Let Not Our Family Hearth Be Extinguished! - 1/2

The family is one of the most solid pillars holding up the structure of human society. Decay and dissolution within these pillars are harbingers of massive societal collapses. Today, those who seek to undermine societies launch overt and covert attacks primarily against the institution of the family. Those who fail to bring righteous nations to their knees through overt warfare now seek to achieve their insidious goals from within by collapsing the family—the core unit of society.

For this reason, we wish to pause our long-standing series and focus on some of the bleeding wounds of contemporary society: the acute threats facing the family and the measures that must be taken against them.

The Divine Order of Creation

Almighty Allah has reserved absolute oneness (wahdaniyyah) solely for Himself, creating all other creation in pairs. Humans, animals, plants, and even inanimate matter exhibit dual structures and complementary functions. As declared in the Holy Qur'an:

"Exalted is He who created all pairs—from what the earth grows, from themselves, and from that which they do not know."
(Surah Ya-Sin, 36:36)

Modern scientific research confirms that this paired creation exists at every level of existence, from the microscopic to the macroscopic. This divine law (Sunnatullah) encompasses all created beings. Just as positive electricity flows toward negative electricity to yield light, or positive atmospheric charges interact with negative ones to bring forth rain, human beings are also created by their innate nature (fitrah) as two complementary halves.

Through marriage (izdivaj), these two halves become whole. Over time, numerous generations emerge from married couples. Eventually, one spouse passes away, followed later by the other, bringing a chapter of earthly life to a close. This world, being a realm of spiritual trial, is like a two-gated inn: a maternity ward on one side and a graveyard on the other. This flow of divine power—from entry into this mortal realm to departure into eternity—is a profound lesson demanding deep reflection.

Almighty Allah sent our ancestors Adam (peace be upon him) and Eve down to Earth, expanding all of humanity from that very first family. In this realm of trial, He willed for us to live within the framework of the family. Thus, a family life initiated through marriage (nikah) and lived in accordance with divine principles is not merely a social construct; it is a heavenly journey whose foundation is laid in this world and whose destination reaches into the Afterlife.

Islam establishes a harmonious and balanced structure by instilling principles of love, affection, and righteousness within the family, aiming to grant the individual true peace and tranquility. As the classical saying goes:

"A person’s Paradise is their home..."

In times past, pious elders prayed for the youth:

"May your home be built, may Allah make your household prosperous, may your hearth be a dwelling of joy, and may your fire burn bright!.."

Indeed, a family established upon divine commands and prohibitions becomes a sanctuary of peace within earthly conditions. This tranquility can only be truly experienced when the family is founded and sustained not by arbitrary or carnal desires, but by divine and prophetic guidance.

Our return from this temporary world to Paradise—the eternal abode of peace—depends on earning passing marks in our trials of devotion to Allah in this worldly school. Therefore, at every stage of life, we must scrupulously observe divine commands and prohibitions, striving to keep our hearts in continuous communion with Almighty Allah, adorning our inner realm with divine character, and deriving spiritual sustenance from the noble heart of our Prophet ﷺ.

The Spiritual Meaning of Marriage (Nikah)

In our sublime religion, Islam, marriage is a command of Allah, a Sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ, and the most natural innate need of human beings. To this end, Almighty Allah endowed humanity with a mutual inclination between the sexes to ensure the continuation and propagation of generations. To fulfill this purpose, our Lord ordained nikah (lawful Islamic marriage).

Conversely, He strictly prohibited extra-marital relationships under the title of zina (fornication/adultery), declaring it a grave sin, a violation of divine boundaries, an infringement on sanctity, and a transgression of limits. Such actions constitute a reckless assault on the elegance of marriage, the purity of modesty, and the legitimacy of the family—a destructive crime against future generations. Replacing the serene atmosphere of nikah with the filth of immorality is an extraordinary act of folly and ignorance.

When our Lord forbids something, He bestows its pure and lawful alternative. In forbidding zina, He commanded nikah. Islam elevates human natural inclinations through marriage. When lived within lawful boundaries with pure intentions, loyalty, and piety (taqwa), even the most basic human needs within family life acquire spiritual value, noble virtue, and immense reward.

