August 26, 2009 - 05:29
GAZA CITY — "Allah-o- Akbar (God is the Greatest)" resonated across war-ravaged Gabalyia refugee camp in southern Gaza and worshippers instantly started to flock from all directions.
But instead of the performing the Tarawih prayers, a special nightly prayers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, inside their tranquil oasis mosque, Gazans gathered to pray in their new makeshift place of worship built with plastic walls and palm leaves ceilings.
"We have rebuilt our mosques from plastic and nylon to keep them populated with worshippers," Mohamed Badr, a Gazan youth, told IslamOnline.net.
Gazans welcomed Ramadan on the ruins of their mosques, destroyed by Israel’s gun machines in the December offensive.
But ahead of the holy month, when Muslims dedicate their time to become closer to Allah through prayer, young Gazans like Badr worked hard to create makeshift places of worship to receive the worshipers.
With no Israel’s stifling blockade which denies Gaza basic materials to rebuild ruined houses and mosques, volunteers had nothing but plastic, woods and palm leaves.
"Our mosques are not a mere building of walls and columns. The whole earth is a place of worship," Bilal, a friend of Badr, stressed, while the two engaged themselves in cleaning and making simple decorations in the plastic mosque, an easy task with no light to fix or luxurious carpets to set.
"If building materials are late, we still have plastic and palm leaves."
At least 1,417 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, were killed in the Israeli air, land and sea attacks.
The three-week war wrecked havoc on the Gaza infrastructure, destroying some 100 mosques, 20,000 homes, 48 government offices and 31 police stations across the impoverished territory.
Hard, But…
Abu Ahmed, a Gazan elder, watched the youngsters as they took every effort to make the makeshift mosque as comfortable as possible.
But he lamented that despite their efforts, he might not be able to pray in the plastic mosque.
"I've never missed Tarawih prayers under any conditions," he lamented. “But this year would be different.
"The atmosphere inside the place is smoldering hot that I can’t bear in my age and there are too much crowds to get inside.”
Islam Muslim, Imam of Al-Qe'qa' ben Amr mosque, admits that it will be hard for worshippers to pray whether in the plastic or the semi-wrecked mosques.
Being the biggest mosque in eastern Gaza, Al-Qe'qa' used to host 1500 worshippers. Nevertheless, after the war, it can only accommodate 300.
“There is also the lack of windows and doors, the lack of electricity and the problem of street noise with no walls to muffle.”
Muslim, however, affirmed that all the problems could not break the spirit of Gazans.
"We affixed decorations, Ramadan bulletins and prayers on the walls," he said. "We also fixed a huge lantern before the door of the mosque.
He added that their efforts will continue to rebuild even a tiny part of the mosque.
"We will do our best, even if we have to pray at the street."
Badr, the Gazan youth, is no less determined.
“They may have destroyed our mosques, but will never destroy our will.”
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1251021160334&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
truly, ujian kesenangan is harder for us to pass as opposed to ujian kesusahan..
every single day, one is tested on how much one expresses shukr to Allah and how frequently one remembers Allah..how many are really being God-conscious and how many actually forget?
every time i feel malas and actively force the neurons in my cerebral cortex to hibernate, this is what i say to myself:
Dear wani,
you are here in medical school with that God-given gifted brain of yours..do u think that the brain is sitting there in your skull for nothing? of all the people in the world, why are u one of those being blessed with the ability to easily grasp and understand the knowledge that is being transmitted to u?
My, my..it's there for a reason..for many reasons..and that special ability is not an absolute right but a responsibility! It's for u to utilise..kalau u takmau pakai otak untuk pikir, dont u think God can easily take it away from u and give it to somebody else yg akan lebih manfaatkan kepandaian tu?
and i'd go..
"noooo! xmau jadi budak tak pandai..ok ok i'll use my otak to think.."
so there..utilising ones brain does not only mean one has to read medic-related materials..it can be just about anything, as long as it can lead one to think and contemplate..
happy thinking ;)
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