Why Our Prayers for Gaza May Not Be Answered

35 Comments

1. 

   sayyadi

   August 9, 2014 at 2:10 AM

   All hope is not lost as greatness of this write up re-invigorate me. Thanks

   Reply
2. 

   Khadija

   August 9, 2014 at 6:21 AM

   I couldn’t agree more. It is time we engage in serious introspection and start rectifying ourselves instead of always pointing fingers at everyone but ourselves. Well written and much needed.

   Reply
3. 

   blvnjc

   August 9, 2014 at 7:29 AM

   Lincoln was quoting Jesus. Mark 3:25 “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

   Reply
4. 

   S. N. Smith (@smithottawa)

   August 9, 2014 at 8:35 AM

   What a awful and mean-spirited article!!!!

   Reply
5. 

   Tadar Wazir

   August 9, 2014 at 9:53 AM

   Your article is very well stated.

   I just did a long dissertation and hit the wrong button and it disappeared. I’m not a computer techy so I will cut this one short and make it to the point.

   We just came through the month of Ramadhan in which we were to re-mold our total self so that we would be in a better position to be Allah’s representative agents to His creation, but, it appears that many of us just went without food and drink from Dawn until Dusk.

   Allah says that The Glorious Qur’an gives the best explanation of what He is saying. And in it He tells us in Al-An-am, 6 after naming a list of 18 prophets/messengers/speaking of some of their relatives He tells us to follow/copy the guidance fa-be-ha-da-ya-hu-muq-ta-de that they received from Him. Several times Allah tells us to ask the people of prior revelations about whatever so that we can get clarification and get more info on Allah’s unchanging sunnah. Most of us act as if we are allergic to seeking out His truth there, and we give flimsy excuses for not delving into their scripture. The truth has only one Source and serves only one purpose and when we have our ruh in tune with Allah’s Ruh nothing and no one can stop us.

   Allah tells us repeatedly in The Glorious Qur’an that it is for those who think, use their reason, and it is to be pondered. And with this frame of mind one is to study history, so that one will be able to see, know, and better understand Allah’s Sunnah, and ahadith. Allah asks us a few times in The Glorious Qur’an in which hadith after this will you believe in?

   In these surahs one has to read many ayat in order to connect the dots to see what Allah is saying when He tells us in Al-Anbiyaa’, 21 and Al-Mu’minuun, 23 that from Nuh (Noah) (a.) – Muhammad (s.) that all of the prophets and all of their followers are ONE UMMAH and that He is our LORD. Immediately after this statement in both surahs He tells us that men cause the divisions. This can only be done by The Shaitan coming from the right, as a hypocrite. And he is effective due to the fact that most people are not sincere in their Deen/its practices, and refuse to read for understanding. That was the very first revelation to Rasulullah “Iqra” Read in the name of your LORD Who Created!

   When reading The Glorious Qur’an one must read it knowing that each ayah (verse) is a sign. Then one must know what a sign is meant for. To get Allah’s message from The Glorious Qur’an one must understand that the stories, etc. within it may be talking about others but it is also speaking about the reader/listener, and the situation and environment of the reader/listener also. It’s up to the sincere, thinking reader/listener to ponder the signs and figure out how they relate to the stories in all respects, then to extract the principles from the stories that are relevant and usable in the reader’s/listener’s environment and time.

   Allah let’s us know in a prioritized manner how we are to approach Him in order to get His response to our dua, it is in the Bible and all of it is in The Glorious Qur’an but not in the sequential prioritization that one finds in 2 Paralipomenon (Chronicles) 7:12-14-22, the passage in the middle contains the text, the rest of it is its context. The text 14 states in the “New Catholic Edition of the Holy Bible” of August 1, 1957 (I use it due to the Coptic, Catholic, and Arabic Bibles were the ones in vogue during the lifetime of Muhammad (s.)) 14 “and my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land. Other bibles word it a little different but one must first humble ones self, and this is stated after problems are faced by His servants.

   In the teachings of both faith families of Ibrahim (a.) Allah causes us to have problems so that we will stop, what we are doing the way that we are doing it, do an “all concerned and involved in whatever, at the moment action” introspection to see where one and or those involved needs to tighten up, pray, seek His face, and change from one’s individual and communal wicked ways, then He gives the victory or sought after blessing(s).

