Al-Istiqamah Volume 4 Issue 2 Now Live

Ya Falastine…

Assalamu Alaykum and welcome to this month’s issue, which is dedicated to the Palestinian struggle. The horrific events in Gaza have without doubt pained the heart of every Muslim. Homes have been bombed, masaajid (mosques) razed to the ground and men, women and children senselessly slaughtered. The Palestinian people have suffered from Israel’s state-sponsored terrorism for 60 years. Our In Focus section features an exclusive interview with Saleyha Ahsan. Saleyha is a doctor and freelance journalist. She travelled to Palestine in 2002 to offer medical assistance to the Palestinian people, as well as to film their struggle. She subsequently produced her first documentary Article 17: Doctors in Palestine in 2003. We spoke to Saleyha about her experiences in Palestine and her feelings on the current conflict in Gaza. Abu Sabaya has written an invaluable article entitled After Gaza: How the Prophet Coped With Loss. Amongst all of the articles forwarded to us via email, this one stood apart. It is a timely reminder that “…no matter how cruel a hand you as a Muslim are dealt, you always keeps your head up, your boldness intact, and put aside your anxiety and dismay.” Another poignant reminder came in the form of a letter from a sister in Palestine. Umm Taqi was interviewed by Islam Channel live from Gaza for their Muslimah Dilemma show and later wrote a letter to them which they translated into English. This simple words exhort every mother to be mindful of the blessings of Allah confered upon us. Sheikh Salman al-Oadah has written a beneficial article entitled : Gaza – The Imperative of Keeping Focus. It encourages the reader to be proactive in the face of hardship as opposed to wallowing in self-pity. And finally, we have reproduced a fatwa by Sheikh Al-Munajjid of IslamQA which differentiates between masjid al-aqsa and the dome of the rock. Masjid al-aqsa is the 3rd holiest site in Islam, after the Ka’ba and masjid nabawwi (the Prophet’s mosque). It is where the Prophet (SAW) travelled to on the night journey. Was-salam.

A UK Doctor’s Memories of Working in Palestine Under Fire

“Suddenly we were being fired at by IDF soldiers…”

Saleyha Ahsan is a trained doctor and freelance journalist. She has worked for BBC Radio 5 and Channel 4 News as a researcher, reporter and assistant producer. Saleyha travelled to Palestine in 2002 to offer medical assistance to the Palestinian people, as well as to film their struggle. She subsequently produced her first documentary Article 17: Doctors in Palestine in 2003. It explored the life-threatening profession of being a medic on the frontline in the town of Nablus (Occupied West Bank) and was screened at the Raindance film festival. She has also made a documentary entitled My Mother’s Daughter (2007) about the relationship between Yvonne Ridley and her mother. Al-Istiqamah speaks exclusively to Saleyha about her experiences in Palestine and her feelings on the current conflict in Gaza.

Al-Istiqamah: Having been to Palestine previously for relief work, what was your reaction when you heard of this latest attack on Gaza?

Saleyha Ahsan: I just wanted to go back. It’s been very hard for me, to sit here unable to help. Other people I knew who’d been before feel exactly the same way. It’s so frustrating trying to get there. I drove down from Edinburgh to London, packed and ready to go. I’ve spent the last 2-3 weeks trying to find an organisation to go with, but understandably, each organisation wants to wait until there’s a complete ceasefire, before sending their staff over. I’ve been trying to get some accreditation and some backing. I feel very angry.

Al-Istiqamah: What made you decide to go to the Nablus in the summer of 2002?

Saleyha Ahsan: Well, I’d been the previous year in 2001 with the BBC for a radio program that we made. It was about women activists who were spending their Christmas or New Year with Palestinian families. These were women who were Christian, Socialists, Jewish, from all kinds of backgrounds. Their aim was to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. I did that for BBC 5 Live Reports and it was called Women in Black. For a long time, I’d wanted to go to Palestine, like many people who follow the situation there, but I didn’t know how to go about it. But once I had been with the BBC, I decided that I could return again at a later date.

When I went in 2002, there were the incursions going on in Jenin, the massacres. I was trying to go, but it was really difficult. One day I had enough and just got together a bit of money, a ticket to Tel Aviv and a camera.

Al-Istiqamah: What was it like at Tel Aviv airport?

