The 60th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestine is a grim reminder of the Ummah’s current state of affairs. Although the Ummah is experiencing trials, we must not give into despair and lose hope. We must not capitulate to the demands of the occupiers, but rather continue to remain steadfast. We must exert our utmost effort to resume the Islamic way of life through the re-establishment of Khilafah and rely on Allah (swt) to grant victory to this Ummah.
The month of May marked the 60th anniversary of the Israeli seizure of Palestine. As it would be expected, the Capitalist nations celebrated this occasion. However, for the Ummah it was a grim reminder of how long the people of Palestine have suffered the brutality of this occupation.
The land of Israa and Miraaj is a place that is close to the hearts of the believers. Furthermore, the brutal treatment of the people of Palestine is something that Muslims around the world must concern themselves with, based on the following hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saw):
“The example of the Believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy is like one body. If one limb is afflicted the whole body responds to it with restlessness and fever.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
The occupation in Palestine is a persistent reminder that the shield to protect the Ummah is absent. It is narrated that Rasulullah (saw) said:
“Indeed, the Imam is a shield, behind whom the Muslims fight and protect themselves.” [Muslim]
The Islamic solution for Palestine is the Islamic State, which will replace the oppression of tyranny with the justice of Islam. It will liberate the occupied land and throw off the shackles of colonialism. The Khilafah will establish a system in the Muslim world, which will allow Jews, Christians, Muslims, and others to live together in harmony.
Furthermore, we should realize that the land of Palestine, like any other land ruled by Islam, is the land of all Muslims and it has to stay under rule of Allah (swt) until the day of judgement. This is the hukum from Allah and no one can change this hukum. Consequently, it is a grievous sin for anyone in the Ummah to give away this land – especially since it is the land of Israa and Miraaj.
Continued Occupation: A Time to Despair?
The situation in Palestine is one of many sources of anguish that the Ummah is facing. The Khilafah has been absent for over 80 years; the disbelievers are emboldened enough to attack Rasulullah (saw) and the Quran; and Iraq is now into its 5th year of occupation.
Although the situation of the world may seem bleak, we should never despair. We must never give up hope in Allah (swt) as it is haram to despair. Allah (swt) explicitly warns the believers to guard against feelings of impatience, anger, and grief in the following two ayat:
”Messengers before you were rejected, so they showed patience and constancy towards their rejection and their persecution until our help reached them. And there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah.” [TMQ 6:34]
”So wait with patience for the command of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the whale, when he cried out in agony ” [TMQ 68:48].
Despite the fact that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is the best of all creation, he (saw) did not become victorious over the Quraish until the 8th year after Hijra- only two years before his death (saw).
During the period in Makkah, the sahabah experienced severe oppression. For example, the Quraish would torture Khabbab bin Al-Aratt (ra) by pulling his hair and twisting his neck, while making him lie on burning coal with a big rock on his chest. In this context, Khabbab (ra) narrated:
“We complained to Allah’s Apostle (of the persecution inflicted on us by the infidels) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka’ba, leaning over his Burd (i.e. covering sheet). We said to him, “Would you seek help for us? Would you pray to Allah for us?” He said, “Among the nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces; yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion. By Allah, this religion (i.e. Islam) will prevail till a traveler from Sana (in Yemen) to Hadrarmaut will fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you (people) are hasty.” [Bukhari]
Despite the hardship faced by the sahabah and Rasulullah (saw) faced, they needed to remain steadfast and patient. Consequently, we must ensure our actions are in-line with this idea. We must not surrender an inch of occupied land to the aggressors. We must work to re-establish the Khilafah.
When will the Victory of Allah come?
In such trying circumstances, we may ask the question; ”When will the Victory (Nasr) of Allah come?”
Firstly, we have no knowledge of when we will be blessed with the victory of Allah (swt). This is because Allah (swt) has not given a specific timeframe for victory. So when the glorious Qur’an states:
”If you support Allah, Allah will support you.” [TMQ 47:7]
We must understand that this is simply a condition. Although Allah (swt) has promised victory to those who support Him (swt), He (swt) did not specify the time or nature of that victory. For example, Nuh (as) gave da’wah to his people for 950 years, and they rejected him. No one can say that Nuh (as) neglected the conditions for victory. Nuh (as) only asked for the destruction of his people when Allah (swt) revealed that no one else would accept the Deen of Allah (swt).
