Prayers and Peace for Orlando
By Sahar, New Age Islam
17 June 2016
It had been raining since early morning, and I was just about to get down to some work when I heard a squeak.
“Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!” it went on and on.
I stepped out into the backyard and spotted a baby squirrel—perhaps just a few days old—which seemed to have fallen down from its nest in the rain and wind. There it was, lying helpless, hungry and shivering. I could not spot its nest or its mother.
The baby needed immediate attention. I called up a wildlife rescue team, put the baby in a box, and headed towards the centre, where it could be picked up, taken to the hospital and treated for any injuries and stress and fed well.
As I held the box with the squirrel kid inside, I thought about its mother’s anguish, the pangs of separation from its child. I asked God to help the mother squirrel and relieve its pain and prayed that He would unite the kid and mother soon.
When the baby squirrel was finally taken to the hospital by the rescue person, I felt happy that it would be taken care of. But at the back of my mind I was in a gloom. The news about the attack on a social club in Orlando, Florida, on June 11 by a Muslim, which had resulted in grievous loss of life, had been streaming in.
My mind kept going back to the people who had died in the attack and those who had been injured. They, too, had someone back home—fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, relatives, and friends, who would be grieving their loss.
I headed towards my office, planning to do some work. But I simply could not focus. I shut my eyes and went into reflection. What had happened in Orlando was serious murder, murder of humanity, murder of human values, murder of basic human rights of people and their right to live. My inner voice told me that while condemning the attack was important, we also needed to look within, to go inside within ourselves as individuals, and, more than anything, turn to God for help, beseech God to guide us to and along the path of peace, and ask God to cleanse the world of the rot of radicalism and extremism.
Prayer, Prayer And More Prayer. There Is Nothing As Powerful As Prayer.
Ramzan is meant to be a month of mercy, forgiveness and tranquillity. I wish Muslims all over the world who are fasting will make use of the precious moments of the time before breaking their fast at Iftar to pray earnestly to God to heal the world, to help those in distress, to guide the world to the straight path, to save the world from terrorism and all other evils, to bring peace, and to give solace to those who have lost their dear ones in the recent terror attack.
Some days ago, I had sent out a picture depicting little “Ramzan Lanterns” of light and joy in my greetings to my friends from different faiths, wishing them peace. The lantern represents good cheer and hope. I trust God Almighty will keep the light of this lantern shining bright in our hearts, so that we spread positivity and peace all around.
I dedicate a lantern of peace to the grieving people of Orlando, as a symbol of solidarity with the victims of the terror attack. I pray that God, who is so loving that He rushes to help a tiny helpless baby squirrel in distress, will help the world become a peace-filled place one day very soon.
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