Remembering Palestine

Shady Al-Suleiman

It was 63 years ago on the 15th of May 1948 that a major calamity took place. It was a moment of disaster and catastrophe (Nakba) for the Muslim world, for the Arab world and in particular, for the Palestinian people.

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Palestine will never be forgotten



It was 63 years ago on the 15th of May 1948 that a major calamity took place. It was a moment of disaster and catastrophe (Nakba) for the Muslim world, for the Arab world and in particular, for the Palestinian people. The day of Nakba (disaster and catastrophe) refers to the day when the tyrant Israeli regime declared its independence on a land that did not belong to them. It was a country that was taken oppressively and aggressively from its people who had been living on it for many centuries. Palestine had been passed from generation to generation from ancestor to offspring to the Palestinian people.

Many Palestinians were killed and a lot more were deported illegally and illegitimately from their land by the Israeli Zionist regime. Over 800,000 people were deported into camps of neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, and now after 60 years this number exceeds 5 million people. They have no rights to return back to their land and the land of their parents and forefathers and furthermore, this tyrant regime continues to work on making sure that the future generations forget and neglect their rights of return. Their rights to return to the land that they belong to, to the land that their parents and grandparents were born in, to the land that they once lived in. However, it is Allah’s will that the new generation born outside their original home and country Palestine be more eager and conscience to return back to their country, more so, than any other previous generation.

It’s important that every Muslim who believes in Allah, his messenger and the Quran concerns themselves with what happened in Palestine and feel the pain of its people suffered over the past 63 years at the hands of the Israeli regime. It is our obligation to revive the matter and educate future generations and should not succumb to the notion that this affects the Palestinian people only, as we are being lead to believe.

Allah almighty mentions the sacred land of Jerusalem in the sacred Quran in many verses, as He says: {Glorified (and Exalted) is He (Allah) Who took His slave (Muhammad peace be upon him) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) to Al-Masjid-al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighborhood where of We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad peace be upon him) of Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer} [Al-‘Israa’ 17:1]

 
{سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ}الإسراء: 1
 
 

 

Transliteration: Subhana allathee asra biAAabdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ila almasjidi alaqsa allathee barakna hawlahu linuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAu albaseeru

He also says: {And to Sulaimân (Solomon) We subjected the wind strongly raging, running by his command towards the land which We had blessed. And of everything We are the All-Knower} [Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:81]
 
{وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا ۚ وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ} الأنبياء: 81
 
 

 

Transliteration: Walisulaymana alrreeha AAasifatan tajree biamrihi ila alardi allatee baraknafeeha wakunna bikulli shayin AAalimeena

The prophet (peace be upon him) says about the virtue of the Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem “reward for one prayer in my Masjed (al-Masjid al-Nabawi “Medina”) is better than 100,000 prayers in any other mosque except al-Masjid al-Haram, and one prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram is better than 100,000 prayers in any other mosque.” [Authenticated by Al-Albani]
 
«صلاة في مسجدي أفضل من ألف صلاة فيما سواه إلا المسجد الحرام ، و صلاة في المسجد الحرام أفضل من مائة ألف صلاة فيما سواه» صححه الألباني
 
He also says “Do not undertake a journey except to three Masaajid: Masjid al-Haraam, this Masjid of mine and Masjid al-Aqsaa.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
 
«ولا تشد الرحال إلا إلى ثلاثة مساجد: مسجد الحرام، ومسجدي، ومسجد الأقصى» رواه البخاري

Masjid Al-Aqsa is the second mosque to be built in history, it was narrated that Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari said: “I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Which mosque was built first?' He said: 'Al-Masjid Al-Haram (in Makkah).' I said: 'Then which?' He said: 'Then Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).' I said: 'How many years between them?' He said: 'Forty years, but the whole earth is a mosque for you, so pray wherever you are when the time for prayer comes.” [Agreed upon]
 
«قلت: يا رسول الله، أي مسجد وضع أول؟ قال: المسجد الحرام. قلت: ثم أي؟ قال: ثم المسجد الأقصى. قلت: كم كان بينهما؟ قال: أربعون، ثم قال: حيثما أدركتك الصلاة فصل، والأرض لك مسجد» متفق عليه
 

 


There are so many verses and authentic narrations that speak about the virtues and the great status of the Aqsa mosque and its surrounding land. As Muslims, we need to acknowledge the importance of Jerusalem and the Aqsa mosque and understand their importance is as serious as Aqeedah and creed of our religion. It is important for us to be concerned about the Palestinian people and their suffering for over the last half century. It is important that we revive this matter in our lives and the lives of the future generations. It is important that we send a clear message to the Zionist Israeli regime that as long as there is a Muslim living on this earth the Palestinian case will never be forgotten, and the call for the rights to return the Palestinian people to Palestine will never stop.


Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman
Sydney – Australia