ROLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL MUSLIM IN REVIVING THE TRUE ASPECT OF ISLAM

NOT TO SPEAK WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE:

The information agencies, the media, has a great responsibility. A lot of injustice is done when misinformation is given or information is misused. Muslims should be committed to truth in information. They should promote truthful and honest reporting about everyone, including their enemies.

“Follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart-of each of these it will be asked.” (Al-Israa’ 17:36)

COMPASSION  AND  FORGIVENESS:

To feel pity on a fellow human being in distress, to be compassionate towards Allah’s creations and to pardon the guilty are highly valued in Islam. To forgive the mistakes of one’s is an act of a virtue which makes one deserving of Divine Mercy; hence one should always be prepared to excuse their faults – as much as possible.

In  hadeeth, narrated by Abdullah Ibn Amr (رضی اللہ عنہ) the Prophet (ﷺ) is reported to have said:

 “The Most-Merciful (i.e. Allah) will have Mercy on those who are merciful. Show compassion to the dwellers of the earth, then the One who dwells in the heavens (Allah) will show compassion to you!”

In mention the book of Hadeeth another hadeeth the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “His sins will not be forgiven by Allah who does not forgive the faults of the others”.

The mercy  and benevolence of the Almighty is stirred by the display of such deeds of pity and sympathy- due to which He grants forgiveness and salvation. It should be noted here that the aim of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam was not merely to narrate the story, but to stress the importance of kindness and compassion to all the creatures of Allah.

SOCIAL CONDUCT:

The second part of the Prophet’s Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam teaching consists of the teachings related to the rights of men on each other, and the duty they owe to all created beings in general.  How man is to fulfill his social responsibilities and act towards all individuals or groups or any other creature with whom he may come into contact in the different walks of life.

In a hadeeth, narrated by Abu Hurairah (رضی اللہ عنہ) the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam says:

“Whoever may have done an injustice to a brother, or defamed him or transgressed against his rights in any other way should set right the affair with him on this very day, in this very life- before the day of Judgement-when he will ‘have no dinars and dirhams (money) to settle the claim.  If he will possess a stock of good deeds, the aggrieved will be recompensed from it in relation to the injustice done to him.  And in case he is empty-handed in he matter of good deeds, the sine of the Eiggrieved will bethrust upon him. (thus justice will be done that Day).”

Social commandments begin with the birth of a child. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has emphasised that parents should be just and fair to all the children, particularly in matters of gifts and kindness, and it must not be that while one gets more the ‘ other gets less or nothing.  Besides being desirable in itself, equality to all the children also meets the demands of justice and equity which is pleasing to the Almighty.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said:

“No father gives a better gift to his children than good manners and good character.”

To be obedient to parents and to show kindness to them has been enjoined along with the Oneness and Worship of Allah, in the Holy Quraan, in such a manner that it appears that among human deeds, to obey parents and treat them with respect and kindness is next only to Divine Worship.

The Quraan says, in Sura Bani Israail:

“Your Lord (The Creator) has ordained that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to the parents.”

Islam demands from wives to be faithful to their husbands and to remain their true well wisher. The wife should regard her husband over and above everyone else.

The Quran declares:

“T’terefore, the righteous women are obedient, and guard (in the husband’s) absence”. (IV: 34)

The husband, on his part, ought to consider his wife as a blessing of Allah and he should give her, ungrudgingly, his love, hold her in high esteem and look after her needs and comforts to the best of his ability. If she makes a mistake, he should over look it and try to correct her with tact and patience.

Says, again, The Quran:

“Live with your wives on a footing of kindness and equality.” (IV: 36)

The Prophet (ﷺ) had attached great importance on rights of neighbour and has constantly urged the Ummah to pay due regard to the rights of neighbours to the extent that he had declared good neighbor lines to be a part of Imaan (Faith) and an essential requisite for salvation.

In  hadeeth, related by Anas (رضی اللہ عنہ), the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “He has not affirmed faith in me (i.e. he is not a true follower) who eats to his satisfaction and sleeps comfortably at night while his neighbour goes hungry – and he is aware of it.”

Often, there are people who care little for the bonds of relationship and unjust in this respect.  Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has enjoined to continue to treat them well and fulfill the obligations, irrespective of what they do and how they behave.

Abdullah ibn Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) relates from the Prophet (ﷺ): “He does not fulfill the claim of Silah-Rahimi who shows no kindness in return for the kindness shown to him.. The person who really fulfills the claim is he who treats his relatives well even when they are mean and unjust to him.”

DEFENDING THE HONOUR OF MUSLIM:

The honour and dignity of a Muslim is precious in the sight of the Almighty Allah and therefore it is a grave sin to abstain from defending and protecting it, let alone disgracing him or treating him disrespectfully.  The defense of a Muslim’s honour, when it is at stake, is in fact a virtuous and rewardable deed as explained in the hadeeth.

Narrated by Jabir (رضی اللہ عنہ), that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The Muslim who forsakes a fellow Muslim brother (and does not come to his assistance) at a time when his honour is at stake, will be denied the help of Allah when he is greatly in need of it, whereas the Muslim who stands by a fellow Muslim at a time when his honor is at stake, – Allah will grant him His assistance when he will need it most.”

