Tag: Muslims

  • Bemoaning the state of Muslims

    It’s one of those days when sprawling before me on my keyboard is a world of nothingness. A simmering anger, disbelief at the stupidity of the world, and contempt for the state of the Ummah is all that pervades my thoughts right now. Watching and listening to the ridiculous behaviour of Muslims allowing themselves once again to be used as pawns in the war of the nefarious gluttons of the west leaves me disenchanted as always. We lay claim to a heritage of the greatest personality that ever walked the face of the earth, yet behave in a manner that contradicts the very essence of the beauty of that same personality.

    I’m deflated tonight. Exhausted and deflated. Mob justice, unbridled anger, and barbaric behaviour was never condoned even at the height of the struggle of the Muslims against the retards of the Quraysh. Yet now while being steeped in superstition, indecency, and indignity, we run through the streets destroying property of those from our own neighbourhoods, and kill soft targets in the name of defending the beloved of all beloveds, all the while forgetting that our behaviour will only draw the scorn of the one we profess to love so dearly.

    The beauty of Islam is lost in the putrefaction of the decaying morals and ethics of the Ummah. We’re more adept at heaping scorn on each other because of differences of rituals and historical perspectives than we are at assembling a group of rational thinkers to expose the hypocrisy of the west in their use of peasant pawns to further their own agendas. Our individual piety and overt religiosity scares into seclusion the very ones that have the presence of mind and conviction to stand up to this onslaught against the Ummah because each time a voice of reason rises above the clamour of the masses and the bigoted media, it’s quickly drowned out by the undeniable examples of idiots that tarnish the course of Islam by behaving in such an abrasive and crude manner that even the disbelievers of the dark ages appear dignified by comparison.

    I despise every person that judges a Muslim because of their apparent labels rather than their individual actions. I despise every Muslim that is steeped in arrogance based on historical or scholarly affiliations. I despise every Muslim that drags the banner of Islam through the sewers each time they open their vile mouths and utter slanderous remarks about personalities they have no claim to ever know beyond the jaundiced narratives of the secularists. I despise every Muslim that sits idly by while watching Islam being hijacked by the ones with big mouths and empty heads. Worst of all, I despise my inability to change any of this seeing how easily it is that we provide the fuel that feeds the fire of hatred and condescension that rages against Muslims the world over.

    May Allah have mercy on us and save us from our pathetic selves, Ameen.

  • Before you judge others…

    We are collectively responsible for the extremists that have hijacked Islam for their own personal agendas and political motives. If we had established the unity that is demanded of Muslims, the non-Muslims would never have the gap to produce plausible blame regarding atrocities often instigated by a third force that knows full well that Muslims are in too much disarray to provide any meaningful response.

    Each time I try to engage with a non-Muslim about the true essence of Islam versus what is reported in the main stream media, I am immediately hit with a barrage of comments and examples of how Muslims do not act in line with what we claim is the beauty and essence of Islam.

    But who cares, right? We need to focus on establishing sects and madhabs and Allah knows what else to define our superiority relative to others so that we can feel affirmed in our spirituality, while missing the point completely. I’m sick and tired of reminiscing about the glory days of Islam while our present actions make a mockery of that same legacy that everyone is quick to claim as their own.

    So here’s a few questions that I’d like to ask my fellow Muslims:

    1. Have you ever accused someone of being a kafir because of the way they behaved, rather than because they openly proclaimed not to believe in Allah and the last Prophet Muhammed (SAW)?
    2. Have you ever conducted yourself in a manner that would make it difficult to identify the Muslim in you when compared to another individual of the same ethnic origin?
    3. Have you ever put off doing the right thing because you didn’t think it was anyone else’s business how sincere your efforts at being a Muslim is, or is not?
    4. Have you ever engaged with a non-Muslim and made excuses or apologies about some aspects of Islam because you felt ashamed of what they questioned simply because you didn’t have the knowledge or appreciation of the issue to provide them with a reasonable response?
    5. Are you looking for affirmation and inclusion from the non-Muslims and celebrating our inclusion in the world sporting events rather than realising that we’re pandering for attention at the expense of our integrity?

    There are many more questions, and I have no doubt that some may interpret these questions as arrogance on my part. But I’m not here to appease anyone. I’ve been excluded from the Muslim community more times than I care to remember simply because I challenged their ritualistic approach to Islam that was almost always tainted with a healthy dose of cultural bias. We have turned Islam into a cult and the we cry that we’re being oppressed!

    I for one am tired of watching kids raised with the fear of non-compliance rather than the appreciation of the beauty and value that the adoption of Islamic principles offer us. I’m also sick of the hypocrisy of overt inclusion but distinct prejudice when it comes to accepting Muslims as Muslims regardless of their ethnic origins or caste. Being of Indian descent in South Africa, the sickening stench of the caste system still very much permeates the Ummah, and given the stories that people share from around the world about their challenges in finding a marriage partner because of this, it’s obvious that this is not restricted to South Africa only.

    We’re impotent. We are the generation of the Ummah that is a fulfilment of the statement of Rasulullah (SAW) that says that we will be large in numbers but weak like the foam of the ocean. So before you thumb your nose at a seemingly lesser Muslim, consider that you are part of this despised and contemptible Ummah, not because Islam is contemptible, but because our selective use and abuse of Islamic injunctions to suit our personal fetishes and fancies is what is making us contemptible.

    Audhubillah min dhalik…May Allah save us from ourselves, and may He save others from us. Ameen.

  • Abouth those Islamic schools of thought

    Something just occurred to me regarding the argument against choosing at will between the rulings of the various schools of thought (or madhahib). I often hear people saying that it is wrong because we’re picking and choosing what suits us in Islam. E.g. choosing the Shafi view about the time of Asr and then choosing the Hanafi view about what may invalidate my wudhu, etc. is frowned upon and has led to many ‘scholars’ declaring innocent individuals as deviants as a result of this.

    Here’s what I don’t get. If it is accepted that each of the schools of thought have taken their rulings from the Sunnah, and each have also confirmed that their scholars have stated that if you find something in the Sunnah that contradicts their teachings, then follow the Sunnah, then what is the problem in picking and choosing between them? Am I not still picking and choosing between acts within the confines of the Sunnah as practised by Rasulullah (SAW) and the salaf?

    What’s more interesting to me is that most of these differences are minor details relating to how the rituals should be performed, and none of the differences differ with the tenets or principles of Islam such that following it takes one outside the fold of Islam. So why must I pick a madhab and stick to it? Why must I label myself as a Salafi to be considered rightly guided? Why must I choose a specific scholar and not others, if each of them that I choose to take advice or guidance from base their views on the same Sunnah that is in line with the established principles of Islam?

    The sectarian mentality has eroded the unity in the Ummah for many centuries now. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have yet to come across an extremist that was not aligned to any specific sect. The moment we choose an allegiance towards a specific school of thought, we’re immediately compelled to defend that position as being the most correct position because if we don’t, we’ll be suggesting that we’re following a path that is not exactly straight. Our pride won’t allow us to do so.

    Sectarianism feeds our inherent intellectual laziness, while at the same time it intellectualises Islam and loses sight of the essence and principles of Islam. We’ve created a cesspool of differences that have no bearing on the level of taqwa (piety) that we have because we’re so distracted by rituals and the ritualistic implementation of Islamic teachings. Look around you and see how many people complain that we’ve forgotten to be decent human beings despite our intellectual prowess in advanced sciences and the like. That’s what the sectarians have done to Islam. They’ve reduced it to an academic pursuit that has a hierarchy of titles attached to it (something that is never supported in any hadith or Quranic verse) yet profess to be upholding the Sunnah through those structures.

    We’re missing the point it seems.

  • When Will We Awaken

  • Compassion Fatigue

    Hearing the news about a mosque burning down in the US doesn’t evoke as strong a response as it should. Muslims around the world have become so accustomed to hearing news of such atrocities being carried out against their fellow brethren that even a drone strike on innocent civilians prompts nothing more than a woeful sigh, a shake of the head, sometimes accompanied by a muttered prayer, and often a curse for the aggressors.

    It’s the downside of being human. Our ability to adapt and cope dictates that our tolerance levels will rise each time we experience something despicable. This implies that we’ll shrug our shoulders to heinous crimes that we’ve accepted we cannot prevent or avenge in any way, and so we distract ourselves with much more menial issues to compensate for the helplessness that we feel in other areas of grave concern. But this never lasts forever. At some point we realise that what doesn’t kill us doesn’t make us stronger, but in fact, it only makes us more tolerant, to a point.

    There’s another effect that is often overlooked when people so dreamily proclaim that same cliche. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. No it doesn’t. It starts something in you that grows as long as your capacity and tolerance for it can harbour it until eventually you reach breaking point and suddenly realise that it never made you stronger to begin with. It only made you brittle. With each incident that wears away at your dignity and security, you practice tolerance and patience, but until the underlying tension is addressed, you become more brittle each day until eventually you lose any flexibilty and give way to the extremist that lurks in everyone. But at that point, no one is able to witness the horrors and taunts that preceded that final straw, so instead of understanding that the victim has finally lashed out, they become the victims and accuse you of unwarranted aggression instead.

