This is an abridged translation of a lecture delivered by Hazrat Moulana Haji Muhammed Farouq sahib (rahmatulahi alayh)
We praise Allah and send Salaat and Salaam upon His Noble Messenger. Through the Taufeeq of Allah and the barkat of my Shaikh, in Sukkur I spoke for a few days on the methods and benefits of improving marital relations.
A GREAT BOUNTY
My Hazrat (RA) always stressed on one thing: Your wife is not only your wife, but she is also the female slave of Allah. She is not your worker or naukar (maid), nor is she your Shar’ee slave. Instead, she is your friend.
Such a friend is she that through her your iemaan remains safeguarded. Through her Allah Ta’ala protects your iemaan. It is an amazing relationship that Allah Ta’la forges between husband and wife. If this relationship is maintained in moderation, with regular advice from the Auliyaa, and through careful spiritual reformation (of the spouses), its huge benefits will continue to materialize, and the relationship will grow from strength to strength.
Once an elderly man lost his wife. His children, who were all married and had children of their own, cried out of grief upon the death of their mother. The elderly father looked at them crying and said: “Your grief will last for only 3 days. Thereafter you will go back to your wives and children and enjoy your lives. You will then forget about where your mother has gone. It is me who will experience real grief. Oh! You’ve lost a mother, but for me it’s like losing a mother and a friend! For me it’s a double blow! Whose going to care for me in this old age!?!
My Shaikh used to say that in the youth of marriage, the wife is a partner. When old age sets in, she is like a mother.
A STORY OF STRIKING MORAL
There was a man who treated his wife with great cruelty and injustice. Sometime later, through the decree of Allah, this husband became paralyzed. His invalidity worsened to the extent that he was unable to go to the toilet. He started passing stool and urine in bed. The same wife whom he used to maltreat began cleaning his faeces and urine. She would take him several times a day to the toilet to pass stool and urine, and clean his mess. During this state of helplessness, the man became so ashamed of himself that he was forced to beg his wife for forgiveness. He implored her to pardon all the past years of torment and suffering he had caused her.
This sublime and unique relationship between husband and wife is not mad-made; instead it is of Divine origin. One’s partner has already been recorded in the Lowh-e-Mahfoozh.
THE STORY OF HAZRAT MASEEHUL-UMMAT
My Shaikh’s wife, whom we fondly referred to as Ammijaan, passed away from cancer in 1975. At the onset of this illness she went to major centers like Saharanpur, Muzaffar Nagar, and Meerut for treatment. Thereafter, she was even taken to Delhi for medical attention but the illness grew worse. Eventually she was confined to her bed. Her illness had now become terminal and almost incurable. She was unable to get up and move on her own accord. Now consider the wonderful relation between husband and wife. This is what happens when husband and wife live according to the Pleasure of Allah Ta’ala. I saw my Shaikh with these very eyes, picking up the impurities of his wife with his own blessed hands. (She was bed-ridden and could not go to the latrine.) Hazrat has told his children that this is a private khidmat (service) between your mother and I. It’s my duty to do this, not yours.
Hazrat had an extremely sensitive nature, yet several times a day he would take his wife to the toilet, clean her najaasat, and give her instinjaa in accordance with Shariah rules. He made sure she remained paak (ritually clean) at all times. Wudhu or tayammum, as required was ministered to her by Hazrat himself, he kept her informed of the Salah times, and even taught her how to read Salah while lying on bed. Five times a day he would ensure that her bed was turned towards Qiblah for salah! This is the Divine and unique relationship between spouses. The rank of the wife is indeed high. It appears in the hadith that when the wife is admitted to Paradise, her beauty and charm will surpass even Jannat itself! She will be made the Queen of the Hoors (damsels) of Jannat. This is that God-created partnership.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Formula for Marital Success
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Seven Earths: Scientific Proofs of Quranic Wonders
Allah Ta’ala states in Surah Talaaq (Chapter 65) verse 12: Allah is The One Who created the seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof; His orders descend between them (the heavens and the earths).
This Quranic verse tells us that Almighty God created seven heavens, as well as seven earths. The hadith (sayings of The Messenger Muhammad – salutations be upon him) also make mention of seven earths. In Bukhari Shareef, a compilation of hadith written over 1200 years ago, the following statement of Allah’s Messenger appears: “He who usurps a hand-span of land, that amount (of land) from the seven earths will be thrown around his neck (on the Day of Judgment).” “He who unjustly claims a portion of land will be swallowed by that portion down to the seven earths.” Both these quotations appear in the Book on Oppression and Usurpation of Saheeh Al-Bukhari.
