“And what is [the matter] with you that you do not strive in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women and children, who cry, ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors…’” (Surah-e-Nisa)
If my own family were being slaughtered day after day, I would exhaust every moral and lawful, even unlawful means to protect them. I would raise my voice, throw my wealth, dedicate my time and stand beside them until justice prevailed. Such a response is not extraordinary; it is the instinct of every person whose heart still feels the pain of those they call their own.
Today, thousands have been killed & displaced across Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Iran, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) and other regions. Beyond the Muslim world, innocent civilians in many conflicts also endure immense suffering. Yet, despite the existence of nearly sixty Muslim-majority states, the collective response has largely been confined to condemnations, speeches, resolutions and expressions of concern. One cannot help but ask: where is the unity that the Quran envisions? The problem is not merely political; it is spiritual & theological. We have reduced Islam to borders, passports and national interests. The Quran, however, repeatedly reminds believers that they are one Ummah, bound together by faith and responsibility rather than geography alone. The call of Surah-e-Nisa is not addressed to one nation-state but to every believer who hears the cry of the oppressed.
Allah declares in Surah-e-Taubah: “Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise. They fight in the way of Allah and kill and are killed, on which there is a true promise in the Torah and the Bible and the Quran..” (9:111). Faith has never been a promise of comfort; it is a covenant of sacrifice. Likewise, Allah asks, “What is the matter with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allah, you cling heavily to the earth?” (9:38). These verses challenge complacency, fear and attachment to worldly security.
Many among us have become convinced that resistance to injustice is futile because the oppressors possess greater wealth, stronger armies and global influence. We tell ourselves that we lack the resources, that the superpowers cannot be challenged or that each state must look only after its own interests. Yet history offers a timeless rebuttal.
When the beloved grandson of Holy Prophet (PBUH) Imam Hussain (RA)stood at Battle of Karbala with his family and loyal companions, he did not calculate military odds. He stood because truth demanded it. Karbala was not a battle for territory; it was a declaration that moral conviction cannot be surrendered to tyranny.
Today’s Karbala is wherever innocent lives are crushed by oppression-whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, IIOJK or anywhere else, including places where non-Muslims suffer injustice. As Allah’s vicegerents on earth, Muslims are entrusted not only with the welfare of fellow believers but with protecting humanity, safeguarding minorities, preserving animals, nurturing the environment and upholding justice for all of Allah’s creation.
The question, therefore, is that where do we stand in Today’s Karbala? Every generation faces its own Karbala. Every believer must decide whether to remain a spectator or to stand-through faith, prayer, charity, advocacy, integrity and sacrifice-on the side of Imam-e-Hussain (RA) or not. In that choice lies the true measure of Islam.
—The writer is an alumnus of QAU, MPhil scholar and a freelance columnist, based in Islamabad.
