What You Can Do For Palestine (With Dua List & Action Steps)

Our hearts bleed and our minds are numb at the horrifying destruction and genocide happening right now in Gaza and in other parts of the Muslim world. In these times, you might be oscillating between feeling utter despair and having hope in the Justice, Mercy, and Help of Allah ﷻ.

Watching such atrocities from the relative comfort of your home can quickly lead to inaction, emotional desensitization, and feelings of guilt and uselessness if you’re not careful.

But there’s always something that can be done. Even if it’s little and seems insignificant, it never is.

Here are some ways you can help your brothers and sisters in Palestine:

1. Rectify your own self.
2. Don’t numb yourself to your pain.
3. Do your part, faithfully and consistently.
4. Give regularly in charity.
5. Educate yourself. Educate others.
6. Pray as much and as sincerely as you can.
7. Be mindful of your social media consumption.
8. Keeps fasts for the Ummah.

1. Rectify your own self.

Everything in life has a ripple effect. Individual rectification leads to societal rectification. When you work on yourself, leading a life of obedience to Allah (swt) you’re automatically doing your part to bring about Khayr (goodness) in the world.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

So begin with yourself.

• Which bad habit or sin can you leave right now for the sake of Allah?
• Where can you inculcate more Dhikr and mindfulness in your life, moving away from a life of Ghaflah (negligence) and distraction?
• Where can you start taking responsibility for your life, so you’re an effective contributing member of society?

These are important questions to ask yourself at any stage of life, but particularly now, as our Muslim brothers and sisters are being martyred indiscriminately in Palestine.

2. Don’t numb yourself to your pain. 

This emotional pain is a very real sign of your faith and your humanity. When one part of the Ummah is wounded, all of us are wounded. 

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

Use this emotional pain to turn toward Allah, not away from Him. Spread out your prayer mat, beg His forgiveness for the entire Ummah, beg Him for help for the martyrs, injured, and defenseless in Gaza. 

3. Do your part, faithfully and consistently. 

Remember the story of the little bird who carried water in its small beak to put out the fire of Prophet Ibrahim (as) that Nimrud had thrown him in? 

And when asked what possible benefit that bit of water could do in putting out the great fire, the little bird replied: “I’m doing my part with what Allah has given me. I won’t be asked about whether or not this water puts out the fire, but I WILL be asked about what I did while the Friend of Allah was thrown into the fire.”

That’s all you have to do. Play your part. We all have our spheres of influence, and while some might have more power than others, this doesn’t mean the rest of us are helpless to do anything at all. 

Whether in your college, university, workplace, home, or social circle, you have just one job – do your part to raise awareness and take action, in whatever capacity possible.

4. Give regularly in charity.

Donate to organizations you trust. Donate as much as you can, imagining if this was your own family in need, your own people being killed. Donate as a religious and moral obligation, hoping for reward from Allah.

Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) relates, “I asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Apostle of Allah, tell us the legal injunction about (visiting) Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).” The Apostle of Allah ﷺ said, ” Go and pray there. If you cannot visit it and pray there, then send some oil to be used in the lamps”.” [Bukhari]

5. Educate yourself. Educate others. 

This present-day conflict in the Holy Land goes back centuries. Educate yourself about the root causes. Then pass on this knowledge to everyone around you, and especially the next generation. 

The only way to counter this mass propaganda and spread of misinformation is to share actual stories from the ground, spread awareness in your circles, and post on social media. 

If you can even educate one person about what’s really happening in Palestine right now and has been going on for decades, you’ll have done your part.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then (let him change it) with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.” [Muslim]

6. Pray as much and as sincerely as you can. 

Never underestimate the power of Dua. Imagine if this was your home being destroyed, your family being killed, your child left injured and alone or murdered. Feel the desperation you’d have in that moment, and channel it through your Duas. 

Utilize the times when Dua is more likely to be accepted, which include:

1. The time between the Adhan and Iqamah.
2. When it’s raining.
3. After every Fardh Salah.
4. When you’re traveling.
5. The last third of the night (Tahajjud).
6. The last hour before Maghrib on Friday.
7. While visiting the sick.
8. During Sujood in prayer.

Some important Duas to make at this time:

1) Lots of Istighfar

Seek repentance for yourself and the entire Ummah.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “If anyone continually asks pardon, God will appoint for them a way out of every distress, a relief from every anxiety, and will provide for them from where they cannot imagine.” [Sunan Abi Dawud]

Recite this Dua at least 25 or 27 times daily:

اَلَّلھُمَّ اغْفِرْلِی وَلِلْمُوْمِنِیْنَ وَالْمُوْمِنَاتْ وَالْمُسْلِمِیْنَ وَالْمُسْلِمَات
Allahummaghfir lee wa lil mu’minina wal mu’minat, wal muslimina wal muslimat.
“O Allah! Forgive me and the believing men and women and the Muslim men and women.”

