Displaced Palestinian families in the southern city of Rafah, at the border of the Gaza Strip with Egypt, are encouraging their children to attend religious circles for learning the Holy Quran. These gatherings also feature sermons that elevate the values of patience and morals, as well as instructing them on the pillars of Islam and faith.
In an imposing scene, boys and girls huddle inside a tent set up in the courtyard of a school in the Al-Juneina neighborhood in Rafah, which shelters displaced people—most from the northern part of the Strip. They recite the Holy Quran, learn obligations and customs, and engage with religious lessons provided by young preachers who volunteer to tour shelters scattered around the city. The goal is to instill tranquility in the hearts of the displaced, especially children, against the backdrop of a fierce and escalating Israeli war now in its fourth consecutive month.
Narratives of Islamic history and tales of the companions and successors contribute to enhancing the patience and resilience of children (Al Jazeera)
Instilling the Value of Patience
In his sermon to a large crowd of children, Sheikh Alaa focused on the value of patience in the life of a Muslim, citing examples from the prophetic biography. He tells Al Jazeera net, "Religion is the gateway to enduring trials, and what we’re currently experiencing in terms of tragedies and pain due to war and siege requires that we all turn to God with prayer, patience, and supplication."
Sheikh Mahmoud adds to Al Jazeera net that "the aim of this initiative is to bring peace of mind to hundreds of thousands of displaced people—including a large number of children—who have been forced by the Israeli war to flee their homes and seek refuge in the city of Rafah."
Sheikh Mahmoud is responsible for teaching the children the correct recitation of the Holy Quran and encouraging them to memorize it and maintain its reading, as well as narrating stories from Islamic history that cover luminous stations of the companions and followers. These narratives contribute to enhancing the patience and resilience of these children and support them psychologically amidst the daily violence of murder and destruction committed by the Israeli occupation army.
Sheikh Alaa Sheikh Eid teaches displaced children the value of patience through hardships and trials (Al Jazeera)
A Resource and Alternative for Children
Anas Abu Shanab, a 12-year-old child, tells Al Jazeera net that he eagerly awaits the arrival of Sheikhs Mahmoud and Alaa at the tent to learn the rules of the Holy Quran, its recitation, and to listen to religious sermons and the life of the Prophet—peace be upon him—and his companions.
Anas fled several times with his family from their home in the Al-Zaitoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City to Al-Jalaa Street in the city, before being forced to flee to the city of Khan Younis in the south of the Strip and then to Rafah as the Israeli military crimes intensified with the army's ground incursion.
Anas was injured by shrapnel from an Israeli missile in his abdomen and leg when he happened to be at a site targeted by an Israeli warplane in Khan Younis. Regarding this, he tells Al Jazeera net that he forgets about the war and its pains when he learns the Quran and listens to the religious sermons.
Since the beginning of the aggression on October 7, the Israeli military has killed more than 22,000 Palestinians, including 9,730 children, while the rate of missing children has reached 70% among the approximately 7,000 missing. In addition, tens of thousands have been injured and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
