Are you sitting comfortably

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

by Bint Muhammad

CagePrisoners.com

Are you sitting comfortably? Enjoying the freedom to walk about, eat any food you desire and attend to the toilet as you wish? Have you glanced at your beloveds and tended to your work and play? Are you enjoying all the rights that our brothers, unjustly imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, have been denied?



I don’t doubt for one moment, dear believer, that you are ungrateful for your state. I don’t doubt for one second that you wish to share these joys with them too. I know that if I was to look into your hearts I would find pools of grief and the deepest desire to see them free. Your anger, dear believer, and that yearning to help is that which unites all of those sitting comfortably, frustrated at their inability to assist their captive brothers.



So what is it that you can do, O believer, and how is it that you can help?



In the past few years, numerous feeble justifications for the countless atrocities perpetrated against our Ummah have emerged, amongst them its so-called “terrorist” activities and attempts to destroy the West.



Is it the weapons-training that they fear, or could it be the unknown size of the Ummah’s army? Or perhaps it is those weapons of mass destruction that, to this day, remain hidden from the world?



Take a look at the following and you’ll begin to appreciate that there may be more truth to their claims than first appears:



Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah’s Mercy be upon him) wrote,



Du’a (supplication) and seeking of protection with Allah are like weapons; but the sharpness of a weapon is not sufficient for it to cause effect, for the person that handles it also plays a role. So whenever the weapon is a perfect one, having no blemish in it, and the forearm is strong, and there are no preventing factors, then it will cause an effect on the enemy.



He continues:



But if any of these three factors are missing, then the effect will also be lessened. So, if the du’a, in and of itself, is not correct, or the person making the du’a has not combined between his heart and tongue in the du’a, or if there is a preventing factor, then the desired effect will not occur.



Two and a half years on, the believers are still eagerly awaiting the release of their brothers from these horrific conditions. Two and a half years have passed in which we have possessed this weapon and now it is time for us to realise its effect. Indeed, it is the very weapon that inspectors continue to hunt, and the tool that has created such fear amongst the enemy. It is the one and only tool that can never be destroyed, whatever attempts they may make. Laziness…. Lack of yaqeen (certainty)… feeble efforts… these are the ways in which we have weakened our hold of this trusted weapon. For every believing soul that yearns to see his brothers free, this is the tool that shall ensure they receive the help of Allah and shall ensure justice is done.



Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu ‘alayhi was-salam) said, “The du’a of a Muslim for his brother in his absence will certainly be answered. Every time he makes a supplication for good for his brother, the angel appointed for this task says, “Amin! May it be for you, the same.”” (Muslim)



‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu ‘alayhi was-salam) said, “When you ask from Allah, all Glory and Praise be to Him, ask from Him in a state in which you are certain that you prayers will be answered, for verily Allah does not accept from His slave any Du’a that is made from a neglectful heart.” (Ahmad)



This certainty is the strength with which we wield our weapon, dear believer. A weak hand will not benefit from a perfect weapon and likewise, a lack of enthusiasm in its acceptance will make our du’as feeble. Our captive brothers have not lost this hope, as their letters demonstrate - “Know that I have complete trust in the promise of Allah, and that I am certain that I will be released soon, by the leave of Allah.” [1] - so why should we be hopeless and despairing, doubting that when we implore to Allah we will not be responded to? Our brothers ask nothing more from us, and what would sadden them more than their captivity, O believer, than to know that their brothers have forsaken them in their du’a?



Our imprisoned brother, Abdullah Hamid Muslih al-Qahtani writes, “He (Allah) will never disappoint us…I do not ask anything of you except to request your sincere prayers, as we are in urgent need of supplications from all of the Muslims…” [2]



A further plea calls, “As for the one who can do nothing, then the very least he can do is to raise his arms in the last third of the night praying against the oppressor and the despondent one, asking Allah to relieve us of our woes and to remove the burden from . The Prophet said, “Whoever forsakes a Muslim in a situation while he has the ability to help him, Allah will forsake him at a time when he would want the help of Allah.” [3]



This greatest and most noble form of worship, this plea from the very heart of a believer, this perfect recognition of his Lord’s ability to control every affair – this is the very least that they are expecting from us.



Their captivity is from the Divine decree of Allah, and He alone is All-Knowing of their outcome. If the entire world were to gather against the prisoners and intend to harm them, they would not be able to except by the decree of Allah; and if the whole world were to gather together, in support of the prisoners and seeking their release, then they would not be able to avail them any good, except by the decree of Allah. Yet, in spite of this reality, Allah, the Almighty, has provided His weak and finite slaves with a means to aid their brothers, as the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi was-salam) informed us, “Nothing repels the Divine Decree except Du’a.” (Ibn Majah)



Our every plea to Allah is heard, and responded to, as the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi was-salam said), “There is no person who asks Allah for anything except that Allah gives it to him, or keeps him away from a similar evil…” Is it not He, the Exalted, who says about Himself,



“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then (tell them): 'I am indeed near to them. I respond to the du`a of the supplicant when he calls on Me." [al-Baqarah (2): 186]



Indeed our Lord is “shy to return the hands of a believer empty without responding to him” (Ahmad)!



