رَبِّ ابْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتاً فِى الْجَنَّةِ
'My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Jannaah'
(At-Tahreem 66:11)


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Dammaj, the aftermath .... our last moments (2)



Dammaj... a valley of Ahlus Sunnah... which was once our home, housing Dar-ul-Hadeeth --- our center of learning
"Verily, with the hardship, there is relief ..."

Well the clock had already started ticking and we have only hours to leave our home. Where do we start?? What do we pack? What can we take? How much can we take?

The following hadeeth was a great consolation to me. How strange indeed is the affair of the believer!! It is a Win-Win situation only for the believer in all circumstances:

On the authority of Abi Yahyaa bin Suhaib Sinaan رضي اللّه عنـه  who said that the Prophet Muhammad صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم  said: “How strange is the affair of the believer! For indeed, in all of his affairs there is well being . And this is not the case with anyone else except for the believer. For if any good befalls him, he thanks (Allaah), and as a result it is better for him, and if a calamity befalls, he endures it patiently, and as a result it is better for him.”
(Muslim #2999)

Dammaj now was a hive of activity, all scrambling to pack their belongings to take what we could and load them in trucks provided for us. Some have lived in Dammaj since the Markaz was established forty years ago by Sheikh Muqbil رحمه الله. Even many of the local Yemeni residents (Dammajis) who had lived here for generations prepared to leave with us as they did not want to live under the domination and tyranny of the Houthi Râfidhi

Well, then came our last day in Dammaj.. tears, tears and more tears! Apart from leaving our home and material things which we had invested in, the difficult part was to leave Dammaj since all our hearts were attached to this Light-House of Sunnah, which has been a means for the establishment of the Salafi Da’wah worldwide. Dammaj was a place free of bid'ah, Kufr and Shirk, a place free of the Kuffar, deviated groups, lewdness, billboards, television, cigarettes.. no temples, no churches but only Masaajid! Dammaj was a place free of Music, cinema, casinos, free mixing and with no imitation of the Kuffar in our lifestyle.. a place where there were stores only for women run by women; a place where even a small child would call out 'tareeq, tareeq' (make way) before the women folk walk out of their homes so that the men free the way for the sisters to pass by.

SubhanAllaah! The Ghuraba and those seeking ilm amongst the locals strive to implement the ilm they acquire, giving priority to the Arabic language and struggling to make it a living language even in their homes no matter where they are from: Russia, America, Somalia, United Kingdom, Canada or Sri Lanka. Memorizing Qur'aan is given utmost importance here and early morning hours are specific for learning and memorizing Qur'aan. No matter how young or old one is, all exert a lot of effort in hifdh.   

Whatever you see is coolness to the eyes... apart from the beautiful scenery of the mountains and breathtaking greenery of the corn fields, grape vines and pomegranates, adherence to the Muslim identity is a reality here, for big and small, old and young. Since Dammaj is a place of talabul-ilm, we'd often see the tullaab (students) clad in thobe, imaamah, observing the beard and isbaal, reciting Qur'aan or reading hadeeth even when walking to and from the Markaz. Alhamdulillaah, you'd rarely see or hear that which displeases our Rab. I state this without any exaggeration!!

Women on the other hand are all clad in black from head to foot, this includes the little women who love to imitate their mothers in their Muslim attire from a very young age. All are conscious of pictures with souls to the extent that the little girls play only with headless dolls and are quick to deface images which they come across in books, food wraps, toiletries, etc. Alhamdulillaah Dammaj was a place where we were proud of our Muslim identity!  

Hmmm... after we loaded the truck, it was time to get into the bus... all I remember now is that I had no strength to even walk to the bus parked outside on the road. It was a very difficult moment alright! It reminded us of the Hijrah of our beloved Messenger صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم  when he had to leave Makkah (the most beloved city to him) and migrate to Medina. Hence, he went from being oppressed to being victorious, wherein Tawheed was strengthened and Islaam became widespread. Prophet Ibraheemعليه السلام  on the other hand was also oppressed by his people and had to leave Iraq in order to establish Tawheed in Makkah and Palestine. Then we have the Muhaddith of our era, Sheikh Naasir-ud-Deen Al Albaniرحمه الله  who had to leave Syria and Lebanon and eventually settle in Jordan in order establish his Da’wah firmly.