Regrettably, there are circles today that defend extra-marital cohabitation. Yet, how can a sound mind defend abandoning human qualities like modesty, dignity, and chastity in favor of an irresponsible, base, and animalistic lifestyle? Attempting to appear righteous, they belittle nikah by claiming, "We do not need a piece of paper," asserting that living together without marriage is a matter of "human rights and personal freedom."

However, nikah is not merely a signature on paper. It carries a profound spiritual meaning: it is a solemn covenant (mithaq) made in the name of Allah, rendering two individuals lawful to one another. Through this sacred pledge, the institution of the family—the foundation of society and the mortar of human civilization—is established. Furthermore, nikah generates comprehensive rights, laws, and duties that protect the individual, the family, and society as a whole.

The Ideological Attack on the Family

Today, liberal mindsets promote uncontrolled and boundless "freedom" as the primary condition for human happiness—resembling a runaway vehicle with failed brakes careening down an unpredictable cliff. Operating under slogans like "Laissez-faire, laissez-passer! Win however you can! Life is yours, live however you please!..", unrefined desires lead individuals to justify any means for personal gain, seeking selfish gratification at the expense of others. The resulting human model is inherently self-centered, pragmatic, and egoistic.

Consequently, human-made philosophical systems detached from divine revelation play a major role in the breakdown of the modern family. Global corporate structures and secular movements have plunged the world into a modern era of ignorance (jahiliyyah). They induce forgetfulness of the Afterlife, normalize immoral behavior, and promote severe deviations as "rights and freedoms." In doing so, they undermine sacred values and exert every effort to dismantle the core unit of society: the family.

Through widespread media and digital platforms:

• Unlawful relationships are trended as fashionable,
• Immodesty and nudity are normalized,
• Celibacy is romanticized as absolute freedom,
• Marriage and parenthood are portrayed as burdensome captivity,
• Sexual deviations are presented as progressive virtues.

The goal of these global movements—under the guise of "freedom"—is to continually feed carnal desires, stripping humanity of its noble nature. They aim to reduce societies into rootless, identity-less crowds devoid of moral values, spiritual roots, or sacred boundaries, making them easy to manipulate and exploit. They rear generations enamored with their oppressors, admiring lifestyles that lead to their own moral ruin. They know full well that without the family, a healthy society cannot exist; people become a "faceless crowd" recognizing no rights, laws, or duties, making them effortless to govern.

Historical Resilience and Modern Challenges

Historically, traditional societies have endured severe material and spiritual trials, foreign occupations, and devastating wars. Modernization and destructive ideological tempests from abroad were repeatedly repelled thanks to a resilient family structure. The heroes of history were the fruits of a wholesome family environment—raised by noble mothers who sent their children to defend their homelands with complete spiritual devotion, accepting martyrdom with profound faith and patience.

Understanding that societies cannot be defeated externally without destroying the nobility of the family, hostile forces continue their insidious plans to collapse the castle from within. The methods of attack have evolved; they now penetrate directly into homes through:

• Harmful broadcast content,
• Unfiltered digital platforms,
• Media productions depicting the family as a hub of toxicity and immorality,
• Deceptive fashions and alluring commercialism.

These influences hollow out the inner world of people, replacing it with destructive worldviews. They poison the souls of the younger generation, turning them into unwitting puppets of carnal desires (nafs) and commercial agendas. A disoriented human type is cultivated—one that scorns its own cultural heritage while admiring foreign lifestyles, moving like a soul-less, rootless robot.

Furthermore, several structural factors corrupt family dynamics:

• Seeds of discord sown by dominant media,
• Policies enacted by governments unaware of global commercial agendas,
• Diverting women from their vital role at the center of the home into hyper-competitive external environments,
• The devaluation of motherhood,
• Radical ideological movements that pit family members against one another under the guise of rights,
• Legal mechanisms that disrupt domestic harmony without due process.

Fearing legal and financial risks, many young people shy away from marriage altogether. The average age of marriage rises continuously, marriage rates decline, and divorce rates approach alarming levels. Consequently, children growing up without proper parental protection and guidance face higher risks of delinquency and distress.