Saleyha Ahsan: I was healthily nervous, as they could’ve done anything. I’d prepared for the worst but they were actually quite civil. I know some people were treated badly. The officials would look at my Arabic names, take my passport and put it in their pockets. I’d have all the searches, but they were courteous and professional. The same would happen at the checkpoints. It wasn’t such a big ordeal. I was not wearing hijab at that time, so perhaps that’s why they didn’t give me much hassle.

Al-Istiqamah: Which organisation did you travel with?

Saleyha Ahsan: I went with the United Palestine Medical Relief Committee (UPMRC).
UPMRC work on the premise that they are allowed and protected by International Law to provide medical help and support. As a result, they don’t ask the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) for permission. They are politically-minded. It was started off by a group of medical students during the First Intifadah.

Al-Istiqamah: You were a medical student at the time, weren’t you?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yes, I wanted to go and join the ambulances. I wanted to explore the issue of whether or not medical aid was being allowed free access in times of conflict and curfew, according to International Law. I also felt obliged to go, having seen so many other people of different backgrounds travel to Palestine. I couldn’t very well get angry or upset about other people not going, if I wasn’t going myself. So I planned to go as a medical worker, and also to make a film. I used to travel with a Palestinian press crew. I’ve got so much respect for them. They used to go right up to a tank and start filming. I’d be so scared and they would attempt to reassure me. Facing a tank on an empty street is very terrifying. It could just shoot at you. Nobody would know.

Al-Istiqamah: When you visited in 2002, what was the mood of the Palestinian people?

Saleyha Ahsan: I found the situation was like a pressure cooker, about to explode. Tensions were high. The kids were quite hyper. With regard to the argument that the kids throw stones at Israeli jeeps, well, they throw stones at everybody. They threw stones at us, but we didn’t shoot them! They bombarded a Palestinian press car with stones. These are kids that are living under fear, curfew, tension, death and injury. They are born in violence and thus they are also violent. It’s a psychological thing. They have a pack mentality. UPMRC had a brilliant program where they tried to get these kids involved in first-aid and give them life-long skills.

Al-Istiqamah: Do the Palestinians take the sounds of gunfire as part and parcel of everyday life?

Saleyha Ahsan: They do, but they still get scared. They still jump and shudder. The younger ones especially will look to their parents for reassurance. I was amazed however at how they seem to have a reduced level of fear when facing a tank, compared to the rest of us. They’ve been somewhat desensitised. They are quite resilient people.

Al-Istiqamah: Who were the bulk of your patients?

Saleyha Ahsan: It was the vulnerable ones, the very old and the very young. They are the ones who suffer the most and the same would be true for today.

Al-Istiqamah: You named your documentary Article 17: Doctors in Palestine. Article 17 is part of the 4th Geneva Convention and states that “civilians should be able to access health care in situations of conflict.” Did you find that to be the case in Nablus?

Saleyha Ahsan: No, that certainly wasn’t the case. In Nablus and Ramallah, there were curfews, where nobody was allowed out for several hours a day. When the curfews would be lifted, Nablus was like a normal bustling city again, but on other days it would be a ghost town. During these curfew periods, there would be phone calls to the various medical agencies — either the Red Crescent or the UPMRC — for primary health care. These were the sort of ailments that you would see a GP about in the UK. With the UPMRC, we used to defy curfews. I was an international volunteer, but being foreigners, we felt a bit protected.

Al-Istiqamah: Were you distinguishable by your clothing?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yes, we used to wear a high visibility bib which said ‘UPMRC’ on the back.

Al-Istiqamah: We know that Israeli soldiers have shot western journalists and aid workers over the years. How much protection does being a foreign aid worker or journalist give you?

Saleyha Ahsan: What’s happening right now in Gaza demonstrates that being a UN aid worker or a journalist doesn’t really give you much protection. Israel laughs in the face of the UN. It has no respect for the Red Cross or Red Crescent.

Al-Istiqamah: Did you encounter any hassle as an international volunteer?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yes, we would still get stopped in the ambulance. The ambulances would still get searched…

Al-Istiqamah: Was this at checkpoints?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yes. And these checkpoints could be random ones anywhere. Sometimes we wouldn’t be allowed to go through.

Al-Istiqamah: What reason would the IDF give for preventing the ambulances from getting through?

Saleyha Ahsan: Sometimes they would say “Oh, it’s for your own safety. There are people with guns in that area.” In actuality, the only ones with guns in the area were them (the IDF).