Military guards were provided for us from the government so that we could depart Dammaj without any incident. Tears turned into sobs, dua, dua and more dua... begging Allaaah fervently to ease all our affairs, to help us submit to His will, to protect us on this journey, take us safely to our destination.... 

Well the next NEWS that bombarded us was that Hudaida was not prepared to receive us and that all those leaving Dammaj had to arrive in Sanaa. Several Yemeni families left for their home towns such as Taiz, Aden, Ibb etc.. Allaahul-musta'ân. We seek Allaah's Aid alone in all our affairs. Even when we were prepared to leave Dammaj, leaving behind everything which included our home, we now face another trial... no proper destination to go to. 
The companions of the Prophet were themselves evicted from their homes and lands, forced to flee leaving behind their possessions behind them, their tribulations went from severity to severity, their enemies multiplied in number, on occasion they were overcome and defeated, many of them killed at Uhud and at other places and battles. The Messenger of Allaah injured his face, one of his molar tooth was broken and his helmet was crushed into the sides of his head, his enemies rejoiced and his associates despaired. On the Day of al-Khandaq they were tried to the point that Allaah says:
 
هُنَالِكَ ابْتُلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَزُلْزِلُوا زِلْزَالًا شَدِيدًا

"... there, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking."
(Al-Ahzab 33:11)

What can I say except what Ibrahim عليه السلام said when he was thrown into the fire and what Muhammad صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said when they (the hypocrites) said, “Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great army), therefore  fear them,” but it (only) increased them in Faith and they said:

حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
“Allaah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us).”
(Aa'la Imran 3:173)
(Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 6, hadith #86)

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says in His Noble Book:

 قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلاَّ مَا كَتَبَ اللّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلاَنَا وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
'Say: "Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allaah has ordained for us. He is our Mawlaa (Lord, Helper and Protector). And in Allaah let the believers put their trust."
[Taubah 9:51]

Allaahسُبحانه وتعالى  out of His infinite wisdom has decreed what is happening to us  thousands of years ago.. And nothing will transpire except that which is written in the Lawh Al-Mahfoodh. So who are we to question His Qadr. In fact, Heعزّ و جلّ  has allowed this to happen to us in Dammaj for reasons He knows best. We ask Allaah that He forgives us and gives us well-being in this world and the Hereafter. May He also grant us the accord to enact that which He loves and is pleased with in all circumstances, ameen!

Alhamdulillaah, the believer is noble, victorious, aided, sufficed and defended wherever he may be, even if the whole of mankind were to gather against him, provided that he has fulfilled the reality of faith both in speech and deed. Allaah the Exalted says to the believers:

وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
"Do not give up and don't be sad. You will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers."
(A'ala Imran 3:139)

Allaah, Glorious He has made clear in His Book that He will aid the believers in this world and the next:

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ
"We will certainly help Our Messengers and those who have faith both in the life of this world and on the Day the witnesses appear..."
(Al-Ghafir 40:51)

Currently we, ahlul Dammaj (People of Dammaj) are now scattered and sprinkled in San'aa having lost our homes, our Markaz, facing the unknown. The actions of Allaah are dictated by wisdom and benefit, so we await the promise of Allaah with sabr (patience) and ihtisâb (to seek reward from Allaah with patience at times of  tribulation and adversity, with the soul at peace not disliking what it has been afflicted with):                      

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا

"So verily, with the hardship, there is relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is relief (i.e. there is one hardship with two reliefs, so one hardship cannot overcome two reliefs)."
(Ash-Sharh 94:5-6)

To be continued when I have access to the internet bi'ithnillaahi...


1 comment:

  1. Ukhti May Allah ease the burdens of the Muslims there Amin. Please keep us updated on what is going on there now. What will happen next? Will the foreigners all head back to their respective countries? May Allah protect you all Amin!

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