By Bint-e-Hawwa
The Quran speaks to each one of us- sinner or saint, victim or oppressor. There are numerous Ayaat in the Noble Qur’an that appear to the reciter as their personal lifelines.
‘…your Lord is never forgetful.’
As a survivor of child molestation in early childhood, these simple five words from Surah Maryam gave me so much comfort and reassurance. I faced the horrific trauma at a very tender age of 4 or 5. I was confused and unable to comprehend, yet the vague memory of fear and pain stayed with me and haunts me to this day.
One day I came across this quote of Imam Shafi’i:
“There’s a verse in the Qur’an that is like an arrow in the heart of every oppressor and at the same time a source of comfort for the heart of the oppressed.” People asked: “What is it?” He said: “..and your Lord is never forgetful [Surah Maryam: 64]”
This quote worked like a balm to my suffering soul. There are days when these invisible wounds, cause unbearable pain but now I leave my case in the Hands of the Most Supreme Authority, the Most Powerful Allah swt. Indeed, He will most certainly question each and every abuser and oppressor who has ever walked on the face of this earth, and hold them accountable for their heinous crimes. It is unfortunate how common this horrendously reprehensible and terrible crime is! Yet, it either goes unnoticed or ignored, or the survivor becomes the victim of misunderstanding or misplaced guilt.
The survivor often suffers in secrecy because of his or her inability to comprehend and articulate their experience. They also suffer because of a loss of trust, a fear of being held responsible themselves and a debilitating sense of shame. In some cases, when the survivor was too young, she or he grows up with the notion that the incident was his/her imagination. As a result, she has to cope with the lingering effects of the physical trauma and mental anguish.
We must become more vigilant and more protective of our children. Children are such fragile, innocent beings and this impacts their entire personality, their ability to bond in other relationships and even their physical growth.
Only Allah swt knows how many individuals suffer privately while trying hard to lead a normal life. We must learn to be kind to each other, to show compassion and forgive because we are unaware of each other’s inner struggles and avoid inflicting pain on others.
Just imagine the Day of Judgment when all these culprits would have to stand guiltily in front of Allah swt, the Knower of every crime committed by them, who will bring to light each one of their misdeeds since He never forgets.
‘And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, (and He will say), ‘You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment. And the record (of deeds) will be placed (open) and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, ‘Oh woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?’ And your Lord does injustice to no one.’ (Surah Al Kahf:48-49)
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