To The Children of Gaza

To The Children of Gaza

All praise be to Allah, and His praise and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم — his family, his companions, and his followers until the Day of Judgment. I bear witness that Allah is the only one worthy of worship, and Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is His last and final messenger.

My dear brothers and sisters, today I decided that this khutbah will be regarding the children of Gaza.

Those who are alive or those who have passed away. I know that no words suffice for what they have been through. No matter how eloquent the speaker is, or how soft a heart we have, we will never be able to describe the pain. We come closer to understanding what these children are going through, have been through — or what their parents and their families are enduring.

إنهم أصعب شيء في هذه المعادلة — they are the most difficult part of this conflict. The children — those who have passed away and those who have been left behind — and the war is still going.

The Staggering Reality

You know, in wars, it is always the children who suffer the most. More than 13,000 children have died since the bombardment began on October 7th. And this number may have increased, because some statistics report that approximately 2 children die every hour — an astronomically horrifying number.

As reported by international organizations, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: "I think these numbers that we're seeing out of Gaza are just staggering. We haven't seen that rate of death among children in almost any other conflict in the world. It is really shocking."

Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, as 1.1 million people — half of the population — are experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Almost every child in Gaza is basically facing an imminent threat of famine.

It is very hard. My brothers and sisters, I know poverty is a very complicated issue. But feeding a child isn't. War is a very complicated issue. But not killing a child isn't. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complicated issue. But targeting children and protecting their lives is not a complicated issue — and it is not a difficult conclusion to arrive at.

History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children. And unfortunately, it is terrible how, no matter how many voices we hear today, it is not enough — that we have the world in denial, and in nonsensical justification for the killing of these children and innocent people every day.

The Shaheed Children

I know that those children who died in Gaza are shuhada — shaheed means a witness. The adult, when he dies and is considered a shaheed, is because he is witnessing before Allah — he testifies how much he believed in Allah and the cause for which he died. For these children, they will be witnesses before Allah — not over their faith, because they are children — but they will be a witness before Allah over the barbaric state of Israel and that government. They will be a witness before Allah over how passive we are. They will be a witness before Allah over how the world forsook them. They will be a witness before Allah over how indiscriminate this war is.

On Condemning All Voices of Extremism

We heard people say: "Kill the children of the Palestinians — tomorrow they will be Hamas members. Let's just wipe them out from now. Let's solve the problem from the beginning." We heard these voices. But we also have to recognize that these voices are not necessarily common voices — these are individuals, political leaders and religious leaders, but not all of them.

And we are an ummah of justice. These extreme individuals do exist. And on the other side, you will have equally extreme voices who say: "Let's kill all the children of the Jews, and targeting and killing kids — I have no problem with that."

But what I want to make clear here is that there is a very big difference between how these two voices are treated. Yes, both are ill, both are wrong. But there is a difference that has to be recognized: Muslims are always asked to condemn the voices that come from the Muslim side — from individuals who do not represent the mainstream Muslim or the mainstream Palestinian. And we do condemn that. Yet we do not see, at any level, the other side or the rest of the world being asked to condemn such voices on their side. On the other side, it will come — if it ever comes in the news — as some random individuals, even if those individuals are religious political leaders. It will be framed as random, odd, against the norm — and treated in a very limited capacity. While when Muslims say something, it will be a brush that paints the entire resistance, the people who fight for their freedom, the people who say no to occupation. That is a very big difference in how these two images are represented, unfortunately.

But you know what the most important difference is? The reality. The reality is that Palestinian kids are dying every day — if not by bombs, then by starvation, by the lack of adequate medical care. That is the reality. Don't compare empty words to reality. Yes, there are innocent children killed on the other side as well. But there is no comparison between the numbers or the magnitude. And we will always, always, as Muslims, stand against the killing and targeting of any children or innocent people.

The Girl Buried Alive — A Quranic Reflection

In the midst of all this, I remember what Allah said — when the girl who was buried alive will be asked on the Day of Judgment:

"And when the girl buried alive is asked — for what sin she was killed."

In the past, she might have been a newborn girl, buried alive in her grave by her parents or father. Today, she is buried by bombs — not individuals, but tens. We have brothers and sisters in this community who have lost over a hundred of their family members. A hundred. One brother told me he lost twenty. Many of those people sharing their stories — only from our community — speak about how children are suffering.

