Holding Onto Prophetic Etiquettes When Protesting: Encouragement And Advice For Muslim Human Rights Advocates

by Dawud Walid and Dr. Hatem El Haj

As Muslims committed to Islamic sacred law, we appreciate the sincere outpouring of concern among college students throughout the West who seek to put an immediate end to the genocide against our brothers and sisters in Gaza, as well as seek freedom for Palestinians from illegal occupation. Given that we are teachers of varying Islamic sciences and engage students and activists, we have some words of encouragement, plus sincere advice in staying true to prophetic etiquettes for Muslim advocates engaged in protests and university encampments as well as those non-college students who are considering raising awareness about the plight of Palestinians at upcoming Democratic and Republican conventions this summer.

Stay Hopeful of Divine Mercy and Assistance

Allah says in Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 214:

“Or do you think that you will enter Jannah while you have not yet been visited with difficult circumstances like those who passed on before you?  They were touched by hardship and suffering and were shaken until the Messenger and those who believed with him said ‘When with the assistance of Allah coming?’ Unquestionably, near is the assistance of Allah.”

Allah (Mighty and Sublime) who came to the aid of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) in times of great difficulty is fully aware of the suffering of the people of Gaza and is in full control. As Gazans continue to show resilience in the face of great calamity, we should remain hopeful of the promise of Allah and maintain gratitude for the relative ease that we are living in though we face issues such as police intimidation, doxing, and false media narratives. This hope does not mean that we should not be appalled by and grieving over the atrocities committed against our fellow believers and human beings, nor does it mean that we should fail in doing our utmost to stop this oppression. On the contrary, placing our trust in Him should empower us with the confidence and vigor to strive tirelessly, for we can never lose when working for His sake. However, this also means that our efforts must align with His pleasure, as we maintain full trust in His infinite power and boundless wisdom.

Perfect Justice is Reserved for Allah in the Akhirah

Remember that as we all strive to see just outcomes for the struggle for justice for Palestinians in our lifetimes, Allah is the ultimate determiner of outcomes, and the manifestations of those come about based upon His Divine wisdom, not our temporal timelines.  We hope to see a liberated Palestine sooner rather than later, but know that on the Day of Judgement all criminals shall be held to account. No one is getting away with anything in the end.

Repentance is a Key to Success

          Allah says in Surah an-Nur, Ayah 31:

“And repent to Allah together O you who believe in order that you obtain success.”

 Repentance or turning to Allah is a spiritual station with a beginning that has no ending until we depart from this world. To be successful in this life and the next, we must turn our hearts towards Allah .  This begins with having remorse for the sins that we commit, negligence of what we have not fulfilled, and deficiency in not striving for excellence to improve in our endeavors. Repentance also involves seeking forgiveness and desisting from those matters which lead us into error and negligence. Beyond being mindful of sins that we could be committing including in the name of trying to bring about good, we should be keenly aware that our sins have a negative impact upon the Ummah; thus, while trials from Allah may befall the best of His creations to elevate their ranks, relief from these trials should be sought through sincere repentance.  It is narrated that Ali bin Abi Talib supplicated, “And forgive me of sins which bring calamity (al-Bala’) descend.”¹

The first struggle for those involved in activism and community organizing as Muslims, therefore, should be in repentance, preferably awakening from sleep in the last third of the night prior to Fajr prayer. In general, seeking forgiveness throughout the day should be part of the daily spiritual program of activists. Our Prophet said, “By Allah, Surely I seek forgiveness with Allah and repent to Him everyday more than seventy times.”²

Success Comes from Allah not Merely Material Means

Ultimately, the ability to achieve success or tawfiq is directly connected to our obedience to Allah . Therefore, it is incumbent that all activism and community organizing is congruent with the Qur’an and Sunnah. Created means or asbab should be pursued, but relying on them instead of Allah will ultimately lead to failure. Before deploying means or strategies, we believe that it is incumbent for activists before acting to consult qualified scholars or advanced students of knowledge for the purpose of striving for this congruency.  Allah says in Surah an-Nahl, Ayah 43:

“And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So, ask the people of scripture if you do not know.”

 Be Scrupulous Regarding Coalitions

Although we need to be in coalition with others out of necessity based upon current socio-political dynamics, we must be cautious not to reduce Islamic commitment to justice to the sensibilities of the “Progressive Left” and Neo-Marxists. We cannot control others’ language and means, but we do have control over ours.

Our aim should not be merely to gather large crowds at our events. We must exercise caution in offering platforms to those with differing agendas, ensuring that we do not carelessly support the promotion of what is reprehensible in our religion under the guise of “solidarity.” Moreover, we must exercise caution in joining actions or disruptions led and controlled by others with differing agendas.

No Crossing of Redlines that Violate Islamic Sacred Law and Prophetic Etiquettes

There are certain acts that we must be clear on that are redlines that should not be crossed which are sinful and/or can repel people of conscience from supporting Palestinians:

• Any form of physical violence or blatant intimidation of persons who disagree with our position on Palestine. For instance, not going to university officials’ private homes where their families reside trying to enter those domiciles, nor scaring their children—an action inconceivable for any Muslim.
• Destruction or vandalism of private or public property. For example, not spray-painting “Free Palestine” and “Long Live Intifada” on university buildings.
• Using profanity in chants and slogans.
• Disregarding Islamic teachings on modesty and gender interactions, which are binding on both Muslim men and women, and needlessly exposing Muslim women to the risk of being manhandled by officers or violated by antagonists.
• Facilitation of “teach-ins” at encampments that promote or seek to normalize the forbidden. So-called “Pinkwashing teach-ins” which are staples of the sexual and gender confusion movement is an example.
• Blocking highways and bridges in the name of disruption.
• Hunger strikes in the name of “solidarity” with the people of Gaza who are deprived of food and water.

We have a religious obligation to assist our brothers and sisters in Gaza through spiritual means, monetary support, and socio-political means. There are forms of the latter from lobbying one’s elected officials to more passive means such as boycotting Israeli goods. While protests and encampments can be useful, we should exercise prudence to ensure that their benefits outweigh their potential harms. They should also not be mere outlets for venting frustrations but rather serve as launching pads for greater and long-term efforts.

As we have concern for the Ummah, we felt obligated to remind our beloved college students and others in the movement that our moral compass must be Islamic sacred law and our tone be guided by the etiquettes embodied by the Prophet . We hope that this is received with a good opinion of the writers and that it is not dismissed as “moralizing” or “tone-policing” as morality and tone matter in our activism, especially when it comes to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

And Allah knows best.

Related:

– American Muslim Scholars Express Support For University Student Encampment Protests

– Quranic Verses For Steadfastness For The Valiant Protesters On Campus