate, as I mentioned earlier, that they will surprise the enemies. They were astonished by the ballistic missile strikes targeting moving ships at sea, as they acknowledged that to be the first time such a thing had occurred in history. By the will of Allah (the Almighty), they will be surprised on land just as they were at sea with unprecedented new technologies that will help us make them suffer through the might of Allah: {'And Allah is far superior in might and in punishment'}[An-Nisa 4:84]. We will spare no effort to do everything we can to support the Palestinian people and to engage in jihad in the cause of Allah, while always feeling pain and a sense of inadequacy, no matter what we do.

Throughout all these months, our dear people have been gathering every week in millions-strong demonstrations the like of which has never been seen in this world or with any other people. We even see four generations attending such demonstrations: the grandfather, his son, his grandson, and his great-grandson. We do see them attending together, young and old, elderly and youth. Their participation is clearly driven by faith, morals, and values and reflects their great concern, pain, enthusiasm, and interaction. It is not like the participation of those who attend the demonstrations rarely and for political purposes or the like. Participating in the demonstrations is part of our people's jihad in the cause of Allah and comes in the context of their revival of faith and jihad through which they embody the ethics and values of Islam and the dignity of faith. This is evident in the reality of our people, and we thank Allah for it. They stand in honourable positions that brighten the face on the day when some faces will be darkened. Such positions do bring one pride both in this world and the Hereafter. We thank Allah for that.

Therefore, we are persistent, and the retaliation is coming, along with a continuous course of action, by the grace of Allah. We will never abandon the Palestinian people as long as there is a beating pulse within us and as long as there is a heartbeat within us. That is because we, as long as we have a pulse, carry faith in Allah and feel the responsibility before Him. As a Muslim Yemeni people, we understand the value of the honourable position that pleases Allah (the Almighty) and represent a source of dignity that we can preserve for future generations. This is a great blessing, and Allah says about this in His holy book, {'This is the favour of Allah. He grants it to whoever He wills'}[Al-Ma'idah 5:54].

It is narrated in the books of the Ummah, in its heritage, and in its narrations that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) will drive away people and open the way for the people of Yemen to go forward to the basin on the Day of Resurrection. We want to meet the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) with shining faces, with honour, and to be among those who strive to emulate him and follow his example in everything: in our commitment to faith and ethics, in jihad and action, in deeds, and in making effort in all fields. This includes emulating the Messenger of Allah in his jihad, his positions, and his movement with faith and might, as Allah says, {'And to Allah belongs [all] might, and to His Messenger, and to the believers'}[Al-Munafiqun 63:8]. Our dear people have, by the grace of Allah, attained the honour of might and liberation from humiliating and degrading positions; thus, they continue in their jihad-based endeavours.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) faced all the forces of disbelief and tyranny, including the Arab polytheists, and achieved a decisive victory with the help of Allah. He engaged in fierce battles and many wars with them, as well as expeditions, and moved in all fields until he achieved a decisive victory.

He also faced the Jews and achieved a decisive victory over them in the battle of Banu Nadir, the battle of Banu Qaynuqa, the battle of Khaybar, and all other battles. Allah granted him a decisive victory and drove them away. They then went down in decline since that day for over a thousand years. They faced a crushing historical defeat that brought them to their lowest point, leaving what remains of them to pay tribute while in humiliation. However, when the Ummah has retreated and lost its spirit of jihad, and when it has distanced itself from its Prophet, it has declined in its reality accordingly and lost its dignity and might. The Jews have then returned to humiliate the Ummah, which has never been seen before in any confrontation with the Jews.

He faced the Romans and elevated the Arabs, who were at ground zero, to the top rank globally, leading the nations and defeating the empires of that time, all while carrying a sacred message and upholding the banner of jihad in the cause of Allah, the Almighty.

Allah has documented the Messenger's march of jihad in the Holy Quran as lessons and instructions for His Muslim Ummah around the world, from generation to generation until the Day of Resurrection. This is evident in Surah Al-Baqarah, Ali 'Imran, An-Nisa, Al-Anfal, At-Tawbah, Al-Ahzab, Surah Muhammad, Al-Fath, Al-Nasr, and other blessed surahs. Therefore, the Ummah cannot rise again except through jihad, nor can it confront challenges and dangers without jihad. Our people have carried the banner of jihad in the cause of Allah; thus, we continue with true peace of mind and reassurance, considering it a great blessing from Allah that we are in this position, within this jihadist orientation, and in this blessed Quranic March.

An Important Note before Concluding the Speech

At the end of this speech, regarding the damage that occurred in some governorates in coincidence with the divine blessing of rain and heavy downpours, I affirm the continuation of efforts to support and assist those affected through both official and public cooperation.

I also emphasize the importance of focusing on activities and events related to the blessed birth anniversary of the Prophet and preparing for the major event on the twelfth of the month, Allah willing.

In this context, I would like to emphasize that our dear people are called to take care of this occasion with a faith-based motive and from a perspective of faith. Therefore, we will never allow any compulsory collection of money for the sake of serving this occasion. Any such occurrence would be a violation and may involve extortion by those unruly, greedy, or defaming ones who have no connection to the occasion, whether directly or indirectly.

Regarding tomorrow, Friday, Allah willing, I call upon our dear people to take out to the streets in millions and in a distinguished way, as a tribute to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F). This also aims at reaffirming our continued commitment to carrying the banner of Islam, just as our forefathers (the Ansar and the conquerors) did and showing support for the Palestinian people, as well as fulfilling jihad in the cause of Allah, the Almighty.

O Allah (Glory be to You), grant us all success in seeking what pleases You, have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and give us victory. You are All-Hearing! I ask Allah to hasten victory and relief for the oppressed Palestinian people and their dear mujahidin.

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.