The ongoing catastrophe and violent displacement in Palestine is a severe test for the Muslim Ummah. Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the Holy Lands in Palestine belong not only to the Palestinians, not only to the Arabs, but to every Muslim - who testifies and believes that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad - Peace be upon him - is the Messenger of Allah.

This is Palestine, the land of Al-Quds, the land of Al-Aqsa. Baitul Maqdis is the third special mosque after Al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and Al-Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah. On the night of Miraj, the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam led  all the Prophets in Salah in this Masjid. So, this Masjid is a real witness to Prophet's being 'Sayyidul Mursalin'- The Grand Prophet. This is the Qiblah to which 'Sahaba'-the Companions of the Prophet of Allah turned with him to pray salah for sixteen months after 'the Hijra'- migration to Madina.

Palestine is a land of many prophets and messengers.  The soil of Palestine is blessed with the footsteps of many Prophets including Ibrahim, Ishaq, Yaqub, Yusuf, Lut, Dawood, Sulaiman, Zakaria, Yahya and Isa Alaihimus Salatu Wassalam. This soil has been watered by the invitation of Iman and Islam for thousands of years.

Allah Rabbul Alamin said in Surah Isra of the Holy Quran that He blessed the land of Palestine. On the other hand, Palestine is a part of the vast ancient Sham region, for which the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam prayed, "Oh Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! Oh Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen."  The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also said: “Blessed is (Greater) Sham” We said: Why is that, Oh Messenger of Allah? He said: “Because the angels of the Most Merciful spread their wings over Sham.” 

After the victory of Baitul Maqdis in 16th Hijri, Khalifatul Muslimin Hadrat Umar Bin Khattab Radiyallahu Anhu and many Companions and 'Kibar e Tabi'een' (the most prominent Followers of the Companions) visited this land. Fortunately, several Companions of the Prophet made Palestine as their homeland. Companions like Hadrat Ubadah Ibnus Samit, Shaddad Bin Aws, Wasilah Ibnul Asqa', Aws Ibnus Samit Radiyallahu Anhum spent their last days in Palestine. In response to a question from Caliph Hisham bin Abdul Malik, the famous Tabi`i Raja bin Haiwah was introduced as 'Sayyid Ahl al-Filastin' the leader of Palestinians. He was the leader of the Palestinians in knowledge, Islamic practices, renunciation, and piety.

Palestine was the homeland of many Islamic leaders and intelligent individuals, who spread the light of knowledge throughout the Ummah. Many scholars of Hadith and Fiqh are referred to as 'Maqdisi' in connection to Baitul Maqdis.  Muhammad Ibn Tahir Maqdisi (507 AH), the author of 'Shurutul a’immatis Sittah' and 'Atraful Garaibi Wal-Afrad', was born in the city of al-Quds.  Ibn Qudama Maqdisi Jamma'ini (620 Hijri), the author of 'Almughni' and Abdul Ghani Maqdisi Jamma'ini (600 Hijri), the author of 'Alkamal fi Asmair Rijal', both were born in 'Jamma'in' of ​​Nabulus, Palestine.  

Imam Shafi Rahimahullah (204 Hijri) was born in Gaza, the current battleground. From the last half of the 8th Hijri to the middle of the11th Hijri, the historic 'Alul Gazzi' (people of Gaza) played an important role in disseminating Islamic knowledge and Islamic Judiciary throughout the entire Sham region for almost three centuries. Shihabuddin Gazzi (822 Hijri), his son Rajiuddin Gazzi (864 Hijri), his grandson Badruddin Gazzi (984 Hijri), his great grandson Nazmuddin Gazzi (1061 Hijri)-the author of Alkawakibus Sairah Bi-A'yanil Miatil Ashirah were all great scholars Islam.  Besides, many islamic scholars like Shamsuddin Muhammad Ibn Qasim Gazzi (918 Hijri) who was the author of 'Alqaulul Mukhtar Fi Sharhi Gayatil Ikhtisar', Khatib Tumurtashi Gazzi Hanafi (1004 Hijri), the author of 'Tanwirul Absar', which is the origin of 'Ad-Durrul Mukhtar' also belong to Gaza, Palestine.

"Asqalan", a Palestinian city just north of Gaza, currently known as Tel Ashkelon, is now occupied by the Zionists. Famous Muhaddith Ibn Hajar Asqalani (852 Hijri) belongs to this Asqalan. He has remarkable achievements in the field of Ulumul Hadith.

