{"title":"What Eid Was Like in Gaza | Gaza Diaries","slug":"what-eid-was-like-in-gaza-gaza-diaries","author":"Dr. Omar Suleiman","abstract":"Dr. Farhan Abdul Azeez just returned from Gaza—again. He went during Ramadan, prayed Eid with children in new clothes, and hours later saw their bodies in the morgue. He stood beside men who were martyred moments after smiling with him. In this conversation with Dr. Omar Suleiman, he shares what he...","topics":["Politics & Practical Theology","Psychology & Mental Health","Social Justice","Trauma"],"published_date":"2025-04-12 22:29:52","video_url":"https://youtu.be/R9LigjbII4Y","transcript_summary":"What Eid Was Like in Gaza | Gaza Diaries","key_points":["The certainty of death should reshape what we invest our lives in. On March 23, 2025, fifteen aid workers, including Red Crescent paramedics, civil defense crews, and a UN staff member, were killed while responding to a strike in Rafah and buried in a mass grave. Dr. Farhan Abdul Azeez was at Nasser Hospital when their bodies were recovered eight days later, and he later heard the recording of one paramedic asking his mother’s forgiveness and saying he had chosen to serve people until his last moment. Seeing what the body becomes within days of death, he reflected on how much effort people pour into their image and this world, when every person will meet the same end and only what was built for the hereafter remains.","Hardship draws people closer to Allah ﷻ, but that closeness should not fade once the hardship passes. Palestinian detainees told Dr. Abdul Azeez they were kept blindfolded and bound day and night and beaten if guards saw their lips move, yet they still made dhikr together in silence, aiming for a million prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ between them. He recalled a reflection of the late Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef: Tests push us back to Allah with urgency and humility, but that devotion often fades once the test is over. If believers worshipped in ease as sincerely as they do in hardship, they would not need hardship to bring them back. Those watching Gaza from afar are being tested too and should strive to become worthy of the victory Allah has promised.","Pressure must never lead a community to abandon its own. After 9/11, many Muslims distanced themselves from those who were targeted, and community bonds frayed under fear. In Gaza, by contrast, journalists publicly marked for death by Israel were still welcomed in the hospitals and never turned away. Dr. Abdul Azeez urges parents and community leaders to raise children who are brave rather than fearful, grounded in the Prophet’s teaching that no harm can reach a person unless Allah has written it."],"chapters":null,"series_name":"Gaza Diaries with Dr. Omar Suleiman","url":"https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/gaza-diaries/what-eid-was-like-in-gaza-gaza-diaries?utm_source=webmcp&utm_medium=ai-agent&utm_campaign=content-discovery"}