Al Aqsa will always be in our Heart
Al Aqsa will always be in our Heart.
The blessed Masjid al-Aqsa has been referred to in the Quran and hadith, as the land on which Allah placed special blessings upon. In our search for knowledge and our desire to follow in the footsteps of the righteous and rightly guided, the importance of the land of Palestine and the sanctuary of the al-Aqsa cannot be stressed enough.
Masjid Al-Aqsa is no ordinary Masjid; it forms the basis of our history and it is the cornerstone of Mankind’s foundation. The Messenger ﷺ dedicated a great deal of his life in nurturing the Companions to appreciate the excellent qualities of Masjid Al-Aqsa and prepared them to embark on an expedition to liberate Jerusalem which at the time was in the hands of the mighty Roman empire.
Some of the reasons why Masjid Al-Aqsa should form an important aspect of a believer’s dedication, where many pious individuals have given their wealth and lives, include the fact that Masjid Al-Aqsa is:
1.The first Qiblah of the Muslims
2.The station of Al-Isra and Al-Miraj (the miraculous journey of The Messenger ﷺ)
3.The second house of Allah built on Earth.
4.The place where hundreds of Messengers of Allah are buried.
5.The place where many companions are buried.
6.A place where miracles were shown by Allah’s will.
7.A place which Allah Himself calls a ‘blessed place’.
8.Referred to directly and indirectly, 70 times in the Holy Quran.
9.The place where Angels have descended with Allah’s messages.
10.The only place on Earth where all the Messengers of Allah prayed at the same time led by The Messenger ﷺ.
11.The only Masjid mentioned by name in the Holy Quran, apart from the Ka’bah.
12. A place of all excellence and glory for all three major Religion and was protected by our great Muslim Leaders for them all. It is for the above-mentioned reasons and many more that we need to understand our responsibilities regarding safeguarding Masjid Al-Aqsa which is in great danger of being demolished by extremist Zionists.
Masjid Al Aqsa is being ignored by Muslim Ummah.
Despite these significances and excellences, the most neglected place in our time is Masjid Al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem. The Ummah for various reasons, from political compromise to appeasement, has ignored not only the virtues but also the plight of this Holy site.
Neglecting Masjid al-Aqsa on the basis that there is very little we can do to help is contrary to the spirit of the advice given to this Ummah by The Messenger ﷺ. He urged us to visit Masjid al-Aqsa to pray there and that if this were not possible, we should send oil to be used in its lamps and that whoever did so would get the same reward as if they prayed there.[1]
Masjid Al Aqsa is calling us……
Shedding tears all day might not be able to explain the sorrow and sadness the Muslims should have over today’s situation which we are witnessing right now in Gaza. Extremist Zionists are killing and bombing our innocent Muslim Brothers including children and women. They want to destroy Masjid Al-Aqsa and build their temple. I do not know what it will take for the Muslim Ummah to wake up, especially the Arab leaders who have openly surrendered before America and Israel and licked their boots clean; meanwhile, they have been killing innocent Muslims in Yemen Syria and different part of Muslim Arab world.
At times like this, when we feel helpless, I remember the Hadīth of our beloved Prophet ﷺ: “Soon nations will call each other to attack you just as a group of diners call each other towards their meal.” Somebody asked, “Because we will be few in number at the time?” The Messenger ﷺ replied, “No, you will be numerous, but you will be like the foam [and rubbish] that is carried by a torrent [fast stream of water]. And Allāh will extract from the hearts of your enemies [their] awe of you and place weakness into your hearts.” The person asked, “What will this weakness be?” He replied, “Love of the world and dislike of death”.
We have instilled the love of this Duniya in our Hearts, we are so afraid to speak truth, and stand up all together against oppression, injustice and genocide of our Muslim Brothers across the world. I really do not understand why we are ignoring our brothers and letting them be killed and bombarded by Zionists. What is stopping us from standing up to show our all support and solidarity for our Palestinian brothers? Are we Afraid of Kuffar? Do we fear Death? Let me ask you is there a better Death a more honourable Death than dying while fighting for the sake of Allah?
I think our Muslim leaders need to wake up now and take strong action against any kind of oppression and genocide. I have not seen yet any strong action being taken by Muslim leaders to protect Muslim Ummah. They should fear Allah more anything and use their positions to protect Muslim Ummah rather than posting on Facebook and Twitter, they need to come out of the world of this hypocrisy. Shame on those leaders who do nothing for the Ummah of the Messenger ﷺ despite being in the position.
The believers are like one body.
A believer is pained by what is happening in Masjidul Aqsa, Palestine. Disloyalty to the first qibla has its severe consequences.
Oh, leaders of the world, activists, community leaders, community champions, and the speakers of this world. Raise awareness. You can speak for everything else, speak for this.
Do your bit. The minimum being duaa (prayers).
Protest with dignity. Don’t allow your emotions to destroy deen.
Protesting and standing up against any kind of injustice is our right, but NOT at the cost of missing the 5 daily prayers and becoming a means of harm for others. Islam does not really appreciate that we should become an obstruction to society. We must stand up against these Extremist Zionist who are killing innocent Muslims including women and children in Palestine, but this protest should be done in peaceful way. Because Sometimes we become destructive to our community rather than being constructive.
What can I do to help the Palestinians?
Must Do!
• Contact the local MP and Politicians.
• Boycott all Israeli products.
• Attend local peaceful events and protests.
Must Not Do!
• Missing Prayers
• Eating Haram
• Drinking Haram
• Looking at Haram
• Swearing
• Lying
• Backbiting
• Oppressing those around us
• Dealing in interest
• Unveiling
• All Haram Activities
We know what our sins & faults are. We need to stop & seek forgiveness from Allah!
Let’s pray on time, let’s revive Deen within our households, let’s increase our love and connection with the Beloved ﷺ and his ﷺ beloveds.
This is one of the best ways to help our fellow brothers and sisters who are being oppressed.
Written By: Imam Azmat Najmi
Imam of Jamia Mosque Newport