Dear sisters,
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
We speak a lot about widows, orphans, and the injured, but we forget those who carry this hardship with the weakest bodies our elderly mothers and fathers in the camps.
After 8 years of imprisonment, displacement, and hardship, this is what old age looks like in a tent:
The Journey for Water
There is no tap in the tent. An elderly woman in her 60s and 70s must walk daily to bring water. The containers are heavy, the ground is muddy uneven and full of stones, and her back and knees are already broken. Each step is pain.
Cold Water and Broken Hands
In winter, the water is ice. They must put their bare hands inside this freezing water to wash, to make wudu, to clean clothes, to cook. The cold cuts into their bones. Their hands crack, subhanallah they are in severe pain. Their joints swell. For an elder with arthritis, this pain does not leave at night. It keeps her awake.
Poor Nutrition
Poor nutrition affects them terribly, especially now with food prices triple the amount. That means no meat. Alhamdulillah there are special cheques that give some relief and a little fruit, but for the poor elderly soul, she still has difficulty chewing.
The body of an elder needs vitamins to survive, but there are no vitamins because of lack of financial support, subhanallah. It’s a domino effect: no vitamins, no teeth. Their teeth fall out, one by one. They cannot chew, so they eat even less. Their gums bleed. Their stomachs fail them. Bowel problems become constant — constipation, pain, and infections because the food has no nutrition and the water is not clean. They become dizzy, weak, and their eyesight fades.
No Warmth
A tent is not a house. The wind comes through. In winter, one thin blanket is not enough. They have no warm clothes, no socks, no proper shoes to keep them warm. An old person feels cold more than anyone. The cold reaches their chest and makes them sick for weeks, with no medicine. They do not complain. They say Alhamdulillah and sit in the corner of the tent. But they are in Amanah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ نَفَّسَ عَنْ مُؤْمِنٍ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ الدُّنْيَا، نَفَّسَ اللهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ
“Whoever relieves a believer from a distress of this world, Allah will relieve him from a distress on the Day of Resurrection.”
(Sahih Muslim 2699)
If others help their own people and make sure they are okay, where are we for our mothers and fathers who raised us and taught us La ilaha illAllah?
An elder does not need much. Warm clothes. Vitamins. Clean, warm water. Soft food she can eat. A mattress to keep her off the cold ground.
This is not luxury. This is dignity.
0 Comments