Youth raised in homes filled with constant conflict often view the family concept negatively, perceiving marriage as a burdensome struggle. Seeking solace outside the home, they drift into digital addictions, substance abuse, gambling, and toxic social circles. As a result, moral discernment, empathy, and conscience become blunted, leading to severe social friction, spiritual distress, and tragic outcomes.

A Call to Hope and Responsibility

When the energy of a nation's youth is directed toward destructive paths, a blessed future cannot be realized. Yet, there is no room for despair! As the poet observed, "The gutters are twin: from one flows light, from the other filth..."

Even today, there are brilliant young people growing up in the gutter of light. Our duty is to support these youths, enabling them to guide those trapped in moral darkness, and to uphold the institutions serving this noble cause. Human effort is our duty, while ultimate success (tawfiq) belongs to Allah. We are obligated to strive toward being "a key to good and a lock against evil." We must remember that we are responsible for conveying the message (tabligh) and guidance (irshad) to the best of our ability.

Defending one's faith, family, heritage, and human dignity against the relentless onslaught of moral decay is one of the most vital spiritual struggles (jihad) for every believer today. Protecting the institution of the family is essential. If this fortress falls, society risks becoming a spiritual wasteland, and our collective resilience against future crises will be severely compromised.

If we wish to ensure that:

• The calls to prayer (Adhan) echo freely across our skies,
• The banners of truth and justice never fall,
• Sacred sanctuaries remain untouched by desecration,

Then we must not let the spiritual hearths burning in our homes be extinguished. We must wholeheartedly uphold the moral and spiritual values that have ennobled humanity throughout history. For a land whose values are abandoned is destined to crumble, but as long as a people stand guard over their heritage, it will never perish.

The family is not merely a sphere of biological and social companionship; it is the most impregnable fortress of our spiritual home. Protecting it from collapse—and further fortifying it—is a binding duty upon us all. The upbringing of faithful, righteous, and noble generations can only occur within a strong family structure.

The Path Forward: Returning to Divine Foundations

While material and financial support for young couples is valuable, it is clear that financial aid alone is insufficient. Comprehensive, multi-faceted efforts are required to restore and revitalize the family institution in accordance with timeless civilizational values.

A true believer feels responsible for the state of the world, recognizing that personal salvation is linked to serving the salvation of others. To fortify the family, measures must be taken at the individual, societal, and systemic levels. However, we must first examine our personal duties. Expecting administrative or social reforms without fulfilling our own individual responsibilities is insincere. We must reflect on our own actions without taking the easy path of blaming others.

As in all matters, we must seek solutions to family crises not in distant lands, foreign philosophies, or toxic ideologies, but beneath our own sky—upon the firm foundations of the Qur'an and Sunnah within our own cultural and spiritual heritage.

Islam is the ultimate spiritual and moral civilization. Its source is Almighty Allah, its teacher is the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and its students encompass all of humanity seeking truth until the end of time. This civilization is:

• A civilization of justice and equity,
• A civilization of compassion and mercy,
• A civilization of noble character,
• A civilization of virtue that builds a compassionate society through the moral excellence of its individuals.

Therefore, we must break free from the folly of seeking solutions in foreign legal frameworks or flawed human mindsets that conflict with our spiritual nature. We must stop searching for happiness in the marketplaces of moral bankruptcy, recognize the treasure we possess, and return to our essence.

Let us never forget that true peace within the family is granted solely by Almighty Allah. The more we align our family life with divine and prophetic standards, and the more we raise our children within the atmosphere of the Qur'an and Sunnah, the greater the peace and happiness we will attain.

Almighty Allah granted the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as an matchless role model for humanity in every facet of life. Just as his guidance transformed an era of ignorance into an era of enlightenment fourteen centuries ago, today it is his merciful message that can rescue humanity from the afflictions of modern ignorance and grant true serenity.

May Almighty Allah protect our homes, our communities, and all of humanity from material and spiritual tribulations. May He bestow peace upon our families, awareness upon our youth, and well-being and safety upon all people.