Imam Fakhrud-Deen Razi, the great philosophy and jurist of Islam, who died in 1210 of the Christian era (about 800 years ago) wrote in his wonderful Commentary of the Holy Quran At TafSeerul Kabeer: ‘The seven earths are similar to the seven heavens for they are like stratum, one layer on top of the other, each layer being adjacent to the other. It is also not a far-fetched theory that seven earths may mean seven planets similar to those that are in space. These are possibilities that the intellect cannot refute or reject.’
Science in its history has never ever even entertained the idea of their being more than one earth. However, recent discoveries have proven the accuracy of both theories mentioned by Imam Razi. There are two logical possibilities for the existence of seven earths. One is that the earth consists of seven layers, as Imam Razi surmised. Based on this theory, it would not be inconsistent with science to term the seven layers of earth as “seven earths” when considering that the Arabic term for earth, ardh, is used for any mass or tract of land. Recent studies in geology have proven that the earth is composed of seven zones, identified from the inner to the outer layers as follows:
1) The Solid Inner Core of Earth: depth of 5,150 - 6,370 kilometers (3,219 - 3,981 miles)
(2) The Liquid Outer core: depth of 2,890 - 5,150 kilometers (1,806 - 3,219 miles)
(3) The “D” Layer: depth of 2,700 - 2,890 kilometers (1,688 - 1,806 miles) This layer is 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 188 miles) thick
(4) Lower Mantle: depth of 650 - 2,890 kilometers (406 -1,806 miles)
(5) Middle Mantle (Transition region): depth of 400 - 650 kilometers (250-406 miles)
(6) Upper Mantle: depth of 10 - 400 kilometers (6 - 250 miles)
(7) Lithosphere Oceanic crust: depth of 0-10 kilometers (0 - 6 miles)
It must be remembered that according to science all these layers are made of different substances and material; hence the Holy Quran expression of seven earths must be considered in this context, since these are seven different parts of the earth. As stated earlier, the word ardh (earth) refers to a ‘tract of land’. The second logical possibility is that six other planets like our own earth do really exist. This, too, has recently been proven by science exploration of the universe.
On October 31, 2007 the Daily Telegraph reported in its online edition, Telegraph.co.uk:
“Britain's leading team of planet-hunters says it has found three new alien worlds that lie beyond our solar system, boosting confidence that Earth-like worlds are waiting to be discovered. The discovery of the planets will be announced by the Wide Area Search for Planets (WASP) project this week at an international conference in Suzhou, China, and have been called WASP-3, WASP-4 and WASP-5.”
The Daily Mail online newspaper reported on April 26, 2007 what is possibly the most extraordinary world to have been discovered by astronomers: the first truly Earth-like planet to have been found outside our Solar System. The discovery was announced today by a team of European astronomers, using a telescope in La Silla in the Chilean Andes. The Earth-like planet could be covered in oceans and may support life. This remarkable discovery appears to confirm the suspicions of most astronomers that the universe is swarming with Earth-like worlds.
CNN.com reported the following on August 24, 2004: In a discovery that has left one expert stunned, European astronomers have found one of the smallest planets known outside our solar system, a world about 14 times the mass of our own around a star much like the sun. It could be a rocky planet with a thin atmosphere, a sort of ‘super Earth’, the researchers said today. (All emphasis by the editor)
These few reports of recent discoveries made by modern science prove that there are planets out their in the universe that resemble our own earth. Scientists have in recent years discovered hundreds of planets in the solar system, and believe that there are still many more. They have discovered at least four planets that resemble our earth, and the Holy Quran has mentioned seven. It is, therefore, not far-fetched to believe that in years to come they may discover a few more, to confirm and corroborate with The Quran has said.
The striking question that emanates from this is: How could a man who was not schooled in reading or writing or any scientific skill make mention of scientific matters that researchers, using the most powerful, sophisticated, and expensive equipment, took years to discover? The irrefutable answer to this is that Muhammad was inspired by a Divine Force, who revealed The Holy Quran, for the guidance of mankind. Indeed, in this is a clear sign for those who ponder (Al-Quran)
(For more details of this and other scientific miracles of The Holy Quran, log on to: www.islam-guide.com)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Mxit Endangers Girls
Interactive cell site allows teens to be misled by older men
On average three Port Elizabeth girls run away from home with strangers they meet on interactive mobile site MXit every month. Many of these girls are then held captive, abused and raped.
