Living Islam

Are we satisfied calling ourselves Muslims? Do we truly know what the word means?

"Is not the time ripe for the hearts of those who believe to submit to Allah’s reminder and to the truth which is revealed, that they become not as those who received the Scriptures of old, but the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened, and many of them are evil-livers." (Quran Ch 57:16)

Revealed at Madinah.
Today, when we see the plight of Muslims in the world scenario, is it not time that we apply this ayat to ourselves and do a lot of introspection? Are we satisfied calling ourselves Muslims? Do we truly know what the word means? Does being born in a Muslim family qualify us to call ourselves one? But then is it not true that every infant in the world, whatever the faith of its parents, is by nature (Fitrat) born a Muslim?

Islam means ‘Submission to the Will of Allah’ and a Muslim is one who submits to Allah. The Quran says, do not call yourselves ‘believers’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts. Who then does this Ayat apply to? Who then are qualified to be called believers?

Islam teaches us that whatever we do , we should do for the sake of Allah. For the Love of Allah. The ability to follow Islam in word and spirit, develops stage by stage according to the spiritual development of the individual. The Prophet (Pbuh) once asked Hazrath Umer R.A. “Umer, how much do you love me”? Hazrath Umer R.A. replied...”Ya Rasoolallah, Other than my life, I love you more than anything or anybody in this world”. The Prophet (Pbuh) said,. “Umer, your Imaan is not complete till you love me more than anything including your life”.

Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique R.A. gave all he possessed for Islam and when he was asked what he would keep for himself, he replied ‘Allah and His Rasool (Pbuh) is enough for me’. This was the strength of his love and faith (Imaan) and spirituality. That is why he was said to be the best among all of human beings after the Prophet. (“Baad al Anbiyaa Afzalul Bashr”).The Prophet (Pbuh) said about him, Abu Bakr’s deeds (Aamaal) is the best among you. If Abu Bakr’s deeds (Aamaal) is kept on one side of the weighing scale, and the Ummat’s deeds (Aamaal) was collectively put on the other side of the scale, Abu Bakr’s deeds (Aamaal) will out weigh everyone’s collective deeds (Aamaal). This showed Abu Bakr’s love for Allah and His Prophet While we cannot, and are not, expected to reach the stage of devotion of Abu Bakr R.A., Allah expects us to strive to our maximum ability to fulfill our obligation of Obedience and Worship of Him. The Quran says... “Allah does not burden any one with more than he can bear”.Striving to the best of our ability is what is expected of us in our individual capacities. For this, one has to resolve to first start at least with the basics of what is expected of us. Tauhid, five times ritual prayers, fasting in the month of Ramadan, Zakat, and Hajj. This comprises the Rights (Huquq Allah) expected by Allah Ta’ala of His servant (abd or bandaa). And (Huquq el Ibaad) the rights expected by Allah Ta’ala of His servants towards His creation.
Hope in Allah ‘s mercy and grace is a part of faith, but one must also learn to accept that hope without action is nothing, but a wish.

We have to progress from habit (aadat) to true worship (Ibaadat). We have to realise that by performing our duty towards Allah,, (Huquq Allah) we are not doing Him, but only ourselves, a favour, for worship is ‘Food for the Soul’.

One cannot thank and praise Allah Ta’ala enough that he has brought us into this world as the Ummat of Rasool e Akram Salallahu alai wasalm in lieu of which we should resolve to progress from the mere formality of calling ourselves Muslims and learn to evolve as believers, with faith entering into our hearts.

“Ya aiuhallazeena aamanuu, aaminuu”… this is from an ayat in the Quran. It is a call directed to the Believers to renew their Imaan. “O ye who Believe, BELIEVE”!! The Prophet (Pbuh) has said “Your Imaan becomes weak with the passage of time. Renew it with Laa Iaaha Illallah”.......

The Jihad has Not Begun!! First of all, we have to renew our Imaan. Go back into time, enter the gates of Makkah during the first days of Islam’s birth ,and view the process of its growth: Spend 13 years of Jihad (fight not against others, but against the Self -Nafs).

