International Affairs Society

How To Help Gaza in 48 Hours

wa salatu wa salam ‘ala sayyidina Muhammad salAllahu alayhi wa sallama

as Salamu alaykum wa RahmatuAllahi wa Barakatahu,

Here’s the plan for the next 48 hours. With Allah’s Help, inshaAllah we can all make an enormous difference in a short amount of time.

First 24 hours:

1- Make duaa for them [ie: …now].

2- Give to them. go to: https://www.irw.org/donate%5Fnow/ and donate $5.00. If we all donate $5.00, inshaAllah it’ll massively add up. Donate more if you can.

3- Set your alarm to wake up 30 min before fajr and make duaa. We CANNOT underestimate the power of duaa. We’re making duaa to AL AZEEZ (The All-Mighty). We are making duaa to the One Who loves being called upon and loves to answer the ones who call HIM subhanahu wa ta’ala. Couple that with:

Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth’s sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him? (Bukhari)

What is that saying?? Make duaa – Allah will answer it!

4- Make duaa for them in your sujood.

‘The nearest a slave can be to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so invoke (supplicate) Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) much in it.’ [Muslim]

Allah (‘Azza wa Jal) says:

“Call upon Me, and I will respond to you.” [Ghaafir: 60]

“…I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me…” (Baqarah: 186).

…and whose words can be truer than those of Allah?” (an Nisa: 122)

THUS- Let us remember Who we are asking…How can we not be successful when we are asking The One Who tells us to call upon Him, The One responds to the supplicant, and The One Whose promise of answering our duaa is true?

5- Start brainstorming ideas to initiate on our campuses … campaigns to take to the media… sign CAIR’s letter for Gaza … everything!

6- Send this to everyone else so millions more people will be making duaa, donating, and making a tangible effort, bi’idnillah.

Next 24 hours:
– Repeat at least steps 1 and 3 and 4 from the first 24 hours and try to perpetually repeat those steps.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala tells us about the oppressed and weak men, women, and children, who make duaa saying, “…Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper”[An Nisa:75]

May Allah grant His near help and success to the oppressed everywhere, and honor us with being a means of helping them. Ameen.

About the author

Maryam Amirebrahimi

Maryam Amirebrahimi

Maryam Amirebrahimi received her master’s in Education from UCLA, where her research focused on the effects of mentorship rooted in Critical Race Theory for urban high school students of color. She holds a bachelor’s in Child and Adolescent Development from San Jose State University, where she served as the President of the Muslim Student Association for two consecutive years. Currently, she is pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies through Al Azhar University’s distance learning program. Maryam spent a year studying the Arabic language and Qur’an in Cairo, Egypt, and has memorized the Qur’an. She has been presented the Student of the Year award by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Maryam frequently travels to work with different communities to address a variety of social issues and writes about topics related to social realities, women’s studies and spiritual connections on www.virtualmosque.com.

10 Comments

  • Allahu ‘Alam what works…but I think the main point is this: That there is work being done! That we’re not just chillin and thinking, inshaAllah, one day, this whole thing will be resolved. Rather, inshaAllah we are seriously making some efforts…that we make the effort and put our trust in Allah that with Him is the outcome.

    one thing one brother said that really struck me was about protests…he was saying that it doesn’t matter if you agree that protests will actually make a difference or not, but when Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala asks you what you did, the point is that you were there making an effort.

    Speaking of effort…there is a conference call tonight [March 5th] put on by MSA WEST…info below:

    “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

    Israel launched a ground assault into the Gaza Strip this past weekend.
    Over one hundred Palestinians, many of which are civilians and children, have lost their lives.
    How many more Palestinians must die before we take action against these atrocities?

    MSA West Statewide Palestine Action Plan
    Let Us Act Now.

    Conference Call Agenda includes:
    1. Updates on Palestinian Crisis
    2. Organizing a Week of Prayer and Action
    3. Creating Important Resources to Raise Awareness on Your Campus
    4. Open Forum

    When: TONIGHT Wednesday March 5, 2008
    Time: 9:30pm
    Number: 1.218.936.1600
    Code: 102030

    Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) tells us:

    “Three things follow a dead person: his family, his property and his actions. Two of them return and one remains with him when he dies. His family and property return and his actions remain.”

    May Allah subhanahu wa ta’aala make us amongst those! Ameen.”
    ———————————————

    “Additionally, here is an email I received today with regards to something in Detroit which we can all support inshaAllah:

    Salams,
    The Detroit News printed a very positive op ed by Imam Elahi about the tragedy and injustice in Gaza. We anticipate a VERY heavy response from the pro-Israeli community against the Imam and Palestinians. Please write brief (150 words or less) letters to the op ed page letters@detnews.com which are polite and supportive. These must be sent asap for the maximal affect. A sample letter is below. It will only take a minute. The link to the det news is below and the article is reproduced below also. JZK,
    Muzammil Ahmed
    CAIR-MI Board

    SAMPLE LETTER:
    Dear Editor:
    Thanks for printing Imam Elahi’s recent essay on the tragic situation of the Palestinians in Gaza. As an American, I am shocked that we continue to send military aid Israel which has killed so many civilians and has collectively imprisoned the whole population of Gaza. Only through a united effort of Americans who want peace and justice can Israel’s violent rampage be brought to a halt.
    Signed, [you must list your full name, address and daytime contact number for confirmation]

    http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080304/OPINION03/803040309/1031 3/4/2008

    U.S. should stop Israeli atrocities in Gaza

    Some Jews have said, “We don’t forget or forgive the Holocaust.” Then last week, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai threatened Gaza with a “bigger shoah” or holocaust.

