Dilemma: Planning A Wedding While Gaza Starves?
Assalamu alaikum,
After years of being single, he finally found a wonderful bride and the wedding day was nearly upon us. It should be a day of joy, the coming together of friends and families, a real celebration.
However, the news from Gaza was that more and more people are being slaughtered by the Zionist entity occupying Palestine. Our screens and social media feeds are full of videos of children partially buried under destroyed homes, people killed at check points and whole families wiped out in brutal airstrikes.
The dilemma my friend faced as his wedding approached is one I also faced in recent weeks.
Life goes on
A few days ago, I went shopping in East London as I needed a new thowb. The one I wear around the house was now torn and needed replacing. And, I did attend my friend’s wedding.
But the genocide in Gaza is still ongoing. They have not been liberated.
Where is the balance? How do I overcome this guilt of doing ‘normal things’ whilst Gaza’s suffering is still going on? Is it correct to think in terms of a balance?
Gaza is a niggle
A niggle is something that is always bothering you in the background. It’s like when you have a debt or your mother is seriously ill. You still go to work. You still do the shopping. You still speak to friends. However, the niggle is not far from your mind and you know that the issue niggling you requires a solution.
If it’s a debt; do I borrow from Ahmed in order to pay the debt to Yunus who needs his money now?
If your mother is ill and the doctors still don’t know what the issue is, you might be thinking; do we go to another specialist? Do we try the new therapy? Is cannabis oil halal to use in her case?
Gaza is our niggle. It is normal for it to be never far from our minds. So even at a wedding, at work or when we go shopping it is never far from our thoughts and sometimes even comes up directly in conversations or interactions.
That is a sign of emaan in Allah (swt) and that we indeed feel for our ummah as Allah (swt) and His Prophet told us.
Our Beloved Prophet (alayhi salam) warned us against a heart that doesn’t feel and eyes that don’t weep when we remember Allah (swt), the duties He (swt) has placed upon us and the meeting with Him (swt).
Anas bin Malik (ra) said that the Prophet (alayhi salam) said:
“لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا”
“If you knew that which I know, you would laugh little and weep much.” [Bukhari]
Escapism: Escape from Gaza’s horrors
We seek refuge in Allah (swt) from being those who just want to escape and never think of Gaza’s suffering and our duty to liberate Palestine.
In a world dominated by the secular world’s constant quest for new types of entertainment and ‘enjoyment’, there are many opportunities for escapism from some of the important issues in life -including a genocide.
Muhammad bin Salman recently organised a huge boxing tournament ‘Day of reckoning’ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Africa Cup of Nations football and the Asia cup final in Qatar all took place in the last few weeks as the death toll rose in Gaza. And the next tournament, film or event is just round the corner.
A solution to the niggle
So, when we are in debt or have a seriously ill family member, we seek solutions to the problem that is niggling at us. We seek to do everything we can to solve it. We make it a priority in our lives despite other things that we have going on.
Gaza is an issue you and I will be asked about by Allah (swt). It is an issue from Islam. So, we need to be those who keep engaged with it; be the voice for the people of Gaza and keep asking ‘what more can we do’?
How can we mobilise the armies of the Muslim world to move and rescue people as Allah ordered? How do we replace the current traitor rulers with a sincere Islamic ruler (Khalifah) who will move the army? How can we continue to counter the Zionist propaganda? How can we aid the people in Jordan who form human chains trying to stop the lorries taking goods and food from Dubai to Saudi, through Jordan to the Zionist entity – while people starve in Gaza?
Don’t ignore the niggle. Work to solve the issue.
We ask Allah (swt) to enable us to remain engaged with the suffering and developments in Gaza, so we work for their liberation. May Allah (swt) ease the suffering of people in Palestine and grant His victory soon. Ameen
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Love and salams,
Taji
🧔 What have I been up to?
Trying to come up with ideas for videos to do for Ramadan inshaAllah. What verses of Qur’an? How to link them to Gaza or other issues so the Quran is seen as the Guidance for our lives. Send me any suggestions you have. Thanks
📖 Ayah and Hadith
People of Gaza remind me of this when dealing with their loss.
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord, O Ibrahim ! Indeed we are grieved by your separation.” [Bukhari]
“إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ تَدْمَعُ، وَالْقَلْبَ يَحْزَنُ، وَلاَ نَقُولُ إِلاَّ مَا يَرْضَى رَبُّنَا، وَإِنَّا بِفِرَاقِكَ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَمَحْزُونُونَ”
Quote of the Week
“Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” — Angela Duckworth
❤ My Favourite Things
Powerful Website – KNOW THEIR NAMES: Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza
Always important to humanise Palestinians so here are the names of some of those children killed in Gaza
The Gaza Strip is a graveyard for thousands of children, the United Nations has said.
Since October 7, Israeli attacks have killed at least 10,000 children. That is one Palestinian child killed every 15 minutes, or about one out of every 100 children in the Gaza Strip.
The surviving children, who have endured the traumatic impact of multiple wars, have spent their lives under the shadow of an Israeli blockade, influencing every aspect of their existence from birth..
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