By all means, act upon the suggestions of signing petitions, lobbying your politicians, boycotts, divestments, and attending meetings and conferences. However, you have your own ideas too. Whilst there is always scope for “tell me what I can do for al-Aqsa”, feel empowered to say, “Let me tell you what we can do for al-Aqsa.” Claim the cause as your own. Consider the following:
• We lack literature for children regarding the issue of al-Aqsa and its plight. What can we do about that?
• Few of our scholars are addressing the Judeo-Christian myths surrounding al-Aqsa. How can these myths be addressed innovatively?
• Political interaction for al-Aqsa is increasing, but what about our local councils, many of whom have contracts with ‘Israeli’ businesses or support ‘Israeli’ settlements? How can this be addressed?
• Thousands of NGOs exist in support of settler groups. What ways can our existing NGOs, like Friends of Al-Aqsa, etc, be further empowered, and even replicated?
• Unlike Zionist charity work, most of our charity work for Al-Aqsa is reactive. What ways can we make it proactive?
• What can wealthy businessmen do by way of awqaf for the cause of Al-Aqsa?
• Social media platforms like Instagram are deleting accounts and censoring stories relating to Al-Aqsa’s plight. What alternative strategies can we devise to raise awareness and concern? Think out of the box, voice your opinions, and take the lead on the cause.
(C) Promote optimism: In the last couple of days—and against all the odds—we have witnessed an astonishing series of retreats by the Zionists.
• Last two weeks was scheduled to have the Israeli High Court rule in favour of evicting the families of Sheikh Jarrah. Fearing a further escalation, however, Israel has bowed to pressure and has delayed the forced eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem.
• Zionist extremists were congregating to storm the al-Aqsa compound in their racist display of a “unified Jerusalem.” The defiance of hundreds of Palestinians sent the nationalists home.
• The subsequent aggressive raids, along with the siege of Al-Aqsa Mosque, was for the purpose of forcefully dispersing the Muslims and re-facilitating the Jewish march. However, despite being under fire and attacked with tear gas and stun grenades, the Jerusalemites persisted in their i‘tikaf, resulting in a full cancellation of the march.
• In recent years, the ‘Israeli’ authorities had installed metal detectors at the entrance to the Mount. The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf called on Muslims to pray outside the Temple Mount and not enter the Mosque complex until the metal detectors were removed. They were subsequently removed.
Undoubtedly, the battle is by no means over, and ‘Israel’ will continue its plotting for a full Aqsa and Jerusalem takeover. But take a moment to recognise the huge achievements to date, despite the sheer aggression of the occupier, the enormous disparity in means, and the collaboration of neighbouring and non-neighbouring Arab states. This bears proof that the smallest of endeavours can reap tremendous results, and proof that the Will of Allah is above every will, and that He alone is the controller of affairs. Allah the Most High says:
“Whenever they kindle the fire of war, Allah puts it out.” [Qur’an, 5:64]
Furthermore, a full-fledged uprising has ignited all across historic Palestine; Jenin, Nazareth, Gaza, Liddah, etc. Prayers for Al-Aqsa’s salvation are bellowing across the skies of Turkey, as the Turkish street demands greater intervention. Political and civil movements are taking place in Kuwait, Jordan, Sudan, Iran, Egypt, Mauritania, Lebanon, Yemen, Algeria, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and even on the streets of New York, Washington, Norway, and other places, according to Aljazeera report. Meanwhile in the UK, at least 45,000 emails have been sent to MPs as a result of a British NGO to save Sheikh Jarrah. The unifying effects of al-Aqsa’s wounds upon our fractured Ummah cannot be ignored or quantified. Allah Almighty says:
“And Allah has full control over His affairs, but most people do not know.” [Qur’an, 12:21]
(D) Plead from Allah, Al-Qawiyy Al-‘Aziz (The Most Powerful, The Most Mighty): Someone may say, other than Du‘a (Supplication), what can I do for al-Aqsa? Whilst I do not doubt the sincere frustration of the utterer of such a statement, it does illustrate a frustration that may have obscured certain realities, one of which is the following: whilst Du‘a without action is futile, all actions without Du‘a are similarly just as futile. We are witness to the many times that the geography of lands was shifted, the permission of angelic descent granted, and history rewritten via the supplication of a single man or woman.
When the Muslim military general Qutaibah Bin Muslim looked into the enemy lines of the Turks and found himself in awe of their numbers and weaponry, he enquired about the famous worshipper Muhammad Bin Wasi.‘ He was told that he was on the right flank of the Muslim army carrying his bow, whilst pointing his finger into the heavens in Du‘a. Qutaibah said:
“That finger of his (the hands he raised up for Du’a) is dearer to me than one hundred thousand unsheathed swords and strong youths.” [See Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala]
The deafening silence that follows from your heartfelt Du‘a does not mean that it was not heard by the heavens. Rather, end your Du‘a with unwavering conviction that your Du‘a is on its way to its destination. It will become a key player on the al-Aqsa scene in the form of steadfastness in the hearts of the Jerusalemites, or weather conditions that favours them, or fear that is cast into the hearts of their enemies, or angelic descent, or circumstances that only Allah knows of. Dedicate five minutes for this on a nightly basis.
(E) Beware of haste: It is vital to note that the efforts you exert today may only come to fruition many years after your death. You are not more jealous for the Ummah’s causes than Allah is, so do not despair if you do not see your efforts taking off during your lifetime. Your duty is to merely sow the seed with dedication, then it is up to Allah to decide how and when to give life to matters.