   Allah lets us know that all of the people of prior revelations are not alike and that some of them are believers, and that it is a sin to murder or kill a believer, even by accident. And Allah lets us know what one must do when one is responsible for murdering or killing a believer. In Al-Maa’edah, 5:40-48/49-50 Allah lets us know that we are all on paths that lead to Him and each of us have our distinct Way to follow to get to Him, and that we are to strive in all good things as if in a race to get to Him. Also read Aali-‘Imraan, 3:110-115?

   Let me quit before I give a khutbah.

   Reply
   • 

     Amina

     August 12, 2014 at 9:35 AM

     Someone should call for salah because you done gave a khutba, masha’Allah, you did. And a very good one, might I add. May Allah bless you.

     Reply
6. 

   M

   August 9, 2014 at 1:16 PM

   Along with the the suffering of Muslims, why is there no discussion of the suffering of non-Muslims at the hands of Muslims. The plight of of Yazidis & Christians in Iraq, the rise of ISIS- these are issues you are willfully neglecting to talk about.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdIEm1s6yhY

   Why are your prayers for Gaza not being answered? Perhaps because you do not care about the plight of all of humanity and minorities, choosing to focus on just a subset (who you deem Muslims or Sunnis specifically, and thus worthy of your attention). There are so many articles dedicated to Gaza, compare this cause celebre to issues which aren’t so ‘sexy’ for your readers: what’s happening in the Central African Republic, the treatment of (Muslim) servants at the hands of other Muslims in Saudi, the discrimination against non-Muslims in Malaysia etc.

   If one had to rank the amount of coverage they get on blogs like Muslim matters, and the degree of passion they evoke (in the form of protests and Twitter activism), it would probably look like this:
   Muslim Arabs first, followed by Muslim brown people and then black Muslims, followed by Abrahamic minorities, followed by other minority religions, and then last but not least, the persecution of atheists & agnostics by Muslims.
   Why else would there be far, far more coverage of the Palestinian cause then what is happening to your fellow Muslims in Africa, or the treatment of domestic workers in Saudi, or the killing of Christians at the hands of Muslims from Iraq to Indonesia? I swear I have read far more on Muslim sites about European hijab bans rather than the killing of minorities by non-Muslims. Why is that?

   Perhaps this blindness and willingness to overlook the plight of many non-Muslim people (also Muslim on Muslim violence), is why your prayers about Gaza are not answered.

   Reply
   • 

     Shams

     August 9, 2014 at 5:08 PM

     I understand the argument put forth by M and it is a serious concern – the oppression suffered by non-Muslims and the little attention it gets. But the accusation of the article is slightly unfair as the writer mentions social hyprocrisy and corruption within certain Muslim countries as major flaw that needs reforming. So in fact your call for attention is answered by this article, moreover, this article gives a broader scope of the state of society and the ‘weak spots’ that needs targeting and that is oft-forgotten. If anything, this is the most constructive of articles I have read in a while on societal reform – Islamic or non-Islamic related. I send much gratitude to writer and that Allah knows best, InshAllah may we be guided onto the right path.

     Reply
     • 

       M

       August 11, 2014 at 7:23 PM

       Just saw the home page, yet another article on Palestine but nothing on the massacre of minorities & rape of women in Syria & Iraq at the hands of Muslims. That’s being completely ignored, what a surprise!!

       Reply
       • 

         Aly Balagamwala

         August 12, 2014 at 2:40 AM

         Dear M

         We would love your input on the subject. Please submit your article at http://muslimmatters.org/submissions/

         Best Regards
         Aly

         Reply
     • 

       M

       August 11, 2014 at 7:56 PM

       This site, even after lamenting the social and political hypocrisy amongst Muslims, refuses to cover the genocide & rape of minorities in Syria & Iraq!!. There are women being forced into sex slavery, why is there no coverage on that???

       http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/11/yazidis-tormented-fears-for-women-girls-kidnapped-sinjar-isis-slaves

       Reply
   • 

     the real M

     August 9, 2014 at 5:47 PM

     Somebody took my alphabet :(

     I think the points you mentioned above fall under the social and political hypocrisy.

