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At the end of an out-of-this-world hearing, when the judge was wrapping up
his 86 year sentence, Aafia brought up the 6th verse in the 49th chapter of the
Quran, ‘O you who believe! If an evil person comes to you with any news, verify
it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for
what you have done.’
She then asked all the people present in the court and her supporters outside
of court to have mercy on and forgive the prosecutors and witnesses and Judge
Berman. It seemed almost like Judge Berman was mocking her when he said, ‘I
wish more defendants would feel the way that you do. Enjoy your life, Dr. Aafia.’’
She urged Muslims not to hate American soldiers.
After being held and broken, physically, mentally, psychologically, a travesty of
her former self, the torture etched in her face, she still is able to forgive them
and urges us to forgive them, too. Learning this makes me ashamed of my own
shoddy, spiritual state compared to her. She has so much forgiveness in her
heart despite being caged, and I having so many luxuries at arms length; I can
kiss my children whenever I want, hug my sisters, talk to my brother, yet I am so
weak. I have a hard time forgiving someone who harms me by backbiting
or hampering my work. I wonder in our separate journeys, who is
better off?
I pray that Americans join in the demands for her repatriation back to Pakistan
send her back to her home country where her aching eyes can at least see her
children through the bars.
Many people go through trials and tribulations during their lifetime. Scholars say,
that to see whether the trial is a test from Allah
ٰ
یلاعت و ہناحبس
or a punishment
from Allah
ٰ
یلاعت و ہناحبس
, you must do muhasabah (ask yourself is this bringing
me closer to Allah or away from Allah?( Judging solely by her remarks made in
court, I can say I believe this is a supreme test from Allah
ٰ
یلاعت و ہناحبس
for Sister
Aafia – her iman unwavering, her night filled with visions of the Habib
ﷺ
.