Al-Qalam 
Sheigh Rafeek Hassen says Muslims welcomes opening of al-Aqsa, but few Muslim leaders said anything, writes Ismail Suder.
The Muslim Ummah from around the world breathed a sigh of relief when the Zionist entity eventually opened the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque for Fajr salaat on Thursday morning after a painful 40-day closure.
This will be the first Jumuah after six weeks that thousands of Muslims will be allowed through the gates to pray, although for how long it will remain open is anyone’s guess in view of the fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.
Durban Islamic scholar Sheigh Rafeek Hassen told Al-Qalam that Muslims welcomed the opening of the Al-Aqsa Masjid after 40 days of oppressive closure by the Zionist regime. “The Zionists and their surrogate supporters USA and the rest, keep reminding us about October 7th, 2023, but Muslims forget that October 7th started off as “Al Aqsa Flood” Arabic: Tufan Al-Aqsa which was the name given by Hamas to their October 7, 2023, attack against Israel. It refers to protecting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from alleged Israeli aggression and occupation, aiming to reverse the status quo, end the Gaza blockade, and boost Palestinian liberation efforts.
“When Al Aqsa Masjid – the third holiest place of worship in the Muslim world was closed even for the blessed Month of Ramadan – NOT A SINGLE Muslim country batted even an eyelid. Jordan, which was mandated by the UN to oversee the administering of Al Aqsa – just looked on. One of the conditions in that agreement was that ONLY Muslims are allowed to worship on the temple mount call Haram al Sharieff by the Muslims. This has been repeatedly violated by the Zionist regime that forcefully allowed right-wing Jewish zealots under the protection of the army to come and offer prayers.
“Once will argue that most of the Muslim countries in the region are “sell-outs” and lackeys of the illegal Zionist entity. However, the Palestinians are very aware of this fact and perhaps one of the motivations for giving the October 7th resistance the name “Al Aqsa flood” was to draw the attention of GLOBAL Muslim Ummah to get active and involved. Alas, apart from a few Muslim groups and activists who are not Muslims – this call fell on “deaf ears” A sign of an Ummah that yes felt the pain but did nothing. There is a Hadith of the Prophet to the effect that if we see a wrong we must stop with our hands [ physically] if we not strong enough to do that, then at least speak out against the wrong, and if we not able to that as well, then at least feel the pain of the wrong in your hear “BUT THAT IS THE WEAKEST FORM OF IMAAN”
“I think the Muslim ummah needs to critically look at themselves in the light of this Hadith and make an honest assessment of ourselves in the light of this Hadith. Allah says in the Quran in Chapter 11 Ayah 13, “Allah will not change the condition of a people, unless they first change themselves.”
May Allah transform us from just “Feeling Muslims” to “Doing Muslims.”
