Kashmir: An Open-Air Prison for Muslims

Since India revoked Kashmir's autonomy, the Kashmiris have not had a quiet sleep anymore. The Population is filled with anger, but their hands are tied. They are imprisoned in their homes, unable to communicate with each other, express themselves on social media, or make their voices heard in any way. In their homes, they watch the Indian TV claim that Kashmir welcomes the government. They are with the rage at the erasure of their voices. The government has treated Kashmir’s people like slaves, taking decisions about their lives and their future while they are captive. It's like forcing down their throats while keeping them bound and gagged, with a gun to their heads.

Also the Friday prayers have not been allowed at any of the major mosques or shrines, including Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta and Dargah Sharif in Hazratbal, for more than a month now. Most of the shops and other business establishments remained closed, while public transport was off the roads across the valley. Chaos and crisis are exist in the hospitals. A lot of sick and injured people are waiting in the hallways. Patients scramble for medicines and the doctors are unable to work due to blackout and the hospitals running out of resources. Many patients at hospitals have run out of money to buy the critical medicines. It is also difficult to get the medicine from the outside, because all roads are blocked with checkpoints and not everyone is let out of his area. Almost all communication options to the outside are limited. If things continue this way, more people will die because of lack of medicine.In summary it can be said that this land has been transformed in an open-air prison for the Muslims!

And what are the Muslim leaders doing? Daily Times published on 14^th of September 2019 that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the three major world powers – the United States, China and Russia – should join hands to help resolve several international issues, including the longstanding Kashmir dispute. He said: “The worst in this Kashmir case is unimaginable that the two nuclear armed countries getting into conflict. The only way is that US President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping use their influence to settle the issue.”

This is really shameful that the corrupt rulers are begging the enemies of Islam to help them with the affairs of the Ummah. Why do Muslims have to ask for a solution where they are the best Ummah with the best message offering solutions to all the problems of humanity? Why did we forget so quickly that the mendacious Presidents of the US, Russia and China are not even worth a single hair of the Islamic leaders. Why do we constantly think that others could solve our conflicts? What have the unscrupulous Democrats done for Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen etc. that they should do that now for Kashmir?

Why don’t we trust in Allah (swt), the only One Who has the power to help us and change our situation, so truly Allah (swt) says in the Quran:

[وَعَدَ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡکُمۡ وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَیَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّہُمۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ کَمَا اسۡتَخۡلَفَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ ۪ وَ لَیُمَکِّنَنَّ لَہُمۡ دِیۡنَہُمُ الَّذِی ارۡتَضٰی لَہُمۡ وَ لَیُبَدِّلَنَّہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ خَوۡفِہِمۡ اَمۡنًا ؕ یَعۡبُدُوۡنَنِیۡ لَا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ بِیۡ شَیۡئًا ؕ وَ مَنۡ کَفَرَ بَعۡدَ ذٰلِکَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡفٰسِقُوۡنَ * وَاَقِیۡمُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّکٰوۃَ وَ اَطِیۡعُوا الرَّسُوۡلَ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تُرۡحَمُوۡنَ]

“Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger - that you may receive mercy.” [An-Noor 24:55, 56].

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This is a promise from Allah to His Messenger that He would cause his Ummah to become successors on earth, i.e., they would become the leaders and rulers of mankind, through whom He would reform the world and to whom people would submit, so that they would have in exchange a safe security after their fear. This is what Allah did indeed, may He be glorified and exalted, and to Him be praise and blessings. For He did not cause His Messenger to die until He had given him victory over Makkah, Khaybar, Bahrayn, all of the Arabian Peninsula and Yemen, and he took Jizyah from the Zoroastrians of Hajar and from some of the border lands of Syria; Then when the Messenger died, his successor (Khalifah) Abu Bakr As-Siddiq took over the reins of power and united the Ummah, preventing its disintegration. He took control of the entire Arabian Peninsula, and he sent the Islamic armies to the land of Persia, under the leadership of Khalid bin Al-Walid (ra). He sent another army under the leadership of Abu `Ubaydah (ra) and the other commanders who came after him in the lands of Syria. He sent a third army under the leadership of `Amr bin Al-`As (ra) to Egypt. Allah enabled the army sent to Syria to conquer Busra and Damascus and their provinces the land of Hawran and its environs. Then Abu Bakr died. The people of Islam were blessed that As-Siddiq was inspired to appoint `Umar Al-Faruq as his successor, so he took the reins of power after him and did a perfect job. After the Prophets, the world never saw anyone like `Umar in excellence of conduct and perfect justice. During his time, the rest of Syria and Egypt, and most of Persia were conquered. Kisra was defeated and utterly humiliated, and he retreated to the furthest point of his kingdom. Mighty Caesar was brought low; his rule over Syria was overthrown, and he retreated to Constantinople. Their wealth was spent for the sake of Allah, as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's perfect peace and purest blessing be upon him, had foretold and promised. During the rule of `Uthman, the Islamic domains spread to the furthest points of the earth, East and West. The lands of the West were conquered as far as Cyprus and Andalusia, Kairouan and Sebta which adjoins the Atlantic Ocean. Towards the East, the conquests extended as far as China. Kisra was killed, his kingdom was utterly destroyed and the cities of Iraq, Khurasan and Al-Ahwaz were conquered. Zakat was collected from the east and the west, and brought to the Commander of the faithful `Uthman bin `Affan (ra).This was a blessing brought by his recitation and study of the Qur'an, and his bringing the Ummah together to preserve and protect it.

Today, however, the Ummah is trapped in their own four walls and longs for a successor to the former leaders. A successor who does not beg help and protection from the enemies of Islam, the US, Russia and China, but trusts in Allah's (swt) words, shuts down the corrupt regents, exclaims the Khalifah and equips an army against the enemies of Islam!