Al-Istiqamah: Did they ever say that they suspect you of helping insurgents?

Saleyha Ahsan: No, not to us. I did see some of the ambulances that had been ridden with bullet holes from earlier on in the year. That was when the IDF had been shooting at anyone and anything — including ambulances. At that time, they had used the argument that “we’ve found fighters in the back” or “we’ve discovered weapons being smuggled from one place to another.” Now in Gaza they’ve been targeting ambulances and UN facilities. They’ve hit ambulances in Gaza and killed at least 12 medical workers. I haven’t heard that the IDF has claimed to have found a mortar in the back of the ambulance. They were using that excuse in 2002 but they’re not using it now.

Al-Istiqamah: Did you ever come under fire?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yes… We were on the rooftop once, just filming the site where a man had been shot dead the day before. His brother was gesturing and explaining what had happened. He was just saying “We were shot at. My brother just fell down. We had to drag the body down the stairs…” Suddenly we were being fired at by IDF soldiers. It took me a bit of time to realise that we were being shot at. On other occasions, a soldier in a tank would point his gun towards us. It was very intimidating. I’m not a brave person and I do get scared in these situations.

Al-Istiqamah: Did you meet any settlers?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yes I did and I found them to be the most vicious and arrogant of people. They throw their rubbish down the hill at the Palestinian homes. They take pot shots at the Palestinians. Even the IDF has had run-ins with them, especially in 2005 when they were removing them from Gaza.

Israel has been planting these horrid artificial settlements up and down the West Bank, often on beautiful pieces of land on high ground — very strategic positions — sometimes a stone’s throw from a Palestinian village that has been there for hundreds or thousands of years. The settlers feel it’s their religious right to live there. It’s called Aliya in Hebrew – the migration to Israel. Many of them however, especially those from Eastern Europe, migrate there due to the economic package offered as an incentive: a nice house amidst olive groves and sometimes a job too.

Al-Istiqamah: Do you think Israel wants peace?

Saleyha Ahsan: Israel has offered what we call a ’swiss cheese Palestine’ – a Palestine full of holes. This offered the Palestinians a few areas which were not united, whilst Israel would build their settlements everywhere. It wasn’t something that the Palestinians could agree to. The soldiers in the IDF with whom we discussed these issues have been fed the argument that Israel was willing to give so much, but the Palestinians didn’t respect the peace agreements.

Al-Istiqamah: They feel that Israel has the moral high-ground?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yeah. From what I saw, many Palestinians would be content to go back to the pre-1967 borders, as proposed by the Arab Peace Initiative. They just wanted to live safely, like other people. Others would argue that all “this is all of our land, and we want it all back”. With the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinians were being given a half-hearted gesture. Under that agreement, Palestinians would never be able to become a united territory. I think the Palestinians would be willing to accept a peace proposal, as long as it was offering them a fair deal.

Al-Istiqamah: What can be done to stop Israel’s state-sponsored terrorism?

Saleyha Ahsan: Amongst the international community, I think only America could really put pressure on Israel, but of course they aren’t willing to do so. They supply Israel with so much aid. There’s a huge Jewish lobby in America.

Al-Istiqamah: Do you think the appointment of Obama as President will make a difference?

Saleyha Ahsan: It will be interesting to see what will happen.

Al-Istiqamah: His pre-election speeches did indicate that he was a staunch supporter of Israel.

Saleyha Ahsan: That’s true, but I recently heard an interview on al-Jazeera with someone within the Obama establishment and he was very opposed to what was going on in Gaza. And he said that he wasn’t the only one who felt that this blind acceptance of what Israel was doing must stop. I was gob smacked to hear someone from Congress speak out so openly.

Al-Istiqamah: Do you think that many Americans resent the influence that the Jewish lobby has?

Saleyha Ahsan: I think they do, that possibly they feel that they are not free to express their views. The Jewish lobby can make a politician’s life miserable via hate mail, campaigning against them, seeking out any skeletons in the closet etc.

Al-Istiqamah: What do you make of the lack of international condemnation, from the western and Arab world?

Saleyha Ahsan: The silence from the Arab world angers me more. It indicates to me that they support Israel too. I was so impressed with Patrick Seale, who is a journalist and writer on the Middle East. He said that the Arab countries have been “feeble” and I wouldn’t use any other word to describe their approach. They’ve just humiliated themselves. I understand the politics and that the Arab countries don’t want to cross Israel or her allies. But in the 1970’s when there was the Yom Kipper war, the ruler of Saudi Arabic did withdrew Saudi oil from world markets, in protest over Western support for Israel and it worked. He mysteriously died. It was said that one of his family went mad and killed him.

