3 Lessons on Resilience Grounded in Faith Through the Lens of Gaza Medical Volunteers

As-salamu alaykum,

For many healthcare workers (muslims and non-muslims like) across the globe, the genocide unfolding in Gaza has been a subject that has unmasked intense emotion, and a deep sense of helplessness.

We have all witnessed the loss of lives on our screens involving Gazans from all walks of life including several healthcare workers even as many of the, hitherto functioning healthcare facilities, are now completely destroyed. 

I recently had the opportunity to interact directly with a few colleagues who spent a good part of their Ramadan in Gaza as medical volunteers. They shared many stories about the strength and the resilience of the people of Gaza despite living in the most dire of conditions.  

My interaction with them led me to explore other resources about medical volunteers and local healthcare workers in Gaza and what lessons we can take away from a people who despite the catastrophic conditions that they are being tested with, are still able to respond to the situation and to the world with strength, grace and resilience.

In the global healthcare landscape, and specifically in the U.S., much has been discussed about the growing rates of burnout and impending healthcare collapse as a result. In one survey of 500 medical professionals, the issues highlighted include

• 35% of health care workers have seen a co-worker fall asleep during a shift

• 73% of health care workers feel underpaid, and 59% feel unappreciated at work

• 77% of health care workers believe a health care crisis will occur within the next year due to understaffing and employee burnout

• 1 in 3 health care workers plan to leave their job within the next year, and 14% plan to leave the industry entirely

As one can imagine, the situation is exponentially worse in Gaza than for many of us and yet this is what our own local surveys are showing. Today’s newsletter is not to make comparisons but rather to lean into the sources of strength and resilience of the people and healthcare workers in Gaza who have refused to leave their land and continue to take care of their locals despite the unfathomable healthcare delivery conditions. 

Here are 3 transformational lessons that featured prominently in the conversations and the similarly related resources.

1. Their Daily Lives Revolve Around the Qur’an

We have heard from many sources about this distinguishing habit of Gazans and their healthcare workers are not left out. In one instructive story, a psychologist who was recently pulled out of the rubble of destruction and nursed back to health after having lost all of her family. She was asked by outsiders that she met at a conference in Qatar how she had managed to recover and to stay strong - she immediately referenced a verse from the Qur’an;

Surah Al-Qasas v10: “And the heart of Moses’ mother ached so much that she almost gave away his identity, had We not reassured her heart in order for her to have faith ˹in Allah’s promise˺.”

Teaching all of us where the true source of strength and assurance lies - in our connection to Allah through His Divine revelation and prescribed worship of the 5 daily prayers.

As healthcare workers, how often do you and I connect to the Qur’an in the middle of our busy days and weeks? 

2. Their Generosity knows No Bounds.

One of the stories shared involved a young lad who insisted on preparing a traditional Palestinian meal for the team of medical volunteers at a time when bread, eggs and other basic food items are extremely scarce. Nonetheless, the young lad was very resourceful and delivered as promised. This is a rare trait in the most unlikely of places in the world right now. 

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The generous one is near to Allah, near to Paradise, near to the people, and far from the Hellfire. The miserly one is far from Allah, far from Paradise, far from the people, and near to the Hellfire. An ignorant, generous person is more beloved to Allah Almighty than a stingy scholar.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1961]

As we can appreciate from this hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (May Allah have mercy on him), the Prophet Muhammad PBUH teaches us the immense value of this core value of generosity in keeping us connected to our creator and by doing so, grounding us in our spiritual pursuits. 

It is not uncommon for us to fall prey to the scare tactics of shaytan and the promise of poverty and a scarcity mindset but the people of Gaza are calling us to something higher, to be generous even when the odds are stacked against us; to serve patients and their families in unprecedented ways appreciating that this generous approach with an abundance mindset will earn us nothing short of closeness to Allah and nearness to the people while subtly getting us closer to our next best versions.

3. They are always prepared for the inevitable!

As healthcare workers, we see more than our fair share of death compared to the average person but does this reality nudge us to prepare more intently for this universal truth? 

Our colleagues who recently volunteered in Gaza shared the habit of constant remembrance of death that translates to living a life of purpose and of service; that nudges Gazan to often remember Allah, the most High in the course of their day; and that places the pursuit of true success in the eternal life front and center for them over and above any worldly endeavor that is not inherently tied to this hereafter-centric priority. 

Surah Al-Anbiya v35: “Every soul will taste death. And We test you ˹O humanity˺ with good and evil as a trial, then to Us you will ˹all˺ be returned.”

We learnt of Gazans including their healthcare workers who go to bed every night with a sense of tranquility despite the constant humming sound of drones with the contentment of service to others in the day gone by and often repeating the words of Shahadah, “Laa ilaaha ill-Allah” that “There is no god except Allah”

How much thought do we give to this eventuality in our own lives? 

To what degree are we prepared for it? 

Are we prioritizing creating things like wills and lining up our material blessings in this life so that they can be easily accessed by our loved ones should the inevitable strike in the most unpredictable of circumstances? 

Are we investing in our connection with Allah that is assured to pay off in the hereafter?

We learn from our brothers and sisters in Gaza, through the lens of colleagues that interacted with them firsthand what it means to live the Qur’an and what our priorities should look like so that we ground ourselves in these divinely inspired mindsets, values and rituals that foster strength and help us cultivate resilience tied to our reliance on our creator and His mastery over the trials and tests of our healthcare careers and life outside of work.

We pray that Allah, the Most High, alleviates the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters in Gaza and that He blesses us with the Taofiq (capacity) to rise above our lower selves and aspire towards these profound lessons in all aspects of our lives. Ameen  

Sincerely,

Sulyman

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