Here are some important reminders from the Qur’an and Sunnah to strengthen our iman in these trying times of fitan and calamity. May Allah grant us the strength of Sabr, and to act in accordance to what Pleases Him in facing these difficult times of division and misinformation.
Summary:
1. Yes, we should feel hurt
2. ONE Muslim's life and honor are more sacred and beloved
than Makkah, the blessed month of Dzulhijjah AND the Day of Eid
3. Allah loves our fellow brothers and sisters even more
than a mother loves her infant..
4. Allah is not Unaware of the acts of these oppressors
5. Those who were killed: Look on the bright side of what
their Lord prepared for them for their patience and iman
6. It’s a fact: Disbelievers will continue to spend
resources to oppress the believers. But they will fail - guaranteed. Don’t fear
their meager means, fear Allah!
7. Do not lose hope, do not despair. Remember: If Allah
wills, He can Destroy & Replace every single one of them
8. The Solution is Clear: Turn back to Allah, the Source of
all Help and Success
9. Never forget: Eventually, you will die too. Ultimately you
are still responsible - and will be questioned - for your actions on the Day of
Judgment
10. Do not act based on emotions – Act in accordance to the
guidelines that Allah and His Messenger ﷺ
have specified. There is no obedience by
committing disobedience!
11. Do not perform deeds which might result in disobedience
12. The Prophet ﷺ was sent as a mercy, not
to curse
13. If you can't say something that Pleases Allah, then just
shut up
14. Be careful what news you spread in these times of
massive misinformation and irrational emotional responses
15. Provide financial support and aid within your capacity:
Every atom's weight of good deed counts!
16. Never underestimate the power of du'aa
17. Making du'aa for them benefits you too
18. When will the Help of Allah come?!
19. Do not be sad or lose hope: Allah guarantees victory in
for those believers!
20. Remember the End in Mind: Never lose sight of the Big
Picture
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ
أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ
“Verily, therein is
indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear while he is mindful”
(Surah Qaf 50:37)
1. Yes, we should feel hurt
عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ
وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ
الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى "
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The believers in their mutual
love, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs
suffers, the whole body aches because of sleeplessness and fever". (Al-Bukhari
and Muslim)
2. ONE Muslim's life and honor are more sacred and beloved than Makkah, the
blessed month of Dzulhijjah AND the Day of Eid..
قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله
عليه وسلم فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ " أَلاَ أَىُّ شَهْرٍ تَعْلَمُونَهُ أَعْظَمُ
حُرْمَةً ". قَالُوا أَلاَ شَهْرُنَا هَذَا. قَالَ " أَلاَ أَىُّ
بَلَدٍ تَعْلَمُونَهُ أَعْظَمُ حُرْمَةً ". قَالُوا أَلاَ بَلَدُنَا هَذَا.
قَالَ " أَلاَ أَىُّ يَوْمٍ تَعْلَمُونَهُ أَعْظَمُ حُرْمَةً ". قَالُوا
أَلاَ يَوْمُنَا هَذَا. قَالَ " فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى قَدْ
حَرَّمَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَأَمْوَالَكُمْ وَأَعْرَاضَكُمْ، إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهَا، كَحُرْمَةِ
يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا، فِي بَلَدِكُمْ هَذَا، فِي شَهْرِكُمْ هَذَا
During his Hajj,
the Prophet ﷺ asked his companions, "Which month
(of the year) do you think is most sacred?" The people said, "This
current month of ours (the month of Dzulhijjah)."
He ﷺ said, "Which town (country) do you think is the most sacred?"
They said, "This city of ours (Makkah)."
He said,
"Which day do you think is the most sacred?" The people said,
"This day of ours (Eid Al-Adha)"
Then he said,
"Allah has made your blood, your property and your honor as sacred as this
day of yours in this town of yours, in this month of yours” (Al-Bukhari)
3. Allah loves our fellow brothers and sisters even more than a mother
loves her infant child..
Let us never forget, seventeen times a day every day (in
fact, 34 times if you count the basmallah), we remind ourselves that Allah is -
الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - “The Most Compassionate, Most Merciful”
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَى
رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِسَبْىٍ فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبْىِ تَبْتَغِي
إِذَا وَجَدَتْ صَبِيًّا فِي السَّبْىِ أَخَذَتْهُ فَأَلْصَقَتْهُ بِبَطْنِهَا وَأَرْضَعَتْهُ
فَقَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَتَرَوْنَ هَذِهِ الْمَرْأَةَ
طَارِحَةً وَلَدَهَا فِي النَّارِ " . قُلْنَا لاَ وَاللَّهِ وَهِيَ تَقْدِرُ
عَلَى أَنْ لاَ تَطْرَحَهُ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" لَلَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا "
'Umar b.