Ali Bin Tahir al-Sulami was a jurist of the Shafi‘i school of thought, teaching in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. He authored a book called Kitabul Jihad (The Book of Jihad). This book details the rulings of jihad, explains the Qur’anic verses that address it, and the duties of different categories of people. The book frequently cites al-Ghazali. It was the first scholarly response to the Crusades, which had, by that time, conquered Jerusalem.
The initial public readings of this book were in the year 1105, six years after Jerusalem had been conquered by the Crusaders. One would assume that these readings would be popular due to the urgency of the matter, yet they were poorly attended, and the book was largely forgotten. A year after this, Ali Bin Tahir passed away. He did not live to see much.
Fast forward 81 years to the blessed land of Sham. The night sky should be filled with tension, yet there is a surprising calm, and excitement fills the air. This time, thousands of Muslims have gathered in a hushed huddle to hear a reading of the book. The pin-drop silence is only broken by the weeping sounds of the sincere, or the bellows of the Takbir. Led by Salahuddin Al-Ayubi and his teacher Nuruddin Zangi, a once disparate Muslim community of various ethnicities and languages became united by Islam and inspired into action by the book of Ali Bin Tahir. It was read in the lead to the decisive battle of Hittin, the battle in which Jerusalem was liberated by Salahuddin. One can imagine the reaction of Ali Bin Tahir when, on the Day of Judgment, he is informed, Allah willing, that his book played a key role in the recapturing of Jerusalem.
Dear Servants of Allah, in summary of the above, if we cannot do the small things we are asked to do, we are deluding ourselves if we feel that when the time comes, we will be able to sacrifice more.
And man may behave complacently towards an illness so long as it is clear of his heart. For example, take a smoker: the staining of his fingers may not frighten him, nor the damaging of his gums. In fact, even when some start coughing—a clear sign of respiratory damage—they may still continue smoking. It is only when news is broken to them that their heart is now under threat that a reaction is sparked, spurring them into immediate action.
My great people, wallahi, Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque are the heart of this Ummah and a barometer of its health. From Allah’s endless mercy upon us, He has decreed that our Ummah’s illness is at the centre of its heart, creating an unparalleled sense of urgency and fast-tracking our awakening that could not have been achieved otherwise.
Respected servants of Allah, Al-Aqsa is the name of the silver-domed Mosque inside a 35-acre compound referred to as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, by Muslims, and as the Temple Mount by Jews. The compound lies in the Old City of Jerusalem, which has been designated a World Heritage site by the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, and is important to the three Abrahamic religions.
The site has been the most contested piece of territory in the Holy Land since Israel occupied East Jerusalem, including the Old City, in 1967, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, the conflict dates even further back, to before the creation of Israel.
In 1947, the UN drew up a partition plan to separate historical Palestine, then under British control, into two states: one for Jews, mainly from Europe, and one for Palestinians. The Jewish state was given 55 percent of the land, and the remaining 45 percent was for a Palestinian state.
Jerusalem, which houses the al-Aqsa compound, belonged to the international community under the administration of the UN. It was granted this special status for its importance to the three Abrahamic religions.
The first Arab-Israeli war broke out in 1948 after Israel declared statehood, capturing some 78 percent of the land, with the remaining areas of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza coming under Egyptian and Jordanian control.
Israel’s increasing encroachment on the land intensified in 1967, after the second Arab-Israeli war, which resulted in the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, and eventually the illegal Israeli annexation of Jerusalem, including the Old City and al-Aqsa.
The illegal Israeli control of East Jerusalem, including the Old City, violates several principles of international law, which outlines that an occupying power does not have sovereignty in the territory it occupies.
Over the years, the Israeli government has taken further steps towards controlling and Judaising the Old City and East Jerusalem as a whole. In 1980, Israel passed a law that declared Jerusalem the “complete and united” capital of Israel, in violation of international law. Today, no country in the world recognises Israel’s ownership of Jerusalem or its attempts to change the geography and demographic makeup of the city.
Palestinians in Jerusalem, who number around 400,000, hold only permanent residency status, not citizenship, despite being born there – in contrast with Jews who are born in the city. And, since 1967, Israel has embarked on a quiet deportation of the city’s Palestinians by imposing difficult conditions for them to maintain their residency status.
Israel has also built at least 12 fortified Jewish-only illegal settlements in East Jerusalem, housing some 200,000 Israelis, while rejecting Palestinian building permits and demolishing their homes as punishment for “building illegally.”
Dear brothers and sisters, Abu Hurairah reported that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and the stone or the tree would say: ‘O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; except for the tree Gharqad, for it is the tree of the Jews.’” [Muslim]
Know that, this Hadith mentions an incident to take place in the future related to a conflict between Muslims and Jews. But it does not apply to all Jews at all times. Its contents reflect a situation of conflict. Prophet Muhammad’s statement regarding the Jews addresses those Jews deserving of censure (enemies of the peace) at that certain time. It does not mean that he is censuring Jews simply because they are Jews.
Both Islam and Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) have consistently spoken up for justice, while condemning injustice — regardless of the person or people committing the act. As the Qur’an clarifies:
“O you who believe! Be strict in observing justice, and be witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or against parents and kindred. Whether he be rich or poor, Allah is more regardful of them both than you are.” [Qur’an, 4:136]
The Jews that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) critiques in this Hadith receive censure because they are worthy of censure, not because they are Jews.
And all praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria
