October 7th: How Can We Help?
Today we’ve marked a year since the beginning of the recent events happening in Palestine.
Unlike at the beginning of the Operation Al Aqsa Flood, when people woke up and became aware of what was happening, people’s eyes now are closing, they’re putting the events as the background music to their daily lives, or ignoring it, a song-long forgotten about.
So with the one-year mark, I would like everyone to splash their faces with water and see beyond the haze of this life.
I want us to bring back the spirit we had in the beginning: spreading knowledge, praying, boycotting, and talking about what’s happening.
I would also like to tell you about the cool relationship between the freedom of Palestine and our actions.
We always wonder how we should help the Palestinians and I think I have an answer.
It’s not donating, boycotting, or praying — all of which we must still do — but I have something else that we often overlook.
To help them we need to be good.
To be righteous Muslims.
It may not make sense, since how can our goodness be of any help?
But if we think about it, it’s the missing piece of our puzzle.
If we want something we can’t achieve on our own, we often go find a person who can help us do so.
So if we want freedom and victory, we need to find who will grant them to us.
If we search and search we’ll find that the only entity that can help us is Allah.
And if we see the price or the requirement set for this victory we want so much, we’ll find that it’s being good, it’s having a righteous strong Muslim community, that won’t tolerate being stepped on.
What do I mean by being good though? Well, there is so much to it, but in general: it’s following Allah's rule; it’s doing the basic requirements of a Muslim (praying, reading the Quran, saying dhikr, etc); it’s not bowing down to pop culture and the pleasures of this life; it’s not eating at stores that support genocide; it’s doing kind things and avoiding the bad; it’s repenting and being grateful for what we have.
Being a good Muslim is an umbrella that covers so many things, and we are not expected to be them all, we’re expected to strive and aim to achieve that, though, even as we fall short.
But if we stay like we are now as a society, uncaring of these bigger issues and standing on the polar opposite side of our religion, do you think we’ll get to see the victory we want?
I don’t think so, because if we know anything from this life; it’s that we only get what we work for.
That’s why we need to be good Muslims.
We need to be good individuals, and then help others be good as well and if the majority did this, the domino effect would work and society would eventually become a better one — leading to the long-awaited victory.
It’s not easy, but it’s the least we can do.
We need to start somewhere so start by changing you.
Use today as an excuse
to talk about the case and spread knowledge.
To stop doing a bad habit,
to start praying,
to get closer to Allah,
to focus on your religion,
to start boycotting,
and stop listening to music.
In conclusion, we won’t get our freedom or victory until we’ve earned our place to celebrate it.
So let’s forget about the trifles of this life and focus on the larger issues of our ummah, to better ourselves and those around us.
Thank you for reading and keep praying for our brothers and sisters in Gaza and around the world.
