On the 13th of December, I was invited by Patricia Earle from Women’s Peace Group to attend an event celebrating Women Making a Difference. It featured testimonials of dedicated individuals helping others through difficult situations. The night included a diverse audience representing at least 25 nationalities and various faith backgrounds. Overall, the event was enlightening and powerful, fostering a sense of sisterhood and a shared commitment to positive change.
The evening emphasised the vital role of justice in achieving peace. It reminded me of two particular verses of the Qur’an:
And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance. That you not transgress the balance. And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance. [Qur’an, 55:7-9]
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. [Qur’an, 4:135]
In these verses, the Qur’an urges for the establishment of justice as the foundation for balance. It reminds us of our responsibilities to ensure goodness prevails over evil, and to advocate for the oppressed in pursuit of justice. The Qur’an also calls for us all to stand firm in justice, even against our kin. Ultimately, the connection between justice and peace is fundamental in uniting us to our continuous strive to be one Ummah. It means we must take action in educating ourselves and speaking out to collectively stand for justice and bring real peace.
Moreover, the experience of collective prayer demonstrated the transformative power of bringing different communities and individuals together. It was a true celebration of diversity and we must continue to seek opportunities to connect with those who may differ from us, recognising shared principles of humanity, justice and peace. After all unity amid diversity only reflects Allah’s mercy, signalling our capability to come together for a better tomorrow.
Beautiful piece of writing and sharing this powerful event of women coming together from all walks of life and faith and with so much diversity ❤️ in making such a deep soul connect through prayers.