     Reply
   • 

     p4rv3zkh4n

     August 9, 2014 at 7:06 PM

     lets not forget that even the western media put a lot more emphasis on the gaza crisis….

     Reply
   • 

     Yasmine

     August 10, 2014 at 11:22 PM

     The Prophet said, “Wish for your brother (and sister) what you wish for yourself”

     The muslims know this hadeeth, but they dont implement it

     And yes, many muslims (from the middle east especially) are racist, but they just cant see it in themselves. We have too big of an ego.

     Reply
   • 

     Hyde

     August 12, 2014 at 11:41 AM

     Atheists get state funerals in some Muslim countries. Also as you are a liberal women, how dare you forget the plight of the homosexuals, and transsexuals and all those ?

     Reply
   • 

     Kareem

     August 13, 2014 at 8:44 PM

     You make a valid point M. But sometimes you have to prioritize conflicts that have produced greater repercussions from a historical and present standpoint. Some people will claim that the root problem of the abysmal state of the Middle East is the Palestinian/Israeli problem. I’m not saying that this is true. But there is some truth to it. There have always been players seeking to fragment and corrupt the Middle East. Israel plays a big role in it. So, you have to step back a bit in time. If you think all these conflicts started 3 weeks ago, then yes, your point would be undeniable. Perhaps, some writers are simply trying to tackle one conflict. You can’t tackle everything. And why should they cover everything! Why don’t you cover what they don’t?? They’re people, like me and you, writing in their little free time. Maybe they take it for granted that any muslim reading their post already KNOWS that the actions of ISIS are condemnable and don’t represent Islam, and know that the killing of innocent people everywhere is against Islam.
     But let’s be real. It’s hard enough getting Muslims to care about one conflict. It took decades before this amount of support and awareness was raised for Palestine…. is it realistic to expect all of us to suddenly start protesting every atrocity on the face of the earth? I mean, come on… let’s be real. That would drain everyone and nothing would happen.

     And as a final reminder to all of us, let’s not criticize the other people’s good work. Saying, “what about this… and what about that…” is criticism. The writers are not robots, and have no obligation to cover anything whatsoever. Let’s just be grateful for the effort they make in their free time.

     Reply
7. 

   Ahmed Waris Al Majid

   August 10, 2014 at 1:54 AM

   https://www.facebook.com/notes/ahmed-waris-al-majid/muslim-unity/10152124717131784/
   I made the same argument.
   Why should we be rewarded for our disobedience?

   Reply
8. 

   Shirene

   August 10, 2014 at 4:33 AM

   Pls read the article Timeline of the #Rothchilds writtten by Andrew Hitchcock. internet. http:// http://www.iamthewitness.com/DarylBradfordSmith_Rothschild.htm. It will give you an understanding of what is happening on a global scale. I find your post very condescending.it does not do our beloved Nabi saw method of spreading Islam any justice. We need hope and aspirations. Perhaps you could have worded your article in a more positive way. None of us can claim to be competely and uttterley free from sin. Yet we are encouraged to ask Him what we need Allah has His own plan and time. Maybe Gaza is a way to unite all muslims. I have found that Palestinians are the most generous, forgiving, kind and courageous people. Every Gazan household, I am told has a hafeth al Quran. When you truly get to know them warts and all you are inspired to be a better muslim. Allah have mercy on us, forgive and guide us enshallah

   Reply
9. 

   Syed J

   August 10, 2014 at 2:27 PM

   http://tariqramadan.com/english/2014/08/10/why-i-will-not-attend-the-isna-august-2014-and-ris-december-2014-conferences/

   Reply
10. 

    Saf

    August 10, 2014 at 10:56 PM

    AllahuSubhanahuWataala has mentioned the Measure in the Noble Quran. When observed closely, in order to get one’s worth of goods on one side, we have to add weight/load on the other side. Justice too works so.When one is willing to give equal justice to the ‘other’, there is hope of get your worth of it on your side. When ISlamic Relief says 1/3 of its charities come from Non-muslims, and muslims do not even tip at non-muslim restaurants, our myopic view of justice for the UMmah is fatally flawed.Forgiveness is when u can show mercy on ur enemy,charity is when u can give to a stranger,not just who are in ur community,courage is when u speak up for a victim against ur own communities,when one cares for only oneself, there is a element of selfishness there,not to say that it is bad, but it not good either.And knowing that difference is the real tazkiyah

    Reply
11. 

