Marium Ansari
Ajax
Neutrality in the face of oppression is not innocence. It is a testimony written in our own book of deeds.
Yet another round of global diplomacy passes. Another summit, another statement. And once again, the cries of the oppressed are drowned in political speeches. Humanity itself seems to be slipping away, reduced to headlines and hashtags that fade as quickly as they appear.
For many of us, sitting far from the Arab lands, this tragedy feels distant. We soothe ourselves with excuses: “If powerful governments and Muslim nations cannot change anything, then what difference can we make as a small community?”
And so, we turn away. We occupy ourselves with work, children, and the responsibilities of home. We convince ourselves that life is meant to be enjoyed moment by moment. But have we really asked the difficult question:
👉 What will we say to our Lord if we were to return today?
👉 Are we ready with an answer—or are we deliberately ignoring the reality?
The Qur’an reminds us with piercing clarity: كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ
“Every soul will be held in pledge for what it earned.” (74:38)
Our silence is not neutral. Our inaction is a choice. Our negligence is a statement written in our record of deeds.
On the Day of Judgment, Allah will not ask us why we didn’t liberate nations or sit at negotiation tables. But He will ask:
“What did you do with what was within your reach?”
That is the true measure. Every small action matters: raising awareness, making du‘ā, supporting the oppressed through charity, educating our children with truth, or simply refusing to be silent when injustice is normalized.
The deception of our age is to believe that smallness excuses us from responsibility. It does not. The Qur’an teaches us that accountability is individual. Each of us has a share to put forward—and each will be held to account for it.
So let us not be a generation remembered for turning away, for drowning in comfort, for living blind to reality. Let us rise—even in small ways—for the sake of our Lord and the sake of humanity.
Because the question is not “What difference can we make?”
The real question is: “What will we answer when we stand before Allah?”
On the Day of Judgment, excuses will fade. Only our deeds—and our neglect—will speak for us.
مريم انصاری