Al-Istiqamah: King Faisal?

Saleyha Ahsan: Yeah, that was him. Any Middle Eastern country that speaks out for Palestine comes under fire. Look at Iraq. Saddam Hussein, for all his faults, used to openly support Palestine. Iran openly supports Palestine and it’s in the crosshairs. Lebanon, look what happened there in 2006.

Al-Istiqamah: What was your best memory of your time in Palestine?

Saleyha Ahsan: On the day I was leaving, one of the Palestinian journalists was taking me through the checkpoint. I’d stayed with his family for weeks and worked with him on a daily basis. He turned to me and said “it made a big difference to us that you came, because you’re a Muslim.” I was almost in tears. A lot of people do come to help, from various walks of life. I’ve never forgotten that sentiment. It made the whole three months mean that much more. This is our struggle as Muslims. We should be taking action.

When I went to UAE and was a stone’s throw away from Palestine, I was amazed by how indifferent they are to the plight of the Palestinians. I was in Al-Ain to give a talk on healthcare in Palestine at a medical conference. It was hardly given any recognition. It was attended more by foreigners than the Arabs. When I gave the same talk here in the UK, it was packed out. People of all races attended, wanting to know how to help.

Al-Istiqamah: Did you get to pray in masjid al-Aqsa?

Saleyha Ahsan: It was my local mosque for a week. I stayed in Jerusalem for a week or two and the hotel I was staying at was very close to al-Aqsa. I could hear the adhan from it. I’d have to recite surah fatiha to the Israeli soliders at the gate to prove that I was Muslim and gain admittance.

Al-Istiqamah: What do you see as the future for Palestine?

Saleyha Ahsan: I have no idea. It’s clear that Israel doesn’t want a two-state solution. I think there’ll always be a bloody struggle in Palestine. Fatah has been very quiet. Mahmood Abbas has been very quiet.

Al-Istiqamah: There was an article in the guardian by Shiraz Maher which stated that British Muslims should support Israel over Hamas, as they are a democracy. What do you make of that opinion?

Saleyha Ahsan: I can’t stand these apologists. Yes Israel is the only democracy within the Middle East, but having said that, Hamas was democratically elected. If Hamas was seen as a viable, negotiable entity, whereby other countries could sit at the table with, Israel would feel threatened. Hamas are not controllable by Israel and that’s why they have such a vicious PR campaign against them.

Al-Istiqamah: The western leaders rejected the choice of the Palestinian people as to whom they wanted in power.

Saleyha Ahsan: Exactly. The same thing happened in Algeria. When an Islamic government was democratically selected, it was thrown out the next day. A horrific civil war ensued and hundreds of thousands were killed. We are still seeing the repercussions of that today. So many Algerians are leaving France, due to the discrimination that they face there. A lot of the men detained under anti-terror legislation in the UK were Algerian Muslim men who fled an oppressive regime.

Israel has no intention of accepting democracy for the other Middle Eastern countries. Hamas provided a social framework, healthcare and welfare. Crime was reduced. They are Islamic. They are Muslims. They aren’t corrupt. People began to feel secure and what’s wrong with that? There was a brilliant article in the Guardian by Avi Shlaim. He’s a professor of international relations at Oxford and also served in the Israeli army. He clearly says that Hamas are not the bogeymen that Isreal portrays them as. They are a political power. Their military wing is separate.

Al-Istiqamah: Finally, what would you advise our readers to do in light of the current invasion of Gaza?

Saleyha Ahsan: Keep your eye on the ball. For the last few years there’s been a horrifc blockade in Gaza. No press media were allowed in. Now we’ve got the focus put on Gaza, we have to run with it. We need to completely support the Palestinian people. Go on demonstrations. Keep up the pressure. Don’t forget about the plight of the Palestinian people when it is no longer headline news.

Al-Istiqamah: Saleyha Ahsan, Jazakillah khairan for this informative interview.

Saleyha Ahsan: No problem.

Source: al-istiqamah.com

After Gaza: How the Prophet Coped With Loss

Author: Abu Sabaya

In the Name of Allah, we invoke peace and blessings upon His Messenger.

