Al-Huda Article by Mr.A.Sujee
FACE OFF! Face it!
The early morning fajir on 22 Mar. 04 adhan rings the air as Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen wheeled his way into the mosque, whilst in another part of the world Pakistini forces aim their guns at suspected Al-Qaeda sympathisers/fighters/loyalists, reeling out of slumber a quarter of the rest of the muslim ummah shoddily prepare themselves for salaatul fajir and; woken to salaah by another bomb in Iraq makes the preparation of wudu difficult and suddenly! Missiles from a gunship interrupt this Godly hour in Palestine when Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen leaves the mosque after salaah to meet his martyrdom! His wheel chair split asunder with the impact mincing his body into pieces enshrouding him for martyrdom!
The world looked aghast when Sharon manifested his plans to pull out from settlements in Gaza yet, maintaining a policy to promote majority population of Jews in the West Bank where water is abundant. In all of this Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen's grave envelopes him with love because of his tawqa which calls upon the wedding of the martyrs to ring the air in anticipation of the next prayer! Palestine will be free: home to Al-Aqsa – the first qiblah and the power of the Mi'raj. Sadly, when we turn attention to our life of learning we find our hearts attached to a world of materialism and 'A's – 7 A's! Material & Academic prowess have overtaken us and we have shelved our moral character for that material & academic result. Face it, this is the truth and know when you are in denial you are 'face off'. Why?
Muhammed (S.A.W) has been sent to perfect good character because it is good character that enhances the quality of life.
The year 2004/5, is and was the most testing on Muslims globally in that we tried as an ummah to make people aware of the Islam as a pristine and pure faith. The world, that is facing us daily, and begging a response of truth and justice is left face off because: face it, our environments are such that our children are numb and generally unmoved in the face of these world crises because we have become to cushioned in our lifestyle of pomp and show. Daily we speak to our young ummah about the world outside the school and the response is shattering! Shattering because, too few of our good ummah know that they have a role to play in our society, in South Africa, in Africa and in the world. Face it, our good ummah know more of the complaint of the unanswered cell phone than the number of unanswered calls to prayer so much so that disrespect to a teacher is considered to be an art form and deceiving SARS a trait of greatness! In the face of all of this, leaders like Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen, revived the Islamic spirit to guide the budding youth in the ummah for they are the leaders of tomorrow.
In an effort to stem the tide of negative media influences on Islam, we should harness our talents and respond to ludicrous statements made in the media about Islam. We should pen letters to the media, phone in on talk shows that reflect a true view of Islam. In this way we would link ourselves with local social groups, advocacy groups and lobby groups to do work and feel the pulse of the weak, the poor, the distressed, the imprisoned, the old and those so disillusioned to be Muslims – Allah guide this lot. Face it, this realisation came with the ideal of making the ummah aware that the life of serving humanity is the real “A” and the life of ENSLAVEMENT is the 7 A's – the 7 deadly sins: Gluttony, Avarice, Envy, Sloth, Pride, Lust & Anger. We are “A” performing in one or more of the 7 above. Face it, we are attempting to make a difference in our splinter organisations and not as a unified ummah. Therefore, we need to muster up the courage to work as a unit and not to derail other efforts of the ummah in their noble ideal of enjoining in good and forbidding evil.
Determination is what we need to make a difference with the ummah. Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen was determined to establish the struggle against oppression like predecessors of the South African spirit – Nelson Mandela, Yusuf Dadoo, Steve Biko, Mohammed Abdullah Omar, Ismail Meer and many others. Therefore, we look at our youth in the ummah with rays of hope that we would produce leaders who are determined to enjoin in good and forbid evil. Face it, the challenges upon the youth are tremendous and if we notice a glimmer of hope, know we have a leader in the making because '..youth is a kind of madness…'[1]
Understandably, we have to see the face of Muslim Schools as institutions that would develop into institutions of higher learning such that environments of morality are established. They will have problems save to say that we, as an ummah, will embrace them as challenges. We know Allah will help us because from the raised platform in Medina the greatest teacher received the Quran, taught it and today, the world over institutions are teaching the same word. Face it! We tend to forget this reality of the first ‘Muslim School’.
