Israel’s truimphalism is premature, as resistance group retains formidable capablities.

Albanese government names envoy three months after appointing special envoy to combat rising levels of hatred against Jewish community

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The Albanese government has announced British Australian academic Aftab Malik as the special envoy to combat Islamophobia in Australia after months of delays.

Anthony Albanese said in early July that two envoys would be established: one to tackle antisemitism and another to look at Islamophobia during the war in Gaza.

Lawyer Jillian Segal was announced as the antisemitism envoy shortly afterwards but Labor delayed announcing the Islamophobia envoy amid reports people had turned down the role.

But on Monday, the government announced Malik would be taking up the role, which they say will serve to listen to and engage the Muslim community, religious discrimination experts and all levels of government on how to combat Islamophobia.

Earlier on Monday sources confirmed to Guardian Australia that Malik was to be appointed, with the news announced at a Muslim community event later in the evening.

Malik has been working in the New South Wales Premier’s Department for almost a decade. He has previously held roles at the Lebanese Muslim Association.

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While the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal is often remembered by Muslims as the month in which our beloved Prophet was born, it also marks the final days and eventual demise of our Messenger in the eleventh year of Islam. There are no special recommendations for this month, but it is a time to learn and reflect on how he lived his final days.

 

After performing what we call the “Farewell Pilgrimage,” the Prophet ﷺ returned to Madinah for the very last time. According to several reports, the Prophet ﷺ remained in this world for approximately 81 days after the farewell pilgrimage.

Indications

The Quran is explicitly clear that the Prophet ﷺ had an appointed term and would leave the world at that time, according to the wisdom and decree of Allah ﷻ. Allah ﷻ says in the Quran:

1. “You [O Prophet] will certainly die, and they will die too.” [Surah Az-Zumar: 39;30]
2. “Muḥammad is no more than a Messenger; other Messengers have gone before him. If he were to die or be killed, would you regress into disbelief?” [Surah ‘Ali Imran: 3;144]
3. “We have not granted immortality to any human before you [O Prophet], so if you die, will they live forever?” [Surah Al-Anbiya: 21;34]

The Prophet ﷺ sensed from certain verses of the Quran that were revealed late in his life that the time of his death was approaching. The Prophet ﷺ made references to his departure from this world, which were understood by some of his close Companions .

When the Prophet ﷺ sent Muʿādh as a governor to Yemen, he saw him off to bid him farewell. The Prophet ﷺ walked alongside Muʿādh as he was riding his animal. The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Muʿādh, I certainly love you. Perhaps you shall not see me after this year, and perhaps when you return to Madinah you will find my mosque and my grave.” Another indication was the revelation of Surah al-Naṣr. Several Companions such as ʿUmar and ibn ʿAbbās understood it as a sign that the Prophet’s ﷺ time was soon. During the farewell pilgrimage, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Learn the rites of Ḥajj from me. I don’t know, perhaps this may be my last Ḥajj.”

The Prophet ﷺ fell ill during the month of Ṣafar and in preparation for his departure from this world, the Prophet ﷺ did some unique things. He visited the martyrs of Uḥūd and bid them farewell. After returning, he ascended the pulpit and said, “I am a predecessor before you and I am a witness over you. Your appointment with me is at the Ḥawḍ. I am looking at it while I’m standing right here. I do not fear for you the possibility that you will associate partners with Allah ﷻ in worship; rather, I fear for you in another sense: that you will compete with one another for the world.” 

The Prophet ﷺ also visited Baqīʿ at night as if he was saying farewell to the inhabitants. 

On Monday, the 29th of Ṣafar he developed a severe headache and a very high fever. He was sick for about 13-14 days and continued to lead the prayer for about 11 of those days; until he was too ill to do so. The Prophet ﷺ continued to alternate his visits between his wives and when his illness became more severe he started asking, “Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?” His wives understood that he wanted to rest and be nursed in the home of ʿĀ’ishah and they gave him permission to do so. The Prophet spent the last week of his life in her home under her loving and tender care.

