Safar al-Hawali: What Our Sisters Can Do for Palestine
Q: The situation of our patient, struggling Palestinian sister under the tyranny of those known for treachery and deception - may Allah fight them - makes us truly sad. In fact, it is an extreme disaster for us, as their honor has been violated, their families have been destroyed, and their daughters tortured and exposed. Despite this, they continue to carry upon their shoulders the responsibility of standing on this frontline of the frontlines of Islam against the Zionist enemy. In fact, they also carry the responsibility of raising a generation - rather, generations - of sons and daughters to continue the struggle. So, what is our obligation towards these oppressed women? How can we stand by them on this front and assist them in various ways while simultaneously admitting to our major shortcomings in this? And Allah is the source of help... A: The Muslim nation is one that is oppressed everywhere in the world, and the burden of this oppression that falls on its men falls even heavier on its women. In fact, the burden on women is generally greater, as she is prone to weakness by her nature from one direction, as well as from the pressures of family from another. So, she was not designed to withstand this subjugation, imprisonment, oppression, or long period of struggle as men are. Despite this, she is rewarded for her patience with Allah. And our obligation is without a doubt great. Every man is obligated to realize that he has brothers there, and every woman is obligated to realize that she has sisters there. We must come to feel the reality of the brotherhood of faith and that we are like a single body, such that if one limb complains, the rest of the body rushes to heal it. So, the believers are brothers, as Allah mentioned, and our enemy is one. The one who ate the white bull today is the same one who will eat the red bull tomorrow, and the black one the day after. In fact, he might eat them all tomorrow. So, it is not allowed for us to remain the way our enemies want us to be, and what they want is for every community to be busy only with its own problems and concerns, and to have every community busy with its desires or efforts to acquire more wealth. Our communities are of two types: one type that simply works to make more money, and another that is busy with its desires and wasting of time. Both are extremely dangerous, and distract us from paying attention to fulfilling our obligations towards our brotherhood of faith. Our sisters are afflicted with things that make one's body shiver in the blessed, patient, struggling land of Palestine, as well as Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, the Philippines, Eritrea, Somalia, Chechnya, Bosnia, and many other regions. In fact, this oppression even takes place in countries that claim to be free. So, in France - which some refer to as the place from which light emerges and shines over the rest of the world, and Paris is the Capitol of Light, etc. - its secularism, freedom, and human rights have become so constricted despite these empty slogans. They have become constricted around a piece of cloth with which the Muslim woman covers her hair, and this proves that this nation is truly being tested in order for Allah to purify its ranks and to elevate its status. Therefore, we are facing a test in which we must have practical solutions, and it is not enough to simply cry and grieve and be sad and pained. For example, my sisters, I advise every sister who has a job - even if both spouses work, or they have a sufficient income or job, as the obligation would be greater in such a case - to support a single Palestinian family, and to then turn to the other countries to find out how we can provide them with relief efforts, and how we can fulfill our obligation of sending them beneficial books, tapes, and efforts, as well as the hijab. There are many girls in the nearby Arab countries who would wear the hijab if only they could afford it... Every family in this country that Allah has blessed - and we praise Allah for these blessings - should take one family or child and support it. As I mentioned, my noble sister, our sisters over there have provided the greatest examples. There does not exist a mother in the world that possesses the characteristics of resistance, defiance, and patience as the Palestinian mother does, and the Iraqi mother is on the same road, thanks to Allah and His Guidance. They are demonstrating the most amazing defiance! This is a clear confirmation that the religion of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is dominating and victorious, and that Allah has control over His affair except that most people do not realize this, and that the good end will be for this nation by Allah's leave, as well as the defiance of these sisters. The sister who is forced to give birth on the side of the road, the sister who is killed, the sister who is sacrificed - despite this, they insist on continuing to raise male and female warriors, and to remain in their lands upon their religion and faith. These realities have become manifest, thanks to Allah. And the more we remain firm upon this faith, the more the enemy will weaken and be shaken, and this enemy, or the snake's head of this aggression, is manifested in this Zionist state. We ask Allah to destroy it and dismantle it, and to make us from those who assist in this by establishing a community of believers in this blessed land. As for those of them for whom Allah has written guidance by entering the justice of Islam or the Religion of Allah, we praise Allah that His Law and Justice encompasses them all.. I say that it is upon every one of is to exert our efforts in supporting at least one Muslim family or child, and as you know, a Muslim child can be supported with an amount of money that is not difficult for us to accumulate, thanks to Allah. It should only cost about $400 a year. I don't say that this fulfills our obligation. Rather, it increases a little from the sparse possessions they have. So, with this, we can provide them with a higher standard of living, as well as the ability to continue memorizing the Qur'an, as those who benefit first and foremost from this are the students who memorize the Qur'an. We ask Allah to benefit them all, as He is Able to do all things... http://www.alhawali.com/index.cfm?me...contentID=1449 This is a reliable, safe, and internationally renowned relief organization through which we can implement Shaykh Safar's advice to bring relief to the Palestinians: http://www.irw.org/campaigns/palestinecrisis08. Please reach into your wallet and give whatever you can, knowing full well that Allah will give you more than you can imagine for each penny that you give to your brothers and sisters! " Verily my happiness is my iman & Verily my iman is in my heart & Verily my heart doesn't belong to anyone but ALlah " Asma bint AbuBakr