Morality does not develop in isolation and it is not only that which we consider being right and wrong, halaal or haraam but, it is the life pattern we choose for ourselves. The assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen illustrates a warped moral life pattern of his assassins who believe they have done a noble deed and are proud about it. The question before us is clear: 'How can we hide our faces when Allah has taken us out to be best of people whose sole objective is to enjoin in good and forbid evil?' We are not a chosen race, rather we a people with a task to be Allah’s vicegerents on earth and we will be accountable for our task. Face it, we are missing the mark.
We hide our faces because we have not given ourselves role to play in the world outside our shops, classrooms, houses, cars, cell-phones, DVD’s etc. Therefore, our akhlaaq (character) has to be developed so that people who look upon us must desire to be Muslim. When they interact with us, they feel it correct to want to be Muslim thus, how we take on the reigns of change depends on our attachment to salaah, the mosque, dawah –ililah (propagation of Islam), taqwa (piety) and sincerity of intention for every action and love for one another. Therefore, we have to build bridges of sincerity and face the reality of our greater masters – our deeds. Face it, the majority of us are lacking in this because we love this world more than death.
The adhaan when it sounds at any time will be that invitation we would answer to even though our death lies close by it. Take example from all the companions (R.A.) whose answer to the call of prayer was the answer to their desire to meet with Allah. This noble desire makes us face the reality of the day and it will save us from been face off on that day when 'faces will be blackened because of sin', when Allah will roll up this world like a scroll.
This article is therefore dedicated to the 50 years (1945-2005) of the Freedom Charter in South Africa because it shows how oppression ceased, Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen, the Palestinian cause, the strive for world peace, cessation of hostilities in Iraq and to the quest for global Mulsim unity. This is done to make it a concern of the whole Muslim ummah to face up to the reality that – with the those against us as our ally we would appear face off before Allah! Face it, Allah says that we should not take non-Muslims as our bosom friends as they are friends amongst themselves especially when it comes to issues relating to our religion – Islam and geopolitics (Globalisation) or world dominance. See the current realities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine so on and so forth – Can you deny the truth of Allah?
Face it, Islam is the truth, it will remain the truth and Islam will be the criteria to distinguish the truthful from the mischief mongers. The question remains:' How Islamically linked are you with the world outside your world?' Face it – YOU have not given it thought! Do so now for a moment later will leave you FACE OFF!
The ink did not dry from writing the obituary of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin when on 17 April 2004, Dr.Abdul Aziz Rantisi, the leader of Hamas after the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, was brutally killed in the same manner – F-16 missiles on his car killing him and two of his bodyguards. Face it, the word from the White House was that Israel has the right to defend itself and it was expected.
The reality we have to face is that adversity unites and desperation confuses and breeds hatred so, look into the so called Muslim states and see their desperate alliances with USA and Israel creating so much more confusion. Face it they are face off as far as the wider ummah are concerned because they do not represent truth. "Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it was lighted all around him, Allah took their light and left them in darkness. So they could not see." (Quran: S.2.17) The commentary explains our condition if we make mockery of our concern for the ummah.
“The man wanted light: he only kindled a fire. It produced a blaze, and won the applause of all around. But it did not last long. When the flame went out as was inevitable, the darkness was worse than before. And they all lost their way. So hypocrisy, deception, arrogant compromise with evil, cynicism, or duplicity will win temporary applause today. But the true light of faith and sincerity is wanting, and therefore it will destroy all evil in its path. In the consternation they cannot speak or hear each other, and of course they cannot see; so they end like the deliberate rejecters of Faith, wildly groping about, dumb, deaf and blind” [2]
Face the facts and know the facts to save your face on that day when all will be judged by Allah – the Master of the Day of Judgement.
Lyndie England is now ‘face off’ after her ordeal with Iraqi prisoners in the Abu Guraib prison such that it has brought the war in Iraq to show the shamble of US, UK and non-Muslim foreign policy. Therefore, when you read penned articles by concerned Muslims to national newspapers urging a response from people who stated many things wrongly about Islam, we find that those letters take good space. Sadly, to few of these kind of letters are written but, the point made is to reveal that Muslims are not face off nor voiceless because in penning those letters we fulfilled the hadith of Muhammed (S.A.W) regarding fighting oppression i.e. having the power to do something and using that power and not remaining silent in prayer though it be the weakest expression of faith. We know that reviving one sunnah in times of great sin the reward is that of 100 martyrs therefore, those Muslims earned a reward to save face on that day when all will be turned into dust.