On Wednesday, his temperature rose very high and he asked to be bathed with water. After he felt some strength, he tied a cloth around his head, sat on the pulpit, and delivered one of his final public lectures. The following is some of what he said:

“May Allah’s Curse be upon the Jews and Christians because they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.”

“If I struck anyone’s back, this is my back so take your revenge.”

“If anyone has a debt that I have not paid, then here is my wealth to take.”

The Prophet ﷺ praised the Anṣār.

He was also reported to have said: “Allah ﷻ has a given a servant a choice between this world and what is with Him and He has chosen what is with Him.” 

Upon hearing this, Abū Bakr began to weep uncontrollably. 

Some of the Companions started to wonder why he was crying and found it to be strange. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not cry, O Abū Bakr, for you are the one I trust the most in my companionship and with my family. Were I able to take a khalīl in this world, my khalīl would be Abū Bakr, but I cannot take a khalīl because Allah has chosen me as His khalīl. But, O Abū Bakr, between you and I is the brotherhood of Islam.”

The Prophet ﷺ then announced, “All the doors of the Masjid are to be closed except Abū Bakr’s door.” [Al-Bukhari – 466]

One of the final prayers that the Prophet ﷺ led was Maghrib on the Friday before his death, and he recited Sūrah al-Mursalāt. For ʿIshā, the Prophet ﷺ attempted 3 or 4 times to go to the masjid but he was unable to do so. He asked ʿĀ’isha , “Have the people prayed?” She said, “No and they’re waiting for you O Messenger of Allah…” When he realized that he would not be able to make it, he told ʿĀ’isha , “Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” She said, “O Messenger of Allah, my father is a soft-hearted man; when he stands in prayer, he cries, and people won’t like it.” The Prophet ﷺ insisted, “Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” ʿĀ’isha then urged Ḥafsah to ask the Prophet ﷺ to allow ʿUmar to lead instead, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated even more emphatically, “Go and find Abū Bakr to lead! You are acting like the women around Yūsuf!” Abū Bakr (ra) then led the prayers until the Prophet ﷺ left this world. [Al Bukhari: 678]

The following day (Sat or Sun), the Prophet ﷺ gained enough energy to walk to the masjid while the Companions were praying Ẓuhr. Abū Bakr stepped back to allow the Prophet ﷺ to lead, but the Prophet ﷺ motioned to Abū Bakr to stay in his place… After prayer, the Prophet ﷺ addressed his Companions publically for the last time. He praised the Anṣār and instructed that they be taken care of. He also said, “None of you should die except with good thoughts of Allah.” The last thing he advised his Companions with was, “Guard the prayer! Guard the prayer! And fear Allah with those under your authority.”

The day before his death (Sun), the Prophet ﷺ asked ʿĀ’ishah how much money he had, and she collected seven dinars. He held them in his hand and said, “What will I say to Allah if I meet Allah with these coins?” He then instructed ʿĀ’ishah to give them away in charity. The Prophet ﷺ left this world without any money in his possession.

The next day (Mon), the Prophet ﷺ was in bed as Abū Bakr led the Muslims in Fajr prayer. The Prophet ﷺ lifted the curtain and observed his Companions praying behind Abū Bakr with a beautiful smile on his face. Anas said, “We diverted our attention and almost invalidated our prayers out of happiness.” This is the last time they saw the blessed face of the Prophet ﷺ as he did not live until the next prayer time.

PC: Natalia Trofimova (unsplash)

Later that day, Fāṭimah came to visit the Prophet ﷺ. He whispered something in her ear and she began to cry. He then whispered in her ear again and she smiled. Later, ʿĀ’ishah asked her what the Prophet ﷺ said. She said, “The first time he told me that he would not recover from his illness, and I wept. Then he told me that I would be the first of his family to join him so I smiled.” [Al Bukhari: 4433] When his fever intensified, Fāṭimah said, “How painful is the suffering of my father!” He ﷺ replied, “O Fāṭimah, your father will not suffer after today.”

ʿĀ’ishah placed the Prophet’s head on her lap and cradled him ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ looked over to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn abī Bakr’s miswāk. She asked, “Would you like me to take it for you?”