MXit is a popular chat application that allows users to chat with people anywhere in the world on their cell phones at a fraction of the cost of an sms.
Five PE girls are reported missing every month and more than half of them run away with men they meet on MXit. Most of the girls are white and between the ages of 14 and 17.
‘Gran’ of the non-proft organisation Pink Ladies which helps find missing children said the number of girls running away with guys they meet on MXit had increased substantially during the past year.
She said the meetings in chatrooms often lead to trafficking – older men try to lure a number of girls to leave home and then use them for sex.
Pink Ladies uses MXit positively – to find the missing girls by contacting them and then convincing them to return home. She said that most men abducting these girls were divorced and over the age of 30
An online behaviour expert at leading SA online research organisation Netucation Ramon Thomas said children with single parents were more at risk of running into danger with MXit because they had more unsupervised time by themselves. He said that MXit and cellphones were also causing social problems and that it could affect the brain neurology and cognitive development of younger children. “MXit allows people to spread rumours and create fake identities”, he added.
Annelize Jerling of the eBlockwatch crime fighting community project said the two main signs for parents to look out for were secrecy and a change in behaviour. She said it was easier for sites such as eBlockwatch to identify how many children went missing because of MXit, because of the questionnaire they made parents fill in regarding their children’s behaviour before their disappearance. This includes the amount of time a child’s spends on his or her cell-phone.
Pieter Boshoff of missingchildren.co.za said he had dealt with a disturbing number of cases of children missing in PE because of people they met on MXit.
There are said to be about 385,000 MXit users between the ages 12 and 17.
Courtesy Algoa Sun, Port Elizabeth 13.03.08
The above survey is an addition to the growing number of social and spiritual evils that emanate from MXit. There is further documentary evidence of marriages breaking up when wives go private on MXit with other men, of married women getting involved with teenage males, of teenage girls getting raped by teenage boys when the two meet after prolonged courting through MXit.
In a strange but terribly sickening twist of fate, a couple shared intimate details of themselves on MXit, and even explicit sexual messages, only to discover later on that they were actually brother and sister! In another terribly bizarre and far more nauseating incident, two such MXit teenagers met each other under the cover of darkness, obviously with the help of friends, and indulged in zinaa. When they had finished, both were horrified to learn that they were brother and sister!
A similar incident is recorded of a man who unknowingly communicated with his own wife on MXit, a means through which the infidelity of each was humiliatingly exposed. One wonders when our Muslim MXit users will come to their senses. Shocking incidents like these are now even found among our Muslim youth and adults. Alas, and alas a thousand times, it appears that the grip of lust on the hearts of our youth has become so powerful it’s almost inextricable.
Are we going to continue living our lives they way we are currently doing until death overtakes us? Do we wish to die in this state of drunken lust and promiscuity? Do we honestly believe that our iemaan will remain perfectly intact while we live as slaves to lust and sexual greed? Is the mere thought of dying not enough to sober our minds and bring us back to reality?
If our Muslim brothers and sisters really believed in the hereafter, they would not be so lethargic and apathetic to the serious malady with which they are besotted. We commit our sin in secrecy and under the cover of darkness, but the Eye of Allah is All-Seeing, and His Knowledge is All-Encompassing. Nothing escapes His Gaze or His Infinite Knowledge.
And Allah Knows your movements outside and your living inside the home. (Surah Muhammad)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Shariah Law of Divorce
ALL LAWS MENTIONED HERE ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HANAFI MATH-HAB UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE
If the husband has issued one or two talaaq, he has the right to take the wife back without making a new nikah while she is still in the iddah, irrespective of whether she wants to come back or not. In this particular case the wife has no say at all.
The husband may take her back in the iddat by saying verbally: “I have taken my wife back” or by a sexual advance such as kissing or sexual intercourse, etc. It is preferable, not compulsory to say he is taking her back in front of two witnesses.
