In a hadīth recorded by Imam Ahmad and other secondary hadīth collections, the Prophet ﷺ is recorded to have said:
لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الدِّينِ ظَاهِرِينَ، لَعَدُوِّهِمْ قَاهِرِينَ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَصَابَهُمْ مِنْ لَأْوَاءَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُمْ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ»
There will always be a group from my nation who will remain steadfast on the religion, prevailing over their enemies, and none who oppose them will harm them, except for [occasional] hardships they may face, until the command of Allah comes while they remain in this state.”
At this point, the Sahaba (radiy Allahu ‘anhum) — wondering and impressed by this amazing group of Muslims — asked the Prophet ﷺ the intelligent and natural follow-up question:
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَأَيْنَ هُمْ؟
O Messenger of Allah, where are these Muslims, where can we find them?”
He ﷺ responded,
بِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَأَكْنَافِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ
They are in Bayt al-Maqdis and its surroundings.”
Meaning, they are primarily in Jerusalem (which is modern-day Palestine) and its surrounding areas (which means al-Shām, modern-day Syria and Jordan).
This hadīth has been classified by hadīth scholars as صحيح لغيره, which means it was concluded to be authentic due to the numerous other narrations which report the same or a very similar meaning.
So we believe the Prophet ﷺ said these words, and thus we believe in the meaning communicated in this hadīth.
Therefore, our first reaction when hearing and knowing about such a hadīth, is a direct connection and love for the Prophet ﷺ for speaking the truth over a thousand years ago, given the context we live in.
And, of course, our second reaction is love and admiration for the people of Palestine and Syria, which this hadīth is speaking about.
Ceasefire agreed after horrendous crimes
The past few days and weeks have been very special.
This is because, after Israel having spent 466 days erasing Gaza from the face of the Earth, trying to eliminate any sign of what remains of life in one of the most densely packed parts of the world… after:
- destroying 95 per cent of homes;
- 1.9 out of two million internally displaced or refugees; [1]
- destroying almost all infrastructure on an apocalyptic scale;
- murdering over 50,000 people (mostly women, children, and elderly);
- adding to a hostage count of at least 10,000 innocent Palestinians…
…this savage nation has decided to agree on a ceasefire!
And so, the war between the so-called Hamas and Israel has come to a halt.
But let us reflect deeply: this was actually a war between all Palestinians on one side and their oppressors on the other — led first by the United States of America, and then by Israel.
Every major weapon used in this “war” came from the United States, funded by more than $18bn, effectively enabling this massacre.
Here’s why we talk about Gaza
This ceasefire is a moment to pause and reflect — it is a reminder of the struggles our brothers and sisters continue to endure.
Their suffering is a manifestation of the oppression and injustice that has persisted for decades.
Sure, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of these events and to wonder what role we play in this story.
And this also brings us to the important question some might ask:
Why do we continually talk about Gaza, despite the distance, despite the repeated tragedies, despite our incapacity to do anything material?
What makes this issue so central to our hearts and our Friday sermons?”
Well, the Prophet ﷺ beautifully answered this question in just three words:
المسلمونَ تتكافأُ دماؤهُم
The blood of every single Muslim is equal in value.” [2]
That means:
- the blood of American Muslims is not more valuable than the blood of a Palestinian Muslim;
- the blood of European Muslims is not more valuable than the blood of Muslims in the Middle East;
- and the blood of Arab Muslims is no less and no more valuable than the blood of non-Arab Muslims.
All of us are one!
If we continue to think of our Ummah from an ultra-nationalistic and racial perspective, there are two major consequences.
Firstly, we have lost Islam because we’ve lost Islamic brotherhood.
And, secondly, our common enemies will continue to dominate and colonise us.
Our case is one case. As Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) tells us,
إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌۭ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
The believers are but one brotherhood, so make peace between your brothers. And be mindful of Allah, so you may be shown mercy.” [3]
What happens in Gaza is our problem. Likewise, the problems of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen are all our problems.
Our blood is the same, our Ummah is one, and our challenges are shared.
Happiness for our brothers and sisters in Gaza
Our brothers and sisters in Gaza are happy, so we too are happy.
In fact, we are happy for their happiness.
And why should they not be happy!
It’s so easy to throw one’s hands up in despair. But not only is this attitude wrong from an ethical and īmāni perspective — because complete despair goes against our religion — but it is also factually wrong that nothing good can be expected.
Israel has been failing from day one
Things change every day, but in the midst of this misery, the seeds of hope are already planted on the blood-soaked soil of the ancient land of Palestine which the Prophet ﷺ talked about.
They may “only” be seeds, but that’s how new life is born.
Think about it, it’s now an undeniable reality; Israel is not winning on the battlefields. Gaza, an open-air prison since 1948, has been destroyed and yet 15 months after they re-invaded, they still cannot control more than a small portion at a time.
