Power OF Islam

An Appeal to American Muslims

2009-07-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

== From AMobserver.com ==

So much has changed lately for us American Muslims. It would not be inaccurate to say that we as American Muslims have taken the brunt of a slew of world wide disturbances over the past few years and in the process have been caught completely off guard defending the very rights that made many of us to migrate here. On the other hand, though, this has pushed American Muslims to contemplate their expanded roles in the society where they were merely “physically living” all this time.

Today, American Muslims are grappling with challenges that no minority in this country had ever to deal with. To some in this country, we are a complex people because even though we don’t look alike, don’t hail from the same countries or even continents, our beliefs tie us together. We are not a culture but rather a people of one faith. We are black, white, as well as everything in between. In addition to believing in One Supreme Creator, we firmly believe our values to be an embodiment of human dignity. And yet, something, somewhere, somehow created an aura of misunderstanding where our identities, beliefs, and values started to be questioned mistakenly and uncontrollably.

Faced with these challenges, we struggle to find our role as Muslims in this nation to which we and our parents came with so many plans and dreams. This was obviously not a vacation as some of us purport it to be even today through our behaviors. There are still others amongst us who have started to question their place in this society because of the actions of a few of those earlier generation US citizens who feel that we have trespassed into their territory. But the fact is that most of us came here to live and die and to raise children for the next American generation. So, for those of us who continue to question where we belong, let’s not get too confused. Let’s either be here or let’s be gone somewhere else but lets not keep living here pretending not to be here.

So, as we American Muslims are here to stay, we need to wake up to define our roles more clearly in this society instead of waiting for more rude awakenings. The question is that even though our numbers in this country have tripled and quadrupled over the years, are we still in the game? Are we the players looking to score points or are we the ball being kicked around? Rather than being led by others to a path of confusion and bewilderment where we are mistakenly led and pressured to assume confused and lost identities, we need to reclaim our Muslim identities. No – that won’t be in conflict with who we are as Americans but would rather compliment the American culture with even stronger personal and family values than the earlier generation of Americans thought possible.

Each one of us has something to offer and add to the greatness of this country. Yet, many of us started off on the wrong step. Many of our reactive mindsets are trained to resort to complaining and whining rather than taking proactive measures to fix some of the policies that threaten to hurt us and hurt the civil liberties of this nation. Reassessing the anatomy of our mindsets or our predecessors will show that for many of us and our predecessors, voting was not an option when we migrated here, so it was something that was never stressed part of our education. While many of us are waking up to the importance to vote, it is just taking more time – time that we can’t afford to lose simply because every election provides an opportunity to define the future as well as history.

Many of us over the years have complained about some of the policies being adopted by this country and have complained about the trampling of our civil liberties. There are others who don’t like this or don’t like that and have complained endlessly in our living rooms without even lifting a finger to do something about those problems. Others complain about lack of unity amongst our own ranks, yet fail to act when called to unite for positive and constructive pursuits. The fact is that being in a country that has provided us the liberty to voice our opinions as citizens in a civilized way (a liberty that most of us never had before) and yet failing to exercise that right, we essentially give up the right to complain and protest.

The voting mindset can instill within us the ability to define the vision of our roles in this country even more clearly. Voting in local and national elections thus puts us closer to our visions – even if not where we ultimately want to be. Voting in elections helps us to define what we want rather than focusing on what we don’t want. Voting in many ways can enable us to chart out a path to success rather than falling into the trap of pre-judging the election results and losing hope for the future. You chart out a path by focusing on the specifics and when you start focusing on the specifics, voting will become more important to you than ever before. Remember this – tax policies, health policies, homeland security policies, foreign policies – all have a direct bearing on what we do and what we complain about – so why not get involved starting today – starting from this year’s elections?

So, here is an opportunity for us to unite again. We can vote in November and thus unite in expressing our voices. Why not take on the enthralling task and be unceasing to express what is right and what is wrong? Why not be a beacon of hope for our future generations by becoming a people of action now? Why can’t our hearts beat in unison to unmistakably echo the sounds of peace, reason and understanding dispelling the many myths in the process? In these elections, at a minimum let’s earn the delight of having come together to vote – to be part of the process – to stop whining and complaining and instead taking action - something that always has been and always will be a cornerstone behind the foundations of excellence.