Ameen!

Targeting Mothers and Unborn Babies: Israel's Horrific Genocide

A report was released just a few days ago, 94 pages, where an independent commission looked at the targeting of children specifically in this genocide. And you know the story in that report that really struck me the most, just emotional, was the story of how they, the IDF, threw grenades into a home where there were, there was a family, and 10 of the 11 children were killed. One child survived, and that child watched his parents get shot, and the father was shot in the head, and the mother, the pregnant mother, was shot in her stomach and her breast. And I want you to pay attention to this okay, because there's a reason why they shot her in the stomach, her child, and her breasts. Because her breasts represent motherhood, and there was a child in there. They could have shot her in the head like they shot the father, but they shot her in those places because it's targeted. Children and mothers are targeted because they want to end the nusle, the lineage of Palestinians, they want it to be erased.

IT'S WORSE Than You Think

The whole world has to isolate this rogue, apartheid, genocidal maniac, serial killing, pathologically lying state. Isolate it. Shame anyone who goes there. Academics, celebrities, politicians, and they've been exposed for what they are. And Zionism is on its last leg. It only exists by the weight of its propaganda. And that propaganda is collapsed entirely.

The world sees Israel for what it is, and it can't last for long in its current state. You cannot expect change in a society this far gone. It is full-throated fascist. And that's why they act the way they do with full total impunity because they have no humanity left. This is a society so far gone with protection of a military empire with hatred in their hearts. And we're seeing essentially the fourth Reich today marching forward. And there's no Allied forces coming to save us.

The Israeli Knesset just passed a law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, but not Israelis. This is the true face of apartheid Israel. But this is nothing new. I saw this firsthand when I was in Israel back in 2016. Full-throated fascism. You can't deal with these people.

"There's no need to try. There's no need to talk to them. There's only one way. Like I would carpet bomb them."
"You would carpet bomb them?"
"It's the only—It's the only way you could deal with it."

I didn't realize this. I didn't realize how viscerally, grotesquely genocidal Israelis were, how openly fascist they would be to anyone.

"Jews shouldn't marry Arabs."
"Shouldn't marry Arabs. Why do you feel strongly about that?"
"Because Jews is a special nation that God gave it to the Jews. We don't want the Arabs to be here."

They knew that they were on camera. That's what's so alarming to me, too. I wasn't trying to hide. I wasn't doing gotcha journalism. I was going up with a camera and saying generally what do you think about the situation?

"I think Israelis have to take over and uh they have to kick them uh kick them away."

I was so horrified and alarmed at the genocidal rhetoric that was being espoused. Every single person for every generation, every walk of life, they wanted ethnic cleansing. They said we should nuke them. One little girl laughing. We should kill all Arabs. Kill all Arabs.

"We need to kill Arabies." [laughter] "No."

It shows you the impunity back then. The arrogance to just assume this is what you guys think too, right? You're an American. You agree with me. You guys have been doing the same thing. This is who we are. We're proud racists. We're proudly fascist. I felt like I was walking into Berlin in 1932. I really felt absolutely disgusted. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I mean, just walking a couple steps and as white as I am, "Are you Arab? Are you Arab?" And I'm like, "What? Uh, I'm an American." "Oh, good. We can talk about Arabs then. We can talk about how much we hate Palestinians."

I saw the writing on the wall back then. I saw that there's no hope from within Israeli society. I went to rallies where they were calling to kick all the refugees out. You know, these were things that were told: Israel is a safe haven for Holocaust survivors, for genocide survivors. Well, why are all the African refugees put out in the middle of the Negev Desert into a concentration camp? Why don't they want any African refugees there? They tokenize Ethiopian refugees, but then they make them take Depo-Provera birth control because they don't want them to reproduce. This is the nature of Israeli society. It's an ethnostate and it's built on supremacy and hate because that's what Zionism is.

"How many civilians have been killed in Gaza from what you know?"
"Who gives a—Okay. But don't you feel like for example children, children grow up to be Arabs."

You have to continue to expel. You have to continue to kill to keep that artificial majority in place.