However, in the Shaafi math-hab, sexual intercourse is not a means of raj’ah or retraction. Instead the husband has to make a verbal statement in front of two witnesses that he has taken her back into his nikah. (Al Majmoo’)
After the expiry of the iddat, (when 1 or 2 talaaq were given) the husband and wife can only get back together again by making a new nikah with a new dowry. And this is if the wife agrees to come back. If the woman does not agree to come back after the iddat, no one can force her because the moment the iddat ends, she is no longer his wife. In this case the woman has got a choice of her own (whether to come back to her former husband or not).
THREE TALAAQ: If the husband gave his wife three talaaq then the nikah breaks immediately and there is no way the two can get back together again. This is the strongest form of talaaq. The wife is now forever haraam upon the husband. This law applies to all Schools of Fiqah.
Our menfolk should therefore be very, very careful in the utterance of talaaq. So often the husband blurts out three talaaq in anger, sometimes to spite the wife, or to frighten her, or punish her. Little does he realise that he spites none but himself. It is a classical example of cutting off the nose to spite the face. After such a rash utterance, only then does the severity of the matter hit home. By then it is too late to change anything. We referred earlier to impulsive behaviour, to anger and rashness. This, plus ignorance of the laws of talaaq is what propels the husband to make such utterances which he rues for the rest of his life. Take note of the following laws.
For a divorce to be effective it is not necessary that it must be in writing. A verbal talaaq, be it one, two, or three is effective and enough to sever the bond of nikah. It is wrong to believe that only a written talaaq is valid. The law of the Shariah clearly states that a talaaq uttered with the tongue is valid and takes effect. However, in view of a trend among husbands to issue talaaq today and deny it tomorrow (and exploit this technicality), it is preferable to have the talaaq written out.
The moment a husband decides to divorce his wife, we suggest that he goes to the Ulema for advice. The Ulema will firstly try and reconcile the couple. Should all attempts at reconciliation fail, then the husband will be advised how to issue a talaaq. We appeal: Please do not be hasty in issuing a talaaq until you have consulted the Ulema. In so doing you will safeguard your Deen and your nikah as well.
Should the marriage reach a point where talaaq is the only way out and reconciliation is not even a remote possibility, then let the husband follow this simple and safe procedure: Issue only one talaaq, then leave the wife to sit in her iddat. He must separate himself from her by not sharing the bed and not mixing, but they both may stay in the same house. The wife must spend her iddat in the house provided for her by the husband.
One talaaq is therefore enough. Some wives (or in-laws) insist and impose upon the husband to issue three. There is absolutely no need for three talaaq. One talaaq is enough and will terminate the nikah, which is the ultimate aim in cases of marital breakdown.
Three talaaq are valid even if they are uttered in one sentence, in one phrase, or in three different sentences, or they are uttered in one gathering or on three separate occasions.
Virtue of Fajr Salaah
It is reported from Hazrat Ubay bib Ka’ab t that one day, after completing the Fajr jamaat, Rasoolullah r turned and faced the congregation directly (for it was his normal habit to turn to his right, in most cases, and occasionally to his left). He then asked: “Is so and so present? Is so and so present?” mentioning the names of three people who had not come for Fajr salaah that morning.
He then remarked: “The most difficult salaah on the hypocrites is Fajr and Esha Salaah, and if they knew the rewards in these two prayers, they would (certainly) attend, even if they had to crawl. And know that your salaah with one person is better than your salaah individually; and your salaah with two people is better than your salaah with one person. And the bigger the jamaat, the more beloved is such a salaah unto Allah. And take note, that the first saff is like the saff of the Malaa-ikah (angels). If you (really) understood its virtue, you would race towards the first saff. Indeed, the virtue of jamaat salah over a man’s individual salaah is 24 or 25 times greater.”
(Kanzul Ummal; Note: The doubt in the figure mentioned here is from the narrator
of the hadith)
Purpose of Nikah (Marriage) in the Holy Qur'aan
Almighty Allah outlines the purpose of marriage in The Holy Quran, as follows.
And among His signs (one) is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves (i.e. human beings) so that you may gain comfort among them; and He established between you love and compassion. Indeed in this is a great sign for people who ponder. (Surah Luqman, verse 21.)
IN this verse Allah Ta’ala useds the Arabic term azwaaj which means ’spouses’. The object of nikah delineated in this verse, therefore, applies to both parties, the wife and the husband. Allah Ta’ala thus declares that the purpose of having a spouse is three fold:
For comfort and contentment
Establishment of mawaddah.
Establishment of compassion.
