Bismillahirahmanirahim
To put it simply, jihad means struggle. Jihad fi sabil Allah, striving in the way of God. It is an important essential aspect of life. To live itself is a jihad.
Palestine-Israel Issue
You have a house. You share it with a friend. But after a while, your friend kicks you out of your own home and claims it as his own. How would you feel after that?
The same analogy can be applied to the Palestinians. They shared their land with the Jewish, and Zionist made plans to snatch the land and claimed it as Israel. Throughout history, they migrated other Jews and finally when they are in a big number, seized the houses of Palestinians and forced them to leave. On 15th May, Nakbah Day, Israel is officially formed on Palestinian land, leaving many Palestinian refugees without homes.
The Palestine-Israel issue is not a fresh headline out of the newspaper as this war has been prolonged since the British invaded Palestine. Palestinians struggled to claim back their land. Every day, they are faced with hardships, difficulties, to make a living and also facing violence from the Zionist. We see pictures of children with guns pointed to their heads, bulldozers crashing people’s homes and others that clearly show a violation of humanism.
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And their Lord responded to them, "Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another. So those who emigrated or were evicted from their homes or were harmed in My cause or fought or were killed - I will surely remove from them their misdeeds, and I will surely admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow as reward from Allah , and Allah has with Him the best reward." (3:195)
With their trials, Allah promised Jannah.
Paradise
Getting into one of the most prestigious university, recognized by the world is not an easy matter. How many Malaysians managed to make their way to Oxford? Not anyone can enter Oxford as they wish; only those fulfilling their high requirements are chosen.
Every Muslims’ dream is to gain Allah’s love and live forever in Heaven.
If Oxford is that hard to enter, imagine what would be the price of Jannah?
Reflecting the deeds you have done in 15 years, 20 years, 30 or 40 years of living, can you be sure that you deserved the beautiful Heaven, in luscious green with flowing rivers.
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)
Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (29;2)
Their trials vs ours
A Palestinian boy, who lost his family and home to the Zionist, everyday facing fear of his life, but mentally and physically prepared to fight back. What a big trial thrusted upon him.
To compare with our own life, eating, sleeping, praying 5 times a day, taking care of our parents, studying, working...
The boy gave out all efforts, struggled hard and will be promised Paradise. But for us? With our mere struggles, how can we be given the same privilege and reward?
About Ikhlas
Ikhlas, or sincerity, purity of intention, is easy to spell out yet the burden of carrying it and trying to fulfil it weighs a lot. To be ikhlas is to do something purely for Allah. Not expecting any rewards and doing it out of pure pleasure. Every day, you will be faced with this dilemma. Was I sincere in praying? Did I study because of Allah or because exams are just around the corner? How about something as simple as bathing? Did I bathe because of Allah? Everything should be done for Allah yet how many percent of your daily activities are you sure that you did purely because of Him?
Ikhlas can come in many stages, before you do something, while doing it and also afterwards, when you make a reflection of what you did and took lessons from it. The best is to be ikhlas in all stages, but it is not an easy thing to do. Syaitan is always whispering and your heart could sway at any time, taking away that sincerity also either before, during or after doing something. Always istighfar and renew your niat.
To be ikhlas also means whole-heartedly doing it for the sake of Allah. And giving out whole-heartedly requires love for Allah.
Gaining Allah’s love
A loves B. To gain B’s love, A tries hard to get B’s attention, doing what B likes, wearing B’s favourite color. A also gives presents in effort to make B pay attention to A. A declares to the whole world that A loves B very much.
To raise Allah’s love, always try to get his attention, do what He likes, be His sibghah.
[Our Sibghah (religion) is] the Sibghah (Religion) of Allah (Islam) and which Sibghah (religion) can be better than Allah's? And we are His worshippers. (2;138)
To be His sibghah is like pouring water into a shaped container. We shape ourselves to Allah’s container. Like handling a remote control to Allah to do whatever He pleases. When He says pray, we pray. When He says make infaq, we do so. When He says cover your aurat, we cover up.
To do everything because of him and be ikhlas in doing it, that is our real jihad.
-hitamputih-
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