The Prophet ﷺ then raised his eyes upwards and began whispering. ʿĀ’ishah lowered her head to hear what he was saying, and she heard, “With the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, and allow me to be with al-Rafīq al-Aʿlā (the Loftiest Company). His final words were, “al-Rafīq al-Aʿlā.”

Anas said, “The day the Prophet ﷺ passed away everything became dark. I have never seen a darker day than the day on which the Prophet ﷺ passed away.” 

Lessons

1. Acceptance of Mortality: The Prophet ﷺ knew that his time in the world was limited. He sensed it from certain Quranic verses and prepared both himself and his community for his departure. This is a reminder for us to accept the inevitability of death and to prepare for it spiritually.
2. Preparation for departure: The Prophet ﷺ took several steps in preparation for his passing, such as visiting the martyrs of Uḥūd and Baqīʿ and bidding them farewell. He also emphasized to his Companions that he would soon leave the world and reminded them to stay firm in their worship and devotion to Allah , and avoid competition for worldly gains.
3. Humility and justice: The Prophet ﷺ, during his illness, offered anyone he may have wronged an opportunity to seek redress, showing his humility and sense of justice. He wanted to leave this world without owing anyone anything, and without holding grudges.
4. Charity and Generosity: Before his passing, the Prophet ﷺ asked ʿĀ’ishah about any money they had left and immediately instructed her to give it away in charity, showing his commitment to meeting Allah without holding onto material wealth.
5. The Importance of Prayer: One of the Prophet’s ﷺ final public instructions was to emphasize the importance of prayer. He repeatedly advised his Companions to “Guard the prayer!” which serves as a reminder for all Muslims to maintain their prayers, especially in difficult times.
6. Compassion for Family: Even in his final moments, the Prophet ﷺ showed compassion for his daughter Fāṭimah when she expressed sadness over his suffering. He reassured her that after his death, he would no longer experience pain, showing the importance of comforting our loved ones during hard times.
7. Leadership and Community: The Prophet ﷺ made arrangements for the continuity of leadership, appointing Abū Bakr to lead the prayers. This highlights the significance of ensuring the well-being and unity of the community even after one’s departure.
8. Final words and readying to meet Allah : In his last moments, the Prophet ﷺ expressed a longing to be reunited with “al-Rafīq al-Aʿlā” (the Loftiest Company), meaning Allah , the Prophets, and the righteous. His last words were a beautiful reminder of his connection to the Divine, which left a lasting impression on his Companions.

There are many many lessons to take from the life of our beloved Messenger , but also many to take from his final hours on earth.

 

Related:

– From The Chaplain’s Desk: Expressing Love For The Prophet

– Podcast: The Prophet ﷺ and Secrets To A Good Death | Dr. Muhammad Wajid Akhter

 

The post From the Chaplain’s Desk – Reflecting On The Final Days Of The Prophet This Rabi-ul Awwal appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Israel's shock and awe in Lebanon will not end the resistance to Zionism.

Tel Aviv’s genocide in Gaza and attacks in Lebanon are endangering all of humanity.

Alhamdulillah.

As a young or new Muslim, you may encounter various groups (‘Salafists,’ ‘Traditionalists,’ ‘Activists,’ and many strands in between) who are eager to engage you in their causes. Each of them carries elements of truth and sincere intent. After thorough examination within your capacity and praying for guidance from your Lord, work with the one that resonates with your heart, but remember: your journey in Islam is long, and there is much knowledge, history, and understanding that you, and likely those who invite you, have yet to fully grasp.

Beware of zealotry, for it can lead you astray. Instead, proceed with care and reflection, knowing that your ultimate goal is your own salvation and the pleasure of Allah . Dogmatism can deform your intellectual, moral, and spiritual self, confining you to rigid structures that may obscure the broader beauty of Islam. Compartmentalization will limit your reach, keeping much goodness and wisdom beyond your grasp.

These groups are comprised of flawed humans, just like you. They may present to you certain truths that appeal to your pure fiṭra (natural disposition), but along with those truths, they may slip into unexamined dogmas that have weak foundations.