I asked myself: why does Allah, when He speaks about this, say that the child will be asked? I always thought the one who should be asked is the criminal — the one who buried her, the one who killed that child, will be asked on the Day of Judgment. But the ayah says that the child will be asked. And you come to realize, when the scholars speak about this, they say it is basically to honor the child — that Allah will speak to the child — and to humiliate the criminal, who does not even deserve to be addressed. Also, it is more suffering for the criminal. For the killer, when he sees and hears the one who was killed speaking about their experience, speaking about their feelings — like when you bring someone before a court and the victim stands and speaks about what happened to them, and you see the criminal listening to all of it — it is so painful. Even before the suffering of Hellfire.

Realize: when Allah said "for what sin she was killed" — there is no excuse for killing children. There is no excuse for using them as a human shield. There is no excuse for indiscriminate killing of children. There is no excuse for considering them collateral damage. There is no excuse for any of this.

All Children Go to Jannah

I understand from this that all children will go to Jannah. We understand from this verse that all children will go to Jannah — because the child Allah spoke about in the Quran is a child of a non-Muslim who buried her before Islam. And so that means, after Allah honors that child, He will let them enter Jannah and hold the parents accountable. So it does not matter what religion the child's parents are — Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, or Jew — children are children and should be protected. Even the children of your enemy, you are not allowed to touch.

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade killing children in war and forbade targeting children in war. And that is for a child whose parents are not Muslim — parents who are warriors, people who are in a conflict zone. What do you think of those innocent children who are killed in Gaza today? What will become of them on the Day of Judgment?

It is hard. There is no doubt that losing a child is a trial which cannot be tolerated except by a person who is a patient believer, who is content with the decree of Allah. And I am amazed by how the parents deal with that.

The Prophet's Grief Over Ibrahim

Anas رضي الله تعالى عنه reported that the Prophet's son Ibrahim was in the process of death. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw his son dying in front of him and was in tears. Ibrahim asked him, and he said: "This is a mercy — compassion — that Allah put in the heart." Then he said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1303)

"The eyes weep, and the heart grieves, but we say only what our Lord is pleased with. And we are indeed grieved at being separated from you, O Ibrahim."

It is sad. It is hard to be separated from your child. But as Ibn Mas'ud said: "There is none of you except that he is a guest, and his wealth is borrowed. The guest will always depart, and what is borrowed must be returned to whom it belongs."

"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits. And give good tidings to the patient — those who, when a calamity befalls them, say: 'We belong to Allah, and to Him we will return.'"

And the hardest test is when you lose some of the lives closest to you — which is your children. But Allah gave glad tidings to those who are patient, those who say: We belong to Allah and we will return to Allah.

The Reward for Losing Children

A woman came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said: "Ya Rasulallah, I buried three of my children." He said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 45, Hadith 98)

"You have built a thick barrier for yourself from the Fire." The people asked him: "Ya Rasulallah, what about two?" He said: "Two." Then: "One?" He said: "One."

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also said: "Any Muslim who has three children who die before reaching the age of puberty will enter Jannah."

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1021)

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "When a servant's child dies, Allah asks His angels: 'Have you taken the child of My servant?' They reply: 'Yes.' He says: 'Have you taken the fruit of his heart?' They say: 'Yes.' He says: 'What did My servant say?' They reply: 'He praised You and said: We belong to Allah and to Him do we return.' Allah says: 'Build for My servant a house in Paradise and name it the House of Praise.'"

The Children in Jannah — What the Prophet Saw

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told us what will happen to these children who depart. He said: these children, from the moment they die — even if it is a miscarriage, not yet even born — what will these children do on the Day of Judgment? The child will drag his mother by her garment to Jannah. If the mother is delayed in entering Jannah, these children will pull their parents toward Jannah.

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told a man who used to attend his gathering — a man whose child used to come with him, and then the child died and the man was depressed — the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him: "If you wish, I will pray to Allah to return your child to you. Or if you are patient, you will see your child on the Day of Judgment calling you to enter Jannah from any gate you want."

This is what has happened to the children of Gaza — they are waiting for their parents, to invite them to enter Jannah from whatever gates they choose.

Ibrahim and Sarah — Guardians of the Children

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told us what happens to children the moment they die. He saw it in a dream, and the dreams of the prophets are true. He saw what happens to children when they die and where they go.

"We came to a very green area, with many bushes — a big garden with so many beautiful colors, like the colors of spring. A man who was very tall — I could not even see his head — stood there, and around this man were so many children." Then he asked the two angels with him: "Who is this man, and what is this scene?" They said: "This man is Ibrahim, peace be upon him. These children are those who were born upon fitra and died while they were children."

The companions asked: "Ya Rasulallah, any children — even the children of the mushrikeen?" He said: "Even the children of the mushrikeen."

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1387)

Imam Ahmad reported that there is a special area in Jannah — like a mountain or a hill, so green it is like a garden — where Ibrahim and his wife Sarah, peace be upon them, are in charge of the children until they meet their parents. And when the Day of Judgment comes, they are responsible for ensuring that the children are reconnected with their families.