Going back and thinking of the emotions felt over the last 25 days, one word which found a constant presence in our hearts was ‘helpless’ – the reality that we were helpless, and that we were silently witnessing a helpless people – our helpless people – trapped as Israeli killers patiently bombed them to bits while seated comfortably in the cockpits of American F-16s, as if to fulfill former IDF Chief of Staff Raphael Eitan’s April 1983 wish to see them “scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle.”

The images of the charred bodies of infants, blood-soaked hijabs of sobbing mothers, mosques turned into rubble, stockpiles of food being fed to white phosphorous flames instead of the starving people they were meant for, fathers frantically and tearfully pulling corpses of family from the remains of bombed out homes – these images will forever remain in our conscience. From a material perspective, this was defeat and loss at its worst. What befell our brethren in Palestine has caused, and will continue to cause, much pain, anxiety, and sorrow in our hearts.

This reality mirrors one experienced by none other than the Messenger of Allah and his Companions 1,427 years ago following their military defeat at Uhud. When reviewing the events surrounding this defeat, one cannot help but be affected by the helplessness felt by the Muslims the moment they realized just how deep their material loss was in this battle, just as we are feeling at this moment when reflecting on what was taken from us as a result of the Israeli attack on Gaza. However, in reviewing these events, one can also not help but to take his feeling of helplessness and despair and transform it into firmness and strength.

First, let us examine the magnitude of the loss at Uhud.

Uhud affected the Muslims on many fronts. First of all, in what was possibly the most dangerous hour in the life of the Messenger of Allah, he found himself unprotected and exposed to the enemy on the battlefield, except for the presence of Talhah and Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas. This led to the disbelievers rushing to take advantage of the opportunity to inflict as much physical pain on him as they could, and they followed through by pelting him with stones (breaking his tooth and cutting his lip), cleaving his forehead, striking his shoulder with a sword, and striking him in the face so forcefully that his helmet pierced his cheek and caused a gaping wound. This audacity of the disbelievers so affected the Prophet that while wiping the blood from his face, he asked: “How can people who cut the face of their Prophet and break his incisor tooth – he who calls them to worship Allah – how can such people thrive or be successful?”

Imagine also the emotion felt by the Prophet and the Companions at the sight of Mus’ab bin ‘Umayr – who was personally appointed by the Prophet to bring Islam to Madinah in the first place – as both of his hands were amputated by the disbelievers in his attempt to secure the banner of the Muslims before they killed him. Picture in your mind the disbelievers mistaking the corpse of Mus’ab for the Prophet, yelling “Muhammad has been killed!” and sending a wave of disbelief through the Muslim ranks that demoralized many of them and caused them to give up the fight and turn back for Madinah.

Imagine the sadness that swept over the Companions as they assessed the aftermath of the battle to find the corpses of seventy of their brethren scattered around the battlefield, mutilated and disfigured by the spiteful disbelievers. Imagine then the shock and pain of the Prophet as he recognized the body of his beloved uncle, the Lion of Allah, Hamzah, as he lay among the casualties. Ibn Mas’ud said: “We have never seen the Messenger of Allah weeping so much as he was for Hamzah bin ‘Abd al-Muttalib.” To make matters worse, Hamzah’s burial was not quick and easy such that the Prophet could quickly put behind him the immense personal loss he had just experienced, as Khabbab bin al-Arrat said: “No shroud long enough was available for Hamzah except a white-darkish garment. When they covered his head with it, it was too short to cover his feet. Similarly, if they covered his feet, his head would be revealed.”

Imagine how the army returning to Madinah must have felt as they had to inform the family members of each of those seventy Companions killed that they would not be seeing their loved ones again in this life, one of whom was a woman who had lost her husband, father, and brother that day.

Imagine the dismay the Muslims must have felt that after their groundbreaking victory at Badr only a year earlier, they had now lost seventy of their brethren compared to the disbelievers’ casualties that amounted to only 22 men – less than a third of the Muslims’ losses. Such a loss would not only demoralize the Muslim army, but would also leave their military reputation, credibility, and dignity damaged in the eyes of the people.

