Syrian Brother

When you're feeling down, it helps to wake up to a sunny day. But sometimes, that doesn't happen. This is life, we are only human. There will be good days and there will always be bad days too. But honestly though, are we ever grateful for the hardships that we face? 

I may or may not be going through this period of feeling blue. It's exhausting to feel like you are trapped in your own state of mind. Every time I find myself in this situation, I would just shove my feelings away and tell myself to stop being so pathetic and melodramatic and that I have no solid reason to be feeling such a way. I tend to dwell so much on the negative that I completely forget how petty my worries actually are when there are people out there, drowning in their own blood.

I have never felt so ashamed of myself until tonight. 

We were just getting ready for our teraweeh prayers when the imam made an announcement saying that a Syrian brother was present at our mosque with only a passport in hand. He had mentioned that he came out of nowhere, asking for help and that we should all play a part in helping him after prayers. I looked at my mum and my heart froze. Tears were already welling up in her eyes. I kept my composure but I could not stop thinking about him. 

How did he get here? What happened to his family? Were they lost at sea? Has he eaten? Has he got a place to stay? How is he going to survive? Is he injured? How can I help? 

We fill our stomachs so much that we can barely even walk after Iftar while people in Syria are scrapping for a meal to feed their families. It's unbearable to think about how many families are affected by this, how they have been displaced, or much worse. I get very emotional thinking how Syria is in ruins, along with many innocent Syrian lives. How do they cope with the whistles of barrel bombs racing through from out of the sky preparing to cause even more destruction to their home? How is it fair for them to be digging under the rubble only to find their family buried in death? It's raining death and the world has nothing but a big umbrella of oblivion. 

I met the Syrian brother after we finished our prayers and my heart broke into pieces. He was sitting on a prayer mat, looking so helpless. It's heart-rending to see people running away from a war, simply looking for a safe place only to be split between terror and hope. It's true what they say, everything gets destroyed in war. I could tell from his eyes, they were the narrators of his pain. 

And in that moment, all I wanted to do was to make it all stop. 

I did my research and found a link for donation to help feed the people of Syria and Gaza this Ramadan. I strongly urge for everyone to keep them in your prayers and donate to this sadaqa jariya project. May Allah reward all of you abundantly. Click here to donate. 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “When a person dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him.” (Muslim, Tirmidhi).