Khattab reported that there were brought some prisoners to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) amongst whom there was also
a woman, who was searching (for someone) and when she found an infant amongst
the prisoners, she took hold of it, pressed it against her chest for
breastfeeding and suckled her infant. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked his companions:
“Do you
think this woman would ever afford to throw her child in the Fire?”
We said: “By
Allah, as long as it is within her capability, she would never throw the child
in Fire!”
Thereupon
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)
said:
الَلَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا
“Allah is
more merciful and compassionate to His slaves than this woman is to her infant child” (Al-Bukhari,
Muslim)
4. Allah is not Unaware
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّـهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ
ۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ
“Do not think that Allah is unaware of that which the oppressors
and criminals do: verily, He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will
stare in horror.” (Ibrahim 14:42-43)
5. Those who were killed: Look on the bright side of what their Lord
prepared for them for their patience and iman
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ
أَمْوَاتًا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ ﴿١٦٩﴾ فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ
اللَّـهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ مِنْ
خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿١٧٠﴾ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّـهِ وَفَضْلٍ وَأَنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
﴿١٧١﴾ الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِلَّـهِ وَالرَّسُولِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْحُ
ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَوْا أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
“And never
think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead.
Rather,
they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision: Rejoicing in what Allah
has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those
[to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be
no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
They receive
good tidings of favor from Allah and bounty and [of the fact] that Allah does
not allow the reward of believers to be lost - Those [believers] who responded
to Allah and the Messenger after injury had struck them. For those who did good
among them and feared Allah is a great reward” (Surah Ali Imran 3:169-172)
6. It’s a fact: Disbelievers will continue to spend resources to oppress
the believers. But they will fail - guaranteed. Don’t fear their meager means,
fear Allah!
Listen to this guarantee from Allah:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّوا
عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ ۚ فَسَيُنْفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ
يُغْلَبُونَ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ
“Verily,
those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder (men) from the Path of Allah,
and so will they continue to spend it; but in the end it will become an anguish
for them. Then they will be defeated. And those who disbelieve will be gathered
unto Hell.” (Surah Al-Anfal 8:36)
Yes, they have nuclear weapons, massive resources to control
the media, huge international support. The Creator who created all this and willed
for this injustice to happen is NOT unaware, and He can snatch it away in an
instant.
How many times has Allah granted victory to His righteous
slaves even though they were severely outnumbered? When the huge army of Jalut
(Goliath) swamed and attacked, the army of the believers, headed by King Talut (Saul)
and Daud (David) confidently put their trust in their Lord and said:
كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةٍ كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ
اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّـبِرِينَ
“How often has a small group overcome a mighty host by the Will
of Allah! And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient).” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:249)
إِنَّمَا ذَٰلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ
فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
“It is only
Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his supporters and friends, so
do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers!” (Surah Ali Imran
3:175)
7. Do not lose hope, do not despair. Remember: If Allah wills, He can
Destroy & Replace every single one of them in an instant!
نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاهُمْ وَشَدَدْنَا أَسْرَهُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا
شِئْنَا بَدَّلْنَا أَمْثَالَهُمْ تَبْدِيلًا
“It is We Who created them, and We have made them strong in
built. And when We will, We can replace them with others like them with a complete
replacement!” (Surah Al-Insan, 76:28)
وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِنْ قَرْيَتِكَ
الَّتِي أَخْرَجَتْكَ أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ فَلَا نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ
“And many a
town have We destroyed which were stronger than your town (Makkah) - And there
was none to help them.” (Surah Muhammad 47:13)
8. The Solution is Clear: Turn back to Allah, the Source of all Help and
Success
This calamity is a result of us, collectively as an ummah,
obsessing over dunya, abandoning our religion, and forgetting our hereafter.
عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يُوشِكُ الأُمَمُ أَنْ
تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا " .
فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَالَ " بَلْ أَنْتُمْ
يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ وَلَيَنْزِعَنَّ
اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّكُمُ الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي
قُلُوبِكُمُ الْوَهَنَ " . فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا
الْوَهَنُ قَالَ " حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ "
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There will come a time when nations will soon gather
and summon one another to attack you, just as people when eating invite others
to share their feast.”
Someone asked: “Will that be because of our small numbers at
that time?”
He replied: “No, in fact you will be many in number, at that
time! But you will be of no substance: like the scum and rubbish like those
carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the hearts of
your enemy and place al-wahn (weakness) into your hearts.”
Someone asked: “What is wahn?”.
Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: “Love of this dunya and hatred for death.” (Abu
Daud)
The Prophet ﷺ also said,
إِذَا تَبَايَعْتُمْ بِالْعِينَةِ وَأَخَذْتُمْ
أَذْنَابَ الْبَقَرِ وَرَضِيتُمْ بِالزَّرْعِ وَتَرَكْتُمُ الْجِهَادَ سَلَّطَ
اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ ذُلاًّ لاَ يَنْزِعُهُ حَتَّى تَرْجِعُوا إِلَى دِينِكُمْ
“(When you become obsessed over this worldly life) and abandon
struggling for the sake of Allah, Allah will disgrace you and will not withdraw
it until you return to your religion.” (Abu Daud)
9. Never forget: Eventually, you will die too. Ultimately you are still
responsible - and will be questioned - for your actions on the Day of Judgment
..And it’s only then will TRUE justice be served, and TRUE
success and failure will be made apparent:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ
أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ
فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“Everyone
shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your
wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to
Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment
of deception” (Surah Ali Imran 3:185)
10. Do not act based on emotions – Act in accordance to the guidelines that
Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have specified. There is no obedience by committing
disobedience!
When Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet ﷺ
passed away in his infancy, the Prophet ﷺ was in tears from his sadness. The companion,
Abdurrahman bin Awf asked, “O Messenger of Allah – even you are crying?” Then
he wept even more and said,
يَا ابْنَ عَوْفٍ إِنَّهَا رَحْمَةٌ . إِنَّ
الْعَيْنَ تَدْمَعُ، وَالْقَلْبَ يَحْزَنُ، وَلاَ نَقُولُ إِلاَّ مَا يَرْضَى
رَبُّنَا، وَإِنَّا بِفِرَاقِكَ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَمَحْزُونُونَ
"The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved,
and we will not say except what pleases our Lord. O Ibrahim ! Indeed we are
grieved by your separation” (Al-Bukhari)
This
statement of the Prophet ﷺ teaches us a very important
lesson in akhlaq of how we should respond as Muslims. Yes, our heart saddens
and bleeds for the oppression against our brothers and sisters. Yes, this massacres
and crimes against humanity are unacceptable, even by the lowest of civil
standards.
But at the
same time, we must behave rationally, control our emotions to say and act in accordance
to what Allah is pleased with, and not transgress our limits.
لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ،
إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ الْغَضَبِ
“True strength is not the one who overcomes others by his
physical strength (i.e. wrestling others); true strength is the one who
controls himself when he is in anger” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
The phrase,
“do ANYTHING, as long as you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT” is not applicable for
Muslims. Because if that “something” is something Haram and ends up being an act
of disobedience to Allah – then this is falsehood: There is no such thing as “obeying
Allah by disobeying Him”.
فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّـهِ
وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ
“(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves,
refer it to Allah and His Messenger (i.e. the Qur’an and Sunnah), if you believe
in Allah and in the Last Day.” (Surah An-Nisa 4:59)
11. Do not perform deeds which might result in disobedience
With the flood of information and “call to action” on the
internet today, it can be difficult to distinguish right from wrong, especially
when these emotional outcries are so loud and viral. Some of these viral
messages call to things which are haram or contain elements of vulgarity which
do not befit the Muslim character. Consult the people of knowledge!
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“And Ask the people of knowledge, if you don’t know” (Surah
Al-Anbiya 21:7)
Or, when in doubt, just don’t act on it. Stick to what you
KNOW.
دَعْ مَا يُرِيبُك إلَى مَا لَا يُرِيبُك
"Leave behind what makes you doubt, and instead, stick
to what does not give you doubt" (An-Nasa'i, At-Tirmidzi).