When the above are identified as the components of a marriage it naturally follows that any marriage devoid of all or some of these three ingredients, has not served its purpose. Likewise, if these three spiritual components exist in a marital relationship but not fully then too, such a union is not complete. In both cases, the partners in that bond of nikah have to do some serious soul-searching.
The beauty of the Arabic language is borne out by the choice of words in this verse. Allah Ta’ala says that He established mawaddah between husband and wife. This is deeper in meaning than the word mahabbat which translates as ‘love’. Mawaddah is mutual love. It is the connection of two hearts, as mentioned in the Tafseer of Qurtubi. Mawaddah is different to muhabbah in the sense that the former is a love that connects two hearts.
There is another unique blessing of nikah inferred from this verse. Every Muslim knows, and the Holy Quran has categorically mentioned this teaching in at least three places, that Muslim couples don’t court before marriage. Courting is a custom of the kuffar. Marriage in Islam, therefore, is not preceded by love and promiscuity. Yet Allah Ta’ala states in Surah 30:21 that He has created this special bonding of the hearts (mawaddah) between husband and wife. So if there was no connection and affair between the couple prior to nikah, in spite of which the bond of mwaddah has still been established, it proves that the nikah itself is a means of achieving love, compassion, and unity of the hearts. We ask our couples: After 7 or 10 years of marriage, is this comfort, love, stability, and compassion still there? If not, then you need urgent spiritual counseling.
Making Haste with the Janaaza
1. Hazrat Abu Hureira radhiyallahu anhu narrates that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said:
“Make haste with the janaazah, for if it be (the janaazah of) a pious one then you are bringing it closer towards good, and if it be otherwise then it is evil which you (quickly) get rid of.” (Bukhari)
2. Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar radhiyallahu anhu reports that he heard Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam say:
“When anyone dies, do not keep him back, instead, take him quickly towards his qabr.” (Tibrani)
3. A Sahaabi by the name of Talha ibnul Baraa was ill. Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam visited him and then remarked:
“I see the signs of death developing in him. So when he dies, inform me. And be prompt with his burial for it is not permissible for the corpse of a Muslim to be kept back among his family.” (Tirmizhi)
4. Once Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said to Hazrat Ali radhiyallahu anhu:
“O Ali! There are three things which you should never delay: the salah when its time has entered; the janaazah when it is ready; the marriage of a widow when she finds a compatible partner.” (Saheeh Ibni Hibbaan)
5. A janaazah passed by and Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam made the following remark:
“Mustareehun oh Mustaraahun minhu
The Sahaaba were mystified by these cryptic words, hence they queried from Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam: “O Prophet of Allah! What do these terms mean?” He replied:
“Mustareeh is the mumin servant who achieves relief and comfort from the hardships and difficulties of this world. And Mustaraahun minhu is the Faajir (rebellious sinner) from whose evil people, animals, trees and the entire town are relieved.”
6. It is reported that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam once said:
“He who loves to meet Allah, Allah too loves to meet him. And one who detests the meeting with Allah, Allah too detests meeting such a person.” (Ibni Hibbaan)
7. Hazrat Abu Saeed reports that Rasooolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said:
“When a janaazah is ready and the menfolk lift it up to proceed, it speaks: if it is the janaazah of a pious person, it says: ‘Send me off quickly, send me off quickly!’, and if it is not so pious, it says: ‘Woe betide me, where are you taking me!?’. Every creation of Allah besides man hears the speech of the janaazah. If man could hear it then surely he would be rendered unconscious (out of terror). (Nasaai)
FROM THE ABOVE AHADITH THE FOLLOWING POINTS EMERGE:
a) It was the desire of Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam to have the dead buried as quickly as possible. Every Muslim should endeavour to fulfill this ambition of our Master (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam), and in this effort let us not be influenced by friends and relatives. The practice of waiting for relatives from distance places to attend the janaazah is in diametric conflict to this policy of our Master.
b) In adopting this policy we are doing ourselves as well as the mayyit a great favour. A pious servant is eager and restless to get to the reward that lies ahead, whilst the evil one has to be got ridden of as speedily as possible.
c) One who loves to meet Allah must not be kept waiting. Surely this is a great injustice to the mayyit.
d) By holding the mayyit back the anguish, grief and sorrow of the deceased’s family is increased.
e) Every Muslim should love to meet Allah, and such love is generated by the constant performance of good deeds and the regular abstention from sin.
f) Unless the circumstances are unavoidable, the corpse of the mayyit should never be kept lying in the house. In the swift execution of kafan and dafan arrangements there is great barakah which will undoubtedly be experienced by the mayyit too.