Cities such Nablus, Tabaria, Akka, Ramalllah and Safed remind us of islamic scholastic-enriched past. The city of Akka is the birthplace of Imam Tabarani (died around 360 Hijri).The author of 'Alwafi Bil Ofayat' Salahuddin Safedi (764 Hijri) belongs to the city of Safed. Ibn Raslan Shihabuddin Ramli, the famous narrator of Sunan Abi Dawud, was born on the territory of Ramllah (844 Hijri). During the golden era, numerous muhaddiths and narrators of hadiths were born, lived and practiced  the sciences of hadith in Palestinian cities like Gaza, Quds, Asqalan and Akka.

Rare events will happen in Palestine in the last era. Before doomsday, the final battle between truth and falsehood and the final victory of truth will take place on this ground.  This is the place where the Prophet Isa Alaihis Salam will kill 'Al-Masih ad-Dajjal' (the fraudulent Mesiah or the lying Mesiah) in the area of ​​'Babe Lud'.

Muslim Ummah has numerous challenges. The Palestine issue is one of their fundamental problems. So, they cannot ignore it at all.  Blood is shedding continuously in Palestine; the numbers of the martyrs are increasing day by day. Countless eyes are shedding tears for Palestine!  Countless brave youths are making pledges with burning desire to fight!

For seven decades, the Palestinian people have been brutally oppressed by the Zionist forces. Shelters and tents have become their homes. Millions of Palestinian refugees are moving in different directions and wandering in the land, from here to there. The lives of the Palestinian people mean fear and misery, collapsed buildings, locked schools and businesses, economic boycotts, threats and undeclared warrants of death. Here food storage and markets are closed; essential services such as electricity, water supply and internet are disconnected. The Zionist executioners have spared no effort in destruction of their way of life.

Our Palestinian brothers are facing terrible atrocities at every single moment. Airstrikes and shelling by heavy tanks have become very common. Countless mosques and buildings are being demolished! Women are being widowed, and children are being orphaned! Innumerable mass graves are being dug every day

Our Palestinian brothers did not lower their heads despite facing so many obstacles. They are continuing to fight against the occupying enemies with indomitable courage of spirit.  But there is no milk for babies, no hospitals to treat the wounded. Even the hospitals are being crushed by the enemy. They blocked the access of help from outside. The injured children under the rubble are thirsty and asking for water and water is being brought to them with a thin tube.  Desperate for survival, women have no choice but to leave their homes, taking only essentials in the bags.  Jewish soldiers are massacring them. 

Decade after decade, the skies of Palestine become filled with the cries of mothers who have lost their children, the helpless screams of orphans, and the harrowing cries of widows. But where is our bond of brotherhood? Where is the commitment to preserving Imani brotherhood. Where has the natural trait of noble Arab lineage gone?

Although the unchangeable custom of Allah  Ta'ala is

 وَ الْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ

-'and the end is in favor of the God-fearing.' and

 انَّ الْاَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصّلِحُونَ

-'that the land will be inherited by My righteous slaves.'

However, when the believers neglect and refuse to fulfill their religious duties and turn back from their Faith, Allah replaces them with another nation of believers on the earth, who have some extraordinary qualities. Allah loves them, they also love Allah, they are humble toward the believers, hard on the disbelievers, who fight in the way of Allah and are not afraid of the reproach of any critic.

O awake, vigilant mujahid brothers, who are engaged in border guarding!  Oh Palestinian, who are steadfast like mountains!  O strong children of the blessed land!  We are sorry. You have got insulting behavior from some members of the Ummah. However, trust that our hearts are with you. Allah will help you.

O Allah! save the Palestinian Muslims, make the oppressed Muslims of the whole world free from the oppressors, and rescue them from the crisis. O Allah! help the brothers who are fighting in your path, maintain harmony among them, grant them tawfiq to be united, make all external and internal instruments of the victory easy for them, make the path of victory of Baitul Maqdis smooth. O Allah! Make the Palestinian mujahids among those whom if you establish in a region, they establish prayer, pay zakah, enjoin good and forbid evil. Surely, the best outcome of all matters is only in Allah’s hand.

(Translated and collected from the Sermons of the Arabs.)

* Collection : Mawlana Hussain Ahmad.

*English Translation: Mawlana Ojayer