The truth is that those of us who can vote but don’t or won’t in this election do not have a vision of their role in the US society. No wonder the thought of voting to express support for something seems meaningless. The fact is that when you possess a clear vision regarding your role in the society, you would want to vote not simply to influence a decision but rather as a matter of principle. Over the long term, voting will enable you to get closer to what you eventually would want to influence. It’s therefore a process – not a one time action. Voting in elections provide you the opportunity and the platform to express more about who we are as Muslims.

Our increased numbers today provide us an opportunity to take action and to change the things that we don’t like. So, its time for clarity of vision of our roles in this country, time to reclaim our identities, time for principled centered action, and time to vote. And vote we should and vote we must because let’s not forget that every US election lays the foundation for new laws and regulations and will reinforce others. By not voting, you chose not to be part of that process and thus forgo of your right to complain. More than that, you fail to influence

Make Ramadan 2008 Different (and better)…

2009-07-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

Ramadan Kareem to all you. Allah says: “O you who believe! fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).” (Qur’an, 2:183)

…

Just like every year, the month of Ramadan is here again. What you gain from this month depends completely on you. Every Ramadan, similar to every act of worship holds the same opportunities every time you come across it. However, you can make it different and better for yourself in how you approach this month and the faith and beliefs that you hold deep within you. To start out, you need to ask yourself – Do you want to make it different? What do you expect to get in return? What would you do to make the most of it?

If you are a practicing Muslim and if you have not already, you will surely come across many occasions during this month when you will be reminded about the blessings of Ramadan. The gist of those sayings and the underlying teachings and wisdom will primarily focus on the tremendous opportunities that you as a Muslim have at your disposal moment after moment during this month to seek forgiveness and expiation of your sins, and add to your rewards.

Yet, despite all these reminders year after year and getting the opportunity to earn so many gains, many of us still do not maximize these opportunities. Instead, if people were told that engaging in certain behaviors could help them in gaining real worldly goods, the situation will reverse and they will surely make the most of it. The potential to earn tangible rewards makes the motivation different and as a result different types of beliefs spring into action. The connection seems more direct between the potential of those tangible earnings and the impact of those earnings to their daily lives.

However, when speaking in the context of religious faith, where rewards may not seem as tangible and where the returns may not be as immediate, the motivation and beliefs take on a different turn and therefore the drive to rush toward earning the rewards and the motivation to have our sins forgiven is not as strong as it should be for a number of us. The rewards and punishments do not seem as real.

A number of factors influence people’s motivations when it comes to following religious teachings. Here, we will focus on two for now. The first has to with our faith and the second has to do with our understanding regarding the effect of our sins on our lives.

Take a quick check of your faith. How seriously do you take the commandments behind the verses of the Quran? What importance do you give to the prophet’s sayings? Is there any hesitation on your part to implement those commandments in your daily lives? Do the rewards promised in the Quran truly excite you and on the same token does the fear of the punishments in the Quran and Hadith prevent you to indulge in more sins? If the answer to all these questions is not a strong “YES”, then it’s time to further renew your faith. The need to strengthen our faith and belief in Allah, belief in is His words in the Quran and the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), is extremely essential. The fact is that stronger our belief and faith, the more seriously we will take the words of Quran and the sayings of the Prophet and the more actively we will strive to make them part of our lives.

The good news is that the month of Ramadan provides many opportunities to strengthen our faiths. One of the steps in strengthening our faiths is to consciously recognize the need to do so and to ask Allah to help us in this effort. Allah and prophet recognize the weakness of the human heart in terms of the dwindling faith levels. The prophet said: “Faith wears out in your heart as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts.” (narrated by al-Haakim in his Mustadrak and al-Tabaraani in his Mu’jam with a saheeh isnaad).

Another factor that can help in understanding the blessings of Ramadan and the tremendous opportunities that it holds for us is to understand the nature of “sins” and how our sins – the many that we constantly accumulate by our own actions and deeds – impact us. The better we understand the ghastly nature of our sins, the rate at which we accumulate them, along with their undesirable impact on our daily lives and the hereafter, the more it can propel us away from committing sins in general and the more it will drive us to seek forgiveness for our sins.