    WAJiD

    August 11, 2014 at 7:32 PM

    To “M”

    I used Gaza as an example because that is the most prominent issue in the mind of the people who were likely to breading this article at the moment. It does not mean that there is any less compassion for the suffering of others, wherever they may be and whatever faith that they may come from. And yes, this applies even if that suffering is caused by Muslims. In fact, especially if it is carried out by Muslims.

    My heart aches for each and every one and the depth of pain cannot be measured in articles or in words. So I ask you never again to doubt our basic humanity based on such arbitrary indicators.

    Sincerely
    MWA

    Reply
    • 

      ZAI

      August 11, 2014 at 10:58 PM

      Br. Wajid,
      Would agree that “M” ‘s assumptions about Muslim sympathies cast too wide of a net and are
      too generalized. Would also say that attacking specific articles or authors are a type of
      “shame grenade”, which considering that despotic or aggressor regimes/groups(both Muslim and non)
      use this very method to deflect or detract from issues, is probably an unsound premise on which to
      base a point of principle. However “M” does raise a good question for Muslim ORGANIZATIONS
      or WEBSITES…that heads of these organizations or editors should probably reflect on and examine.

      There IS a major disproportionality among many Muslims when it comes to dealing with these issues.
      When there are 8 articles on Palestine within two weeks…and tumbleweeds along with the occasional
      article rolling by on Rohingya’s, Kurds, Baluchis,CAR, Non-Muslims in various Muslim majority countries(Pakistan
      for example where their situation is horrid on a CONSISTENT basis)…etc., etc. it does start to seem
      that we practice favortism or have insincere political considerations (i.e. We don’t want
      to upset demographically or monetarily advantaged groups within the ummah).

      To be clear: I am not faulting individual authors or individual articles here. Nor am I saying we SHOULDN’T
      be rallying for the Palestinians as vociferously as we are…we should be, and should do even more. The problem
      is not doing as MUCH for the others in as visible a manner. Furthermore, not saying only Muslims are guilty of this. All people and groups tend to focus energies on what is more closely dear to them and lobbies/interests factor everywhere….the lopsided bias in favor of Israel in the US is the perfect example.

      We cannot deny “M” ‘s main point though. Is a reality and harms our various causes if we’re seen as insincere or inconsistent. Perception matters…and in fact the unscrupulous opponents, like Israeli propagandists, love to point this out to make us seem like hypocrites. Is that helping Palestinians or any Muslim cause?

      As “M” mentions, it is not confined to the Muslim:non-Muslim paradigm either…also includes disadvantaged Muslim
      minorities. I am neither Arab nor South Asian…and I can tell you from personal experience how things are discussed away from the majority bubble: relative minorities
      within the Ummah feel very strongly that their issues are not taken seriously. Can ask any Baluchi or Afghan who have waited in vain for the ummah to criticize Pakistan’s government/military, Kurds who have waited forever to hear
      any criticism of Arab or Turkish nationalists and those governments, Bangladeshi or other south asian poor people
      who hear crickets regarding the sub-human treatment they receive in the Gulf, Black Muslims in Sudan who sat in stunned silence as Arab League and OIC defended or stayed quiet about Omar Bashir. It breeds resentment man…when these people hear “Palestine”, many of them will respond “Where were you for US?”…To their credit, most of them have not responded that way yet…but only out of love for Allah, Rasul and basic humanity bro…however the resentment is there. There is a Baluchi in Quetta right now asking where the ummah is.

      If this is how relative minorities among Muslims feel, what are non-Muslims gonna feel like?
      The perception they hold is that we don’t give a d*mn whatsoever or probably even support convert/pay/die, kill the apostate, don’t build churches or whatever….that we’re just “strategically” choosing silence rather than draw attention. That’s the perception man…and we have done a lousy job combating it or showing it
      to be false on a mass scale. Then if they show up as refugees in the West and become anti-Muslim bigots, we’re
      gonna cry “Islamophobe” or cast France as the enemy of freedom because it banned niqab? We look like
      outright hypocrites….and lest anyone point out the Western government, media or some of the populations hypocrisy, yeah EXACTLY…which is exactly why we
      criticize it and call it out. We cannot control their hypocrisy though…can only control what WE do…and we’re doing
      a DISMAL job of it all and ironically empowering their hypocrisy.

