Our eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved

By Muneeb Nasir

When the infant son of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Ibrahim, was dying the Prophet cradled him in his arms and he started to shed tears.

One of his companions, Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of God, even you are weeping!”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “O Ibn ‘Auf, this is mercy.” 

And as the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to weep, he said, “The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord. O Ibrahim! Indeed, we are grieved by your separation.”

Wael Hamdan Ibrahim Al-Dahdouh, the Palestinian journalist whose wife and children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat Camp this week, serves as a poignant reminder of this profound Prophetic teaching.

His unwavering faith provided him with solace through the Prophetic tradition that assures us, “...the young children who die are in Paradise, and the infant buried alive is in Paradise.” 

Wael Al-Dahdouh's deep faith calls upon us to anchor our trust in the Divine, imploring Him during these trying times with the words- "I put my trust in God, my Lord and your Lord'' (Tawakkaltu ‘ala-Allah) (Qur'an, 11:56). 

Let us take comfort in the knowledge that even when earthly channels of communication may be severed, our connection with the Divine remains unbroken, for as it is written - “Your Lord says, ‘Call on Me and I will answer you….” (Qur’an, 40:60).