Ibn Qayyim provided one of the great descriptions of sins and the impact of sins in this life and after. Here is a very short summary of what he compiled about how our sins impact our lives. [islam-qa.com]

Sins deprive a person of provision (rizq) in this life. In Musnad Ahmad it is narrated that Thawbaan said: “The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: ‘A man is deprived of provision because of the sins that he commits.’” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4022, classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah).
A sinful person experiences a sense of alienation (indifference) with his Lord, and between him and other people. One of the salaf had said that he could see the impact of disobedience to Allah (in some aspects of his daily life).
A person who commits sins sees that things become difficult for him. In any matter that he turns to, he finds the way blocked or he finds it difficult. By the same token, for the one who fears Allah, things are made easy for him.
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: “Good deeds make the face light, give light to the heart, and bring about ample provision, physical strength and love in people’s hearts. Bad deeds make the face dark, give darkness to the heart, and bring about physical weakness, a lack of provision and hatred in people’s hearts.”
Sin breeds sin until it dominates a person and he cannot escape from it. Sin weakens a person’s willpower. It gradually strengthens his will to commit sin and weakens his will to repent until there is no will in his heart to repent at all… so he seeks forgiveness and expresses repentance, but it is merely words on the lips, like the repentance of the liars, whose hearts are still determined to commit sin and persist in it. This is one of the most serious diseases that is likely to lead to doom. He becomes desensitized and no longer find sins abhorrent, so it becomes his habit, and he is not bothered if people see him committing the sin or talk about him.

So, we can easily see that by engaging in sins, we are not only making the prospects of our after life (integral part of Islamic faith) bleak but sins can greatly and actively contribute to the difficulties of our daily lives.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself…” [al-Nisa’ 4:79]

Whether we encounter challenges in earning a living, in our family affairs, or other matters of life, the burden of sins greatly inhibits us from seeking the ultimate blessings of Allah and to have the potential of leading a good life in this world and the hereafter.

Similarly, once we see the connection of how expiation of sins can potentially help us in this life and next, we can better understand the dire need to seek forgiveness from Allah. Who would want to stay entangled in the web of challenges of this life and the potential to be punished in the hereafter? Even a little faith can help us see this connection and the better we strengthen our faiths, the more we will strive to rid ourselves from the burden of sins.

And once we understand all that and get to that level, we can truly appreciate the goldmine that the month of Ramadan holds. We can then truly understand the immense returns from the hadith that was Narrated by Abu Huraira: “Allah’s Apostle said: “Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven.”

Based on how sins can have a detrimental effect on our lives, just imagine the impact that your life will have if all your sins were forgiven. What more would you need if Allah specifically chose you and forgave your sins? What more would you need when as a result of a reduced burdens of your sins, you have better chances of more provision (rizq) in this life? What more would you need if because of His blessings, Allah could help you by reducing your worldly complications? What more would you need if in the judgment day you have the potential to stand in front of Allah with fewer loads of sins?

And getting to that stage is not that difficult. All it takes is a sincere intention and actions in seeking forgiveness from Allah. On the authority of Anas, Allah the Almighty has said: “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as its.” (al-Tirmidhi, 3540; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4338)

Similarly, it was narrated in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If a person commits a sin, then says, ‘O Lord, I have committed a sin so forgive me,’ He says, ‘My slave knows that he has a Lord Who may forgive sins or punish for it; I have forgiven My slave…’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6953; Muslim, 4953)

Coming back to Ramadan, you and I again have that opportunity this month. It’s all about how you plan to avail of that opportunity. As is obvious from the hadith that was mentioned earlier, the two things that you require are (1) Sincere faith and (2) Hoping to attain Allah’s rewards. Get a level check of those two factors in your heart and you will see changes in your life for the better.