The point made here is how do we present a true face of issues facing the ummah when we remain silent and lethargic to respond to the media frenzy on Muslims. For a moment consider the events of 7/7/05 (The London Bombings.) – just how much was said that was inaccurate? What happened to Asvat in the claim that he was an Al-Qaeda operative in South Africa? In all of this we need to know that we cannot appear ‘face off’, we need to face the situation head on and respond responsibly in ways that are Shariah compliant.
In praise of Muslim schools, the AMS conference in June 2005 at the Orient Muslim School in KZN (Durban) host to 400 plus delegates from across South Africa, parts of Africa and other international guests from as far as Sarajevo discussing the future of Muslim schools within the global sensate culture it came clear that Muslim Schools internationally must not become insular. It made us aware that we have role to play and we should not marginalize ourselves. This sentiment was expressed by the Mufti Menk from Zimbabwe, who said to the effect that we should become more dynamic in our Muslim schools to meet with the moral and hedonistic challenges facing the world by having to form effective Muslim awareness joint ventures with other schools in our communities such that, we show Islam as the perfect religion. In this way we would dispel false perceptions of Islam. This reflection captivates how as Muslims we need to be proactive in all domains and focus on our institutions as bastions of moral regeneration. In effect, we have to encourage our children to explore the diversity of careers as Muslims to meet the challenges facing the ummah – if we don’t: We will be face-off when dilemmas/problems/challenges face the ummah from all angles!
Face the reality! To cite as an example the 67 Muslim Schools nationally and many internationally - Clearly they have impacted on the global culture therefore, don’t appear face off when you are part of a Muslim endeavour rather, be prepared to assist in uniting all of the Muslim establishments like SANHA, Gift of the Givers, Tabligh Effort, Al-Imdaad, Media Review Network so on and so forth with a common mission to serve Islam and to produce people who would be benefactors of humanity. Therefore, Muslim schools, as a case in point, need to take the stance to promote youth leadership within existing Muslim endeavours in all facets so that we do not become insular and do not tunnel-vision ourselves with a narrow understanding of Islam. In doing this, we would save face and more importantly, the face of Islam. Why? If we don’t save the face of Islam, Allah will use other people from the human race to do so because, Allah will not change the condition of a people if they don’t change what is in their hearts.
Think of the ummah and know that you have a role to play. Begin with yourself. Look into the mirror and make the dua "O! Allah you made me perfectly therefore, make my character perfect and save my face from burning in the fire of hell." When you do this you will, inshallah, take on the day never to be deceived by the face value of this world. You will work with our future – our children! Face it – To Allah is our return! Seize the day by serving Islam to produce benefactors for humanity with the face of a Muslim and the heart of a Mu’min .
Hadrat Ali (R.A.) said to the effect that live life in threes i.e. yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow is not here and the present is in your face therefore, go forth and face the reality.
Face it, this is the truth and know when you are in denial you are 'face off'.
Face it, the future is not so bleak when you know there is Jannah, that Allah’s mercy outweighs HIS anger, Allah Forgives entirely and HIS attributes are such that HE gave peace to Mariam (A.S.) on the birth of Isa (A.S.) such that the infant testified of his noble mother’s purity. So face it, in Allah there is hope and in mankind there is fear when there is no hope in Allah. Face it! Are you afraid?
1. Hadith of the Prophet (S.A.W) to the effect – Fazil Sadaqaah.
2.Translation and commentary, Mushaf Al-Madinah An-Nabawiyah, revised and edited by the Presidency of Islamic Researchers, IFTA, Call of Guidance(adapted).
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Brand Culture – A craze! Are you caught in the Haze!
ARTICLE : AL HUDA – JUNE/JULY 2005
The Brand Culture – A craze! Are you caught in the Haze!
“Mummy, Daddy I want that Nike T-Shirt and that Von Dutch bag and that Nokia cell phone…!” beg the children. The parents cower under the pressure and reply, “Okay my darlings Daddy cannot buy it today and why does it have to be Nike…?” The children cry out, “ Daddy but it’s the fashion and its so cool…” Sounds familiar?
In fact, the study by ‘Generation Next, the largest youth brand preference study’ indicated that tweens (children aged between 10 -13) influence their parents to spend R20-million and consume R6-billion worth of products a year ranging from beach-flops to cell-phones! The study illustrates how marketers have to change their advertising campaign strategies to entice this group of emotional tweens – emotional in the sense that they know very well how to ‘manipulate’ their parents’ emotions into buying things for them regardless of its necessity. Tweens, according to the research have tremendous spending power and they make up the largest age group in the population therefore, if ‘nurtured correctly’ by the marketers, the tweens will be best awesome future spenders. Awesome – isn’t it.
Amazing! We as adults will knowingly exploit our own kith and kin to a life of mindless and relentless buying of things they don’t really need with money they don’t really have (Credit) to impress people they don’t know for our (the adults) pleasure of wealth, corporate fame and boardroom antics or a certificate or two for being the best. Oh! Capitalism what a curse – “The modern age is your Angel of Death, Deprived you of soul by giving you anxiety for bread” said Iqbal the renowned intellectual of Pakistan, is so fitting to the discussion here.
The fate of these tweens’ worldview is already been shaped into a culture of materialism. Know for certain that the campaign with military precision of the advertisers engenders the seven deadly sins to make tweens & teens develop a profound sense of selfishness and obtuse individual preference over others.
Nabi Muhammed (S.A.W) said to the effect that he fears wealth for the ummah, that youth is a kind of madness and that this world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever; is remarkably true. When you put these traditions side by side with the tweens culture explained above, you will be astounded by its truths. Let us explore some of it detail.
The access to wealth by people today is amazing. I recall Moulana Dawood Cassim saying in one of his ever thought-provoking Jummah talks that all vacant shops are only seen to be occupied by LOAN SHARKS indicating the desire of people to want to spend only to have access to all of life’s goodies regardless of how one gets it. Wealth is a fear for the ummah in this light because we see our tweens, Muslims in particular for our discussion, spending and demanding things from their parents to the extent that parents are in debt with major stores whilst unpaid food accounts tarry on. This has made people more extravagant such that parents spend so much money on their tweens thinking that it is love consolidated. A striking incident comes to mind of a man who despite been in debt with school fees manages to afford for his son the latest brand of shoes at a store and runs down the educators at will. This incongruous behaviour of the adult is to become a common phenomenon. This is the curse of wealth i.e. when it blinds your understanding of the life hereafter.
What tweens want is what they are exposed too and how we as adults respond to it in our homes, conversations, values and discussions with peers and the likes. Youth is a kind of madness because all that they absorb is the reality of adult world they don’t understand but associate with. For example, the sex-crazed advertisements indicates to the tweens that provocative images gets the attention but they cannot understand the relationship between a naked woman and a tyre but, they do associate with the adult world in the sense that its dominated by lewdness of women, men, wine and song. In effect, they absorb these values without question and become maddened by it – not in the manner of being insane but, in a manner where they promote it. Consider as proof the then tween Britney Spears who become an icon of lewdness in the name of pop-culture fame at the tender age of 16. What about the Bollywood culture – whose values have eroded Indian morality, its proceeds in part, are used to fund oppressive measures against Muslims in India is tremendously famous with the Muslim tweens, teens and adults today? They i.e. the tweens/teens absorbed the culture of the morally decadent adult world that was and is dressed in garments of virtue. Sadly, the morally upright in this world feel the pressures of living in this world.
The world is a prison for the believer because it is so difficult to stem the tide. Their young ones are also caught in the culture of materialism as all others. It would appear therefore, that the disbeliever is enjoying the best of this world and is actually happy about it, whilst the believer is disheartened in trying hard to curb the damning influence to enjoin in good and forbid evil. At this point the following poem in part is apt to indicate just how the good see the world and how non-Muslims also want a moral world.