All of this was the result of one single avoidable act of disobedience to the Prophet on the part of the archers stationed on the hill…all of this death, loss, sadness, and sorrow was easily avoidable had they simply obeyed a single command…

Undoubtedly, such circumstances would bring down any group and cause them immense pain, helplessness, and dismay. Undoubtedly, such circumstances would leave any group feeling that they had just experienced a loss from which they would not recover. However, the Prophet and his Companions were not just any group. They were a group who lived by the slogan {“And do not despair or be sad, as you are the most superior so long as you are believers.”} [Al ‘Imran; 139] They were a group who knew how to take advantage of their situation and hold their heads up high no matter what the odds were stacked against them, and no matter what their enemies did to intimidate them. They were a group who were able to emanate honor and power despite material loss.

Now, let us examine the attitude of the Muslims who had just experienced this loss firsthand.

When the disbelievers had completed their attacks and mutilation of the corpses of the Companions, Abu Sufyan scaled Mount Uhud looking for the Prophet, Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar. He called out to them and taunted them, but ‘Umar did not give the response of a defeated, dismayed, weak, and submissive victim. Rather he replied: “O enemy of Allah, those whom you have just mentioned, I tell you that they are still alive. Allah has maintained what you hate!”

Abu Sufyan replied: “The mutilation of your dead is something I did not order. However, it did not displease me. May Hubal be sublime!”

At the behest of the Prophet, ‘Umar replied: “Allah is more Sublime, Exalted, and Mightier!”

Abu Sufyan then shouted: “al-’Uzza is ours, and you have no ‘Uzza!”

‘Umar then made his famous statement: “Allah is our Helper, and you have no helper !”

Frustrated, Abu Sufyan muttered: “Today is revenge for Badr, as war is conducted with alternating successes.”

Unrelenting, ‘Umar yelled back: “No, we are not the same. Our dead are in Paradise, while your dead are in Hell!”

The honor, strength, and confidence with which ‘Umar stood up to the leader of the army that had just inflicted defeat upon his own speaks for itself. This shows that material victory or loss meant very little to these people compared to the true victory of the honor associated with being a believer. He was not intimidated or dismayed in the least despite directly conversing with the man whose happiness and joy was in seeing the Muslims tortured and eradicated, and despite the fact that this conversation was taking place directly on the heels of the first military defeat ever experienced by the Muslims.

This shows that no matter how demoralizing a loss may be for you, the Muslim – no matter how many mosques are bombed to rubble, how many children are made into orphans or are themselves burned to a crisp by white phosphorous bombs, how distressing it is that even basic food and medicine are held back from our brothers and sisters by those who have no regard for human life – no matter how cruel a hand you as a Muslim are dealt, you always keeps your head up, your boldness intact, and put aside your anxiety and dismay.

Then came Hamra’ al-Asad.

While the disbelievers were still on their way back to Makkah, the Muslims had arrived back in Madinah in a state of exhaustion, pain, and sorrow. They were also in a state of alert, as they were expecting the disbelievers to turn back and attempt to invade Madinah in light of the perceived weakness of the Muslim army.

However, none of these hindrances prevented the Prophet from what he was about to do next: he went around and gathered all of the injured Muslims who had fought at Uhud the day before in order to lead them in pursuit of the army that had just defeated them. Many fresh, uninjured fighters were available and desperate to join, such as ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy and Jabir bin ‘Abdillah. However, the Prophet only wanted those injured and exhausted soldiers who were still recovering from their wounds to join him. This was unheard of: an army composed exclusively of crippled fighters who had just experienced a major military defeat?!

With the Prophet still recovering from his own wounds, they marched to an area outside of Madinah called Hamra’ al-Asad, only to receive word that their assumptions were true – the disbelievers had turned back and considered attacking Madinah. They still haven’t recovered from Uhud, and they now have to defend Madinah against the same enemy? However, the Prophet’s ability to take advantage of the situation was now going to reverse the psychological loss the Muslims had suffered at Uhud.

He sent a messenger to relay to Abu Sufyan and his troops that the Muslims had regrouped, recovered, and were hot on their heels. Abu Sufyan could not believe his ears, and the anxiety and panic that had gripped the Muslims only the day before was now spread among his own troops. He then decided that it was in his best interests to retreat to Makkah and cancel his plan to attack Madinah. However, in an attempt to frighten and intimidate the Muslims from pursuing him, Abu Sufyan sent a message back to the Muslims that he had gathered the ranks of all the Makkans to lay waste to the Prophet and his army: {“Those to whom the people said: “Verily, the people have gathered against you a great army. So, fear them.””} [Al ‘Imran; 173] What was the response of the injured Prophet and his small group of crippled fighters to this threat from the man who had just dealt them defeat the day before? {“…But it only increased them in faith, and they said: “Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.””} [Al ‘Imran; 173] And the injured Prophet stayed at Hamra’ al-Asad with his crippled group, waiting for three whole days to confront this great army that Abu Sufyan had supposedly gathered against them. In the end, when it became clear that Abu Sufyan and the disbelievers were simply bluffing and were too afraid to pull through with their threats, he decided to turn back and return to Madinah. Would anyone have expected the disbelievers to act so cowardly only a day after Uhud?

Reflect on how the Prophet was able to so effectively reverse the devastation of Uhud in just a matter of days:

* He revived the morale of the crippled Muslims who had just experienced loss and defeat by insisting that they be the ones to accompany him in pursuit of the very enemy that had just defeated them.

* He decreased the morale of the disbelievers who had just experienced victory by showing them that no matter how devastating a blow the Muslim is dealt, he still has his honor, bravery, and the will to face those who challenge him.

* He restored the military reputation and power of the Muslims that had temporarily suffered as a result of the events at Uhud.

The effectiveness of the Prophet as a leader in times of crisis cannot be overstated. It is often said that a person can be judged by how he handles crisis and disaster, as anyone can be calm and composed in times of ease. This concept can be applied to groups and nations as well as individuals. Therefore, this episode in the Sirah teaches us that even at the worst times and in the midst of the most depressing crises, it is possible to reverse the loss, psychologically if not materially. All it takes is a sharp mind to observe the situation and see what holes in the wall there are from which one may take advantage and turn the tables to be in his favor, thus turning defeat into victory.

Let us now examine the bounty Allah granted the Muslims as a result of the attitude they showed in the face of loss and defeat.

It should be noted that even after the events of Hamra’ al-Asad, the Muslims were once again dealt tragic losses at ar-Raji’ (where a group of Muslims were betrayed and captured, leading to the famous crucifixion of Khubayb in Makkah) and the Well of Ma’unah (where, in a painful repeat of Uhud, seventy more of the best Companions were killed, this time as the result of betrayal). Victory is not a stagnant condition that remains once it is achieved. Rather, Allah gives and takes it even from the best of people , and He intertwines it with loss and defeat in order to see how we will deal with each of the respective situations.

The Muslims whose act of disobedience to the Prophet was the single precursor to the devastating loss at Uhud undoubtedly learned their lesson and repented for their error. As a result, when the Prophet laid siege to the fortresses of Banu an-Nathir only a few months later, the Muslims were able to achieve victory without any fighting even occurring. Allah had directly used the weapon of fear and intimidation by placing these into the hearts of Banu an-Nathir, as He Said: {“…and He cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their own dwellings with their own hands and the hands of the believers…”} [al-Hashr; 2] The same blessing was granted to them by Allah only a few months later when the second battle at Badr took place, with the Muslims waiting eight whole days for Abu Sufyan and his army to show up while he meanwhile had decided to return to Makkah instead of taking his chances in facing the Prophet and his Companions. Such blessings were partly the result of the Muslims learning from their mistakes at Uhud and reviewing what it was they had done to contribute to the loss and defeat that had affected the Ummah as a whole. Their unconditional obedience to the Prophet in going out to Hamra’ al-Asad despite their crippled state, as well as the faith, certainty, and bravery they displayed even when threatened by Abu Sufyan’s army, were among the many reasons for the swift victories at Banu an-Nathir and the second Badr.

Similarly, it is upon us to examine ourselves as individuals and groups and see if we are reacting to the devastation and loss experienced in Gaza in the proper way and with the proper attitude. The bravery of the Prophet at Hamra’ al-Asad, the post-defeat boldness of ‘Umar while speaking down to Abu Sufyan, the cleverness of Khalid bin al-Walid in reversing the flanks in the face of an imminent loss at Mu’tah – these should all serve to strengthen us and teach us that despair, pain, anxiety, and victimization should not be in the dictionary of the Muslim. Rather, we should always maintain our honor and confidence following defeat, keep our heads raised high in the face of loss, and face those who continue to challenge us in a bold, smart, and effective way.
{“And do not despair or be sad, as you are the most superior so long as you are believers. If a disaster befalls you, be sure that a disaster has likewise befallen them. And such are the days, we rotate them between the people…”}

Source:  iskandrani.wordpress.com