So, align your focus and activities toward Allah this Ramadan in a way that you can remember it after it passes. Once you truly engage in Ramadan and the worship in Ramadan the way the prophet had wanted all of us to do, you will make your Ramadan truly memorable. Let’s not forget that Sahaba used to specifically pray after Ramadan for 6 months praying to Allah that their prayers and good deeds in Ramadan were accepted. Just imagine – their Ramadan was memorable enough to make a mark in their lives for them to remember and pray for it for 6 full months! One wonders what would have been the levels of their engagement with Allah (driven through the energy of their hearts and soul) that would make the impact so long lasting.

I sincerely pray that Allah provides all of us the ability and the guidance to maximize the benefits of Ramadan. Along the same lines, as we pray for each other, please do not forget to pray for the contributors at IqraSense.com.

Finally, during this blessed month, do not hesitate to share your thoughts and knowledge about this special month with everyone. Scroll to the end of this page and contribute your thoughts.

Muslims vs. Muslims - Who’s right?

2009-07-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

Being a Muslim, have you ever been labeled as a Sunni, Shia, Wahhabi, Sufi, or something else?

What about being accused of being a liberal, hijabi, sellout, or a hardliner?

Many of us may take it as an insult to be labeled as one but the reality is that it is how we are labeled by others – unfortunately sometimes unbeknownst to us – and that is how at times we pick our social circles.

Who is right?

Contrary to the happenings of today, the teachings of Islam lay down the foundations of a social system that purports to unite humanity in one social fabric irrespective of race, national or tribal origin and color. We know that this social system includes in itself all the checks and balances to serve the needs of the society at large and makes humans more civilized. Through endless examples, we Muslims believe that a deviation from this course results in a social disorder at all levels thus disintegrating families and communities and results in an Ummah at odds with itself.

Unfortunately, the situation today is just that…a Muslim Ummah at odds with itself at all levels…

The deviation from and poor execution of the social code of Islam demonstrates nothing but a lack of proper “understanding” of that system by Muslims themselves. That, coupled with the many religious interpretations has divided Muslims in groups of hardliners, liberals, Sunnis, Shias, Hijabis, Tablighis, and hundreds of other groups. Allah revealed and the Prophet propagated ONE Islam and ONE set of teachings. Yet, though all these groups claim to be Muslims and desire to be called as “one”, a large chasm separates all these groups.

Islam is not about extremism, fundamentalism, liberalism, or any other –ism that lurks in the media circles out there – rather it’s about being on the “straight path” as defined by Quran and the Prophet, the deviation from which puts us on “separate” paths. As we traverse the minefields of the present day societies, we see ourselves engaged in endless and senseless debates of trying to make haram as halal and halal as haram. We are pulled in discussions that benefit the general media more than enlightening us to return to and stay the course. Today’s society that feeds on the craze of fashion, figure, and fun is driving us to build fancy houses more than better homes and families. Our priorities obviously have become lopsided.

So, why not follow the “straight” path when it holds so much promise? The reasons are many and have been debated for centuries. One small post clearly can not do justice to the topic, but starting the process will bring us closer to addressing these issues.

One of the reasons is failure to mature in our understanding of the religion. When we fail in such a pursuit, we operate at reduced levels of wisdom and as a result we disintegrate in divided families, communities and nations. This “understanding” can not and should not be mixed with “knowledge”. The truth is that while many of us may have the “knowledge” but we do not really “understand” our religion. The message simply doesn’t “click”. It is only when we start connecting the dots after getting the knowledge that we can begin to see the “light”. Understanding therefore is a process that takes time and requires energy. A teenager may “know” that smoking is bad for health while a chain smoker who just lost a lung to lung cancer may fully “understand” that smoking is bad for health. “Understanding therefore is the awareness of the connectedness of this information. It is understanding which allows knowledge to be put to use. Understanding represents a higher level than simple knowledge.”

……… And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive admonition except men of understanding. (Quran: Aal-e-Imran:7) [(Tafsir At-Tabaree)]

The reality is that we can not achieve higher levels of understanding, when we rely on half-baked knowledge. By prematurely indoctrinating ourselves with Islamic philosophies based on insufficient and inaccurate knowledge, we run the risk of devoiding ourselves from higher levels of “understanding” that in turn can provide us with the wisdom to follow Islam the way our Creator wants it to be followed. We therefore need to be cognizant of the dangers of this half-baked knowledge. Just as we wouldn’t trust our health with doctors who possess little knowledge and our life with airplane pilots who have scarce knowledge of flying, why would we seek to build our destinies by having half-baked knowledge of our religion?

