i spent a few months away from Muslimmatters until just recently, but mashaAllah, it is good to see new contributors like Brother Iesa Galloway. like Amad, i am a Houstonian, and i attest that i know nothing but good about Iesa’s long, patient, and thoughtful work on behalf of Islam and Muslims in this city.

no one has to agree with everything he wrote. but how many shuyukh have taught us explicitly that no one other than the Prophet sull Allaho alayhi wa sallam was perfect?

so it made me sad to see so many people on this page post without any apparent fear that their posts may someday bear witness against them. one of the signs of the Muslim is that his brother (and sister) is free from evil that he may say about him. and one of the signs of the scholars was that when a genuine debate existed — like the one about which this article was written, how should Muslims respond to a tragedy like this case — was that they treated each other with respect hoping that the other side could prove them wrong because the objective was always to find truth and the path of righteousness, not just to be recognized for a clever turn of phrase.

i myself have questions after reading his article. but i do not doubt for one moment that his experiences IN THE FIELD (all caps intended) and not just posting comments on blogs (self-deprecation unintended) — that his actual work on behalf of Muslims, make him qualified to put forward the article he has submitted.

the sad treatment of my brother from Houston is something about which i felt empowered and compelled to write, but it has delayed something i wanted to write as soon as i read shaykh Yasir Qadhi’s post.

jazak Allah khayr, shaykh Yasir for discussing Dr. Aafia’s years in Houston as a student. as Allah is my witness, I did not realize that this was the same sister until this morning at suhoor (which i realize now was about 22 hours ago). I had read one MM article about her case, and this morning I asked my parents about her because she is Pakistani, and they are expats who follow news there. “Have you heard anything about the case of this Pakistani doctor who’s being held by the Americans?”

they said, “we know her.” i was late for fajr because it took me so long to cry my way through two rakats of sunnah.

(it could just be that i have isolated myself in a cave — hopefully the Surah Kahf kind, but) i have not heard one person in Houston mention this sister in a khutbah, or make dua for her not even for her children in qunoot, and she did not just pass briefly through Houston as so many transient foreign students do. thousands mashaAllah over the years have come here from Muslim countries and studied at UH and Rice. among them she was a person who worked hard for islam when many of us who were born here were living comfortably in ignorance.

and the tears that burned my eyes then and are coming back now were not just for her but for myself and for every person here in Houston who has not even known that someone we called sister has been treated like this. that someone upon whom we wished salam, and who wished us back the same has been suffering ghalabitir-rijaal for five years.

and words from the article i had read — that Aafia and her brother (who also lived in Houston) could only look at each other and cry — burned me, too, because my eyes had been drier when i read them, and what kind of brother have i been?

may Allah forgive me, and anyone who can claim the same shame.

how many of us know this example from our history — the story of the one woman who cried out when she was taken captive, and the caliph hearing her plea sent forth an army of incredible size just to free her. how deaf we have been. how hard our hearts.

and, in a point where i especially agree with Iesa, how weak we must not let ourselves be. we have a duty to calmly, rationally, and effectively determine the best way for our community to respond to calamities like this. we have no khalifah, and we have no army. neither did the Muslims in Abyssinia when they faced the possibility of being expelled. instead they came together, discussed plans of actions, chose a representative, and acted in a way that enlivened what they knew of islam.

note, i am not saying we have to follow their example in trusting their local ruler — their local ruler was a man the Prophet sull Allaho alayhi wa sallam had already felt was trustworthy enough to send the elite among the believers.

rather i am highlighting what the Muslims did in response to a threat.

may Allah guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those upon whom is His favour, not of those upon whom is His Wrath, nor of those who go astray. may He in Whose Hand is our forelocks, Whose Decree cannot be challenged, may He protect us from fear of others and from the tyranny of evil men. may He give us the ‘ilm, hiqmah, and hoda to make choices that will please Him, and may He give us the courage to act on them with right conduct.

Jazakallaah khayr for your response. I value the habit of proactivity, of taking action, but I also value spending my time on actions that will bring about the most amount of benefit.

I must admit that I am ignorant about the benefits of signing a petition, but this is often the first recourse in these types of cases – I’m interested in knowing what the benefit is in these petitions, and where, if anywhere, these petitions have translated into benefits, and specifically, online petitions.

Siraaj

You know, I look at the large back and forth responses, and I wonder, what if the time, energy, and thought that was put into typing up these long responses was channeled into helping Dr. Aafia or others, what would happen? Allahu a’lam.

Precisely – you could have signed the petition http://www.petitiononline.com/aafia/petition.html or written a message to Aafia’s family (email to contact at cageprisoners dot com) in that time.

Jazak Allah for your reminder, you are right. I ask Allah’s forgiveness for my harshness, I wrote it after getting riled up reading the comments of these brothers.

Advice: never write anything in a state of anger!

In going through brother ‘Iesa’s posting and responses, I do believe he has many valid points, and I believe the IA people also have valid points of criticism as well. A balanced picture will take into account the good from both perspectives and leave out what is negative, and for sure there is good in both of them as nothing is wholly evil.

May Allah subhaana wa ta’aala forgive us all our shortcomings and show us the correct course of action, whatever direction that may take us.

Siraaj

Brothers and sisters,

I apologize for my harsh comment a few days ago. I posted too hastily. Other brothers and sisters have said what I wanted to say but in a better manner. I understand that the situation is more complicated than we think it is, sometimes. Allahul Musta’aan.

May Allah grant our sister Dr. Aafia sabr and may He strengthen her Iman.

May Allah guide us to the Straight Path.