Many before you have been sacrificed for personal ambitions or dogmatic visions, often cloaked as noble causes. Reflect on all those who lost their lives following the countless “Mahdis” throughout our history. Consider reading the correspondence between “al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah” and Abū Jaʿfar al-Manṣūr. These were the campaign debates of their time. This will help you better understand why many in Muslim lands hold an aversion to politicized religion. But does that mean one should embrace a form of Islam that reconciles with corruption, passively awaiting a better place in the Hereafter? Are all those who promote such an approach entirely free from their own agendas?

As you reflect on the effectiveness of the group you follow as diagnosticians and healers, consider this: Have their solutions produced tangible results when they held the majority or were in power? Has spiritual lethargy, moral decline, material backwardness, and defeat at the hands of others been limited only to times and places under the influence of their intellectual opponents? Moreover, can the significant issues within their own ranks be easily dismissed as mere external conspiracies?

At first, you may not notice gaps or inconsistencies because of your limited exposure to Islamic knowledge and history. Also, part of this, naturally, is a result of youth and inexperience.

Equip yourself with the following seven virtues as you walk this path:

1. Sincerity and a heart deeply connected to Allah .

2. Humility and harboring a positive outlook toward others help guard against the corrosive effects of cynicism.

3. Knowledge: Start with structured learning, but understand that true knowledge expands far beyond fixed curricula.

4. Moderation, which anchors you in the middle ground.

5. Rationality: Never relinquish this precious Divine Gift to any fallible human.

6. Honesty: To preserve your integrity, prevent double standards or deliberate blind spots, and remain open to the Truth, regardless of its source.

7. Pragmatism: Balancing honesty with practical wisdom allows you to collaborate with various groups without compromising your principles, while striving to follow the paths within these groups that are the least dogmatic and fanatical.

Avoid being conscripted into lost battles or sacrificing yourself for causes that may lead nowhere. Strive to leave a lasting, positive mark on the world, so that by the time you depart, your legacy will reflect the principles of Islam in their truest form.

وصلى الله على محمد والحمد لله رب العالمين

 

Related:

– Lowlier Than Thou – Naseeha tips from Ibn Rajab

– From The Chaplain’s Desk: Valuing And Nurturing Faith On Campus

The post Seven Virtues With Which To Navigate Recruitment: Humble Advice To Young And New Muslims appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

It took me 40 days to go upstairs to Ahmed’s flat, and I did so only because my mom had asked for help to clean the place.

Parents struggling to find ways to help daughter deal with stress of constant violence and displacement.

Dr. Yousef M. Aljamal on new anthology of Alareer’s work; war between Hizballah and Israel expands.

Israeli soldiers raid Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau, ordering broadcaster to cease operations for 45 days.

Zakaria was not just my brother; he was my closest companion. They found him with his son, Ali, their bodies fused in a final, tragic embrace.

Reading in tents, dodging explosions and praying for an internet connection. Students have to go to extraordinary lengths to pursue an education in Gaza.

Bombing left no body intact. Some remain under rubble to this day.

We must not allow atrocities to be endlessly repeated in our name.

The world body is facing an existential test of legitimacy, moral standing and competence.

Sojod Abulkhair, 19, and her sister Toqa, 15, were abducted by Israeli soldiers in December 2023 and detained at various facilities for 55 days, their family unaware of their whereabouts.  

Lebanon suffered its bloodiest day in decades as the Israeli airforce turned its gunsights north this week. Over five hundred people are confirmed to have lost their lives as Tel Aviv, which has exchanged fire with Hezbollah for nearly a year on the border, mounted a sweeping bombardment of the country’s south. It marked yet another escalation to coincide with the ongoing genocide in Gaza as well as Israel’s belligerence toward Lebanon, which has resulted in a number of invasions in the past fifty years.

The massive aerial bombardment throughout Lebanon, particularly its Shia-majority south, is confirmed to have killed at least 569 people in its first day. This days after Israel planned a brazen terrorist raid, detonating communication devices in public spaces that killed several people and injured hundreds. The Israeli government is bristling with fighting words. In one of several examples, education minister Yoav Kisch declared, “The way things are progressing at the moment, Lebanon will be annihilated…the price of aggression from Lebanon’s territory will be paid by the state of Lebanon.” He then added, “I am correcting myself: it will not be annihilated. Lebanon as we know it will cease to exist.”