When we take Quranic verses out of context, we deny our sisters the education they need. When we confuse crooked cultural norms with Islamic teachings we start mistreating our families and when we overvalue the worldly rewards, we yearn for more power and money – all symptoms of the problem of lack of understanding.

We must therefore strive to increase our levels of knowledge to a point where we can begin to truly “understand”. But that does require freeing up time as well as space in our minds by pushing out what keeps us preoccupied with the craze of fashion, figure, and fun.

We can not begin to achieve mature levels of religious understanding unless we take our religion seriously – It amazes us to see that many who philosophize others about Islam are usually the ones who do not take religion seriously. A little soul searching can tell us how seriously we take our religion. For example, does the promise of earning “Hasanat” (points for being on the right path) truly excites us to the core and encourages us to do more of good deeds or do we simply feel indifferent? Do those feelings in anyway para
llel those of potential worldly rewards such as earning real money in this world? Does the prospect of getting a million Hasanat excite us more than earning a million dollars? Do the warnings mentioned in the Quran and Hadith for engaging ourselves in certain behaviors indeed make our hearts fearful the way Allah wants us to fear?

Once we start truly valuing the rewards mentioned in our religious teachings more than the worldly rewards and start fearing the warnings mentioned in the Quran and Ahadeeth, we can begin to take our religion seriously. Deeper reflection and more time will bring us closer to being serious.

Allah says in the Quran: "O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam." (Quran, 3:102)

Differences in Religious Interpretations – Although there is almost no disagreement on the authenticity of Quran, it is clear that differing interpretations of Quran in general remain one of the primary dividers of Muslims in general. As hadith is one of the sources of such interpretations, we need to exercise extra due diligence in understanding the true source of hadith. Although the purpose of this post is not to get in the art and science of hadith, a general explanation will help understand the issue.

Scholars strive to establish whether a hadeeth is Sahih (sound or authentic), Hasan (good), Da`if (weak) or Maudu` (fabricated, forged). In general, for a hadith to be saheeh (authentic) it has to meet conditions such as that it has to be from a continuous chain of narrators, the narrators have to be of outstanding character and possess outstanding memory and the hadith must be absent from subtle and obvious defects. There are many other conditions that require an indepth study of Hadith and its sciences. More details can be found in a separate post on this site.

The necessity of narrating and following correct hadith therefore can not be overemphasized, lest we base our religion on fabricated information. Obviously, Muslims who base their religion on fabricated Ahadith are going to form differing opinions than those who take the extra effort to identify such and not use it to base their religion.

To conclude, it is clear that as Muslims, we need to start at the grass root levels within our homes and our communities. More knowledge will help us raise the levels of our understanding. Taking religious teachings more seriously will enable us to get closer to where we agree more and disagree less. Even when we disagree, we will do it in a more civilized way without compromising our fundamentals. When we unite within our families and communities, the positive peaceful vibrations will spread outward and have more of a global impact.

And finally, when we reach that stage, we will have less to complain about unity and everyone else.

==> What do you think? What else is dividing us and what can unite us better? Your thoughtful ideas are always welcome !

What Drives People to Convert to Islam

2009-07-07T23:33:00.000-07:00

The nature of religious faith is quite mysterious. As part of their religious faiths, people believe in a variety of deities. There are people who have religious faith in the unseen supreme transcendental power and then there are others who believe in some humans as Gods, animals (e.g. monkeys), fire, idols made of stone, and the list goes on.

A lot is associated with having a religious “faith”. Part of it has to do with beliefs passed on through generations. People’s identities therefore get tied to it. Many times, these beliefs and associated feelings are not completely demonstrable by reason or any rational arguments. There is nothing right or wrong with this but that’s just how the nature of religious faith has come to be.

Everyone thinks they are right in their faith and beliefs. Being with people and groups with similar faiths further strengthens people’s faiths and they see it as “right” even though logical reasoning and argument sometimes can’t explain it all. That’s human psychology.