NOTE:
Even when conveying the janaazah to the cemetery the procession must move at a brisk pace. On the occasion of a janaazah Hazrat Abu Bakra radhiyallahu anhu (a Sahaabi) addressed the participants saying: “I recall ourselves taking out a janaazah with Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam, we almost ran while carrying it.”
However, the janaazah should not be transported so swiftly that inconvenience and disrespect is caused to the mayyit. For Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam taught that whatever hurts or inconveniences a person in his lifetime, causes the same even after death. The dead body too has to be respected and treated with reverence, just as we would respect one in his lifetime.
The Kufr Theory of Darwin in our Schools
Muslim parents need to work swiftly and urgently against a new menace that has surfaced in our schools’ syllabi. Schools throughout South Africa have introduced the kufr theory of evolution espoused by Charles Darwin in the 18th century. This un-Islamic and illogical theory teaches that man originated from an ape. Charles Darwin was an English scientist who invented the idea that human beings descended from great apes. He believed that the great apes of the past underwent natural change and transformation over a gradual process lasting thousands of years, eventually turning into human beings. This is what evolution is in a nutshell.
During his time Darwin’s atheistic theory was acclaimed and accepted by some scientists, especially in England and Germany, but most of them rejected it. Even today, scientists have deep reservations as to the validity of evolution and the process of natural selection, meaning that the metamorphosis of ape into human occurred through the natural qualities of these animals that allowed them to survive as a species for thousands of years. All this is scientific rubbish, and simply a web of deception that Shaytaan has spun around the intellect of these so called intelligentsia.
In contrast to this Islamic teaches that man was created by Allah Ta’ala. In numerous verses in the Holy Quran this cornerstone belief of Islam is mentioned clearly and unambiguously. In Surah Baqarah Allah Ta’ala states: “And when Your Lord said to the Angels: ‘Verily I intend creating a representative on earth’. (Al Quran 2:30) The ensuing verses then go on to mention the creation of the first human being, Adam (alayhis salaam). In several verses of The Quran-e-Kareem Allah Ta’ala mentions the creation of Adam from a mixture of water and clay (mud), sometimes referring to this as black mud or potter’s clay. He also mentions that Adam (alayhis salaam) was fashioned in a unique way that resulted in what we know today as the human body with its labyrinth of veins, vessels, and arteries, all clustered together in an unparalleled anatomical structure. It defies logic and affronts human intellect to believe that all this could come about through an uncontrolled and unplanned ‘natural’ process.
School children are given assignments and projects to research the theory of evolution. If this danger is not checked, years later our kids will grow up with the concept of evolution firmly entrenched in their minds. Evolution is a belief that expels one from Islam. Parents should write to the Department of Education, in conjunction with Islamic organisations around the country, to protest against this atheistic theory and request that our Muslims be exempted from doing such assignments.
We will keep readers updated on similar efforts by Muslims in other parts of the country.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Israel and its Policy of Collective Punishment
The past few weeks have witnessed another eruption of Israel Zionist aggression against the hapless Palestinians, with the Jewish regime once more employing its military might against women and children.
Analysts rate the recent Gaza terrorist attack by the Israeli government as the worst crisis in the region since 1967. While that may be debatable, there is no doubt that this recent act of State terrorism ranks among the worst oppression ever to be perpetrated against an unprotected people.
In the recent Gaza bombardment mainly children were injured and killed, the youngest being a two-month (some reports say two-day) old baby. Even big men who saw video footages of the pillage and destruction wrought by Jewish jets and missiles, were driven to tears. And all this in the name of collective punishment! For the crime of a few Palestinians who fired some harmless rockets into Israeli territory, innocent Palestinian children have to pay with their lives. There could never be a greater travesty of justice.
The Israeli fascist regime has evolved into such an arrogant and despotic rulership that it is almost a law unto itself. It sees fit to punish a whole community for the act of a few, and above all, get away with brutality with impunity.
Flagrant and deliberate perversion of justice has now become a norm for Western so-called Democratic States when dealing with Islam and its followers. Can any country in the world produce one example of such obscene and monstrous violation of human rights as perpetrated by Israel? It appears as if only Muslims deserve such inhumane treatment.