They went in and caused the bloodiest genocide in living memory. And yet just under three weeks ago, on signing the ceasefire — Tuesday 13 January 2025 — the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said,
Indeed, we assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it is lost.” [4]
So it’s clear, by their own standards they have militarily failed.
How can you kill an idea by killing the people?
It is a matter of course that they would fail.
What sense does it make to try to kill an idea by killing the people?
That’s why Allah says about them in the Qur’ān:
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌۭ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
That is because they are a people who do not comprehend.” [5]
In other words, the past year will be remembered as a cruel paradox.
Israel destroyed Gaza and much of South Lebanon, mainly from the air, but it abysmally failed to control the ground.
The Israeli state is an illusion of a European liberal democracy embedded in a so-called hostile and foreign Middle East.
But the reality is this cleverly constructed Israeli propaganda has destroyed its own credibility and reputation.
Major parts of the world are becoming increasingly vocal and opposed to the Western Israeli self-awarded right to genocide and cleansing of the non-Jewish native population.
Where we stand with the people of Gaza
We should recognise that we are the ones who need to give them the much needed recognition and tribute for their works.
It was the people of Gaza who faced the enemy with their souls, enduring hunger, pain, and suffering while we, as an Ummah, sufficed with mere observation and feeble words.
Deep within, as an Ummah, we know we abandoned our brethren, looking for excuses in the face of incapacity.
Therefore, the victory that Allah has granted is theirs alone — we have no claim to it, nor any hand in it, because we failed the test of support, and they remained steadfast.
They are the proof against us; they are the light that exposes our darkness as an Ummah.
The people of Gaza have proven that even when the limbs of the Muslim nations are weak and crippled, the heart of the Ummah still beats very strong in Gaza!
They are the ones who remained true to Allah. They are the ones who are living examples of Allah’s words:
كَم مِّن فِئَةٍۢ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةًۭ كَثِيرَةًۢ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
How many times has a small force vanquished a mighty army by the Will of Allah! And Allah is [always] with the steadfast.” [6]
Remember, victory is not merely outnumbering the enemy.
- Agitating them is victory.
- Frustrating them is victory.
- Breaking their resolve is victory.
- Showing their depravity is victory.
- Being patient, resisting, and finding solace in martyrdom is victory.
This is how Allah measures his servants, and this is what counts as victory in the sight of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla).
Gazans wrote with blood and tears what we failed to write with our trembling pens
This is why we love the people of Gaza and see them as the people whom the Prophet ﷺ spoke of.
Once again, as mentioned at the start:
لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الدِّينِ ظَاهِرِينَ، لَعَدُوِّهِمْ قَاهِرِينَ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَصَابَهُمْ مِنْ لَأْوَاءَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُمْ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ»
A group from my nation will remain steadfast on the religion, prevailing over their enemies, and none who oppose them will harm them, except for [occasional] hardships they may face, until the command of Allah comes while they remain in this state.”
It is true that there is respite for the people of Gaza, but we are far from justice.
In fact, the injustice continues in Palestine.
Looking at the West Bank and East Jerusalem
If we now turn our attention to the situation in the city of Jenin and the broader West Bank, it is utterly heart-wrenching to watch the non-stop violence against those who live under the brutal apartheid and racist regime.
The violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem comes from three separate but interlinked and connected quarters.
It comes (1) from the Israeli military, (2) Israeli settlers, and most tragically, (3) the Palestinian Authority’s own security forces (who had, in the midst of the genocide of their people by the apartheid state, been co-operating fully with the security forces of that same apartheid state).
Three burning questions or only one?
- Why is the Israeli army doing it? We know.
- Why are the Israeli settlers doing it? We know.
- Why is the leadership of the Palestinian Authority (PA) doing it?
And this is not the first time.
The PA has co-operated fully with the Israeli occupiers for a very long time; this is one of the most heartbreaking aspects of the Palestinian tragedy.
There are many formulae to the ending injustice in the face of tyranny, but a simple one which the Qur’ān continuously stresses is this:
- Be proud of your Islam and live by it.
- Don’t try to get glory with those who oppose Islam and Muslims.
- Be unified as an Ummah, especially in the face of an external enemy.
As Allah tells us,
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
And hold firmly together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided.” [7]
So we must maintain our grip of the rope of Allah, stick to the Qur’ān, and abide by the Sharī’ah and never allow ourselves to be divided.
The need for us to support them
Our struggles continue.
And that means that we, here as Muslims in the United Kingdom, need to continue:
- Making du’ā for the strengthening and unification of the Palestinian people.
- Speaking up in the UK and representing the Palestinians in all the different ways we are able to.
- Raising financial support for the reconstruction and empowering of our brothers and sisters.
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/01/21/332630
[2] Sunan Abi Dāwūd, 2,751; https://sunnah.com/abudawud:2751
[3] al-Qur’ān, 49:10
[5] al-Qur’ān, 59:13
[6] al-Qur’ān, 2:249
[7] al-Qur’ān, 3:103
Jazakallah for sharing.