Islam’s arguments based on intellectual reasoning

Muslims believe however, that the Islamic religion is different in this context. One may argue that similar to other faiths there are aspects of it which are not completely demonstrable by reason but on the other hand, the Quranic text, which is Allah’s words addressing the humanity at large, uses intellectual reason, critical thinking, and the process of reflection as a means to not only reinforce the faith of the believers but also to call non-believers to ponder about the authenticity of Islam as the way of life for the humanity at large. Although no religious beliefs can be fully based on logic and reasoning, Islam and Quran provide more than enough examples and an opportunity to examine the truth and the soundness of its message through the lens of empirical evidence and knowledge.

No one (Muslim or otherwise) would argue that critical thinking and reflection can be a major catalyst for changing of ones life. Critical thinking has been used by many to improve their lives simply because a critical thinker asks probing questions about a situation, collects as much information as possible, reflects on the ideas collected and generated in context of the information available, keeps an open and unbiased mind and carefully scrutinizes assumptions and seeks alternatives.

This is the reason therefore that new Muslim converts would attribute the use of intelligent reasoning, reflection and critical thinking when explaining their journey to Islam. Such people cut through the hysteria created by some in the media to view Islam from a critical lens and following the truth thus comes naturally to them as part of this process. How else can one explain the increase in conversions with the increase of anti-Islam rhetoric? How else can one explain that more non-Muslim preachers have been converting to Islam than ever before? Although as Muslims we believe that the guidance (hidaya) comes only from Allah, the use of a person’s God-gifted intellectual reasoning has a very powerful role to play in Muslim converts making that destiny changing decision. And once converted, they rarely go back to their old faiths simply because a faith whose foundations are built on logic and reason is much less likely to be shaken down than one which builds simply upon a set of rites and sacraments.

Reasons attributed by new Converts

Some of the reasons attributed by people who convert to Islam are listed below. We can see that most of these reasons can only be attributed to the process of critical thinking and intellectual reflection.

Eloquence of Quran’s language – The uniqueness and beauty of Quran’s text has been marveled by the best of Arab linguists and scholars from the days it was revealed until today. The more knowledgeable people are in the language, the more they appreciate the wonders of the textual fluency of the Quran.
Overwhelming scientific evidence and proofs – The Quran, revealed more than 1400 years ago has numerous scientific facts that are being validated by science only in this era.
Divine wisdom behind various social issues – The Quran provides a solution to numerous social issues, a deviation from which has known to cause societal chaos at all levels.
Arguments rooted in intellectual reasoning – Quran is the only known religious text that challenges mankind to think, reflect and ponder over the creation at large, social issues, God’s existence, and more. Quran in many instances challenges people to reflect and think on their own rather than heeding to the lose talk of those whose criticism is based on baseless foundations.
A confident assertion of a supreme being – Quran is the only known religious book that has a confident assertion of a supreme being on all issues ranging from the creation of the universe to social issues.
Divine Text – Quran’s language and prose is very different from the language in the hadith (Porphet’s sayings) thus proving that Quran is not the “imagination” or words of Prophet Muhammad, as many doubters have alleged in the past and do so even today.

Quran’s challenge to people on thinking and reflection

The Quran on numerous occasions challenges humanity at large to think, reflect and ponder over their affairs. Here is some of what the Quran states:

Thus do We explain the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, laws, etc.) in detail for the people who reflect. (Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #24)
Do they not think deeply (in their ownselves) about themselves (how Allah created them from nothing, and similarly He will resurrect them)? Allah has created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, except with truth and for an appointed term. And indeed many of mankind deny the Meeting with their Lord. (Ar-Room, Chapter #30, Verse #8)
He it is Who has appointed for you the night that you may rest therein, and the day to make things visible (to you). Verily, in this are Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for a people who listen (i.e. those who think deeply). (Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #67)
Does man think that he will be left Suda (neglected without being punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord (Allah) on him)? (Al-Qiyama, Chapter #75, Verse #36)
Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” (Al-Mumenoon, Chapter #23, Verse #115)
To the rejecters of truth the Quran states: Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle). (Al-Furqan, Chapter #25, Verse #44)
Do they not reflect? There is no madness in their companion (Muhammad). He is but a plain warner. (Al-Araf, Chapter #7, Verse #184)
Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect . (Al-Hashr, Chapter #59, Verse #21)