      Again, reiterate…think “M” chose the wrong target(writer of article) and place (individual article)…Also
      wrong to assume what people’s intentions are. He is NOT wrong though about the overall situation and
      the effect that perception has at the structural level though…Is definitely something for our community leaders, editors, etc. to think about.

      Reply
      • 

        M

        August 11, 2014 at 11:27 PM

        For Wajid:
        “I used Gaza as an example because that is the most prominent issue in the mind of the people who were likely to breading [sic] this article at the moment.”

        And why is that? That’s my point exactly. Out of all the suffering and atrocities in the world, including the arguably greater suffering by some people, this is the most prominent issue in the minds of people reading this blog. I wonder if there is also a racial tinge to that?

        ZAI gets it. And I acknowledge, perhaps I should not attack individual authors, but I do want you Wajid, and other authors and most importantly the editors to ask themselves, are some lives inherently more worthy than others?

        Also, M is a she. Not sure why you think I’m a man.

        Reply
      • 

        Aly Balagamwala

        August 12, 2014 at 2:49 AM

        Dear M and Zai

        There should definitely be articles on these issues. Since most of our writers are volunteers, we do not hand out assignments of topics. Thus, they write on topics that they choose. We are looking to expand our author base and we also take guest submissions. Maybe you an help us crowdsource on these topics. http://muslimmatters.org/submissions/ is the URL for submissions.

        Best Regards
        Aly

        Reply
      • 

        Hyde

        August 12, 2014 at 11:40 AM

        Hear! Hear! There is very little or none criticism at all when it comes to Pakistan since most of the writers are Pakistani on this website (how can one call oneself a Pakistani when they live in the West ? For the last time Pakistani is a nationality, not a race, not an ethnicity). Saudi Rabbi, that holier than thou hypocrisy and future atheist country also gets a free pass.

        Reply
12. 

    Shujau

    August 12, 2014 at 5:28 AM

    Death is not a penalty. Its a path to our creator. We should not be worried about death, We should worry about what happens after death.

    Reply
    • 

      Bilkis

      August 15, 2014 at 5:29 AM

      I am worried about death as well as after death. At least, when death come to us, it should find us somewhere, preferably, with our family members beside us. Dying of women and children from Israel bombing with bodies beyond recognition, is certainly something to worry about.

      Reply
13. 

    Amouto

    August 13, 2014 at 3:56 PM

    Isis are not muslims.

    Reply

14. Pingback: WHY OUR PRAYERS FOR GAZA MAY NOT BE ANSWERED | PASS THE KNOWLEDGE (LIGHT & LIFE)

15. 

    Bilkis

    August 15, 2014 at 5:42 AM

    Yes, this is very sad and depressing; and I feel hopeless and deflated. I have prayed and prayed and given donations just like the millions of others, but the problem is rather getting worse. Sometimes I say it will never end, it just the part of the events that marks the end of the world.

    Reply

16. Pingback: Why Our Prayers for Gaza May Not Be Answered | Forum for Peaceful Coexistence, Sri Lanka

17. 

    David Khan

    December 12, 2014 at 8:22 PM

    This is ridiculous. I dont think your “Allah” is so spiteful that he takes whatever sins or mistakes one has created and boasts it as the misery for someone else. I thought Allah was meant to shower unconditional love… what is this hypocrisy

    Reply

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19. 

    Ahmad Shumayal

    June 30, 2016 at 4:33 PM

    Is the Masjid Aqsa currently we know it as being in Jerusalem, the one mentioned in the Quran where Allah even says its blessed? Then why isn’t it as protected and secure as the Masjid Haram and Madina. There has been no non muslims army or conqueror here, not even the mighty British and other europeans who could colonize everything else. Clearly Allah is safeguarding only the Kaaba.

    Reply
20. 

    Altaf Hussain

    June 4, 2022 at 11:07 AM

    Im Indian Muslim ☪️

    Reply