12. The Prophet ﷺ was sent as a mercy, not to curse
The companions once requested the Prophet ﷺ
to invoke the curse (la’nah) of Allah upon the disbelieving idol-worshippers
(mushrikun). He responded by saying:
إِنِّي لَمْ أُبْعَثْ
لَعَّانًا وَإِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ رَحْمَةً
“Verily, I have not been sent as an invoker of curse;
rather, I have been sent as a Mercy” (Muslim)
Note: Yes, there are exceptions to this general case. Again,
consult the people of knowledge, not just cursing out of emotion.
13. If you can't say something that Pleases Allah, then just shut up
مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا،
أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ
“Whoever
believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say what is good, or just keep
quiet!” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
Note: Silence is not “doing nothing”. To refrain yourself
from saying something harmful or from making things worse, seeking the pleasure
of Allah, is a very active act of taqwa. And Allah is Not unaware of that!
أَنَا زَعِيمٌ بِبَيْتٍ فِي رَبَضِ الْجَنَّةِ لِمَنْ تَرَكَ
الْمِرَاءَ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُحِقًّا وَبِبَيْتٍ فِي وَسَطِ الْجَنَّةِ لِمَنْ تَرَكَ
الْكَذِبَ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَازِحًا وَبِبَيْتٍ فِي أَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ لِمَنْ حَسَّنَ
خُلُقَهُ
“I guarantee a
house at the edge of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were
in the right,
a house in the
middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking,
and a house in the
highest part of Paradise for the one with good akhlaq and conduct” (Abu Daud)
14. Be careful what news you spread in these times of massive
misinformation and irrational emotional responses
بِحَسْبِ الْمَرْءِ مِنَ
الْكَذِبِ أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar
when he goes on narrating every single thing he hears." (Muslim)
15. Provide financial support and aid within your capacity: Every atom's
weight of good deed counts!
Identify trustworthy organizations that are channeling funds
to offer any form of aid (e.g. medical supplies, food) to our brothers and sisters.
Every cent counts!
لاَ تَحْقِرَنَّ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ شَيْئًا وَلَوْ أَنْ
تَلْقَى أَخَاكَ بِوَجْهٍ طَلْقٍ
“Do not consider any of your good deeds as insignificant, even
if it is that you meet your brother with a cheerful face.” (Muslim)
اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ
"Save yourselves from the Hellfire, even if it is by
giving half a date in charity" (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
16. Never underestimate the power of du'aa
ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ تُرَدُّ دَعْوَتُهُمُ الصَّائِمُ حَتَّى
يُفْطِرَ وَالإِمَامُ الْعَادِلُ وَدَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ يَرْفَعُهَا اللَّهُ فَوْقَ
الْغَمَامِ وَيَفْتَحُ لَهَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ وَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ وَعِزَّتِي لأَنْصُرَنَّكَ
وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِينٍ
There
are three people whose du’aa (supplication) are not rejected:
1. The fasting person until he breaks his fast;
2. The just leader; and
3. The supplication of the oppressed person; Allah raises
the du’aa up above the clouds and opens the gates of heaven to it. And the Lord
says: “I swear by My might, I shall surely Help you, even if it should be after
a while.’” (At-Tirmidzi, ibn Majah)
By the way: Don't ever fall into the trap of belittling
du'aa (e.g. "Just" make du'aa?) - If you do so, this is in fact,
belittling Allah Himself - as the All-Powerful, Creator and Lord of the
Universe - na'udzubillah.. this is borderline shirik, a far greater sin than
your compassion for the victims.
Again: you cannot obey Allah by disobeying Allah!
Know, dear Muslim, that your du’aa is 100% guaranteed to be
responded – even if Allah may delay His Help, or grant victory and success in
the akhirah (which is what matters most).
Continuously make du’aa for them, such as the Qunoot Nazilah
taught by the Prophet ﷺ in Sahih Al-Bukhari:
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ َالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
في غزة، اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلَى اليهود، وَاجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ
كَسِنِي يُوسُفَ
"O Allah! Save the weak and the helpless people among the
faithful believers in Gaza.
O Allah! Be hard and sever on the evil Zionist regime and
let them suffer from famine years like that of the time of Yusuf."
17. Making du'aa for them benefits you too
.. So make lots of it!
Make it a habit: every time you hear, see, or read about tragic
news of what is happening out there in the media, put in the effort to make
intentional du’aa from your heart for Allah to help them, alleviate their
suffering, grant and reward their patience, and recompense them with something
far greater in the Hereafter.