    Much of the same mainstream media that attacked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over a mistranslation about Israel supposedly being wiped off the map ignored Israeli Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit’s statement, reported by the Associated Press, that “We must take a neighborhood in Gaza and wipe it off the map.” Sheetrit is justifying mass murder.

    Based on BBC reports, basic human dignity is denied in Gaza. John Holmes, the United Nations’ top official, said he was shocked by a “grim and miserable” situation in Gaza.

    The Palestinian militants’ rockets have left 13 dead in the last seven years, while Israel has killed 120 people and wounded more than 350 since attacks began Wednesday. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called this barbaric bombardment of civilians and killing of children “a disproportionate and excessive use of force.”

    Advertisement
    Click Here

    As we honor Jewish peace activists who call for the end of the siege and for peace and coexistence, we remind the friends of Israel that to imprison the 1.5 million people of Gaza in a walled ghetto without allowing in food, water, electricity or even fuel for the ambulances to carry the dead bodies is genocide.

    If the reason for all these atrocities is to stop the militants’ rocket attacks, why did Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert repeatedly reject the Hamas ceasefire offers, saying no negotiation? He wants the Palestinians to accept total submission to Israeli occupation.

    The Annapolis conference was called a “window of opportunity,” and the Arab rulers did all they were told, but more Palestinians have been killed since then. Israel even ignored President Bush’s demand for “a halt to all Jewish settlement expansion” and is threatening the integrity of the Old City and the Aqsa Mosque.

    Israel does whatever it desires regardless of condemnations. If killing Palestinian children were the solution, Israel should be the safest country in the world after 60 years of slaughter.

    We know from our Scriptures that Pharaoh killed thousands of the children of Israel to prevent the emergence of Moses, not knowing that he was raising Moses in his own palace. Moses didn’t need a nuclear weapon to free his people; all it took was his staff.

    Israel is beginning to lose some sympathy. An editorial in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz argues: “We have become accustomed to treating the Palestinians as inferior people.” It even discussed Israel’s Abu Ghraib-like prisons.

    Israel should be very worried of God’s justice.

    Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu already have warned Israel of its apartheid policies. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is the best Arab friend Israel ever sponsored, yet he has accused Israel of committing international terrorism. It’s time for the world community to force Israel to wake up and start respecting human life and integrity.

    Will we as Americans ever regain our moral direction and stand for the universal principles of truth and justice prescribed by the Bible, the Quran and the Declaration of Independence?

    Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi heads the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights. Fax comments to (313) 222-6417 or e-mail to letters@detnews.com.”

    May Allah give us thabaat, ikhlaas and tawfiq

  • We have been praying for years for the muslims in Gaza, nearly every Ramadan all over the world muslims have been praying for them, and still they are being bombed and now it’s worse than ever, is there a reason why the Muslims have to suffer so much there? It’s Allahs plan, and I know it’s Allahs Qadr, but is it prophesied that Gaza will be in constant battle until the Mahdi comes? Is Israel always going to get away with it until the day of judgement?
    I just wanted to understand when Allahs victory will come, or is it just going to be at the end of time.

    • “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,”When is the help of Allah ?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” [2.214]

      • Jazakhallah for the reminder of the verse, but when this was revealed, was the help and victory for the believers soon after? Is this verse to do with one of the battles ie. badr?
        I’m just wondering because Allah helped them with Angels, can this also happen in current times? I mean, will the Palestinian victims get divine help? what does it mean when Allahs help is near? Does it mean they will get it in jannah?
        I do not mean to be disrespectful, just trying to undertand. We are praying so much and it hurts me that they are still suffering. It’s sad because sometimes they must get so depressed, so helpless that their children are being killed in front of them, and their oppressors are just getting away with it. I was told that this fighting will just continue until Israel controls the whole of Shaam, as a sign of the day of judgement, is this a true prophecy?

  • Jinan, just read your other articles and I came across this treasure, mashallah, it has helped me to strengthen my trust in Allah, truly Jazakhallah khair.
    From: A Source of Healing,

    “I am amazed at the one who has been afflicted with fear, and he does not flee to the Words of Allah:
    ‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs’ for verily Allah has said after it
    ‘So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them.’ (Qur’an, 3:173-174)

    And I am amazed at the person who is afflicted with sadness, and he does not flee to the Words of Allah:

    ‘There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers,’ for verily Allah has said after it
    ‘So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.’ (Qur’an, 21:87-88)

    And I am amazed at the person who is afflicted with betrayal and deception by people, and he does not flee to the Words of Allah:

    ‘I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants’ for verily Allah has said after it:
    ‘So Allah protected him from the evils they plotted, and the people of Pharaoh were enveloped by the worst of punishment.’ (Qur’an, 40:44-45)

Leave a Reply to Greene X