Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, explained the meaning of the Almighty’s saying: “Thus, We have made you a moderate nation so that you may witnesses over people, and so that the Messenger may be a witness over you.”  It means that you will witness on the Day of Resurrection against the deeds that made other nations deviate from the straight path. We draw attention - in this regard - to the fact that the quality of bearing witness and being ordered to give witness on the Day of Resurrection is not specific to Muslims alone. Rather, it is general and it includes them and others as well. Even the body parts of a person will bear witness against him/her for the deeds s/he did in his worldly life, and this is what the verses of the Noble Qur’an indicate: “and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought” and “The Day will come when We raise up a witness from every nation.”

In the third episode in his Ramadan program Grand Imam At-Tayyeb Talk, Al-Azhar Grand Imam pointed out that the difference between the testimony of the Muslim nation and the testimony of other nations is that the former is general and it includes witnessing over all nations. This is confirmed by the Almighty’s saying: “so that you may witnesses over people.” This comes in contrast with sending one witness to testify against a particular nation, and this is a distinctive feature that cannot be ignored or underestimated. 

As for the testimony of the Messenger (pbuh) over his nation, it is his testimony on the Day of Resurrection over its deeds, which is similar to what the Almighty said about the Messenger of Allah, Jesus (pbuh): “I was a witness over them so long as I was with them. Then, when You took my soul, You [alone] have been watching over them, and You are the [only] Witness over everything.” 

The Grand Imam continued his talk about the characteristics of the Muslim nation. Among these characteristics is a unique specialty for this nation, which is that it is “the best nation brought out to humankind” because of the virtues and morals they call for. They enjoin good and forbid evil, and because of their belief in Allah Almighty: “You (believers) have been the best nation brought out to humankind: you command beneficence, forbid maleficence, and believe in Allah. If the People of the Scripture had believed, it would indeed have been better for them; some of them are [real] believers, but most of them are rebellious.” 

His Eminence emphasized that this verse refers to two matters. The first one describing this nation as the best of nations is an unmatchable divine honor with a lofty rank, to which the nation must adhere as much as it can in every time and place. They must be well aware that the noble verse is clear that the superiority of this nation over others is conditional on its commitment to the practice of enjoining goodness and implementing it, forbidding evil and avoiding it, and associated with faith in Allah, His Scriptures, His Messengers, and the Last Day.

His Eminence also showed that describing the nation as the best one is the result of a specific mission and the fruit of a specific role, and it is not a national, racial or ethnic honor. He stressed that all divine religions and heavenly messages agree that people are equal with no distinctions between them except by good deeds for the benefit of all humanity.

All people are also equal in status and rank: “O people, your Lord is One, and your father is one. Indeed, an Arab is not superior to a non-Arab, nor is a non-Arab superior to an Arab; likewise a white person has no superiority over a black one, nor does a black person have any superiority over a white one, except by virtue of piety.” His Eminence emphasized the difference between honoring the Muslim nation, and the claims of honor by some other nations or peoples that still believe that God chose them from among other peoples, not for the benefit and goodness of humanity, nor for enjoining goodness and forbidding evil, but for their race and their blood type. Such delusions have made those people lose sympathy for others, the case which completely prevented them from carrying out their moral responsibility, the dictates of duty, and the calls of conscience. Such delusions encouraged them to persist in oppression and tyranny, and tempted them to transgress against the others, ironically in the name of religion and divine messages.

Al-Azhar Grand Imam quoted the noble verse: “You (believers) have been the best nation brought out to humankind: you command beneficence, forbid maleficence, and believe in Allah. If the People of the Scripture had believed, it would indeed have been better for them; some of them are [real] believers, but most of them are rebellious” (Qur’an, 3: 110). He explained that it refers to a second matter. It is clear and unequivocal that the superiority of the Muslim nation over the rest of the nations is conditional on exerting energy to confront evil and falsehood, and to defend goodness and truths, first among its followers and subjects, then wherever and whenever it exists. However, if it abandons this global role, it will inevitably fall just as other nations, states and peoples, that deny Allah’s promise and throw it behind their backs, have fallen.

  

The Grand Imam also stressed that nowadays we perceive weakness here or negligence there in regard to the calls for atheism and deviation from the straight path of Allah, which come from overseas, from the West and the East and blow their poisonous winds on Muslims. Such calls are a warning bell for everyone who has a conscious heart or listens with an active mind.

Grand Imam At-Tayyeb Talk is broadcast for the fifth year on Egyptian and Arab channels. The program was launched in Ramadan 2016. In its first year, it dealt with general issues such as women, youth, atheism, and terrorism. In 2017, it dealt with significant issues, most notably terrorism and extremism, family matters, property heritage and religious renewal, and the missionary call to Allah. In its third year, 2018, it discussed religious, intellectual and philosophical issues such as belief, faith, the existence of God, His names and attributes, and the foundations and pillars of Islam. As for its fourth year, 2020, it dealt with a number of emerging issues such as Corona and contemporary jurisprudential issues, in addition to a group of values such as filial piety, modesty, justice, mercy, chivalry, and chastity. In its fifth year, 2021, the program explained the characteristics of the Islamic religion, its moderation and its manifestations, the rules of legal obligations, the ease of Sharia, the sources of legislation, and the response to fallacies about the Prophet's Sunnah and heritage.