Victory is not something we can achieve by our hands alone. Rather, victory lies in the hands of the One who is the provider of success – Allah (swt), who revealed:
“And indeed we did send messengers before you, Oh Muhammad (saw) to their own peoples. They came to them with clear proofs, then, We took vengeance on those who commit crimes and (as for) the believers it was incumbent upon Us to help (them).” [TMQ 30:47]
”Allah has decreed: ‘Verily! It is I and My Messengers who shall be victorious’. Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.” [TMQ 58:21]
Ibn Kathir, with regards to this ayah, understood it to mean that Allah (swt) has ruled that the Nasr (victory) is for Him, His book, His Messengers and to His slaves (the believers).
We must also understand that before victory is achieved, there might be periods of immense hardship. It is a test of steadfastness for those in pursuit of Haq to aquire Sabr and to become strong in the Deen. Allah (swt) revealed:
”(They were reprieved) Until, when the messengers gave up hope (in their people), and thought that they were treated as liars, then came to them Our help.” [TMQ 12:110]
”Or do you think that you shall enter the gardens of Bliss (al-Jannah) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity and they were shaken, that even the messenger and those who believed with him cried, When will come the help of Allah! And verily, the help of Allah is near!” [TMQ 2:214]
Steadfastness
During the era of the Crusades, Palestine was occupied for a much longer period than the current Israeli occupation. In addition, the Muslims lands were divided. Egypt at the time was under the rule of the Fatimid’s who had declared independence from the Abbasid Khilafah. It was this disunity that allowed the Christian crusaders to enter the Muslim lands and occupy Al-Quds and Al-Shaam (Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and parts of Iraq).
Salahuddin Ayyubi (rh) could have given into despair and simply accepted that the crusaders were going to continue their occupation. Instead, he acted on the Sunnah of Rasulullah (saw) and remained confident that the victory would be from Allah (swt). He worked to reunite the territories under the Fatimids with the Khilafah and unite the armies. After that, he was able – by Allah’s leave – to liberate the land of Israa and Miraaj and re-implement the rule of Allah (swt) over it
We should also take lessons from the stance that the Khaleefah Abdul Hameed (rh) took in 1901 when he dealt with Theodor Herzl (founder of the Zionist movement) who tried to visit him in Istanbul. Firstly, Abdul Hameed refused to meet him. Then he told his Head of the Ministers Council:
“Advise Dr. Herzl not to take any further steps in his project. I can not give away a handful of the soil of this land for it is not my own, it is for all the Islamic Nation. The Islamic Nation that fought Jihad for the sake of this land and they have watered it with their blood. The Jews may keep their money and millions. If the Islamic Khilafah State is one day destroyed then they will be able to take Palestine without a price! But while I am alive, I would rather push a sword into my body than see the land of Palestine cut and given away from the Islamic State. This is something that will not be, I will not start cutting our bodies while we are alive.”
If we look at the state of the Khilafah during the rule of Abdul Hameed, we realize that he must have understood that the situation was bleak – the Khilafah was losing territory to the Europeans, internally the Khilafah was in a state of disarray, and agents had successfully infiltrated the Khilafah’s institutions. Despite the reality being bleak, the Khaleefah held fast to the hukm of Allah (swt) and did not give in.
The Return of the Khilafah
In examining the reality around us, we see that we are dominated by rulers who care only for their Euro-American masters and the preservation of their own thrones. However, this reality was prophesized by Prophet Muhammad (saw) in the famous hadith narrated by Ahmed where:
“…there will be dictatorships that will last as long as Allah is willing.”
However, the same hadith foretells that (after this tyrannical era): ‘…then there will be a Khilafah on the way of the Prophethood.’ [Ahmed]. Allah (swt) also has promised victory to the Ummah:
“Allah has promised such of you who believe and do good deeds that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those before them to succeed (others); and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and will give in exchange safety after their fear.” [TMQ 24:55]
Allah (swt) never fails in His promise. However, this does not give us the excuse to sit back and wait for the Khilafah. Instead we must follow the Prophet Muhammad (saw) method in establishing the Khilafah.
May Allah (swt) make us steadfast and patient. May Allah (swt) grant us victory in this life and in the next.
“So do not become weak, nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.” [TMQ 3:139]
Members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, Canada