Let Alone Baytul Muqadas

“In short, these two elders advised their people that they should not feel nervous about the apparent power of the Amalkites. If they would place their trust in Allah, just walk up to the gate of Baytul Muqadas, victory shall be theirs. As for the decisive statement of these elders that once they reach the city gate, they will overcome and the enemy will run away defeated, it could have been based on a close assessment of the Amalkites, that they were, no doubt, unusually huge in built and strength, but were also weak at heart as a result of which, once they hear about the surprise attack, they would be unable to stay there. And it is also possible that their total faith in the Divine decree which they had heard from Syedna Musa AS as a glad tiding was the basis on which they said so.

But the Bani Israel, who had not listened to their own prophet Syedna Musa AS would have hardly listened to these elders. They gave them the same response, even in a manner which was more uncouth and grotesque. They said ‘So go, you and your Lord, and fight. As for us, we are sitting right here (meaning, we cannot participate because we are not up to it).’” [1]

This is the story of Bani Israel when they were told to recapture the Holy Land of Syria after Allah Subhan’o wa Ta’ala had manifested His great power and bounty for them; split the sea for their escape, delivered them from the slavery of Fir’awn and made them masters of Egypt where they were once themselves slaves.

And here is the story of us. Allah Subhan’o wa Ta’ala delivered us from the slavery of the 19th century. He gave us a land within the same subcontinent, ranging from the seas to the mountains. He gave us agriculture till industry. He made us a nuclear power.

Yet, we allow our land to be bombarded. We imprison our own citizens for others. We even hand them over to them. We put the blame of it all on the past dictatorship. Well, that dictatorship is gone. Why does it continue?

In fact, it has gone worse now. We have allowed foreign agents to precipitate into our cities. Many of our citizens are now scared to step out of their homes into their own city. Many of us consider not taking our children to the park anymore. Many of us now call one another in concerned tones ‘There was a foreign car with black windows in our neighborhood. What is it up to? What to do?’ While there are others who surround them and holler at them. Hmmm…seems like there is still some spark alive in the Ummah. The Ummah should go ahead of Bani Israel and tackle this problem, seriously, at least by the Pen. Write to relevant institutes (Find addresses at www.mailandemail.blogspot.com), make a point that this situation is not acceptable, however much sugar-coated it may be told and urge them to cleanse Pakistan of this problem.

Then, is there any Musa out there to lead us out of the approaching slavery?

We, ourselves, have invited Amalkites into our own land. What could be a sorrier situation? We are unable to defend ourselves in our own homeland, let alone recapturing Baytul Muqadas.


[1] Excerpt of Tafseer of Surah Al-Maidah, Verse 20-26, taken from Ma’ariful Quran by Maulana Mufti Muhammed Shafi RHA

A Playground of Iraq

I take my children to the park everyday. The air is fresh, with the soft light of the winters playing on the little children’s happy cheeks as they swing, slide and see-saw. The dust is kicking up a haze as the bigger children play football. And the women are eagerly having a chat on the benches after a day’s work.

It comes to my mind the documentary of Michael Moore he made on Iraq. It begins filming a similar scene in Iraq, before it was invaded in 2003, with the following somewhat words running in the commentary, “This is the country that was posing a danger to the world…”

The blast of war follows. Missiles are demolishing buildings, turning homes into ruins and making people homeless and screaming “Allah’o Akbar, Allah’o Akbar…what are they doing to us?”

Now lately, an international magazine has also had a shift of mind. It stated that the most dangerous country in the world is not Iraq, but Pakistan…

What does it mean? Has the war become bored of Afghanistan and then Iraq? Is the war-of-terror coming home now? Well, why shouldn’t it? It was the prediction of one fore-sighted analyst when Afghanistan was invaded back in 2001 in the first place. But it was also the prediction of our Prophet SAW by the following Hadith,

Narrated Thawban,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The people will soon summon one another to attack you as people invite one another to share food”. Someone asked: “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?” He replied: “No, you will be numerous at that time, but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and last enervation into your hearts”. Someone asked: “What is Wahn (Enervation), Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him)?” He replied, “Love of the world and dislike of death”.
[Sunan Abu Dawood, No. 2015]

It is this fear of losing our worldly comforts that we are used to and avoiding death that we do not have the courage to stop the drone attacks that are simply and brutally killing our citizens in our very land not to mention the violation of our sovereignty.

The Chief-of-Air-Staff said so a few months back in an speech on TV,

“We have the power to shoot down the drones that are crossing our borders. However, is the nation ready to bear the consequences if we do so?”

Allah SWT knows better what the consequences would be. Perhaps, our courage will be rewarded by Allah SWT and we will remain safe as Iran stands safe today despite its refusal to foreign dictation, or we may be invaded like Iraq in reaction.

The answer to the Chief-of-Air-Staff is, ‘No sir, we are not ready if the consequence is the second option…’

However, we will have no choice, whether ready or not, when the drones reach our safe homes in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. For then, it will not be a trial inflicted by foreign invaders but Allah SWT’s punishment at the hands of foreign invaders for us being selfish and saving our skin while our nationals were droned and we said ‘What can we do? We are helpless…’, while in truth, we were not so helpless.

You can do something, see www.mailandemail.blogspot.com.