    Perspective. Context. Understanding. It’s been a while since I witnessed their inclusion in any rational debate about being human, or about human rights and dignity.

  • Madrassa for the Blind

    If you’re looking for a worthy cause that is in need of support, consider Madrassa An-Noor for The Blind. They’ve been producing really great work in support of blind Muslims with the Qur’an published in braille, and numerous Islamic publications also made available in braille and other formats that can be used by the visually impaired. They are able to accept contributions from international donors as well.

    I’m sure they’ll appreciate any help they receive, Insha-Allah.

  • Plight of the Rohingya Muslims

    nuzrat reblogged your video: We keep seeing the plight of the Rohingya Muslims…

    How can Bangladesh help…Rohingya? Bangladesh has big problems

    With respect, who doesn’t have big problems? When we see our problems as being bigger than the problems of those around us, we become self-absorbed and lacking in compassion. 

    The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

    “Every Muslim has to give in charity.”

    The people then asked: “(But what) if someone has nothing to give, what should he do?”

    The Prophet replied: “He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he earns).”

    The people further asked: “If he cannot find even that?”

    He replied: “He should help the needy who appeal for help.”

    Then the people asked: “If he cannot do (even) that?”

    The Prophet said finally: “Then he should perform good deeds and keep away from evil deeds, and that will be regarded as charitable deeds.” – Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadith 524 

    Here’s another hadith that confirms the importance of charity:

    The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Save yourself from hellfire by giving even half a date-fruit in charity.” – Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadith 498

    I’m sure that the issue is not as simple as can be described in a single post, but to have that kind of attitude from a supposed leader of a Muslim nation when talking about what is acknowledged to be the most persecuted group of ethnic minorities in the world, is just arrogant beyond belief. There are countless NGO’s that would assist Bangladesh in their support of the Ronhingya Muslims if requested, including non-Muslim NGO’s, so I find it difficult to accept the position of the Bangladeshi PM in this issue. 

    Edit: I just read the full text of your note after you reblogged that video. The house of Saud are pathetic beyond belief. They’re probably one of the biggest usurpers of the wealth of the Ummah, and are known to treat even their own citizens despicably. So it’s amazing how so many can insist that they’re beyond reproach. I guess, as much as this may sound idealistic, I’m sure there are many that can testify to the fact that when we give to others in need, Allah increases our own sustenance from sources we never imagined. Perhaps the Rohingya are a test to the Muslims of Bangladesh, and if treated correctly, could attract the mercy of Allah for themselves? This reminds me of the hadith where the Prophet (SAW) used to offer what little he had to his guests even though he himself was starving. 

  • Plight of the Rohingya Muslims

    cynicallyjaded:

    We keep seeing the plight of the Rohingya Muslims being publicised, but it doesn’t show one really despicable side to the entire tragedy. Look at this video, and you’ll be hard pressed not to want to spit in the face of the PM of Bangladesh, whom I’m inclined to believe is a Muslim as well, given her name, and given that Islam is the religion of 90.4% of the population according to statistics from 2010. 

    So here’s the question…how can we expect Muslims to be treated like human beings anywhere in the world, if we can’t see fit to fulfil our own responsibilities towards them in our own back yards? Look around the world and see how many conflicts involving Muslims have proclaimed Muslims on both sides of the conflict? Then look at those where the Muslims are being attacked by non-Muslims and see how many Muslim states are intervening or overtly providing assistance to the Muslims? 

    Muslims should hang their heads in shame. We’re the biggest preachers and biggest critics, with the best debating skills at exposing the flaws of our fellow Muslims and finding the most petty bullshit to argue about and find reason to create sects and divisions, but ask us to unite behind a common enemy and even then we’ll get into a debate about whose responsibility it is. 

    Please correct me if I’m wrong in anything I’m saying here, but watch the video first and then tell me how much compassion exists amongst the Ummah for fellow Muslims. The compassion of the layman is irrelevant when the governments that we support and vote into power don’t give a damn about our collective responsibility, while we’re powerless and impotent to change any of it. 

    Like the Arabs say, your leaders are as you are. We’re even pathetic enough to find reason to compete between our own charitable organisations instead of joining forces at the most basic level of civil assistance. Astaghfirullah!

    (Source: http://www.youtube.com/)