The world today bears witness to one of the most heartbreaking humanitarian tragedies of our time which is the systematic suffer...
The world today bears witness to one of the most heartbreaking humanitarian tragedies of our time which is the systematic suffering and extermination of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Each day, the air is filled with the sound of drones and the cries of the starving. Death rains from the skies, while starvation creeps silently into homes already shattered by war. Gaza has become a graveyard for innocence, not merely a battlefield, but a place where hope is buried and humanity is tested.
In a region no bigger than many capital cities, more than two million Palestinians live under siege, deprived of basic rights: food, water, medicine, and the right to live in peace. Children die not only from bombs but from malnutrition. Mothers search for bread and medicine for themselves and their children in a land where even the right to weep in safety has been stripped away right before the glaring eyes of the world.
The most painful is not just the bullets and bombs, but the silence, the silence of the world that hypocritically claims to observe the fundamentals of human rights. The silence of leaders who claim to be defenders of justice and more hauntingly, the silence of many Muslims who have turned away from the cries of their brothers and sisters are equally painful. Where is the Islam that once rose to defend the oppressed? Where is the Ummah, the united Muslim community, that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described as a body (when one part suffers, the whole body should feel the pain?) Are we still that body? Or have we become disembodied in to different limbs?
The Gaza issue is not just a political crisis; it is a moral disaster. It is a divine test of our sincerity, compassion, and solidarity. While children starve and homes are reduced to rubble, we scroll on our phones and return to our daily routines. How can we claim to follow a religion that commands us to “stand up firmly for justice, even if it be against ourselves” (Qur’an 4:135), and yet remain unresponsive?
What excuse will we offer on the Day of Judgment when we are asked about Gaza? When Allah, the All-Seeing and All-Hearing, questions us:“Where were you when My oppressed servants cried out in anguish? What did you do with your time, your wealth, your voice?”
Will we say, “Ya Allah, I was afraid,” or “I was busy,” or “I thought others would help”?
Let us remember the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him):“Whoever does not care for the affairs of the Muslims is not one of them.”“Help your brother, whether he is the oppressor or the oppressed.”When asked how to help the oppressor, the Prophet replied, “By stopping him from oppressing.”
Today, the Palestinians are the oppressed; they need our voices, our prayers, our aid, our advocacy, and our action. We may not all hold power in politics, but we all have power in our choices, in our wealth, in our social influence, in our dua (supplication), and in our united stand.
Let us not be among those whose hearts have hardened. Let us not betray the legacy of Islam, which has always stood with the oppressed. Let us rise with sincerity and faith, for Gaza, for humanity and ultimately for Allah.
Let us all remember that on the Day of Judgment; neutrality will not be a shield. Silence will not be a defense. And excuses will not save us.
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