The Second Coming by W.B.Yeats
Turning and turning in a widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere 5
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
How apt that a poet no long ago was also concerned about the disintegration of society, the moral chaos that would follow and the bloodshed that would ensue. How did he see this? Simple. He saw the age of materialism consuming society into a state of madness. The tweens who were looked upon as the largest population age group for material profit are the very same people who will rule you one day – imagine how they will rule with the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Avarice, Envy, Sloth, Pride, Lust and Anger. For a moment reflect on how the advertising campaigns target these 7 deadly sins to market their products and how it plays a tremendous part in shaping worldviews. Don’t you see it in the types of leaders we have today? Look at the occupation of Iraq, Gunatanamo Bay, Afghanistan, the drug lords in Cambodia, the horrors in Ruwanda, the fraud of Shabeer Shaik and Mr.Zuma’s money incestuous relationship with him, the millions of dollars spent on personal whims and fancies in Zimbabwe and fiefdoms in the Middle East. What is presented is the culture of selfish interests in worldly gain and therefore, the view is: The brand culture that is promoted actually plays a determining role in how we will look and perceive our place in the world as citizen, a commoner or a layman. The image is clear as the ‘Days of our lives’ on the Plasma screen decorating our house for we have become the ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ on ‘Sevende Laan’ hoping that future ‘Generations’ change the world to ‘make it a better place for you and for me.’
Revisit the traditions of Muhammed (S.A.W) when he said to the effect that slaves will give birth to their masters and this would be a sign of Qiyamaah. It’s frightening but true. True! Today it is as if our tweens and teens are the masters whilst the mothers and fathers have become the slaves to the passions of the dominant capitalist culture all because the deen of Islam has taken second place to all actions. It is so because we have allowed it to happen. Our tweens have become our masters in many ways especially on the hard earned cash we work for. However, let’s illustrate the point differently. How many times have you heard and how many times are you hearing and how many more times will you hear about teachers complaining about parents that side with their tweens in front of teachers when the tweens are clearly wrong! The number of times is recorded with Allah as HE is the knower of all things.
Look at the big picture; we are caught in the haze. The brand culture that has engulfed our lives has in fact shaped our future where the ‘best lack all conviction and the worst are full of passionate intensity’. We are not seeing the big picture when we give into the whims and fancies of our tweens all because we, ourselves as adults have become submerged into the same brand culture. Until we don’t stop, the tweens will not and would not, in fact they will pursue all grounds to get what they want for ‘youth is a kind of madness’ – we were all there once upon a time but; why is it that we as adults look in general to the youth of today in sheer hopelessness? We do so because our association with the ulema, the teachers, the pious and the learned have become a resounding nil in most homes. These people have been shunned and the pop-stars, cricket stars, soccer stars, Hollywood/Bollywood stars have been embraced with love, sweat, tears and banknotes by tweens, teens and parents alike in unison. Think again – how have we become addicted? We have become addicted through the campaign of advertising that appealed to the 7 deadly sins which made us BRAND CONSCIOUS!
Gloomy as it looks the following incident makes you realise the wealth of iman. As I sat in my classroom there walked in a youngster of 14 dressed in a white kurta, a fledgling beard and a breaking voice saying that he would like to go out in the path of Allah during the school vacation otherwise the holidays will just be a waste of time with friends who worry about cars, cell phones and girls. Remarkable isn’t it? How is it that a tween can think like this? Simply put, the value he gets from home allows him to understand basic instinct from the command of Allah.
Amazingly another incident at a Darul-uloom/madressah made me stagger. In a visit to an ‘uloom’ recently tweens and teens from a Muslim school interacted with the tweens and teens of the uloom/madressah and the following comment is food for thought. Ismail (not his real name – teen from a Muslim school) said that the boys of the uloom/madressah were not concerned over their clothes, appearances i.e. gel and cells, but were at peace with the world yet, they related with all we could tell and share with the. What is the message? Clearly, we have to refocus our attention on our tweens and teens. Interestingly, of recent the arranged ‘halqas’/gatherings of discussions by the Jamiat-ulema Gauteng with students from universities and Darul-ulooms sparked off great levels of understanding between the youth to the extent that many stereotypes and generalisations have been cleared regarding their outlook to life in context of all that we jointly face.
