Gaza: Where Faith Shapes True Men
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, the helper of the oppressed and the vanquisher of tyrants and oppressors; and may peace and blessing be upon the prophet Muhammad, the leader of the pious, his family and his companions.
Gaza today is not merely a besieged city; rather, it is a story of a whole nation. Indeed, it stands as the very definition of patience, firmness, honour and faith. Yet, it also represents a wound in the nation’s heart and one of the signs of firmness. Although her enemies intended for her to break under bombardment, siege and starvation, Gaza demonstrated to the entire world that real power does not lie merely in the abundance of weapons, but rather in the strength of creed and a firm belief in Allah.
In Gaza, for instance, we have seen a mother bidding farewell to her children while words of praise to Allah never leave her mouth. similarly, we have seen a child who rises from under the rubble, immediately uttering the takbir. Furthermore, Mothers there are being congratulated for the arrival of a newborn Shaheed. In the same manner, men lose their entire families and homes, but still maintain unwavering faith and firmness. Ultimately, this all happens because true faith has deeply penetrated their hearts.
By standing resilient, Gaza has exposed many of the fake slogans that the world boasts about—specifically, the slogans of freedom, equality and human rights. Indeed, the entire world stood silent in the face of screaming of children and widows, ignoring not only the widespread destruction of all facilities of life but also the relentless burning and bombing of hospitals, schools, mosques and houses. Yet, despite all of this destruction, murder, and starvation, Gaza remains standing tall and unbroken telling the world: honor can never be gifted, and freedom must be earned, not given.
In light of this, the profound lesson we learn from Gaza is that faith shapes true men. In fact, for the nation to rise and reclaim its rightful leadership and authority, it must return to holding fast to the Quran —specifically by reflecting upon and acting according to, and to living by its moral principles. Truly, Allah has promised and his promise is the absolute truth “Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them”.
Although Hardship may linger and trials may intensify, the established way of Allah dictates that the patient and the pious will eventually emerge victorious, Allah has said: “Allah will certainly aid those who aid his (cause) ‘’. In fact, Gaza will remain, by the will of Allah, an eternal symbol of honor and firmness. furthermore, no matter how weak the nation may become, it still preserves a glimmer of the light of faith that never fades.
Ultimately, may Allah support the people of Gaza, make their hearts steadfast, and have mercy upon their martyrs. may Allah heal their wounds, ease their suffering and restore the nation’s honor and dignity in the most gracious way.