"If you gave me a button to just erase Gaza, every single living being in Gaza would no longer be living tomorrow. I would press it in a second. I would press it right now. Give me that button and press it right now. There you go."

And I think most Israelis would during the Gaza genocide to see people just proclaim out in the open the genocidal incitement. It's an entire nation out there that is responsible. It was heinous and horrifying, but finally people saw Israel for what it is. It's all been exposed. They're not hiding anymore. [laughter] [cheering and applause]

Israel's propaganda is not working anymore because for the first time, Palestinians have been able to just show us the unvarnished truth of the reality that they endure on a daily basis. We see the settler terrorism. We see the people getting mowed down for doing nothing. We see the crimes every single day. You cannot hide genocide from us. So, the propaganda has become cartoonish.

"I'm very puzzled by the constant concern which the world is showing for the Palestinian people and is actually showing for these horrible inhuman animals."

It's inverted just everything that we know to be true. Black is white, up is down. It's the most moral army in the world. We're a benevolent empire spreading human rights and democracy. Who the hell believes this anymore? So, it's become silly. It's become absurd.

"The Israelis today saying that Hamas use Palestinians as human shields. Do they killing the victims then blaming the victims for killing themselves? I mean, what is this logic?"

They infantilize us. They treat us like children. This is a genocide happening in front of our eyes.

"We have... Yeah, we... that word is, as you know, incredibly emotive. And the Israelis, as you know, will be saying that they are targeting Hamas only."

It's become so obvious that we're being dictated to, that our reality is curated by tech overlords who are profiting off the infrastructure of genocide, of the surveillance of our lives. All of these things are interconnected. So, the propaganda doesn't work anymore. It's too infantilizing and stupid.

"One day after describing it as a tragic mishap, Israel has now claimed a deadly double strike on a Gaza hospital was prompted by the discovery of a Hamas camera."

A Hamas camera is why they blow up journalists at a hospital because they have a camera that belonged to Hamas. I mean, it just makes corporate media journalists and establishment journalists look like buffoons, doesn't it? For towing this absurd propaganda that's so hollowed out and childlike. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"We have some really uh disturbing new information uh out of Israel. The Israeli prime minister spokesman just confirmed. Babies and toddlers were found with their heads decapitated."

There's no excuse whatsoever. They are complicit in this. But you see Israel buying up media outlets. But we have to fight with the weapons that apply to the battlefields in which we're engaged. And the most important ones are the social media. And the most important purchase that is going on right now is class TikTok. TikTok. Number one.

Do you see Israeli billionaires trying to tamp down on the narrative? They're desperate. They're desperate because they know that's the only way they'll survive is to try to convince the world of the opposite of what we're all seeing. So that's why you see these desperate, pathetic influencers just spewing lies.

"I'm here in Gaza and all I see is food, water, and opportunity. But instead of Hamas distributing the ramen noodles, they're eating it all. And that's why their leaders are on Ozempic because that's all they have left."

They don't have anything anymore. But it's too late. We're never going to forget what it looks like when Palestinians hold their children in plastic bags. No one can forget that. I'm never going to forget the sound of a drone emitting a crying baby so it can massacre children who come out of their homes and get lured like a cat and mouse. No one's going to forget that. No one's going to forget what it looks like in Gaza today.

You can't wash that away. You can't paper over that with degenerate propaganda base-level lies. No one's going to paper over the unvarnished truth of what we've all witnessed for years now.

Now, this is urgent. If you care about independent media, if you care about stories like this, you must support it. Please go to Patreon and support Double Down News today. Without your help and support, news like this wouldn't exist. We need you. All hands on deck.

Hind Rami Iyad Rajab

Hind Rami Iyad Rajab (Arabic: هند رامي إياد رجب;^[3][4] 3 May 2018 – 29 January 2024) was a five-year-old^[a] Palestinian girl in the Gaza Strip who was killed by Israeli forces during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, which also killed six of her family members and two paramedics coming to her rescue.

