Prelude
We have seen in the past 8 weeks via news channels and social media how 20 000 Palestinians have been killed, and 1.7 million of them have been displaced and lost nearly everything that they had.
We saw heart-wrenching images: a 9-year-old brother reading syahada to his dying 5-year-old brother; the targeted killing of journalists together with their family members; mothers giving last hugs and kisses to their young children before they are buried; small babies being the last one alive out of their entire family.
However, we also saw the strength of the people of Palestine and the firmness of their faith in Allah ﷺ. They remained steadfast and resilient in the face of such calamitous losses and destruction.
They stay behind to help one another, share what little they have with each other, and even look after those who have lost family as if they were their own.
Recall the resilience of the grandfather in parting with his beloved granddaughter, Reem – the soul of his soul; consider the happy smiles and goodbyes of the hostages released from Gaza, and reflect upon the overwhelming support for Palestine from the rest of the world.
All these create mixed feelings and emotions in us: sadness, anger, frustration, disappointments, and even confusion. It is therefore helpful that we spare some time to reflect and give some thoughts on what we can learn from the whole situation.
8 Lessons We Can Learn From The Tragedy In Gaza
1. Educate Ourselves
Any situation in which there is oppression and violence comes with its own history and is seldom simple or straight-forward. We must not be satisfied with simple explanations to such complex issues and must be intellectually courageous to go below the surface We must also learn to be more savvy to differentiate the truth from falsehood and false narratives in whatever news is being shared as we educate ourselves and our families to know and understand, and to share and educate.
2. Sustain the Faith that has been Awakened
The people of Gaza have awakened our Iman (faith), and shocked us away from the tedium of our daily routines. The Palestinians have truly shown us that it is possible to cultivate an Iman that is so strong and unshaken, masyaAllah, despite 75 years of oppression. They have brought to life what we have read about all these years: Sumayyah, Ammar, Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt and their torture at the hands of the Quraysh, and also the people of the ditch in Al-Qur’an Surah Al-Burooj. Let’s continue to sustain and nourish our revived Iman constantly through salah, reading and reflecting on the Quran and constant daily Dhikr.
3. Level Up Ourselves to be Advocates for Justice, Compassion and Mercy
The journalists in Gaza, such as Mo’taz Azaiza, the social media advocates and influencers, and the thousands of people who have been protesting in major cities around the world, have inspired us to believe that it is possible to do something even as normal people. We need to level up our confidence, communication skills and proficiency, steadfastness, intellectual knowledge, and awareness. Our fight is a mental, spiritual, intellectual, and social challenge!
4. Social Media Provides an Additional Way for us to Help
While there is little that we can do from many thousand kilometres away, social media enables us to ensure that the images and videos of suffering and death coming out of the people of Gaza are amplified through algorithms*. This real-time, first-person perspective is an important alternative to the narrative in traditional media. We can affect and influence what users watch and see by liking, sharing, commenting, or even saving posts that we would want to promote, thus spreading and educating others about the truth.
“An algorithm is a mathematical set of rules specifying how a group of data behaves. In social media, algorithms help maintain order and assist in ranking search results and advertisements. On Facebook, for example, there is an algorithm that directs pages and content to display in a certain order.”
5. Live with Less
The people of Gaza have nothing much left. Many have no homes, few personal belongings, and no land. But they have Allah ﷺ. In the same way, we should not let worldly desires overwhelm us, because when we love the world too much, we will fear death. We learn from the Palestinians how they do not fear death and are convinced that death is just bringing them closer to Allah ﷺ and that they will be rewarded for their struggles in life.
6. Thank Allah ﷺ for the overwhelming support of the rest of the world for the people of Palestine
As the situation in Gaza unfolds in front of the world, many people from different parts of the world, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, have come to learn about the history of the occupation of Palestine. Interestingly, we have seen many marches and protests held globally in solidarity with Palestine. This phenomenon is something that we should all be grateful for, as a sign that people are still sensitive to injustice and oppression, wherever it may be.
7. Trust Allah ﷺ, the best Planner
We do not know what is going to happen next. When will the war in Gaza end? When will the help of Allah ﷺ come? We must remind ourselves to be patient and place our reliance on Him alone. Be optimistic that the hikmah (wisdom) will always outweigh all the negatives.
8. Don’t lose sight of our purpose
It is important for us to not be paralysed and lose sight of our purpose that should transcend all situations, the living and the dead – that we are sent down as as khalifah fil ardh – enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and to help shape a just, compassionate and God-conscious society.
Final Note:
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًۭا مُّبِينًۭا
“Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory.” (Surah Al-Fath 48:1)
Allah ﷺ has promised this in the Qur’an! And His promise is true. So do not give up, do not grieve, and put our trust only in Allah ﷺ.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the articles on The Ocean’s Ink are the authors’ own, written in their personal capacity. They may not reflect the view of The Ocean’s Ink or IMSGP as an organisation