by Bint Ali
While Samira laments atop a mountain of her clothes that she has nothing to wear; Aminah in Liberia doesn't leave home when her bed sheet is hanging to dry, because she uses it as her hijab.
While Jamal curses his wife for using too much salt in the food againl; the last pile of dirt is placed on baby Karim, the latest victim of famine in Somalia.
While Hind yells at her young daughter for giggling too loudly while she's trying to watch the news; Tasneem and her daughter made the news, the victims of a drone in Pakistan.
While Asif lies to his friends about getting the number of the cute sister at Arabic class; Anisa in Uighur province lies to the police, afraid to be arrested for fasting in Ramadan.
While Hannah argues with her friends that the Iraq war was necessary; Fatima endures the bitter cold of the Iraqi winter, her home destroyed by invading forces.
While Amar promises his parents he will start praying when his exams are over; Maria prays in secret, afraid her Greek Orthodox parents will find out she is now Muslim.
While Jasmine backbites her strict, yet loving parents to her friends; Amir is given the news that his father and brother have been killed in Syria.
While Iman complains to her colleagues about the poor quality coffee served at her office; Barirah collects cans in the stifling humidity of Indonesia, so she can earn enough to buy clean water.
While Abdul-Majid has fun playing video games depicting war and terror for hours on end; Nasir begs Israeli soldiers to allow him to cross the border so he can take his injured baby to hospital.
While we indulge, complain, procrastinate and wallow in mediocrity; sin needlessly and ignore the blessings upon us; the Ummah is crying out - do you hear the call?
... Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, "The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever" (Bukhari and Muslim) ...
Caring - its a Muslim thing...
Make Dua - Give Sadaqah - Raise Awareness - Enjoin Good - Forbid Evil
Jan 23, 2012
POEM: Elsewhere in the Ummah
I'd love to hear your views on this article. Please tell me in the comments section below :)
8 comments:
I sincerely dont know what to say than in response to this we need to be more grateful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and make dua for ourselves to be grateful and patience and for others who are in distress. May Allah protect us from being a source of oppression and distress to others and may humbles ourselves before our lord and be grateful Allahumma ameen
A very poignant reminder, just what we needed.
Beautiful article!
I wish there were a picture slideshow to go with this story. Jzk katheeran sister!
Lost in our own little lives, we forget there is much more beyond our own selves....making the rest inconspicuous sadly. Being grateful comes with broadening our horizons and looking at the bigger picture. May Allah help us open our eyes to the world around us and be truly in awe of what he has blessed us with, however big or small it might be. Ameen
Thanks for the comments sisters. I had to write this after I heard complaint after complaint, about the sillest things. As dr_dija said, we are "lost in our own little lives", but that is not the way of the Ummah. Our Ummah is a caring one, as illustrated by Rasulullah sal Allahu Alayhi wa salaam in rhw beautiful hadith about the ummah being one body...
Assalamu alaykum wr wb :)
BarakAllah feekum and JazakAllahu khayran for your lovely contribution...tips a nail in the head, masha Allah.
Reminds me of a line from nasheed... '...the grass got burnt on the other side...'
I am your sister from India, a blessed one, alhamdulillah.
My heart and mind reiterate your reflections as well...
it feels like some of the members of our Ummah are discussing about the paint of their workplace on a higher floor, say the 5th floor of the structure, and some of them would be discussing how to move upwards onto the 6th floor...while there are those who are calling out from the 3rd floor below , some are stuck in the elevator and yet there are many who have no idea how they accomodate into the building!
I know my observations are pretty metaphorical, but I hope you understand the point I'm trying to make, i ithnillah ta'ala.
There is a big need to 'know one another' and for our brothers and sisters of the 'Developed' world to mentor as well as learn from those elsewhere.
There is a need to break free from the shackles of a British Islam or an American Islam, and to rather mend the fabric of our implementation of the 'Islam' perfected for ALL of us by our Lord, Exalted Is He, SubhanAllah!
Islam is in fact a Global deen and we must join together in unity and Establish Justice and Peace in this Dunya...T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R , Bi ithnillah ta'ala!
All mistakes and evil is through the shaytaan and my own self, and what Khayr and Goodness can there ever be, except from Allah ?
Wassalam aleykum.
Zainab Fida Ahsan,
Dehradun,
India.
[P.S. : I would love to hear your response, in sha Allah :) ]
beautiful sister, ty for reminding us all. rabina m3aky.
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