AGGRESSION WITH IMPUNITY
A look at the responses of Western governments to the Gaza attacks will underline the immunity Israel enjoys in its campaign of naked aggression against Palestine.
Al Jazeera reports that the international community, led by the US and the UK has voiced concern and urged both sides to step back from the brink….. (2 March, 2008)
This is totally absurd and outrageous. All these insensitive bureaucrats could do was to “voice concern”, as if this carnage was nought but a figment of one’s imagination. In a one-sided onslaught, only men devoid of intellect will urge both sides to step back. Any idiot can see that the major role player in this conflict is Israel. The British Foreign Secretary condemned the rocket attacks against Israel, which caused hardly any damage, but remains fiendishly silent on the brutal killing of Palestinian children. He calls the former terrorism, but devilishly side-steps the State terrorism of the Zionists. All this clearly emphasizes in no uncertain terms that Israel has got a subtle cater blanche from these Governments to launch one barrage after another against the helpless Palestinian nation.
INSTIGATORS OF THE CONFLICT
The instigators of this 60 year-old conflict were none other but the Zionists themselves, aided and abetted by the conceited British, who on the precept of racial egotism and ascendancy, did everything in its power to suppress the Palestinian nation since its very onset. First the Palestinians were robbed of their lands when Britain implemented the Balfour declaration in 1947. Then insult was added to injury when, after establishing the ill-conceived state of Israel, the Jews began building settlements on land already occupied by Palestinians. These Jewish rogues make Mugabe look like an angel! Hordes of Jewish settlers from different parts of the world began converging onto Israel for this big land grab without an iota of shame. Systematically and over a gradual period of time Palestinians lost their properties, homes, and lands to marauding Jews. It is indeed the height of religious heresy, that people who supposedly follow a Divine Scripture could perpetrate such plunder of land in the name of that Holy Scripture. No wonder that Jews are cursed in the Holy Quran, as the following verse describes:
“The Disbelievers among the Children of Israel were cursed on the tongues of Dawood (David) and Eesa the Son of Maryam (Mary); That was because of their sin and continued transgression. (Al-Quran 5:78)
These States of tyranny and oppression fail to realise, not surprisingly given the lack of spirituality among them, that sovereignty is a gift from Almighty Allah granted to man for a specific purpose. Almighty Alah grants dominion and rulership to whomever He wishes, (Quran 3:26) for the purpose of implementing justice and good among mankind, not so that the strong may oppress the weak. Government in Islam entails establishing justice on earth, safeguarding the rights of the down-trodden, and providing protection and relief to the needy. When the Jews of the past prayed for salvation from the tyranny of Fir’oun (Pharoah), Almighty Allah made this declaration on the tongue of The Holy Messenger Moosa (AS)
“Perhaps Your Lord will destroy your enemies and them make you the rulers of the land (that they owned). Then He shall see how you behave (therein.)” (Al-Quran 7:129)
They were thus warned that control of land and power is a gift from Almighty Allah to test the behaviour and conduct of rulers. Should the rulers abuse this gift, as surely the current day Israelis are doing, then the grip of Allah is sure and powerful. Almighty Allah states:
“Then when they forgot the warnings given to them, We opened up the doors of all (Our bountiful) things; When they start rejoicing over what they were given, We suddenly seize them (in Punishment); they are then utterly bewildered (Al Quran 6:44)
Readers might wonder when this punishment will descend, and after the atrocious butchering of people, why the delay. Well, the Holy Quran has answered this in several verses, one of which reads:
“Do you not see that We send the Devils upon the disbelievers to incite them to (greater) sin; so do not be hasty (in wishing for their destruction); We are counting their (remaining) moments (of survival); (Al-Quran 19:83,84)
Almighty Allah gives sinners respite to repent and desist from their evil ways. But when they persist with wrong-doing, then their days are literally numbered. Their punishment is only a matter of time. Israel’s days of zhulm and transgression are certainly numbered. The old adage of the Arabs says that a nation can exist with disbelief but not with oppression. Fir’oun‘s reign of terror and tyranny lasted for 300 years before the Punishment of Allah overtook him. Three hundred years may seem a long time to our minds, but in relation to Allah The Almighty length of time has no bearing.