In stemming the morally decadent tsunami we need to become more active with our tweens and teens. This means that we have put an end to APS – Absent Parent Syndrome and realise that quality time is what our tweens and teens need. They need to be given the concrete reinforcement that they are successful. And how would you do that you might ask. The answer is: You got to start taking an interest in what our tweens and teens do. This incident is a real example. A parent had to bear the nagging of his tween just turning teen for a Play Station 2. The father refused and took an interest in child’s desire to do archery. Today the child owns his own archery kit, his father is keen to assist him in the sport and to provide meaningful help for the school’s developing archery club. In effect, the child has redirected his ambitions and has become less demanding on those material goodies that don’t develop mind, body and soul. We make dua that the youngster keeps to his noble intentions.
The Brand culture in essence is not only the desire of a particular thing but, it attempts to shave you of your inner choice and inner self which is unique. Sad is that individual whose life is only an imitation of all that he/she absorbs and not a unique responder with Islam to all of life’s great favours and opportunities. Don’t be plastic, be fantastic with yourself in light of the fact that Allah did not create you off a production line and Allah did not market you on a billboard for sale to mindless adults. “And which of the favours of your Lord can you deny…” – Al Quran, Surah Ar-Rahmaan.
So where to from here with the brand culture that erodes all real living? In future times your tweens or teens want/demand/desire/moan/groan for a brand name thing say NO! See if it produces suicidal tendencies – it will not. It’s our fear that we will lose them if we don’t give them. You can deal with their lost tempers now over and over again but, would you able to deal with their loss of Jannah/Paradise in the life to come because of your own doings? The prelude to Jannah/Paradise is the day of Judgement when nothing will count but our deeds. They i.e. our children should not be the means of our destruction. To end off know and read:
Al- Quran: Sura 66 Ayat 6
O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your Families from a Fire
Whose fuel is Men And stones, over which Are (appointed) angels
Stern (and) severe Who flinch not (from Executing)
The commands They receive from Allah,
But do (precisely) what they are commanded.
The Brand Culture – A craze! Are you caught in the Haze!
“Mummy, Daddy I want that Nike T-Shirt and that Von Dutch bag and that Nokia cell phone…!” beg the children. The parents cower under the pressure and reply, “Okay my darlings Daddy cannot buy it today and why does it have to be Nike…?” The children cry out, “ Daddy but it’s the fashion and its so cool…” Sounds familiar?
In fact, the study by ‘Generation Next, the largest youth brand preference study’ indicated that tweens (children aged between 10 -13) influence their parents to spend R20-million and consume R6-billion worth of products a year ranging from beach-flops to cell-phones! The study illustrates how marketers have to change their advertising campaign strategies to entice this group of emotional tweens – emotional in the sense that they know very well how to ‘manipulate’ their parents’ emotions into buying things for them regardless of its necessity. Tweens, according to the research have tremendous spending power and they make up the largest age group in the population therefore, if ‘nurtured correctly’ by the marketers, the tweens will be best awesome future spenders. Awesome – isn’t it.
Amazing! We as adults will knowingly exploit our own kith and kin to a life of mindless and relentless buying of things they don’t really need with money they don’t really have (Credit) to impress people they don’t know for our (the adults) pleasure of wealth, corporate fame and boardroom antics or a certificate or two for being the best. Oh! Capitalism what a curse – “The modern age is your Angel of Death, Deprived you of soul by giving you anxiety for bread” said Iqbal the renowned intellectual of Pakistan, is so fitting to the discussion here.
The fate of these tweens’ worldview is already been shaped into a culture of materialism. Know for certain that the campaign with military precision of the advertisers engenders the seven deadly sins to make tweens & teens develop a profound sense of selfishness and obtuse individual preference over others.
Nabi Muhammed (S.A.W) said to the effect that he fears wealth for the ummah, that youth is a kind of madness and that this world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever; is remarkably true. When you put these traditions side by side with the tweens culture explained above, you will be astounded by its truths. Let us explore some of it detail.
