To Muslims throughout the East and the West: Isn't it time for you to wake up?
O Muslims, look at the children of Gaza, surrounded by floodwaters from all sides. Some cling to each other, desperately searching for a place to keep their heads above water.
Look carefully at these small faces, bearing the combined weight of the fear of war, the intense cold of winter and the humiliation of displacement.
With what heart can we witness such scenes and then go on with our daily lives as if nothing had happened? What meaning is preserved for the brotherhood of faith if it cannot protect a child from drowning, protect a family from homelessness or feed a hungry person exhausted from the siege?
Our Islamic jurists have ruled that protecting the vulnerable from harm and helping those in need are collective duties (Fard Kipayah). When the duty becomes incumbent on those who are able to fulfill it, or when people do not fulfill it, the responsibility falls on those who have the ability to relieve suffering.
This Muslim Ummah, for all its nations, wealth, institutions, scholars and people, possesses the necessary means of support, humanitarian aid and political influence in order to turn the continuation of these tragedies into a moral and religious question facing every person who is able to act in accordance with his position and responsibility.
The brotherhood established by the Qur'an in the words of Almighty Allah:
"The believers are nothing but brothers" (Qur'an 49:10), carries with it rights and duties, chiefly the protection of human life, the maintenance of dignity and the alleviation of hunger and fear among those affected by a disaster.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"The believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body: when one part of it suffers, the rest of the body reacts with sleeplessness and heat. " (Reported by a Muslim.).