If this were not sufficient encouragement for the believer to turn to Allah, then He has further equipped us for this battle by giving us special times and places to utilize in which the supplications are more likely to be responded to, or those in which the supplication is not rejected. And this is the sole expectation of our fettered brothrs, “We do not request anything of you except that you seek the hours in which supplications are answered, for my brothers; Entreat all of our siblings, relatives, and all of the Muslims to pray for us.” [4]



Ask yourselves, O servants of Allah, if you have made ample use of these blessed occasions to fulfill the least of the rights of your brothers. Every single night that passes – and there have been more than 800 of them, since Camp X-Ray was first erected – we are given and, for the most part, we are wasting, this blessed opportunity that is bestowed upon us daily in its last third part, the hours before dawn. At least seventeen times a day we are in the closest state to our Lord – sujood (prostration) – one of the best places to make du’aa. For at least thirty days a year - if not more - we are in the noble state of fasting, in which our supplications are accepted. Who from amongst us has seized the golden opportunity awaiting us after each adhaan, or in that last special hour of each Jumuah (Friday)? And only Allah knows the countless hours that we have passed in traveling, failing to dedicate this time to supplicating on their behalf.



For the believer who views the greater picture, then this prayer will mean the world. Indeed our history reflects the power of its impact, strengthening our faith.



In the time of the companion Qutayba, he asked about the most pious man amongst them known as Muhammad ibn Wasii. He was told that he was at the flank of the army with his finger pointed to the sky (as an established method of supplicating according to certain circumstances). Upon hearing this, Qutayba replied “That finger is better than a hundred thousand swords.”



Ibn Kathir narrates the story of a woman who came to the scholar, Imam Baqi ibn Mukhallad, complaining that she could not sleep from her distress for her son who had been captured. So Imam Baqi bowed his head, and moved his lips, praying to Allah to release her son from the clutches of the Franks. It was not long before the woman returned with her son at her side. The boy described how he had been chained in fetters, when one day, his chains suddenly broke free. As the guards rushed to fix them, they again spontaneously fell loose. In his confusion, the king sent for their monks to consult them about the matter. They asked, “Does he have a mother?” The boy replied in the affirmative. “Indeed,” they replied, “she has prayed for him and her prayers have been accepted, so set him free”. Imam Baqi asked the boy the exact hour in which his fetters broke, and lo and behold it was the exact hour he prayed to Allah to release him! [5]



Employ the following means to ensure your Du’a is the perfect and unblemished weapon that Ibn al Qayyim (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) spoke about:

• Be in a state of Wudhu

• Face the Qiblah

• Raise your hands

• Ask each request three times

• Be persistent and ask plentifully.

• Cry and expect the best from Allah

• Begin by praising Allah and ask by His Glorious names

• Follow this by sending salaams on the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi was-salam) and ask for yourself too

• Ask for your brother what you wish for yourself, knowing that this is true Eeman!



Know, dear believer, that a shield is held between your weapon and the enemy if you have not prepared yourself for this weapon’s use. Shatter this shield by removing the factors that prevent our du’a from being effective:



• Ensure a halaal sustenance

• Seek forgiveness for your sins

• Do not become tired or lazy, since the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi was-sallam) said, “The most incapable (or lazy) person is he who does not make du’a…” (Ibn Hibban)

• Expect a response

• Implement the etiquette of du’a as mentioned above

• Do not become hasty as Allah’s Messenger (salla Allahu ‘alayhi was-sallam) said,
“The du’a of a believer will continue to be responded to, as long as he does not ask for a sin or breaking the ties of kinship, and as long as he is not hasty.” It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah. What does it mean to be hasty?” He responded: “A worshipper says, ‘I have prayed and prayed, and I don’t see that it will be accepted’, so he gives up hope of being answered, and he leaves du’a” (Muslim)



So do not despair and become hopeless, even when your heart is on the brink of shattering from sadness for your brothers; Rather, turn to Allah alone with your complaint, with sincerity, and transform your desperation into a strong and pure du’a directed towards al-Mujeeb (the One who Responds).



Ask your Lord, dear believer, and know that your reward is guaranteed. There is no loss when you ask, so do not waste these chances. Your brothers need you now more than ever.



Ask, dear believer, whilst blood still courses through your veins, and your pulse still beats. Raise your weapon and lower that shield, in defence of your brothers, in desperate need of your help, before there comes a Day when the prisoners will stand as a witness against you, in a place where you would love to have Allah’s help, and where you would give the entire Earth and all that it contains to ransom yourself from His Punishment:



“To the one who hears our letter…we are the prisoners…we will stand against you all before Allah on the day of Judgement and we will say to Him…”These people, they knew the orders of your Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi was-salam) regarding freeing the prisoner, but they did not oblige nor did they take all the courses that could lead to our freedom”. [6]



So heed this final plea from your captive brothers, and “fear,” in the words of the most noble of the Messengers, (salla Allahu ‘ayhi was-salam), “the du’a of the one who has been wronged, for verily it ascends to the skies faster than the sparks (of light).” (al-Hakim)







End notes

[1] From the First Letter of Abdullah Eidah al-Matrafi, translated by Cageprisoners.com

[2] From the Second Letter of Abdullah Hamid al-Muslih al-Qahtani, translated by Cageprisoners.com

[3] From the sermon by Sheikh Muhammad al-Habdan, “Who Will Stand Up for the Muslim Prisoners?”, translated by Cageprisoners.com

[4] From the First Letter of Abdullah Hamid al-Muslih al-Qahtani, translated by Cageprisoners.com

[5] This story is narrated in full in the sermon by Sheikh Muhammad al-Habdan, “Who Will Stand Up for the Muslim Prisoners?”, translated by Cageprisoners.com.

[6] From the sermon by Sheikh Muhammad al-Habdan, “Who Will Stand Up for the Muslim Prisoners?”, translated by Cageprisoners.com.

"O my Lord, the stars are shining and the eyes of men are closed, and kings have shut
their doors, and every lover is alone with his beloved, and here I am alone with Thee."

[Rabia al-Adawiyya]