Afraid to Rejoice at the Liberation of Syria? A Message on Emotional Balance and Certainty in God's Victory

Introduction: Why Do Some Hesitate to Rejoice?

Peace be upon you and God's mercy. Many Muslims' reactions to events in Syria have been less than ideal, due to their inability to distinguish between different aspects. You may have questions about the role of political powers in liberating Syria—whether they supported it or turned a blind eye—or your stance on the factions that carried out the liberation, or your lack of knowledge about their situation, or fear of what the coming days may bring; you may have all of these concerns within yourself.

Brother, we fully understand the difficulty of this phase and the intensity of the schemes against it. We do not know what those who carried out the liberation will do in the coming days. We ask God to guide them, grant them success, and unite them in His obedience. We know all of this, but all of this should not prevent you from sharing in the joy of your brothers in Sham.

Achievements That Warrant Joy and Gratitude

What has happened includes matters that God Almighty loves and for which the believer rejoices, such as:

• Purification of God's Houses: Which criminals from all corners of the earth had plundered and desecrated, and now the call to prayer is raised and prayers are performed again.
• Liberation of the Oppressed: The release of tens of thousands of your brothers and sisters who were imprisoned and suffering what would melt rocks.
• Reunion of Families: The joy of the families of the prisoners as they reunite with their fathers, mothers, brothers, sons, and daughters.
• Fall of the Tyrant: The fall of the raging tyrant and his humiliating escape, and the collapse of his regime like a spider's web after decades of injustice.

Your joy in these matters is not political naivety or blindly following emotions without thought, as some may suggest. Rather, your lack of joy in them is a disorder in thinking and emotions. Restraint to the point of preventing you from showing joy is not wisdom or rationality; it is stagnation that deprives you of sharing in the justified and merited feelings of your believing brothers.

Requirements of Brotherhood in Faith

Otherwise, what is the meaning of "The believers are but brothers"? Is it not a requirement of brotherhood that you rejoice in what rejoices them and grieve in what grieves them? Do you not know that your refusal to show joy saddens them and creates a rift between you and them?

Yesterday, I published written posts, and one brother in Syria commented: "It's not enough, Dr. Iyad, we want you to show us a video of you laughing with us." For this brother and all our brothers from the people of Sham, I will film, laugh, and congratulate you.

Response to Fears of Setbacks and the Future

You may say, "But I am afraid that the coming days will bring events that make us forget this joy and cause a setback in people's hearts." I say to you: Even if what happened happens, do not let it make you forget the exhilaration of victory and the joy of God's mercy descending. Your refusal to rejoice is a response to their schemes.

We have seen in these days how some prisoners, when our brothers came to release them and broke the locks on their doors and told them, "Come out, you are free," one of them would be afraid, hesitate, and doubt, not imagining—poor soul—that the day of his liberation had come! We do not want to be like that either; imagining that we cannot be liberated, and that nothing happens on this earth except what the international powers want. They scheme without a doubt, but: "And they scheme, and Allah schemes, and Allah is the best of schemers."

Lessons from History: The Afghan Experience

The occurrence of setbacks in the coming days is a possibility, and it is part of the struggle, testing, and maturation of experiences. Look at Afghanistan; the powers of the world converged upon it, and the Afghans saw horrors from them, but they endured and resisted the occupation for twenty years until they were liberated again. In that experience, America thought it had bought the loyalty of the fighters, that they would not go against its will, and that it had perfected the plan, but its ambitions were foiled and humiliated by their hands, and it withdrew defeated.

God will distinguish the wicked from the good until He completes His blessing upon His oppressed servants. There is nothing worse than submitting to the shackles of slavery to tyrants, and there is nothing worse than the death of the spirit of jihad in this nation.

Conclusion: Balance is the Solution

Combining your joy for the present moment with readiness and preparation for the future is not a contradiction; it is balance. Your joy for your brothers in Sham along with your sorrow for your brothers in Gaza is not a contradiction; it is balance.

So rejoice and show your joy, and ask God to make the outcome of Sham, Palestine, Sudan, and all the lands of the Muslims together an outcome of good, honor, victory, and empowerment, and that He use us all in that.

"And Allah is dominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know." Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.