2) Qunoot e Nazilah

This is a powerful Dua which is recited whenever the Ummah is facing a major crisis or calamity (Nazilah). It is preferable to recite this Dua as frequently as possible until the crisis is over. The Prophet ﷺ recited it for a month after his companions were treacherously killed in the incident of Bi’r Ma’una.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ، وَأَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَأَصْلِحْ ذَاتَ بَيْنِهِمْ، وَانْصُرْهُمْ عَلَى عَدُوِّك وَعَدُوِّهِمْ. اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ كَفَرَةَ الْكِتَابِ الَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ رُسُلَك وَيُقَاتِلُونَ أَوْلِيَاءَك. اللَّهُمَّ خَالِفْ بَيْنَ كَلِمَتِهِمْ، وَزَلْزِلْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ، وَأَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ بَأْسَك الَّذِي لَا يُرَدُّ عَنْ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ 

“O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, pardon me among those You have pardoned, befriend me among those You have befriended, bless me in what You have granted, and save me from the evil that You have decreed. Indeed! You decree, and none can pass decree upon You. Indeed! He is not humiliated whom You have befriended, blessed are You our Lord and Exalted.

O Allah, forgive us and the believing men and women and Muslim men and women, unite their hearts with mutual love, set right their mutual affairs and help them against theirs and Your enemy. O Allah, let Your curse be on those disbelievers who reject Your prophets and kill Your chosen ones. O Allah, make difficult their plans, shake their feet and give them such punishment which is not turned away from a sinning people.” [Tirmidhi Shaami]

3) Short Arabic Duas

A brief but potent Dua to recite at this time is:

يَا رَبَّ مُحَمَّدٍ انْصُرْ أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ
Ya Rabba Muhammad, unsur Ummata Muhammad.
“O Lord of Muhammad ﷺ, help the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ.”

You can also recite:

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ
اللَّهُمَّ فَرِّجْ عَنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ
اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْ أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ
Allahumma aslih Ummata Muhammad. Allahumma farrij ‘an Ummati Muhammad. Allahumma Rham Ummata Muhammad ﷺ.
“O Allah! Improve (help) the state of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ. O Allah! Grant ease to the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ. O Allah! Have mercy on the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ.”

4) The Nasiri Dua

The Nasiri Dua is so powerful that rulers would ban it from the Masajid. It was recited by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Nasir against the French occupation in Morocco. This Dua is so effective that it came to be known as the “Sword of Ibn Nasir”.

Recite it frequently for your brothers and sisters in Palestine and wherever else Muslims are being targeted and persecuted. 

You can find the Arabic of this Dua and its English translation here.

5) Sunnah Dua Against the Enemies

This is the Dua the Prophet ﷺ made during battle with the disbelievers:

اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ، سَرِيعَ الْحِسَابِ، اهْزِمِ الأَحْزَابَ، اللَّهُمَّ اهْزِمْهُمْ وَزَلْزِلْهُمْ
Allahumma munzilal-kitab, wa mujriyas- sahab, wa hazimal-Ahzab, ihzimhum wansurna alaihim.
“O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Disperser of the clouds, Defeater of the Confederates, put our enemy to rout and support us against them.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

7. Be mindful of your social media consumption. 

Take care of your own mental health, and while I admit this is definitely a privilege in such harrowing times, it’s also the only way to really help our brothers and sisters. 

Stay aware, but don’t mindlessly consume social media content. 

For every bit of heartbreaking news, recite a Tasbih or Dua. Mention the names of the people injured or martyred in Dua, and pray for them as you would for your own loved ones.

For every moment you have safety and security while they don’t, give Shukr for your blessings and say Istighfar for your shortcomings.

When you feel like you’re becoming dysregulated and overwhelmed, take a deep breath and remember that Allah (swt) is the One in control.

8. Keep fasts for the Ummah. 

Allah (swt) loves when His servants keep fasts for His sake. The Dua of the fasting person is accepted at the time he keeps and breaks his fast.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The supplications of three are not turned back: the supplication of a parent, the supplication of a fasting person, and the supplication of a traveler.” [Bayhaqi]

So keeping voluntary fasts out of desperation and in hope of invoking the Mercy and Help of Allah (swt) in such dire times is highly recommended. This is definitely something we can do from the vast comfort of our homes.

You can fast every day, every other day, or on Mondays and Thursdays until there’s news of relief, ease, and victory for Palestinians. Insha Allah Ameen.

A message of hope

When you’re overcome with helplessness at the cruelty and injustice, allow the tears to spill and PRAY. If you’re exposing yourself continuously to these tragedies without taking any proactive action, whether that’s in the form of donations, protests, or just prayers, you’re bound to fall into a deep cave of despair that will be immensely difficult to climb out of, and that will help no one.

So get up at Tahajjud. Pray extra Nawafil. Keep voluntary fasts. Beg Him to free Palestine and all lands from oppression. Weep to Allah at least as much as you write and read about it on social media. These are some of the least things we can do, and yet nearly all we can do right now.

Ya Allah.

Free Palestine.

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