In the last verse of Surah Muhammad, Almighty Allah addresses his beloved Messenger saying:
“So be patient like the mighty Messengers were patent, and do not seek a hastening of their punishment; but the day they see it, (coming) they will think they had not stayed (in this world) but for a portion of the day;
Three hundred years or three thousands years will pale into insignificance in the face of approaching Doom.
BRAZEN HYPOCRISY
When a Palestinian attacked a Jewish seminar in retaliation for the Gaza bombardment, the United States were quick to condemn the attack in the most vehement terms. But its silence on the Israeli killings was deafening. When Iraq violated so-called Nuclear protocol the US wasted no time in launching a full scale war on the country. But when Israel repeatedly violated international law by stealing Palestinian land, building illegal settlements, and carrying out raids against neighbouring Lebanon, the US not only failed to censor the Jewish state but actually covertly condoned their acts of terror. Such are the double-standards of today’s first world leaders. They are seeped in hypocrisy and will unashamedly display this to the world.
OUR PLAN OF ACTION
1) DUA
Our first recourse is Allah Azza Wa Jall. We all need to turn to Him in earnest and continuous dua, asking Almighty Allah to liberate Musjidul Aqsaa from the hands of the enemy and deliver it into the hands of better people; people who will respect its sanctity and show kindness to the downtrodden. Dua is a our greatest weapon at this point in time. When a crisis as the one in Gaza erupts, we cannot help but becoming despondent and morose. Dua is a great means of dispelling this despondency and despair. It has been proven time and again that one in desperation gets up after making sincere dua with a renewed feeling of hope and vigour. Just the act of communicating with Allah is alone a great means of solace and comfort. Let us be persistent and consistent in dua. We pray to Allah, our Saviour and Sustainer, to thwart the plans of the Zionists, to protect Musjidul Aqsaa, to restore Palestinian lands and properties to its rightful owners, and free Musjidul Aqsaa from Zionist shackles. We also make dua that Allah soothes the frayed nerves and emotions of those who suffered in the recent crisis. We will continue this dua indefinitely, regardless of how long it takes for the materialization of our supplications. We will leave behind a legacy of dua among our offspring and descendants. The Messenger of Allah Moosa (AS) made dua for the destruction of Fir’oun and his Kingdom, whilst his brother Nabi Haroun (AS) said “aameen” to his duas. The supplication of these two mighty Messengers was only answered after 40 years! (Tafseer of Qurtubi) Nowadays if our duas are not accepted within 40 minutes, we throw in the towel. Such is the level of our impatience and lack of conviction.
2) GLOBAL AWARENESS
Secondly, we need to continue to highlight to the world the conspiracies of the Zionists, such as their plans to demolish the Musjid and replace it with a Temple, proof of which is the secret underground excavations currently in progress. The need is to intelligently and accurately proclaim these Jewish plots to the global community in an objective but forceful way. In doing so let us not resort to exaggeration, use of spurious material, or violence, for then the message is lost on the audience.
3) CULTURAL BOYCOTT
Thirdly, there is a great need to boycott the culture and ideology of all these kuffar, for they are all one breed. This boycott is far more important than the boycott of goods and products. The West, be it the Americans, the British, or the Jews, (all bed-fellows) has mastered the technique of subtly imposing their culture and thought upon the people of the world, in a variety of ways. We may avoid their products, but the world today has become so saturated with Western culture and ideology that almost every nook and cranny of this universe is polluted, barring a few areas. As Muslims our biggest disappointment is that the two most holiest cities in the world have also come under the scalpel of Western influence. Be that as it may, we shall strive with all our spiritual might to combat the menace of Western/American/Imperialistic culture. The benefit of this is indeed tremendous. By achieving to alienate ourselves from kuffar culture and ideology, we are improving our spiritual state which in turn enables us to do more good deeds thereby earning closeness to Allah and increasing the chances of our duas being accepted. It also paves the way to propagate our Deen to the world. When we are better Muslims , we develop sublime character that draws people toward Islam and enhances the reputation of Islam. I think there is no greater service any Muslim can render to Islam than becoming a practical ambassador for his Deen.
4) UNIFICATION
Fourthly, the whole Ummat has to work towards unity at all levels. We need unity among our families, communities, at national level, as well as globally. Our enemy is only as strong as the weakness in our unity. One major factor that has hampered Palestinian success is lack of unity among the Muslim nations. Had there been unity based on Islamic values and principles, the shape of Middle East politics would have been vastly different from what we observe today.