The Eid Takbir Amidst the Suffering of Muslims in Gaza

News:

This year, the words of takbir, tahlil, and tahmid undoubtedly evoke reflections and sadness alongside joyous celebrations. Until today, the land of Gaza continues to be soaked with the tears and blood of the Muslims. Over 34,000 lives have been lost and properties and homes destroyed. Tens of thousands of children have been orphaned and missiles continue to be launched on defenceless Gazans by the accursed Zionist regime. The question that arises is to what extent do we truly understand the meaning behind the recitation of the takbir of Eid especially during this time of distress?

Comment:

To understand the takbir of Eid, we have to reflect upon the Ahzab incident. Also known as the Battle of the Trench, Rasulullah (saw) and his Companions (ra) dug a large trench around much of the city of Madinah to defend against the combined forces (Ahzab) of the kuffar of Quraysh. This event reminds us of the dire situation faced by Rasulullah (saw) and the Muslims at that time. Throughout the siege, various challenges and trials befell the Muslims. While they were focused on the external attacks from the enemies of Allah outside Madinah, the Jews and hypocrites residing within Madinah betrayed their agreements with the Muslims. This situation tested the faith of the Muslims to the point where they felt almost hopeless due to the external and internal threats they faced. Nevertheless, despite the intense threats they faced, they remained confident in the promise of Allah and His Messenger, being steadfast without any desire to retreat or despair. Ultimately, after enduring severe trials, Allah (swt) granted assistance to the Muslim army by sending a violent storm that destroyed the Ahzab forces and granted victory to the Muslims, following which, Rasulullah saw recited the Eid takbir.

Currently, Muslims in Gaza are facing their most critical and devastating moment, besieged from all sides. They are attacked, killed, expelled, oppressed, and squeezed to the borders of Egypt. The Muslims in Gaza not only had to endure the brutal attacks of the Jewish entity day and night, they had no opportunity to defend themselves. The action of the Egyptian leadership in preventing their fellow Muslims from crossing the border to avoid the genocide committed by the Jewish entity is deplorable in the eyes of Islam. It is indeed a disgrace and clear betrayal on the part of the Egyptian leaders to just witness their fellow Muslims being killed, oppressed, and tortured before their very eyes without any effort to defend them!

It is truly sad that all Muslim nations have become a laughing stock in the eyes of the world. They all collude and conspire to allow the accursed Jewish entity to continue killing Muslims in Gaza and destroy the blessed land of Palestine. The growing gap between Muslims and their governments has reached an unprecedented level to the point that terms like ‘traitors’ and ‘cowards’ are no longer sufficient to express this harsh and painful reality. What about the Muslim ummah today? Have we truly helped the religion of Allah and strived to uphold it in our lives? Do we genuinely care about the condition of the Muslim ummah worldwide, especially in Gaza, which is under severe distress? Or do we prioritize worldly pleasures, make various excuses, and remain silent when Islam and its followers are attacked from various directions?

The division of the Muslim Ummah into more than 50 nation-states, bound by the cycle of capitalistic life, coupled with the loss of Islamic political thought, has caused most of us to be indifferent and only momentarily angry and repentant, but allow this issue to pass. Indeed, there are even some among us who are willing to say that the Gaza issue is not our problem. For this group, what matters is to safeguard their livelihood. If this is their understanding, then they have certainly contradicted the essence of the Eid takbir they recite every year!!

The Eid takbir is not just a spiritual call to Allah (swt); it has a political dimension that reminds the Muslim Ummah of its obligation to The Almighty to restore Islam in its entirety. This heavy obligation is not only borne by one individual, two individuals, or a group of individuals, but it is the responsibility of the entire Muslim Ummah. This obligation requires a high level of political consciousness and sacrifice in Islam to uphold this Deen until Allah (swt) grants assistance to the Muslim Ummah and achieve absolute victory through unity and leadership under the Khilafah System. This is the essence of the Eid takbir that we recite every year.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Dr. Mohammad – Malaysia