Despite what everyone might feel at this time of sadness as the continued oppression of Muslims continues, the Believers should never despair.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ وَالْقُرْآَنِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَى بِعَهْدِهِ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَاسْتَبْشِرُوا بِبَيْعِكُمُ الَّذِي بَايَعْتُمْ بِهِ وَذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
Indeed, Allah has bought from the Believers their lives and their wealth, in exchange of (a promise) that Paradise shall be theirs. They fight in the way of Allah, and kill and are killed, on which there is a true promise (as made) in the Torah and the Injīl and the Qur‘ān. And who can be more faithful to his covenant than Allah? So, rejoice in the deal you have made, and that is the great achievement. (Taubah, 111)
Alhamdulillah, by virtue of our īmān, we delight in the fact that all those in Gaza and indeed all other troubled areas who are killed are shuhadā’ and in fact our depression should really be for the rest of us who live in a state of sin and continue to earn the wrath of Allah jalla wa ‘alā for not fulfilling our various obligations, from hijāb to the five daily prayers at their required times to the neglecting of Jihād itself.
Sorting out all of our duties and recommended acts as Muslim communities around the world, whether it is the raising of the flag for legitimate Jihād or reviving the science of Inheritance or even going out for dinner with your Jewish and Christian colleagues as part and parcel of your da‘wah to your communities – it is only a complete practicing of Islam at all times that will get us out of the mess we find us in. It saved the Jewish nation before us under the banner of Mūsā (‘alayhis-salām) and it’ll save us now as well:
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى وَأَخِيهِ أَنْ تَبَوَّآَ لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And We revealed to Mūsā and his brother: Have houses for your people in Egypt, and make your houses worship oriented, and establish Salāh, and give glad tidings to the Believers. (Yunus, 87)
One thing that mustn’t be forgotten in all of this is that the people of Gaza have been in much the same state for years and years, it’s just that we continue to be heedless of the realities of the world. Now only when the BBC has made it front-page do we start to pay extra passionate interest. The Palestinians have been continuously starved, attacked and martyred since the occupation began and Hamas as well as many normal Palestinian folk will actually accept the opportunity of at last physically facing the cursed oppressors face-to-face in combat as opposed to being destroyed by-proxy, as well as having the world’s attention re-focused on this mighty struggle. Sure, F-16s screaming overhead and increased civilian deaths make the situation more serious and disheartening, but this is why we have all been placed on the different corners of this Earth: to be put to trial in any which way that happens.
This is not a new war and it will not remain an old war – this will continue for many, many years to come.
The Muslims both in and out of Gaza should take comfort that Israeli plans will never succeed until they get rid of every single remaining Believer in the world, for it is that īmān in the hearts of those all over the planet that will resist this Zionist oppression and tyranny one way or the other.
وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
Do not lose heart and do not grieve, and you are the upper-most if you are Believers. (Ale-’Imran, 139)
And just as the suffering Palestinians continue to defend the Holy Land seeking the pleasure of Allah, don’t forget the other side of the coin: the existence of the Hell-Fire. Quite simply, it was created to burn people such as Bush, Weisglass, Cheney, Peres, Barak and many others for their heinous crimes against humanity for ever and ever.
So the next time you see more painful images of death and destruction, and then despair at your lack of ability to do something meaningful to stop these terrorists above other than make supplications, reform and give charity, take solace in the fact that divine justice is really what it’s all about. We all just need to hang around in this dunya until that court date comes and boy oh boy when it comes, there’ll be ‘fireworks’ alright…
To hell with political correctness and all other detractors reading this: sometimes a bit of raw emotional theological rhetoric is exactly what our hearts need to soothe them whilst we wait for that Final Day.