Rajab and her family were fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins, with Rajab and another cousin surviving and contacting the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to ask for help while noting that they were being attacked by an Israeli tank. The cousin was later also killed and Rajab was left stranded in the vehicle for hours on the phone, as paramedics from PRCS attempted to rescue her. Both Rajab and the paramedics were later also found killed on 10 February after an Israeli withdrawal.

Israel claimed that there were not any troops present in the neighborhood and denied carrying out the attack. However, this was refuted by The Washington Post and Sky News's investigations relying on satellite imagery and visual evidence, which concluded that a number of Israeli tanks were indeed present and one had likely fired 335 rounds on the car that Rajab and her family had been in, with tank operators being able to see that the car had civilians including children in it.^[8] The Forensic Architecture investigation also concluded that an Israeli tank had also likely attacked the ambulance that came for Rajab.^[8]

In the aftermath of the killing, Western media outlets were criticized for their coverage of the incident, including for not attributing who killed Rajab and for their adultification of her. American student protestors renamed overtaken buildings in honor of Rajab, such as Hind's Hall at Columbia University, drawing increased attention to the incident.

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THE MOST PROSPEROUS WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE PROPHET (pbuh)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would be better known by reading him from the hearts than reading about him from the books. In other words it is necessary to understand him by receiving inspiration and spirituality from the worlds of the scholars and gnostics who are pious and follow the principles of prophetic morals in every aspect of their lives.

He can be understood in a perfect sense only by the sincere heartfelt feelings of pious believers. We can only know Him to the extent of our piety.

It is commanded in the following verse that:

“…So fear Allah. For it is God that teaches you….” (2: 282)

So, learning the life of the Prophet (pbuh) cannot be accomplished just by engaging in a chronological reading activity. The best of those who know the life of the Prophet (pbuh) are those whose lives resemble most to the life of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Those who know him the best are the pious friends of Allah, who live the Sunnah (traditions) of the Messenger of Allah with extreme sensitivity, and who follow that sun of mercy with love and longing.

This is because they follow the enlightened path of the Messenger of Allah with the absolute loyalty and allegiance of a shadow to its owner.

As it was confirmed by a verse of the Noble Qur’ān the Prophet (pbuh) would never speak out of his own desires. He was only the translator, implementer, explainer, declarer, and representative of what was revealed to him.

Those friends of Allah who have achieved the rank of Fana fi al-Rasul, that is, those who are utterly lost in the love of the Messenger of Allah, also do not speak out of their passions and desires.

They emptied their inner world from everything except Allah the Almighty, like a reed flute, all voices of guidance heard from them are shares from the prophetic breath whose morals they have adopted. Their hearts are bright mirrors where the lights of God and truth are reflected. As it is stated in a prophetic saying:

“…Allah the Almighty becomes his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks …” (Bukhari, Kitab al-Riqaq, 38)

The Prophet (pbuh) is a sun who spreads the excitement of eternal bliss and who illuminates all the worlds. The friends of Allah, who are the inheritors of prophets, are in the rank of a moon which is a mirror to the Sun. The existence of the moon depends on the existence of the sun. This is because all of the light, beauty, and magnificence of the moon are little reflections which come from the Sun.

Sheikh Sadi tells in a representative style in the following story from his work called Gulistan (“The Land of Rose”) how the friends of Allah owe their beauty to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and how all of their spiritual states come from the spirituality of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).

“One person goes to the public bath. In the public bath one of his friends gives him a nice smelling clay (cleaning soil) so that he can clean himself. A wonderful scent emanates from the clay that caresses the spirit. The man asks the clay:

“Oh dear! Are you musk or amber? I am in ecstasy due to your beautiful scent that attracts the hearts…”

The clay responds to him as follows:

“I am neither musk nor amber. I am just an ordinary soil. However, I was under a rose sprout and every dawn I was being kneaded by the dews that were dropping from the rosebuds. So,the scent that you are feeling which refreshes the hearts belongs to those roses…”

Rose is the symbol of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This world is like a classroom and in this classroom, the most important education is

To get to know the Sultan of the Roses

To have a share from the holy scent of that Rose,

To be a drop of dew in the petal of that Rose.

The most essential material needed in this path is the love for him.