You wonder what happens to the children? Their souls are placed inside birds, and they fly and enjoy Paradise, returning to nest right by the Throne of Allah.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told Abu Huraira — when someone asked him about a child who died — "I will tell you something that will bring comfort to you." And the comfort is about our losses and the losses of these children. The Prophet told Abu Huraira that when a child dies, he becomes like one who can freely enter any place in Jannah — like a child who goes into any office, into any room, and nobody stops him. Children are like that. In Jannah, they go everywhere they want, until the Day of Judgment comes. And they will be waiting at the gates of Jannah, looking for their parents, and when they see their parents they will grab them and take them to Jannah.

These are children — yes, children. And the moment they walk into Jannah, the scholars debated on this, with the strongest opinion being that the moment they walk into Jannah, Allah will turn them to the age of 33 — because everyone in Jannah will be at the age of 33. But they are seen at the age at which they passed away until they walk through the gates. As Ibn Abbas said: "The people of Jannah are the young men of 33. Allah will make them all young men of 33. Whoever dies from the people of Jannah, whether young or old, they will be returned to 33 in Jannah. They will not increase in age." And the same applies to the people of Hell. This is a concept agreed upon by the companions of the Prophet, even if the specific number of 33 may not rest on the most singular authentic chain — the concept itself is agreed upon.

Key Points and Our Responsibility

This is a big topic, and a long one. But I want you to see — with your own eyes — something beyond what is happening in front of us. This does not reduce the pain, and it does not justify what has happened. But at the end of this khutbah, I want to mention some quick points.

Number one: This calamity that we see in Gaza is not restricted to the children of Gaza only, or to that conflict in that part of the world. Unfortunately, today over 400 million children live in countries where there is war and violent conflict, and they are forced to be displaced, facing an insecure future. So this is a big issue that is not only related to one part of the world — but we should care about all children around the world.

Number two: Killing children is haram. Nothing can justify killing children — using them as a human shield or dismissing them as collateral damage. This nonsense must stop.

Number three: Anyone who participates in killing them — directly, that is a direct impact. But there is also an indirect participation in killing these children. Each one will be held accountable according to their degree and their level of participation. They are not equal in sin, but all bear responsibility. Not only those who directly killed them — but also those who supply weapons and bombs are also responsible. Starting from the president, to the congress, to the senators, to the people who vote for those decisions to be made — all are responsible. Also responsible are those who recruit children to be soldiers and give them weapons. And those who launch rockets or attacks against their enemy from civilian areas, knowing it will cause damage to civilians — they are also responsible for the killing of these children. Everyone, based on their level. And that nonsense of not caring for the life of children has to stop.

Those in the media who justify the killing of children as "casualties of war" and "this is how war looks" — those who say, while running for office or while in office, that they stopped a shipment of 5% of the bombs that we send to Israel, and make a political stunt out of it — those political leaders who say this is for the security of Israel — those people are also responsible for the killing of these innocent people. Those in the media who spread propaganda, justification, and the dehumanization of Palestinians — all are responsible for this killing as well. Those whose hearts have never been affected or moved by what is happening — those who care only about the numbers — they too have their share in the sin.

Finally: We have a responsibility toward these children. My brothers and sisters, only the dead have seen the end of war. The living have not yet reached it. It is not over, and it is not one war — as long as the conflicts continue. That is why it is important for us to take serious steps — a long-term, long-time, long commitment.

Some people think they are sinful because they feel they cannot stop this. But Allah will never hold you responsible for the killing of these children because you do not have the capacity or ability to stop it. But you do what you can. You make the du'a. You make the donation. You lobby. You vote. You make sure that you do not give your vote to those who are ill — those who have no regard for human life. You propagate the truth, not falsehood.

Help these orphans — those who are left behind. I know the reason I gave this khutbah is because I was inspired by one family here in our community. They sponsored a family from Gaza to come and receive treatment because they were injured in the war. I was inspired and touched by that. Maybe that family is even listening to my khutbah today. Saving their lives — the doctors who go, the people who donated to save lives there — even though now everything is shut down with what is happening in Rafah. We should sponsor their education. We should sponsor people to come for treatment. Whatever we can do. Taking care of their orphans. Helping whoever is left behind.

It is hard. I cannot imagine what they are going through. But it is easier to build a strong child than to repair a broken man. Let us not wait until they become adults.

O Allah, have mercy on their weak ones, mend their brokenness, and protect them, O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining. With Your protection, heal their wounds. Protect our children and their children, and shield us and them from the trials that are apparent and those that are hidden. And may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad.