moshyman
02-06-05, 09:37 AM
‘These Letters Gave me Strength…’
“I have received many letters from brothers, sisters and even children. I was very happy, you can’t imagine how these letters gave me strength, steadiness and support to carry on in this way.” <SUP>1</SUP>
These are the words of a prisoner imprisoned in Britain’s very own Guantanamo Bay – Belmarsh prison.
Words that reflect happiness and gratitude. Words that show us how a simple letter can do so much. Highlighting the importance of how we must strive to reach out to the prisoners who have been so unjustly detained in the West’s war of terror on ‘Terror.’
Taken away from familiar surroundings and placed in prison cells, they have become isolated from the outside world. Confinement can be very difficult, and they will need a great deal of faith, reliance upon Allah, inner strength and perseverance for their fight for freedom and justice in the days to come.
It takes little imagination to visualise life in a prison. The confined cell, the bare walls, the silence, and most of all, the feeling of isolation. Among these things and others, you can imagine how they must feel as they wake up each morning, and not only face the struggles of the day, but also, through their confinement, bear the wrath of the entire political system and its bogus war on terror.
OUR BROTHERS, OUR RESPONSIBILITY
A Muslim is not an individual who focuses only on himself alone, but whose responsibilities and concerns extend to his family, his community and the rest of the Muslims around him. Thus, the well being of the Muslims prisoners is our responsibility.
http://www.stoppoliticalterror.com/templates/generalpage2/generalpage2slices/quran4510.jpg
“The believers are nothing else than brothers.” [49:10]
These strong ties of brotherhood we have make their concerns our concerns, their grief our grief, and their hardships our hardships. We are one. Our Lord is one, our path is one, and our goal is one. Our actions should truly reflect this spirit of love and mercy that should exist between the believers.
“You will find the believers, with respect to their mutual mercy, love and compassion for one another, like one body: if one portion of the body is ailing, the rest of the body suffers from sleeplessness and fever." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Not only should we reach out to them, but we should race one another to offer them support, and help them bear the trials they face through being imprisoned.
http://www.stoppoliticalterror.com/templates/generalpage2/generalpage2slices/quran458.gif
“So strive as in a race in good deeds.” [5:48]
Our hearts may bleed and tears fall aplenty when we hear of what they face, but these worries should not send us into a state of paralysis where we are doing nothing, nor should we let the enormity of the cases we hear about make us go into a state of apathy where we do little, and the news of new arrests and new victims do nothing to spark our outrage and spur us into action.
Our emotions should transform themselves into positive actions.
WRITE, REACH OUT
If someone comes to you to share their problems and seek help from you, you will listen and try to help them. You will call them again and again, just to make sure they are well and coping. Although we may not be able to talk with the prisoners, or sit with them and keep them company, we can reach out to them in other ways, and if you reflect on the words of the brother speaking on how letters have helped him, you can see how a simple action like writing a letter can make such a huge difference.
It is mentioned in a hadith of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi was sallam, “...The most beloved of deeds to Allah is to make another Muslim happy…” (at-Tabarani). By writing to a prisoner, you will make him feel happy. It can be a few words of encouragement, or it can be a long letter full of exhortation to patience and other supportive words. It will cheer him up, and make him feel good that he is being remembered.
"Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from a difficulty of the difficulties of the hereafter… Allah is helping the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother." (Muslim)
By writing, you will help ease their distress, and help shoulder their difficulties. You will boost their morale, and give them determination to remain positive. We all love to receive letters or emails from friends or family, even if it is a simple hello. And at a time when we are feeling low, it is appreciated even more.
By writing, you are reaching out to them, and helping them bear the loneliness of the cell. Although they are alone, your words will keep them company. Numerous letters will make them feel surrounded by people, and will bring rays of light from the outside world into their cells, so that they will feel that they are not forgotten.
By writing, you will be able to channel any sad thoughts of your own into fruitful discourse where you give beneficial advice and exhortations to be steadfast in their struggles. Rather than remaining in a state of sadness at what has befallen our ummah, we can help positively, even if it is by helping keep the prisoners in good spirits.
By writing, your words will also make you reflect on yourself, and remind you of the shortness of the life in this world. Moreover, it will make you feel grateful and more appreciative of the small things you have that are so often taken for granted. It will also put any of your own worries and troubles into perspective, as you will see that your troubles cannot compare to the troubles that these brothers face.
HELP THEM FIGHT SHAYTAN
There have been many reports in the media that inform us that some of the detainees in Belmarsh prison, many who are being held indefinitely without charge or trial, have considered taking their own lives. If there is anything that can make the reality of their plight hit home, it is this.
Detainee ‘M', who has been released from Belmarsh, says:
"Their situation has become very, very difficult for them. Three or four of them have become mad, exactly mad. They can't control themselves, they are not thinking in a good way…I don't know if they have tried [suicide] but they are thinking about it. The reason is because they do not know if they will ever be released." <SUP>2</SUP>
The prisoners are isolated from the outside world, with little contact with family or friends. This makes them more vulnerable, and more needy of our help. Shaytan will be taking up any opportunity to whisper and make them increase in their worries or stress, so we need to help them fight against a state of mind where they may become weak, and so susceptible to such thoughts.
We must write letters that give them hope, help strengthen them and motivate them to persevere in remaining patient. We must be their link to the outside world, a link that shows that they have not been forgotten.
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE?
It may be hard sometimes to write to someone that you don’t know. You may find that you don’t know what to say, or how to say it.
A few suggestions as to what you can write:
Encourage them to be patient, and to have faith in Allah.
Remind them that this life is filled with trials, and that those whom Allah loves will be tested again and again.
Remind them of their purpose in life, and the promise of Jannah.
Quote Quranic verses and hadith that mention the above, which will help increase their faith and strengthen their relationship with Allah.
Encourage them to read the Quran often and engage to in a lot of Dhikr.
Whether you write a few words, or a long letter, it is important to keep on writing on a regular basis. As it is told in a hadith of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi was sallam, “…The most beloved deeds to Allah are those which are regularly done even if they were little.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
WRITING HELPS IN OTHER WAYS
Writing to the Prisoners also lets prison staff know that people out there care, and are concerned about them. This may decrease the chances that the prisoners may be mistreated.
SO, PICK UP YOUR PEN!
It is not enough that we feel sorry for what they are going through. It is not enough that we shed a few tears when we sit and think about what they are experiencing. Nor is it enough that we lay back and wait for others to take on the responsibility of reaching out to them.
We must not fail them at this critical time. We must hasten to comfort them, and support them at a time when they need us most. It is a time for speaking out and reaching out, a time for acting and not sleeping. Each and every one of us will stand on the Day Of Judgement, and be asked about what we did to help our brothers in their time of need.
"...Do not turn one's back on each other... And be, O servants of Allah, brethren. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not wrong him. He does not fail him (when he needs him).” (Muslim)
So let us stretch out our hands and our hearts, and race to offer support. We must also remember to keep them in our dua’s, and ask Allah to bestow patience upon them, and make things easy for them.
http://www.stoppoliticalterror.com/templates/generalpage2/generalpage2slices/quran103.gif
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="70%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>"By Al-'Asr (the time). Verily! Man is in loss. Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth and recommend one another to patience." [103:1-3]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This article was written by www.StopPoliticalTerror.com (http://www.StopPoliticalTerror.com)
“I have received many letters from brothers, sisters and even children. I was very happy, you can’t imagine how these letters gave me strength, steadiness and support to carry on in this way.” <SUP>1</SUP>
These are the words of a prisoner imprisoned in Britain’s very own Guantanamo Bay – Belmarsh prison.
Words that reflect happiness and gratitude. Words that show us how a simple letter can do so much. Highlighting the importance of how we must strive to reach out to the prisoners who have been so unjustly detained in the West’s war of terror on ‘Terror.’
Taken away from familiar surroundings and placed in prison cells, they have become isolated from the outside world. Confinement can be very difficult, and they will need a great deal of faith, reliance upon Allah, inner strength and perseverance for their fight for freedom and justice in the days to come.
It takes little imagination to visualise life in a prison. The confined cell, the bare walls, the silence, and most of all, the feeling of isolation. Among these things and others, you can imagine how they must feel as they wake up each morning, and not only face the struggles of the day, but also, through their confinement, bear the wrath of the entire political system and its bogus war on terror.
OUR BROTHERS, OUR RESPONSIBILITY
A Muslim is not an individual who focuses only on himself alone, but whose responsibilities and concerns extend to his family, his community and the rest of the Muslims around him. Thus, the well being of the Muslims prisoners is our responsibility.
http://www.stoppoliticalterror.com/templates/generalpage2/generalpage2slices/quran4510.jpg
“The believers are nothing else than brothers.” [49:10]
These strong ties of brotherhood we have make their concerns our concerns, their grief our grief, and their hardships our hardships. We are one. Our Lord is one, our path is one, and our goal is one. Our actions should truly reflect this spirit of love and mercy that should exist between the believers.
“You will find the believers, with respect to their mutual mercy, love and compassion for one another, like one body: if one portion of the body is ailing, the rest of the body suffers from sleeplessness and fever." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Not only should we reach out to them, but we should race one another to offer them support, and help them bear the trials they face through being imprisoned.
http://www.stoppoliticalterror.com/templates/generalpage2/generalpage2slices/quran458.gif
“So strive as in a race in good deeds.” [5:48]
Our hearts may bleed and tears fall aplenty when we hear of what they face, but these worries should not send us into a state of paralysis where we are doing nothing, nor should we let the enormity of the cases we hear about make us go into a state of apathy where we do little, and the news of new arrests and new victims do nothing to spark our outrage and spur us into action.
Our emotions should transform themselves into positive actions.
WRITE, REACH OUT
If someone comes to you to share their problems and seek help from you, you will listen and try to help them. You will call them again and again, just to make sure they are well and coping. Although we may not be able to talk with the prisoners, or sit with them and keep them company, we can reach out to them in other ways, and if you reflect on the words of the brother speaking on how letters have helped him, you can see how a simple action like writing a letter can make such a huge difference.
It is mentioned in a hadith of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi was sallam, “...The most beloved of deeds to Allah is to make another Muslim happy…” (at-Tabarani). By writing to a prisoner, you will make him feel happy. It can be a few words of encouragement, or it can be a long letter full of exhortation to patience and other supportive words. It will cheer him up, and make him feel good that he is being remembered.
"Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from a difficulty of the difficulties of the hereafter… Allah is helping the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother." (Muslim)
By writing, you will help ease their distress, and help shoulder their difficulties. You will boost their morale, and give them determination to remain positive. We all love to receive letters or emails from friends or family, even if it is a simple hello. And at a time when we are feeling low, it is appreciated even more.
By writing, you are reaching out to them, and helping them bear the loneliness of the cell. Although they are alone, your words will keep them company. Numerous letters will make them feel surrounded by people, and will bring rays of light from the outside world into their cells, so that they will feel that they are not forgotten.
By writing, you will be able to channel any sad thoughts of your own into fruitful discourse where you give beneficial advice and exhortations to be steadfast in their struggles. Rather than remaining in a state of sadness at what has befallen our ummah, we can help positively, even if it is by helping keep the prisoners in good spirits.
By writing, your words will also make you reflect on yourself, and remind you of the shortness of the life in this world. Moreover, it will make you feel grateful and more appreciative of the small things you have that are so often taken for granted. It will also put any of your own worries and troubles into perspective, as you will see that your troubles cannot compare to the troubles that these brothers face.
HELP THEM FIGHT SHAYTAN
There have been many reports in the media that inform us that some of the detainees in Belmarsh prison, many who are being held indefinitely without charge or trial, have considered taking their own lives. If there is anything that can make the reality of their plight hit home, it is this.
Detainee ‘M', who has been released from Belmarsh, says:
"Their situation has become very, very difficult for them. Three or four of them have become mad, exactly mad. They can't control themselves, they are not thinking in a good way…I don't know if they have tried [suicide] but they are thinking about it. The reason is because they do not know if they will ever be released." <SUP>2</SUP>
The prisoners are isolated from the outside world, with little contact with family or friends. This makes them more vulnerable, and more needy of our help. Shaytan will be taking up any opportunity to whisper and make them increase in their worries or stress, so we need to help them fight against a state of mind where they may become weak, and so susceptible to such thoughts.
We must write letters that give them hope, help strengthen them and motivate them to persevere in remaining patient. We must be their link to the outside world, a link that shows that they have not been forgotten.
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE?
It may be hard sometimes to write to someone that you don’t know. You may find that you don’t know what to say, or how to say it.
A few suggestions as to what you can write:
Encourage them to be patient, and to have faith in Allah.
Remind them that this life is filled with trials, and that those whom Allah loves will be tested again and again.
Remind them of their purpose in life, and the promise of Jannah.
Quote Quranic verses and hadith that mention the above, which will help increase their faith and strengthen their relationship with Allah.
Encourage them to read the Quran often and engage to in a lot of Dhikr.
Whether you write a few words, or a long letter, it is important to keep on writing on a regular basis. As it is told in a hadith of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi was sallam, “…The most beloved deeds to Allah are those which are regularly done even if they were little.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
WRITING HELPS IN OTHER WAYS
Writing to the Prisoners also lets prison staff know that people out there care, and are concerned about them. This may decrease the chances that the prisoners may be mistreated.
SO, PICK UP YOUR PEN!
It is not enough that we feel sorry for what they are going through. It is not enough that we shed a few tears when we sit and think about what they are experiencing. Nor is it enough that we lay back and wait for others to take on the responsibility of reaching out to them.
We must not fail them at this critical time. We must hasten to comfort them, and support them at a time when they need us most. It is a time for speaking out and reaching out, a time for acting and not sleeping. Each and every one of us will stand on the Day Of Judgement, and be asked about what we did to help our brothers in their time of need.
"...Do not turn one's back on each other... And be, O servants of Allah, brethren. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not wrong him. He does not fail him (when he needs him).” (Muslim)
So let us stretch out our hands and our hearts, and race to offer support. We must also remember to keep them in our dua’s, and ask Allah to bestow patience upon them, and make things easy for them.
http://www.stoppoliticalterror.com/templates/generalpage2/generalpage2slices/quran103.gif
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="70%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>"By Al-'Asr (the time). Verily! Man is in loss. Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth and recommend one another to patience." [103:1-3]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This article was written by www.StopPoliticalTerror.com (http://www.StopPoliticalTerror.com)