Hamza and the Lion of Allah

By Aber Kawas

There have been pictures and videos circulating for these past few nights of a boy whose face had been cut off in the unrelenting onslaught of Syrian violence. The despairing images of his jawless grimace, dripping with blood and his eyes full of pain have brought awareness, disgust, and outrage against the Syrian oppressors who have been mercilessly killing their people in an act of intimidation. Rivers of blood are running in the streets of Syria to quench Bashar Al Assad’s regime and their insatiable thirst for power.

The boy whose face has been seen by us all—his name is Hamza. He is my brother in Islam.

The name Hamza means ‘the one who is strong and steadfast’. It is the name of the Prophet’s ﷺ (peace be upon him) uncle radi allahu `anhu (may God be please with him) whose conversion brought strength, dignity, and most importantly safety to the Muslim ummah (community) during a time of oppression brought on by the Quraysh.

Hamza ibn Abd Al Muttalib was a fearless warrior, a man of integrity who fought vehemently against the makers of injustice, against those who used violence as intimidation against the Muslims for power centuries ago, just as today. His death and martyrdom brought peace to the Muslim nation; for the gruesome manner in which the Quraysh had dismantled his body when killed in the battle of Uhud, inspired a Qur’anic revelation to the Prophet ﷺ.

“Call mankind to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and sound advice, and reason with them in a well-mannered way. Indeed your Lord is well aware of those who have gone astray from His way, and He is well aware of those who are guided. And if you retaliate, let your retaliation be to the extent that you were afflicted, but if you are patient, it will certainly be best for those who are patient; and be patient, yet your patience is only with the help of GOD, and do not sorrow for them, not distress yourself at what they devise. Indeed God is with those who are pious and those who are doers of good,” (Qur’an 16:125-128).

This ayah (verse, revelation) taught the Muslims to handle violence with mercy and patience, to never treat any human being, not even their enemies, with inhumanity no matter the circumstance—even in times of war. This is a lesson that the aggressors of today have ignored, as they continue to behave in a despicable manner against innocent civilians of their own lands.

Just as we felt our stomachs drop and could barely stand watching the images of Hamza sitting on a hospital bed helplessly and painfully waiting to die, upon seeing the corpse of Hamza on the battlefield of Uhud, the Prophet ﷺ also winced and could not stand the sight of his beloved uncle’s mutilated body.

Both the Hamza dominating our newsfeeds today, and the Hamza who has dominated the great stories of our past have been slaughtered in an appalling manner demonstrating the evil measures of their oppressors. However just as Hamza ibn Abd Al Muttalib’s death inspired peace and raised his rank and honor, we must do the same for our brother Hamza from today, who has also died in a fight for Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) a fight for freedom and justice, a fight for peace.

We must not let his death be in vain; we must speak out against the violence that he and his countrymen have endured, we must pray for their safety, and we must not ignore their cries.

May all of our brothers and sisters who have died in Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, and everywhere else while fighting for peace against oppression, find their peace in Jannah. May the blood that has charred their faces today turn into light on the day when the faces of their oppressors will be dark as ash. May Allah (swt) grant them victory and bring the nations they fought for to peace.

May our martyr Hamza one day meet his counterpart ‘The Chief of the Martyrs’ Hamza ibn Abd Al Muttalib. May they walk into Jannah together hand in hand, as our leaders, as the ones most deserving of al Firdous (the highest rank). For it is only fitting that they share this name, that this great martyr of our ummah today has been honored with the association of the greatest martyr of our history and past.

Bashar may be named Al Assad (the lion), but the young boy he brutally murdered is named after the Lion of Allah (swt)! May he be rewarded for the strength and steadfastness that his name upholds.

Verily it is to Allah (swt) that we belong, and to Him we will all return.


Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/society/international/hamza-and-the-lion-of-allah/

The Story Of Prophet Lut (as) in Our Time

By Hamda Adaweh

Bismillah

The story that I am going to share with you inshAllah relates to our time. In the western society, the Muslim youth are constantly exposed to haram relationships with the opposite gender. The characteristics of shame and modesty are barely encouraged in our society. Nowadays, the Muslim youth are also exposed to the idea of homosexuality. It has become so serious that even some states in America are considering same sex marriages. We as Muslims must learn from the lessons of the past in order to work towards a beautiful future, inshAllah.

