Salamalaikum,

We’re all aware of what’s happening to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. My question for you is how have you reacted?

Undoubtedly upset, but has it led you to despair or has it led to a positive change in yourself?

As Muslims, we know that the purpose of hardships in our lives are to test us, whether we turn to Allah, and much benefit comes from doing so. We can either fail the test and not benefit or embrace the challenge and benefit. We are one ummah so any hardship that befalls others, should effect us all. Therefor, the hardships of Palestinians should be leading us to turn to Allah.

Allah does not want us to become depressed, He wants us to become fueled with motivation to unite towards supporting our brothers and sisters in Islam for His sake.

Islam teaches us again and again the importance of brotherhood– smiling, spreading salam to those you know and those you dont, loving for others what you love for yourself, making excuses for each-others errs, not leaving out the third friend in a conversation, being good to our neighbors– these are all intended to sow seeds of love and unity. Because a united ummah is a powerful one, while a divided ummah is a conquered one. 

Let’s turn to ourselves, what are WE doing to unite the ummah so that we may collectively stick up for the oppressed? Are we crying and making dua for our brothers and sisters in Palestine while forgetting our own local community of Muslims? Some of us forget even our own families! Do we care whether we or our siblings/parents/spouse fall into sin, let alone others around us? Are we turning to Allah and helping those around us turn to Him? How are we going to fix the ummah’s situation in Palestine if we cannot even fix ourselves and our local community? Think about it. 

We make dua asking Allah to help Palestinians and He is asking us why WE are not doing anything. Is it not due to the sins of mankind that Palestinians are oppressed? We need to ask Allah’s help while doing OUR part. “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves“ [Quran 13:11]

We cannot beg non-Muslims to help, do not think that those opposing Palestine don’t know the truth about who’s right/wrong. They know but they are arrogant, it is the heart that’s blind. So although spreading awareness is good, we should never rely on non-Muslim help. We need to firmly understand that the ummah does not need anyone’s help but Allah. And even if the majority of the world was with us, we would not succeed without Allah. So rely on Allah who is the most capable while implementing His teachings.

Please do your part in turning to Allah in dua and in improving your iman and understanding of Islam, and uphold brotherhood. Prioritize this while also doing what you can do donate, volunteer, spread awareness, so on. 

“Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient” [Quran 57:16]

“The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” [Bukhari 5665]

“The parable of those who respect the limits of Allah and those who violate them is that of people who board a ship after casting lots, some of them residing in its upper deck and others in its lower deck. When those in the lower deck want water, they pass by the upper deck and say: If we tear a hole in the bottom of the ship, we will not harm those above us. If those in the upper deck let them do what they want, they will all be destroyed together. If they restrain them, they will all be saved together.” [Bukhari 2361]