دَعْوَةُ الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ لأَخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ
الْغَيْبِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ، عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ مَلَكٌ مُوَكَّلٌ كُلَّمَا دَعَا
لأَخِيهِ بِخَيْرٍ، قَالَ الْمَلَكُ الْمُوَكَّلُ بِهِ: آمِينَ وَلَكَ بِمِثْلٍ
“The
du’aa (supplication) of a Muslim for his brother at his back (in his absence)
is mustajab (responded to);
As long as He is making a du’aa of goodness for his
brother, an angel commissioned (by Allah) will be by his side, and (will also
make du’aa) and say:
“Ameen, and May it be granted for you too!”
(Narrated by Muslim)
18. When will the Help of Allah come?!
During the early days of Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ and his companions faced mass oppression from the
disbelievers of Quraysh, completely denied of their freedom to practice their
religion: even though they were a small minority in the community and did not
harm the rest of the Quraysh in any way.
One companion, Khabbab bin Al-Aratt was so severely tortured
that he had visible holes in his back from being tortured by the Quraysh, who
used to make him lie down on burning hot coals. Out of desperation, he asked
the Prophet ﷺ, “Will you not ask the help of Allah?!”
The Prophet ﷺ set
up straight with signs of anger appearing on his face as it turned red, and responded:
انَ الرَّجُلُ فِيمَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ يُحْفَرُ لَهُ فِي الأَرْضِ
فَيُجْعَلُ فِيهِ، فَيُجَاءُ بِالْمِنْشَارِ، فَيُوضَعُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَيُشَقُّ بِاثْنَتَيْنِ،
وَمَا يَصُدُّهُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ دِينِهِ، وَيُمْشَطُ بِأَمْشَاطِ الْحَدِيدِ، مَا دُونَ
لَحْمِهِ مِنْ عَظْمٍ أَوْ عَصَبٍ، وَمَا يَصُدُّهُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ دِينِهِ، وَاللَّهِ
لَيُتِمَّنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ حَتَّى يَسِيرَ الرَّاكِبُ مِنْ صَنْعَاءَ إِلَى حَضْرَمَوْتَ،
لاَ يَخَافُ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ أَوِ الذِّئْبَ عَلَى غَنَمِهِ، وَلَكِنَّكُمْ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ
“Among the
nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for
him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces;
yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be
combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves,
yet that would not make him abandon his religion. By Allah, this religion (i.e.
Islam) will prevail till a traveler from Sana (in Yemen) to Hadrarmaut will
fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep,
But you
(people) are impatient and hasty.” (Al-Bukhari)
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُمْ
مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ۖ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ
وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ
اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّـهِ قَرِيبٌ
“Or think
you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who
passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments
and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with
him said, "When will the Help of Allah come?"
Yes!
Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:214)
19. Do not be sad or lose hope: Allah guarantees victory in for those
believers!
وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ
إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
"So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be
sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true)
believers." (Ali Imran 3:139)
We know in the hadith that we will gain victory eventually.
When will that be? We don’t know. We know it’s coming. The question is: what
are we doing today to be part of that victory? How are we educating ourselves
and our children to be the people who will be fighting alongside Prophet Isa,
against Dajjal and his supporters?
.. And even if we don’t earn physical victory in this dunia
in our lifetime, know that the true victory – the TRUE SUCCESS – is Paradise.
20. Remember the End in Mind: Never lose sight of the Big Picture
There was once a quote that says, “Do you cry for Masjid Al-Aqsa,
yet you abandon praying Fajr in your own mosque?”
We need to stop being reactive noise-making Muslims who are
only emotionally reacting to evil situations when our ummah is oppressed. We
need to step up, to be proactive in becoming people of righteousness. Play our
part in da’wah, to spread the beautiful message of Allah, in the beautiful
manners (akhlaq) that He prescribed, regardless of the circumstances.
Whether or not oppression takes place, one thing is for sure:
We will all return to Allah, and we will all be called to account for our
deeds.
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّـهِ
ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
“And fear the Day when you will return to Allah. Then, every
person shall be repaid for what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with
unjustly.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:281)
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ َالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
في غزة، اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلَى اليهود، وَاجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ
كَسِنِي يُوسُفَ
"O Allah! Save the weak and the helpless people among the
faithful believers in Gaza.
O Allah! Be hard and sever on the evil Zionist regime and
let them suffer from famine years like that of the time of Yusuf."
Amin
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