Allah Subhaana wa Ta’alaa has sent us the Quraan that describes nations that came before us in order for mankind to reflect. In Surah Qamar ayahs 32-34, Allah Subhaana wa Ta’alaa says

And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? The people of Lot denied the warning. Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn. (Surah Al-Qamar 54:32-34)


We as Muslims must think about the nations that came before us. The stories of the Prophets should make us reflect. It gives us infinite wisdom and knowledge. Most importantly, it gives us better understanding of this beautiful deen.

The story of Prophet Lut alayhi saalam starts in the town of Sodom and he is the nephew of Prophet Ibrahim alayhi saalam. It is located in present day Jordan. The people of Sodom were very wealthy and they enjoyed the countless bounties that Allah subhaana wa ta’alaa decreed on them. However, they did not use these blessings in the way that Allah subhaanu wa ta’alaa would like. These people practiced homosexuality openly without any shame. They neglected their wives for the enjoyment of other men.

Allah Subhaana wa ta’alaa sent down Prophet Lut alayhi saalam to spread the message of Islam to his people and to advise them to abandon homosexuality. However, these men were blinded by desire and passion. They did not want to give up their desires. Instead, they mocked and ridiculed Prophet Lut alayhi saalam.

Just like the Prophets and messengers before him, Prophet Lut alayhi saalam patiently continued to advise his people and spread the message of Islam. No one listened to him.This saddened Prophet Lut alayhi saalam and he prayed that Allah Subhanaa wa Ta’alaa gives him victory against his people. In Surah Ankaboot Ayah 29, Allah subhanaa wa ta’alaa says

Indeed, you approach men and obstruct the road and commit in your meetings [every] evil. And the answer of his people was not but they said, "Bring us the punishment of Allah , if you should be of the truthful.” (Al-Ankabut 29:29)


One day, there were two travelers that needed a place to stay. These travelers happened to come to the town of Prophet Lut alayhi saalam. The first to see these travelers was one of Prophet Lut alayhi saalam’s daughters. She saw how beautiful these young men were. She immediately called her father and told him about the handsome looking travelers that came to town. Prophet Lut alayhi saalam tried to hint at the travelers to leave the town, but they refused. Prophet Lut alayhi saalam finally decided to let them come inside his home. Prophet Lut alayhi saalam’s wife sneaked out of the house in order to inform the people of the handsome travelers. Prophet Lut alayhi saalam’s wife was also a matchmaker for the men. It says in Surah Tahrim ayah 10, Allah Subhanaa wa ta’alaa says

Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them, so those prophets did not avail them from Allah at all, and it was said, "Enter the Fire with those who enter.” (Surah At-Tahrim 66:10)


The men of the town came to Prophet Lut alayhi saalam’s house and they started banging on the front door. They demanded to come and see the travelers. Imagine the situation that Prophet Lut alayhi saalam was going through?

He pleaded with his people by telling them to leave the visitors alone and to fear the punishment of Allah subhanaa wa ta’alaa. He even advised them seek sexual fulfillment with their wives because it is what Allah subhaana wa ta’alaa made lawful for them. Blinded by passion, they laughed at Prophet Lut alayhi saalam.

Seeing that Prophet Lut alayhi saalam was helpless, one of the travelers informed Prophet Lut alayhi saalam by saying “Do not be anxious or frightened, Lut for we are angels, and these people will not harm you."

Then, Angel Jibril threw some dust at the men. It caused them to become blind. The angels warned Prophet Lut to leave the town before sunrise without turning back. Prophet Lut alayhi saalam and his daughters left the town of Sodom and his wife was left behind.

Allah subhanaa wa ta’alaa had decreed that the town of Sodom should perish. Angel Jibril lifted the town of Sodom and raised it to the heavens. The town was literally flipped upside down. Everything and everybody was destroyed. This area is currently the Dead Sea.

My advice to the Muslims that are reading this article:

The concept of hijab is not just for women. The hijab goes for both genders. It means modesty and shyness. Dress modestly inside and outside your houses. Be always aware of covering your awrah in front of others. Shyness is one of the beautiful qualities a believer can have. It is extremely hard to find nowadays. We should always check ourselves and not let the shaytaan trick you. Homosexuality is not a sickness. It is a disease of the heart and May Allah subhanaa wa ta’alaa protect all of us from falling into the traps of shaytaan. Ameen.

I'd love to hear your views on this topic. Please post in the comments section below! :)

Source: http://www.habibihalaqas.org/2012/03/story-of-prophet-lut-as-in-our-time.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HabibiHalaqas+%28~*+Habibi+Halaqas+*~%29