Learn Submission to the Will of Allah, (obey Allah and obey His Messenger (Pbuh). Patiently tolerate the sufferings at the hands of the unbelievers (tame the Egoistic Self), and then, you will get the permission from Allah to: Immigrate to Madinah ( make progress on your journey towards your Lord), Then you will have learned what it means to live your life for the sake of ALLAH!

Recall the story of how Hazrath Ali (R.A), in one of the battles ,was about to strike the fatal blow, when his opponent spat on his face. After all, the man knew he was going to die, so he thought he would go and yet would have the satisfaction of dying after insulting Ali (R.A). Hazrath Ali(R.A) who was to have delivered the fatal blow, stopped the downward motion of his sword and got up, leaving the opponent without killing him. The man was surprised. Stunned. He wanted to know why, and asked Ali to explain his reluctance to kill him. Hazrat Ali (R.A) replied “When I was going to kill you, I was doing it for the sake of Allah, your spitting on my face, stirred anger in me, and if I had killed you in that state, it would not have been for the sake of Allah that I killed you, it would have been for the provocation you caused , and the anger that welled up in me”. This is Jihad..... So when do we Begin ours? Every thing takes time-more so the process of becoming a Muslim in the true sense of the word.

Few know that the first foundation for the Kaaba was laid by Aadam (A S). Ibraheem (A.S) along with his son Ismail (A.S), built it very much later. Subsequent to which, it was re-done a number of times. As long as only Allah was worshipped, the sanctity of the Kaaba remained . Then, slowly, later generations began to deviate from the true guidance, and started worshiping other gods along with Allah, to such an extent, that different tribes, brought their idols and housed them within the Kaaba. When this happened, the sanctity of the Kaaba was lost. It no more remained the House of Allah. It became empty of any meaning. A relic, with a legend. It remained so, up to and until such time as the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) threw out all the idols which were housed inside the Kaaba, and it once more became the House of Allah.

Are you aware that a True Believer’s Heart (Qalb) is valued seventy times more by Allah than the Kaaba ? He says “ If anything can contain Me, it is the Heart of my Believing Servant”. It has been said, that if Allah glances at the Kaaba with His Mercy (Rahamath) once in the day, He focuses the glance of His Mercy(Rahamat) towards His Believing Servants Heart (Qalb) seventy times in a day.

‘O mankind, what has made you careless concerning your Lord The Most Generous?’ (Quran Ch.82Ayah6)
Imagine, Mankind was created to reflect the Attributes of the Creator. And what are we doing? We have filled our hearts with more gods than the pagan Arabs had filled the Kaaba with. The Messenger of Allah, Rasool e Akram Salallahu Alaiwasalm , not only rid the Kaaba of the Idols, he taught us how to get rid of the Idols that have found their way into our hearts. He taught us how to reflect the Attributes of Allah. And today, we Muslims, whom Allah in His Grace and Mercy favoured by sending a messenger to teach us what we did not know, have neglected the teaching.

“Allah verily hath shown Grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger, from amongst themselves, who reciteth unto them His revelations,and cleanses their hearts and teacheth them the scriptures and wisdom; although before they were in flagrant error.” (Quran Ch 3 : 164).

We have turned away and have landed into a situation where we have to face the question..... ‘O mankind, what has made thee careless concerning your Lord the Most Generous?’ (Quran Ch 82 Ayath 6)

What is the remedy for this? How do we get back into the Grace of Allah? ‘Buthoon ko thod, khayaloon kay ho ya phatar kay’ (Break the idols whether of stone or of thoughts.) Then ask Allah for His Forgiveness, and turn towards Him. He is the Forgiver, He is Merciful. Have we not noted how the Baithullah (the Kaaba) became a temple of Idols, and was again restored as the Kaaba? Have we not heard that ‘the heart is between the two fingers of the Lord‘? He can turn it which ever way He pleases. Was not Aadam AlaiSalaam forgiven when he said “Rabbana Zalamna anfusana....... and Allah turned towards him in Mercy? Has not the time come to turn towards your Lord? ‘Ya ayuhalazeena aamanu aaminu’