When studying the many cases of new Muslim converts, we see that engaging in critical thinking and intellectual reasoning have led people to change their non-Islamic faiths – the same faiths that earlier supposedly could have moved mountains, get diluted by the voices of reason easily heard in the roots of Islam. A mere process of thinking and reflection brings so much to the limelight that otherwise remains veiled by distractions and forces of the anti-Islam pundits. Those who are bent to see only the negative, fail to see the light of truth and instead engage in a never ending superficial analysis to unsuccessfully prove their misguided philosophies.

There are many statistics in the media that highlight the phenomenal rate at which people are converting to Islam. Although, the authenticity of all these sources has not been validated for the purpose of this post, some of them include the following:

What about Muslims?

If voices of reason embedded in the teachings of Islam are causing non-Muslims to revert to Islam in droves, why is it that so many Muslims usually born into the religion fail to fully follow and thus enjoy the teachings of the religion? The fact is that it is this lack of critical thinking and reflection even on some Muslims part that is forcing Muslims to have a substandard way of life. Islam and its teachings hold the promise of a fulfilling and peaceful life for all. Yet, Muslims continue to ignore the basics and get mired in social and moral issues causing unnecessary pain and suffering on themselves and their families. The fact is that only if they could think and reflect on the teachings of their own religion, they can escape the many problems and challenges that face them.

The message

To non-Muslims who have only scratched the surface about learning Islam and who may be getting distracted by those who are the wrong torch bearers of this religion and also distracted by the biased voices in the media, the message is simple – try to view the teachings of Islam with a critical lens and you may be able to see more reason than you may not have thought was present. To Muslims, the message is that sometimes we do not appreciate the teachings of our own religion simply because we never think and grow beyond the few religious practices in operating our lives. A focused effort to learn, think and reflect more will help us get closer to the religious teachings in ways that can drastically improve our lives.

The Last Sermon (Khutbah) of Prophet Muhammad (Farewell Sermon)

2009-07-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) delivered his last sermon (Khutbah) on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah (12^th and last month of the Islamic year), 10 years after Hijrah (migration from Makkah to Madinah) in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat. His words were quite clear and concise and were directed to the entire humanity.

After praising, and thanking Allah he said:

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’al Muttalib (Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived…

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have conveyed your message to your people".

(Reference: See Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1623, 1626, 6361) Sahih of Imam Muslim also refers to this sermon in Hadith number 98. Imam al-Tirmidhi has mentioned this sermon in Hadith nos. 1628, 2046, 2085. Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal has given us the longest and perhaps the most complete version of this sermon in his Masnud, Hadith no. 19774.)

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One can heed words of wisdom and guidelines from the last sermon (khutbah) of the prophet (SAWS). His sermons emphasized on the following:

Sacredness of a Muslim’s life and property
The importance of propagating this message to all others (A Muslim’s responsibility thus does not end by following the religion)
A reminder that everyone is fully accountable for their deeds and Allah (God) will take every person into account. If everyone heeded to this fact alone, the world would be a much better place today.
“Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.” These words of the prophet are self explanatory.
The prohibition of dealing with interest (Numerous accounts in Quran and Hadith prohibit taking, giving or being a part of any transaction dealing with interest).
“You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity.” These words of the prophet are self explanatory.
The awareness of satan and how satan can work to deviate us from the right path and doing evil things.
Rights of women over men and rights of men over women.
Treatment of women with kindness.
Modesty and chastity in women.
The importance of worshiping Allah (saying your five daily prayers (Salah), fasting during the month of Ramadan, giving charity (Zakat) and performing pilgrimage (Hajj).
Equality amongst all (blacks, white, Arabs, non-Arabs, etc.)
The need to establish justice.
Islam is the final divine religion (Last prophet and Last Book).

Let’s do our part in following the prophet’s message and propagating the message to everyone we know.

Your thoughts and feedback are always welcome !