In another hadeeth, reported by Abdullah Ibn Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Every Muslim is the brother of a Muslim, he should neither harm him, nor should he leave him alone when others treat him unjustly (he should help him).  Whoever will fulfill the need of a fellow brother, Allah will fulfill his need, and whoever removes the distress of a fellow Muslim, Allah will remove his distress on the Day of Judgement, and whoever will hide (keep secret) the faults (and shame) of a fellow Muslim, Allah will keep his sins secret on the Day of Account.”

Both these reports show the value and respect that should be attached to the honour and good name of a Muslim.

UNITY AND FORTITUDE AMONG MUSLIM COMMUNITY:

Sometimes, there is want or disease or any other crises for such situations Islam teaches to remain firm and face the problem with courage and patience. “All for one and one for all” should be the Muslims’ motto. They should be prepared to assist one another and even share the sorrows and problems of each other.

It is related by abu Moosa Ash’ari (رضی اللہ عنہ) that The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The connection between Muslims is like that of a strong building – one part strengthens another.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) then showed this by interlocking the fingers of one hand with those of the other (that Muslims should remain united and combined – thereby strengthening one another).

In the above hadeeth, by enlikening Muslim unity to a strong building, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has in effect urged the Ummah to form a fortress by uniting where each Muslim will be a “brick” and the closeness and coherence amongst Muslims should be like that of bricks in a building.  He then demonstrated, interlocking the fingers of both hands that the Muslims should remain together and blend into a single body.

Quran assured the love of Allah for: “Allah, surely, is with those who patiently persevere”  (II: 153)

NOT TO KILL ANYONE UNLESS IN THE PERSUIT OF JUSTICE:

This means that one should recognize the sanctity of all life and should not do anything that may jeopardize life. One should avoid aggression and violence, because these things lead to murder. Every Muslim must be committed to peaceful ways. Conflicts should be resolved by dialogue and negotiations, not by killings and murders. However, justice must be maintained, because just punishment brings safety and protects life.

“And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden except for a just cause.”  (Al-Israa’ 17:33)

MUTUAL HATRED AND JEALOUSY:

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) strongly condemned acts which create mutual hatred like suspicion, contempt, jealousy, back-biting etc. and warned the Ummah, in all earnestness, against the painful consequences of such habits.

It is related by Abu Hurairah (رضی اللہ عنہ) that The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said:

“Do not be suspicious, for suspicion is the height of falsehood, nor bear a grudge or enmity against each other, nor be jealous of each other, nor indulge in backbiting nor dig into secrets of one another, nor try to (unreasonably) excel one another, but 0

Bondmen of Allah!  Live like brothers as the Lord has commanded.”

The evils mentioned above are highly detrimental to the growth of good and friendly relations.  They cause ill-will and produce bitterness in the hearts.  They breed hatred and enmity and leave no room for the development of goodwill and fellowship which the common religious bond demands.

WE-A MUSLIM STUDENT REVIVING THE TRUE ESSENCE OF ISLAM:

To seek knowledge is a sacred duty; it is obligatory on every Muslim, male and female. The first word revealed of the Qur’an was “Iqra” READ! Seek knowledge! Educate yourselves! Be educated.

Surah Al-Zumr, ayah 9 reveals:

“Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?”

Surah Al-Baqarah, ayah 269 reveals:

“Allah grants wisdom to whom He pleases and to whom wisdom is granted indeed he receives an overflowing benefit.”

The Muslims today are the most humiliated community in the world. And should they persist in following the same educational program as given by their colonial masters, they will not be able to recover themselves from moral and spiritual decadence.

Ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“The position of only two persons is enviable; the person whom Allah bestowed wealth empowering him to spend it in the way of righteousness, and the person whom Allah gave wisdom with which he adjudges and which he teaches to others.”

The first and most crucial obligation on us is to acquire knowledge and secondly to practice and preach this knowledge. No man becomes truly a Muslim without knowing the meaning of Islam, because he becomes a Muslim not through birth but through knowledge.

It is essential to understand that the greatest gift of Allah – for which we are so over whelmed with gratitude – depends primarily on knowledge. Without knowledge one can’t truly receive Allah’s gift of Islam.

We should be able to understand clearly the mission, which our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) came into this world to fulfill. We should also recognize the corrupt order and system, which he came to destroy. We should acquaint ourselves, too, with the way of life which Allah has ordained for us.

No great amount of time is required to acquire this simple knowledge. If we truly value Iman, it cannot be too difficult to find one hour every day to devote for our Iman..

Not only should we seek knowledge, but when we learn it, it becomes obligatory on us to practice it. Though we must remember that correct knowledge should come before correct action. Knowledge without action is useless because a learned person without action will be the worst of creatures on the Day of Resurrection. Also, action should not be based on blind imitation for this is not the quality of a thinking, sensible human being.

The following ahadith shows how important and how rewarding knowledge is.

“He who acquires knowledge acquires a vast portion.” AND “If anyone going on his way in search of knowledge, Allah will, thereby make easy for him the way to Paradise.”

We, the children, are the future. The future lies in our hands, but only through knowledge because whoever neglects learning in youth loses the past and is dead for the future.

May Allah give us strength to behave and act just as He likes us to do and be pleased with us, and that should be the purpose of our lives.

Rabbi zidnee ilma (O Lord, increase us in knowledge). Aameen