The American Jewish Committee (AJC), a virulently Zionist organisation, recently presented an award to ‘one of the world’s most respected scholars’ at a ceremony in New York City. For the occasion “AJC translated into Hebrew and distributed the Charter of the New Alliance of Virtue to thousands of rabbis and other Jewish community leaders in Israel and around the world”.

When we hear about the antics of government scholars such as these (in this case someone sponsored by the UAE), we need to remember that Allah does not forget. We would do well to heed the words of Ibn al-Jawzi [d. 597 H/1201 CE] in his excellent book مـوارد الـظـمـآن لـدروس الـزمـان

[‘Resources for the One Who Thirsts, for the Lessons of the Era’]. What follows is from volume 6, page 144 of the book:

أَعْظَمُ الْمُعَاقَبَةِ أَنْ لا يُحِسَّ الْمَعَاقَبُ بِالْعُقُوبَةِ،
The greatest punishment is for the punished to be unaware [of their punishment]

وَأَشَدُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَقَعَ السُّرُورُ بِمَا هُو عُقُوبة،
Worse than that is to be pleased with the punishment

كَالْفَرَحِ بِالْمَالِ الْحَرَامِ،
Like the one who rejoices with ḥarām (illegal) wealth

وَالتَّمَكن مِن الذُّنُوبِ.
Or becomes skilled at sinning

وَمَنْ هَذِهِ حَالَهُ لا يَفُوزُ بِطَاعَةِ
Whoever’s situation is like this obedience to Allah will not bring them success

«وَإِنِّي تَدَبرت أَحْوَالَ أَكْثَر الْعُلَمَاءِ وَالْمُتَزَهِّدِينَ
I have reflected over the situation of most [Islamic] scholars

فَرَأَيْتَهُمُ فِي عُقُوبَاتِ لا يَحُسُّونَ بِهَا،
And I see that they are in punishments which they do not perceive

وَمُعْظَمَهُا مِنْ قَبْلِ طَلَبِهِمْ لِلرِّيَاسَةِ.
The most common reason is their seeking positions of leadership

فَالْعَالِمُ مِنْهُمْ يَغْضِب إِنْ رُدَّ عَلَيْهِ خَطَؤُهُ،
The knowledgeable amongst them becomes angry if his error is exposed

وَالْوَاعِظُ مُتَصَنّعُ بِوَعْظِهِ»
[And likewise] the preacher whose preaching is pretentious

وَالْمُتَزهِّد مُنَافِقٌ أَوْ مُرَاءٍ.
[And likewise] the ascetic who is a hypocrite or a show-off

فَأَوَّلُ عُقُوبَاتِهِمْ، إِعْرَاضُهمْ عَنْ الْحَقِّ شُغْلاً بِالْخَلْقِ،
Their first punishment is their turning away from the ḥaqq (truth) because they are busy with the khalq (creation)

وَمِنْ خَفِيِّ عُقُوبَاتِهِمْ سَلْبُ حَلاوَةِ الْمُنَاجَاةِ، وَلَذَةِ التَّعَبُدِ.
One of the punishments that are hidden is that they lose their joy of turning to Allah alone and worship[ping Him]

إِلا رِجَالٌ مُؤْمِنُونَ، وَنِسَاءٌ مُؤْمِنَاتُ،
But! The believing men and believing women

يَحْفَظ الله بِهِمْ الأَرْضَ،
Through them Allah protects the Earth

بَوَاطِنَهُمْ كَظَوَاهِرَهُمْ بَلْ أَحْلَى،
Their inside is like their outside, in fact more pleasant!

وَسَرَائِرَهُمْ كَعَلانِيَّتَهُمْ بَلْ أَحْلَى،
Their secrets are like their knowns, in fact better!

وهممهم عِنْدَ الثَّرَيَا بَلْ أَعْلَى،
Their aims reach the stars [literally the Pleiades], in fact higher!

إِنْ عُرِفُوا تَنَكَّرُوا وَإِنْ رُئيت لَهُمْ كَرَامَة أَنْكَرُوا.
If they become known they avoid recognition, if their generosity is spoken of, they obfuscate

فَالنَّاسُ فِي غَفْلاتِهِمْ، وَهُمْ فِي قَطْعِ فَلاتِهِمْ،
The people are caught in their state of heedlessness while they are earnestly crossing the deserts [i.e. journeying across the waste lands of this world to Allah]

تَحِبُّهُمْ بِقَاع الأَرْض، وَتَفْرَح بِهِمْ أَمْلاكُ السَّمَاءِ.
The stretches of Earth love them, those in charge of the heavens [i.e. the angels] are pleased by them

نَسْأَلُ اللهَ عز وجل التَّوْفِيقَ لإتِّبَاعِهِمْ،
We ask Allah, to Whom belongs Might and Majesty, for guidance to be able to follow their example

وَأَنْ يَجْعَلْنَا مِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِمْ
And to make us their followers
«موارد الظمآن لدروس الزمان» (6/ 144)