17000 Little Bodies

News:

Israel’s leaders are jubilant about the progress of the offensive against Hezbollah that started with the detonation of weaponised pagers and radios and moved on to intense and deadly airstrikes. Defence Minister for ‘Israel’ Yoav Gallant said: “Today was a masterpiece... This was the worst week Hezbollah has had since its establishment, and the results speak for themselves.” (BBC)

Comment:

Detonation of weaponised gadgets, followed by “extensive strikes”, resulted in more than 500 people being killed in Lebanon since Monday, 23rd September. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, women, children and medics were among those killed and wounded. Hezbollah is a resistance group that rose to prominence in the 1980s in opposition to ‘Israel’, whose forces had occupied southern Lebanon during the country's 1975-1990 civil war. Previously we have seen headlines flashing and fiery talk shows about the evil powers of Hamas in Palestine and if we take a small trip down the memory lane, we will see the similar opinions about Taliban from Afghanistan.

Hezbollah, like these other groups, is a reactionary group and all of these groups were formed much after the creation of Nation States, basically in response to the prevailing injustices. So the foundation is nationalism but the stigma of the Islamic faith, and Muslim names, reflected as a burning light, which created fear of extinction in the enemies of Islam as it appeared to radiate like a fire that will burn and erase the disbelief, and for the Muslims it appeared to be the light that will show them the path of their ultimate destination: attainment of an Islamic State.

As Muslims, Seerah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) is our way of life. His Seerah teaches us to become a shield for Muslim children and women. We must take our lessons and learn about the objectives, reasons, strategies and tactics of his battles. In the last 10 months, 17000 little children have been killed. This is an estimated count based on the reported killings, besides missing under the rubble.

[الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ الطَّاغُوتِ فَقَاتِلُواْ أَوْلِيَاء الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا]

“Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghut. So fight against the allies of Satan. Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak.” [An-Nisa: 76]

Just before its destruction, when the Khilafah (Caliphate) was at its weakest, Muslims around the world started different movements to save the Khilafah from falling. The motive of these movements was to save the shield of this Ummah from being destroyed. Imam Shameer from Chechnya, Muhammad ibn Ali al Senussi, Omar Mukhtar from Libya, Syed Ahmad Shaheed Brelvi are a few examples of scholars who turned into freedom fighters, recognising the fact that the Muslims need examples of bravery and resilience from the ones they trusted. To this date colonisers cannot taint the names of these and such others, because they stood on a common platform fighting for saving the Caliphate. After the division and distribution of Muslim lands, they were served the forbidden fruit, named nationalism and thus came further fragmentation. Anyone who stood for something, could not claim the whole. Millions of Muslims have lost their lives after the abolishment of the Khilafah, countries were granted and then destroyed by the indifferent colonial powers. Revolutionary ideas were borrowed and mixed with Islamic faith. Resistance groups rose and fought tooth and nail, others took notes, made news and thought that it would not reach them. They tried and are still trying to be friends with the enemy, forgetting that the faith is the wall that stands between the enemy and them.

[وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاء فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىَ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ]

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you. When you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favour, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” [Aali- Imran: 103].

Muslims of this time need to raise their voices and call out the soldiers who are sons of Muslim mothers. If the Sufi scholars can get on the horse back and fight as it is the need of the time, then what is wrong with the uniformed and trained young sons of this Ummah. The man, who stands for Allah, will find his feet firm in the ground. The man who recognises the purpose of his life will find a way to act. You are the man, you are the son, you are the slave of Allah, towards whom the eyes of the Ummah are. Take your stand, stay firm, call for the Khilafah on the method of the Prophethood. Demand from the Muslim armies to fight the enemies and help the wailing mothers.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Ikhlaq Jehan