Assalaamu Alaikum! 

I had planned to write about something different, but I just couldn’t continue with it. My thoughts and words kept pointing towards Gaza. As I write this, its been 300 days since the people of Gaza have been going through a genocide as the world keeps watching. Almost a year of unspeakable horror and we don’t see any signs of it stopping or even de-escalating.

To say that witnessing what has been happening in Gaza in the last 300 days has been heartbreaking is an understatement. I wish what we have seen through our screens are all that there is to their suffering. But not all stories are told. Not all deaths are recorded. Not all cries of mothers reach our ears. We will not see all kids with their amputated limbs, all fathers digging through debris and concrete with their bare hands, all grandparents kissing the lifeless body of those who were the souls of their souls.

Muslim mindset

Anyone who wants to know what faith is, should look at the Palestinians.

They have been showing it our whole lives, but most of us became aware of the unshakable faith Palestinians carry only after the events of October 7th last year. They live life knowing the true nature of this world. We see their tawakkul when the phrase they keep repeating even when they lose multiple family members is ‏‏حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل” - sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs “ -

No matter how terrible the loss, how big the tragedy, we have seen Palestinians live these verses. “And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah , "They are dead." Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [it] not. And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” - Surah al-Baqarah, verses 153-157

The following video is one of many, where we learn what it means to be a person of faith from a Palestinian.

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The resilient

If you ask me what resilience means, I’d say “being a Palestinian.”

Amidst the heartbreak and destruction, Gazans try to live their lives with an astounding level of resilience. They have weddings, they attend Quran classes and their Jumuah prayers are in the middle of destructed buildings and mosques. They have spent a Ramadan and two Eids with no sense of normalcy, with no time to even grieve what they’ve lost. Yet, they attend Eid prayer, even in the pouring rain. I won’t forget the beautiful video of Eid celebration someone posted after returning to their destructed home. I can’t even remember the number of videos I have seen of Gazans completing their memorization of Quran despite their circumstances.

I am not saying that they are superhuman, but its not possible that someone (except the Zionists and their supporters) sees how resilient they are and not be inspired.

Gaza has taught us how to keep going even when when your world is falling apart. They’ve taught us that its our faith and our bond with the Quran that will keep us grounded when your life takes volatile turns.

Planting seeds

Two days ago, I saw photos of a man from Gaza who has planted a garden. I hope both him and his garden are still safe.

Although this was an attempt to get some sort of relief from the extreme shortage of food, its also an act of resistance and hope. Imagine how much hope one should have to plant a garden when its not certain whether the garden or the gardener would see the daylight the following day. It also reminded me of the beautiful story “My garden over Gaza” by Sarah Musa where a little girl learns resilience, resistance and hope as she tends to her father’s rooftop garden. This man in Gaza taught me what the following hadith actually means

Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it." - Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 

All of us are holding some type of seed in our hands. We then question ourselves whether there is any point in planting them, whether they will even sprout or whether the darkness of the world will kill them before they had a chance to bear any fruit. Next time you have such thoughts, plant your seeds, no matter what! The seeds you plant may just grow to become a beautiful garden of light and hope.

A dose of faith for you

“Nimrod won the battle, but Ibrahim won the war. Pharoah won the battle, but Musa won the war. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came out of Makkah sneaking under the cover of darkness, he returned to it in broad daylight and entered it through its four gates, so do not be tempted by falsehood because it won a battle, nor you lose your confidence in the truth because it has not yet won the war.

Allah prolongs the falsehood because He wants to expose it, and delays victory of truth because He wants to purify it. If falsehood reaches its climax, then this means that the victory of truth is near. It is by Allah’s decree in the world that, everything that reaches its peak to diminish. Remember that the darkest hours of the night are those just before the dawn” – Messages from the Quran, Adham Sharkawi

Jazakallah khair for reading.

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Samar