02/09/2023
Assalamo Alaikum Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Nearly 20,000 people have died and more than 60,000 have injured because of the devastating effects of recent deadly earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. It is one of the deadliest earthquakes in over 20 years. This huge disaster has flattened thousands of buildings, trapping an unknown number of people in the rubble in the freezing weather. Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter. Thousands are still under the debris as they hear helplessly the calls of their relatives and rescue workers, and many of them are eventually becoming silent under the ruins, as the rescue teams are trying to race with time to rescue them.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of them. It is heartbreaking to see such a huge loss of human life in an instant. May Allaah SobhanaHo wa Ta-áalaa make it easy for those who have survived, and give comfort and patience to those who have lost their loved ones, and may Allaah SobhanaHo wa Ta-áalaa grant Junnah without reckoning to those who have died and grant them the honor of Shaheed.
Prophet Sull-Allaaho álaehe wa sullum said in a Hadeeth: "There are seven kinds of Shaheed (martyrs) other than those killed in the way of God. Someone who is killed by the plague is a martyr; someone who drowns is a martyr; someone who dies of pleurisy is a martyr, someone who dies of abdominal affliction is a martyr; someone who dies by fire is a martyr; someone who dies under a falling building is a martyr; and a woman who dies in childbirth is a martyr." (Muwutta Imaam Maalik, Book 16, Hadeeth No. 36; Continuous No. 558)
May these words of our Prophet Sull-Allaaho álaehe wa sullum bring comfort to the aching hearts who suffer these kinds of losses and reward them for their sufferings and trials, Insha'Allaah. Our prayers and love are for all of them. May Allaah help the rescue workers to reach those under the debris in time so that more lives can be saved.
In these trying times for people of Türkiye and Syria, we call our community members to donate generously so that we can send our contributions to the rescue organizations working over there. You can give your checks to MCNET and write "Earthquake Fund" in the memo section. Insha'Allaah we will make sure that your donations are sent to them. The donations will be sent through "Islamic Relief USA" which is a US registered charitable organization with good reputation and reliability. Their website is (www.irusa.org) if you want to donate directly through their website.
Other organizations that are working actively for earthquake relief are:
Muslim Aid USA (www.mausa.org)
Turkish Red Crescent (www.kizilay.org.tr)
Syrian Forum USA (www.syrianforumusa.org)
JazakumuLlaahu khairan
MCNET