A rescuer inspects the debris at the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a pharmacy in the southern Lebanese village of Akbiyeh on 24 September 2024 (AFP/Mahmoud Zayyat)

The pomposity of these words and the general aggressiveness of the Israeli position reflects the standard position of Tel Aviv, typified in a characteristically incongruous euphemism – “de-escalation through escalation” – with regards to Lebanon, supposing that a major assault will cow the Lebanese state and populace, perhaps with the result of overthrowing or purging Hezbollah or otherwise coming cap in hand for a meek surrender. It ignores the long history of Israel’s wars in Lebanon, all of which have been wholly unsuccessful and only served to bolster the ranks of militant groups such as Hezbollah.

Background

The Lebanese border with the Israeli occupation of northern Palestine has been unquiet for the better part of the last year, with regular exchanges of fire almost since the Gaza genocide began further south. Hezbollah, which was originally formed during Israel’s 1980s occupation of Lebanon, largely dominates the Shia-majority south of the country. Since Palestinian militants originally ensconced themselves in the region during the 1970s Israel’s attitude has been one of collective punishment: making the Lebanese state and people pay for any acts of militancy with purposely disproportionate attacks.

That strategy peaked in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, which advanced as far north as its capital, but although Israel did manage to expel much of the then-Fatah-led Palestinian resistance, they soon encountered various Lebanese opponents -most prominently Hezbollah- and were eventually forced to withdraw in 2000 after years of skirmishes punctuated with occasionally massive assaults that always featured the same pattern of collective punishment. This was formalized after the 2006 war with the Israeli military’s so-called “Dahia doctrine”, named after a suburb Israel heavily targeted, which called for wholesale and indiscriminate destruction as a form of political pressure. The architect of this brutalist doctrine, Gadi Eizenkot, is today a minister in the Israeli government.

With its major Iranian support, Hezbollah has often been earmarked both by Israel and by various Arab rivals as a rival: this is one of the enemies against which such Arab states as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have embraced American-brokered normalization with Tel Aviv. There is no doubt that the group has been historically effective in fighting Israeli attacks, and after it repulsed the 2006 Israeli attack, was widely portrayed as the world’s most effective non-state army. The group more contentiously brandished that ability in the Syrian war in the 2010s to help rescue the regime of Bashar Assad from a predominantly Sunni insurgency, draining much of its earlier goodwill. Nonetheless, the group’s legitimacy within Lebanon hinges on its image as “resistance”, primarily to the many Israeli attacks that have charred the country’s history.

Though its leader Hassan Nasrullah was careful not to commit himself to a full-scale war – conscious, likely, of Iran’s interests against such a conflagration – his group has nonetheless responded to the Gaza genocide with a series of raids on the Israeli border, which have marked a low-lying border war that has sent most settlers scuttling south for safety. Israel has killed several leading Hezbollah commanders – including its air commander Ali Burji, field commanders Abu-Taleb Abdullah, Abu Nima Nasir, and Jawad Tawil, and military chiefs Mohsen Shukr and more recently Tahsin Akil.

This autumn, as the Gaza genocide reaches a year, Israel has now decided to expand the war against the Lebanese state and its citizens.

 

Related:

– Israel Seeks Escalation For Latitude – The Regional “Conflict” Widens

– “In Our Thousands, In Our Millions” | The Palestinian Refugee Camps of Lebanon

The post Lebanon Faces Deadliest Day In Two Decades As Israeli Strikes Kill Over Five Hundred appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

My friend and mentor Ayatollah Sayyid al-Milani, who has died aged 80, belonged to that rare breed, a traditionally trained Muslim cleric who was also a trailblazer in the advancement of inter-religious understanding.

Milani’s open-mindedness, forward thinking and widely recognised status as the spiritual leader of the UK’s 100,000-plus Shia community allowed him to provide guidance to British Muslims in difficult times, notably after 9/11, at the beginning of the invasion of Iraq and during the rise of Islamic State.

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Business as usual is both repugnant and foolish.

Belgium-based writer tries to help locate younger brother in Gaza.