Whenever I get a chance I go to Jumu’ah (Friday prayers). I mentioned in my previous post that last week I heard a very thought provoking and inspiring Friday sermon. The topics were 2; The importance of prayer and it’s acceptance on Friday and defending the honour of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw*. The Imam said:
Why do you let the enemies of Islam have the opportunity to lift a finger at not just ourselves but also at our beloved prophet Muhammadsaw because of our weaknesses? We too will be held accountable as a reason for that cause. If we wish to cleanse the world of all misconceptions about the Holy Prophetsaw then we must try to implement his true teachings in our lives. This is something that every Muslim should keep in mind, and always try to the best of their ability to present the flawless face of Islam to the world and in response to false allegations against it, to demonstrate to the world its pure and luminous picture. Laws can deal with visible fitna however they have little or no effect on the fitna in the heart.
The above quote is something we’ve all probably heard many many times. It is simple in what it says, but profound in the wisdom behind it. We live our lives in groups and have all had the multitude of experiences associated with joining, being part of, and leaving a group. Groups are defined by the people within them. Your family is a group, your friends, your school, your religion, your ethnicity etc.
As Muslims living here here in the west, we are ambassadors for Islam. People who don’t have much knowledge about Islam will base their understanding on what they see from the Muslims. Very few people would, after seeing a Muslim do something, refer to the Qur’an and the Hadith and judge the actions of the Muslim on that. Though that would be the best way of finding out what Islam really is but if someone doesn’t do that, can you blame them? Who has the time?
I was speaking to a convert recently about this particular topic and he said:
If we were living in a purely Muslim society, we wouldn't have to go through the motions because we would be surrounded by Islam all around us. Living here in the west we have to be heard, we have to stand up. But before we can do all that, we have to learn. And then life throws various circumstances at you. Sometimes they're caused by you, and sometimes they're not. And that I think brings the best out of you.
These days Islam and Muslims are presented in such a horrific manner by the media with countless examples of heinous and barbaric acts from places like Pakistan and Afghanistan mixed in the pot. For example just last week a woman was murdered by electrocution in Pakistan for honour killing. When people repeatedly hear such things on the evening news this is how their thought process goes:
We all know these ‘activities’ have nothing to with the true teachings of Islam, but when someone’s source of knowledge is the 6o’clock news on the BBC, this is all that they will be exposed to. Because of such things, they may form a false image of Islam in their minds and be opposed to it (which they have every right to do, taking into account their limited knowledge). That’s when the bad names start flowing…
The Qur’an says:
Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace. (Chapter 33: Verse 57)
When you love someone dearly, you would anything for them. You wouldn’t stand anyone referring to your loved one in a bad manner, or calling them names or putting dirt on their character. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُو (Oh ye who believe), if you do love your prophet then why do you give others the opportunity to call him dirty names, as a result of your actions? Invoke Durood, and blessings on himsaw and salute himsaw with the salutation of peace as you have been instructed, and inculcate his excellent example in your life. Your actions speak so much louder than your words, what are you going to do about it?
I have a story to share regarding this, and that will be the first of many posts regarding this topic.
[This is a scheduled post]
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*saw – Short for صلى الله عليه وسلم meaning Peace be upon him.
Durood Shareef – An introduction can be read here and the Arabic audio can be downloaded here.
Posts
28 January 2011 at 15:20
Inspirational :) Not to mention I'll be attending jumua in a couple of hours :D But on a serious note. For honour killings. I don't know if anyone has noticed it has the word honour in it.... meaning EGO. Has nothing to do with Islam. It's just popular in countries that just so happen to have an Islamic majority T-T.
28 January 2011 at 18:30
Nice post Nas =)
You really brought the point across. I think being a muslim in an era where we're not with our prophet(s) and his family and companions We are meant to be representing them 100%, and that's a tough job but even in that, it's a blessing.
Thank you for sharing. x
28 January 2011 at 19:01
good post & great reminder. i like the way you demonstrated it with the diagram, and it's true, cos non-Muslims really do jump to such conclusions. the whole topic of honour killings in undoubtedly a post within itself.
28 January 2011 at 22:25
Great post mann!
Really liked your though process diagram, nowadays you're like practically waiting for that to take place, its ridiculous 8-)
Why do you think this is the way it is? We were recently asked this question in class. And the mixture of answers was amazing! What are your thoughts?
&& its was 10 o clock news on BBC, btw
:P
29 January 2011 at 11:52
@ рεяfεcтℓγ▪ιмpзяfзcт: Nicely said! Forget Islam, honour killings are against humanity.
(you spelt honour with the 'u' :D. Don't you leave out letters in your part of the world?)
29 January 2011 at 11:53
@ Yours Truly: Exactly. A big responsibility that all of us have been given.
x
29 January 2011 at 12:00
@ hijabi hippie hypo: It would be wrong, I think, to place all non-Muslims in the same category. Yes there are some who due to ignorance, misconception or lack of knowledge may leap to conclusions very fast, but there are also those who know that such activities (honour killings and the like) cannot be attributed to a particular religion and or faith. And you're right, honour killings is such a deep topic that it would take up a whole post.
29 January 2011 at 12:02
@ Smiley: Yeah, it unfortunately happens a lot these days. Why? That is a long post in it's own right ;). I'll add it to my list of things to do!
Haha! Oh yes, I totally forgot. But what about the people who are in bed at 10pm?
x
30 January 2011 at 14:24
I appreciate your response to hijabi hippie hypo, Nas, I wanted to say just that, but could not find a way to phrase it. Is placing all of us 'non-Muslims' in one category of those that jump to conclusion, a conclusion jumped to itself?
xXx
31 January 2011 at 12:11
@ Anonymous: Wasn't that what I was trying to say?
1 February 2011 at 18:08
Was just confirming the thought! =)
xXx
3 February 2011 at 05:16
Beautiful post. Spot on!
I have read somewhere that you should refer converted Muslims as revert rather than converts...
Anyhow, keep up the good work :)
3 February 2011 at 12:41
^ I read that too
~miss anon~
7 February 2011 at 12:37
@ Tauqeer & Miss Anon: There are 2 schools of thought on this.
- All people are born as Muslim but as life goes on, they either change and thus are no longer Muslim. So when they accept Islam, they are known as reverts.
- However, others say that we were not all born as muslims, but were all born on fitrah, and therefore the use of the term "revert" is incorrect.
Convert
(n.) A person who is converted from one opinion or practice to another; a person who is won over to, or heartily embraces, a creed, religious system, or party, in which he has not previously believed.
Revert
(n.) One who, or that which, reverts.
(v. i.) To return; to come back.
(v. i.) To return, wholly or in part, towards some preexistent form; to take on the traits or characters of an ancestral type.
(v. i.) To change back.
(v. t.) To turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse.
(v. t.) To throw back; to reflect; to reverberate.
Does that make sense?
:)
7 February 2011 at 12:43
Yes Nas, I completely understand what revert or convert means in this context.
As you mentioned, people are born upon 'Fitrah', which is also mentioned in 'Sahih Muslim'. Yet popular Muslim belief is that Fitrah or religion of nature is indeed Islam and we all are born with this religion either it be humans or animals. It is then when Shaitan mingles and make them either Christians, Jews, etc. (in case of humans atleast :P )