Part of a Person’s Islaam
Reading time: 5 - 8 minutes
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Assalaamu’alaikum y’all
My bro linked me to this, it’s one of those ’stories’ with a ‘moral’ so, you know, check it out insha’Allah:
^^ Hah! So chuffed!!
Anyhoo, umm, here’s somethin that someone wrote…it’s kinda like on the same wavelength..ish..
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
You know, many of us, we think of Islaam and we think of the basic faraa’id; praying, fasting, zakaah, observing hijaab and so forth. Then you have some who look to these same obligations with a deeper understanding. They focus on the perfecting of wudhoo and other prerequisites, they seek out the humility and sincerity in such actions, and indeed this is all praiseworthy. Masha’Allah walhamdulillah.
However, Islaam encompasses much more than that, and what I shall endeavour to bring your attention to, with the help of Allah, is the oft-neglected rights of the general Muslims. I had the honour of attending a course recently, and the Sheikh - may Allah envelope him in His mercy, ameen - he was going over the sunnan of fasting; observing nafl fasts; the rights of your guests, and so on and so forth. He made an outstanding point which is really worth dwelling on, saying, “So you see, Islaam is not all about the fasting and praying, it includes much more than that…you can fast and pray and not know how to treat the people…” [I paraphrase btw].
Perfecting Islaam is to do more than just focus on yourself and your private worship. Yes, to fulfil the rights of Allah [swt] and His Messenger [saw] is of the utmost importance, but again, there is more to this than just the observance of salaah. You can be someone who is eloquent before Allah [swt], you spend hours praying, fasting, reciting the Qur’an etc, and yet you do not know how to address your parents. You do not know the importance of their rights, and thus, if on the odd night they request you come in at a decent hour, you roll your eyes, think nothing of it and run off to an Islamic talk on marriage. To you that is more important, because you’re ’seeking knowledge’. To you - and this is probably the best realm to raise this point, because you are all young enthusiasts on the ‘path of knowledge’ - to you it is more dear to spend your week at college or university, and then spend the weekend at a course focussing on tafseer or hadeeth.
Then, on the odd occasion your mother asks that you show up to a social family event. But it doesn’t work for you, because none of those people are quite on your ‘level’. None of those people cover the way you do, their beards don’t hit the floor and they don’t trip over their jilbaabs. Thus, it’s not your ‘scene’. Or then, you have guests arrive at your house. No biggie, you stay locked away in your room, doing whatever you do, not bothering to mix with the people, let alone see to their rights. Do you know, that, in Islaam it is frowned upon to ask your guest if they would like food/drink? Rather, it is upon you to bring the best of all that you have, and then the option is theirs as to whether they wish to accept or decline. Do you know, that after the passing of your parents - one or both of them - it is upon you to maintain the ties of kinship? That it is upon you to treat well, and have good relations with those whom they’d treat well, and have good relations with?
Part of a person’s Islaam is to be good to the people, the general masses amongst the Muslims. Maybe not everyone is quite at your level in terms of religion; maybe you fear that you won’t make great company being so different to them, or that they’d hinder you should you spend time in their company. Valid excuses, I grant you that. But still, only excuses. There’s no real reason for you to not mix with those people, it’s how you better yourself, as well as them insha’Allah. Know, that, many times you are their only port of call in terms of someone remotely close to Islaam. Bear in mind that you were once where they are. So it’s all good and dandy giving advice to people at a stall in your university, but the real task is implementing and encouraging that Islaam in an environment that takes you out of your comfort zone, and into the real world, where you meet real people who are far away from the deen.
Academia, let me tell you, it’s a bubble. So if you think implementing Islaam at a college or university, where you have easy access to prayer rooms and masses of Muslims forming active Islamic societies, if you think that’s what Islaam is like in the real world, then I say it’s high time you wake up and smell the coffee. Islaam is a perfect way of life. A way of life. Tell me, does your life not extend beyond praying and fasting or spending time at academic institutions? No, it incorporates much more than that. It incorporates meeting people from all walks of life, it involves seeing to situations and settings that you’ve never experienced before. So, how do you expect to fare with regards to your religion in all other realms of life, when you know little more than to pray and fast?
All that is good and correct is from Allah alone, the One Worthy of all praise. All that is false is a mere reflection of our own weaknesses. Indeed Allah is a witness over us, and Allah [swt] knows best.
In the care of Allah [swt],
Wassalaamu’alaikum wa rahmatullah
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