The access to wealth by people today is amazing. I recall Moulana Dawood Cassim saying in one of his ever thought-provoking Jummah talks that all vacant shops are only seen to be occupied by LOAN SHARKS indicating the desire of people to want to spend only to have access to all of life’s goodies regardless of how one gets it. Wealth is a fear for the ummah in this light because we see our tweens, Muslims in particular for our discussion, spending and demanding things from their parents to the extent that parents are in debt with major stores whilst unpaid food accounts tarry on. This has made people more extravagant such that parents spend so much money on their tweens thinking that it is love consolidated. A striking incident comes to mind of a man who despite been in debt with school fees manages to afford for his son the latest brand of shoes at a store and runs down the educators at will. This incongruous behaviour of the adult is to become a common phenomenon. This is the curse of wealth i.e. when it blinds your understanding of the life hereafter.
What tweens want is what they are exposed too and how we as adults respond to it in our homes, conversations, values and discussions with peers and the likes. Youth is a kind of madness because all that they absorb is the reality of adult world they don’t understand but associate with. For example, the sex-crazed advertisements indicates to the tweens that provocative images gets the attention but they cannot understand the relationship between a naked woman and a tyre but, they do associate with the adult world in the sense that its dominated by lewdness of women, men, wine and song. In effect, they absorb these values without question and become maddened by it – not in the manner of being insane but, in a manner where they promote it. Consider as proof the then tween Britney Spears who become an icon of lewdness in the name of pop-culture fame at the tender age of 16. What about the Bollywood culture – whose values have eroded Indian morality, its proceeds in part, are used to fund oppressive measures against Muslims in India is tremendously famous with the Muslim tweens, teens and adults today? They i.e. the tweens/teens absorbed the culture of the morally decadent adult world that was and is dressed in garments of virtue. Sadly, the morally upright in this world feel the pressures of living in this world.
The world is a prison for the believer because it is so difficult to stem the tide. Their young ones are also caught in the culture of materialism as all others. It would appear therefore, that the disbeliever is enjoying the best of this world and is actually happy about it, whilst the believer is disheartened in trying hard to curb the damning influence to enjoin in good and forbid evil. At this point the following poem in part is apt to indicate just how the good see the world and how non-Muslims also want a moral world.
The Second Coming by W.B.Yeats
Turning and turning in a widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere 5
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
How apt that a poet no long ago was also concerned about the disintegration of society, the moral chaos that would follow and the bloodshed that would ensue. How did he see this? Simple. He saw the age of materialism consuming society into a state of madness. The tweens who were looked upon as the largest population age group for material profit are the very same people who will rule you one day – imagine how they will rule with the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Avarice, Envy, Sloth, Pride, Lust and Anger. For a moment reflect on how the advertising campaigns target these 7 deadly sins to market their products and how it plays a tremendous part in shaping worldviews. Don’t you see it in the types of leaders we have today? Look at the occupation of Iraq, Gunatanamo Bay, Afghanistan, the drug lords in Cambodia, the horrors in Ruwanda, the fraud of Shabeer Shaik and Mr.Zuma’s money incestuous relationship with him, the millions of dollars spent on personal whims and fancies in Zimbabwe and fiefdoms in the Middle East. What is presented is the culture of selfish interests in worldly gain and therefore, the view is: The brand culture that is promoted actually plays a determining role in how we will look and perceive our place in the world as citizen, a commoner or a layman. The image is clear as the ‘Days of our lives’ on the Plasma screen decorating our house for we have become the ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ on ‘Sevende Laan’ hoping that future ‘Generations’ change the world to ‘make it a better place for you and for me.’
Revisit the traditions of Muhammed (S.A.W) when he said to the effect that slaves will give birth to their masters and this would be a sign of Qiyamaah. It’s frightening but true. True! Today it is as if our tweens and teens are the masters whilst the mothers and fathers have become the slaves to the passions of the dominant capitalist culture all because the deen of Islam has taken second place to all actions. It is so because we have allowed it to happen. Our tweens have become our masters in many ways especially on the hard earned cash we work for. However, let’s illustrate the point differently. How many times have you heard and how many times are you hearing and how many more times will you hear about teachers complaining about parents that side with their tweens in front of teachers when the tweens are clearly wrong! The number of times is recorded with Allah as HE is the knower of all things.
Look at the big picture; we are caught in the haze. The brand culture that has engulfed our lives has in fact shaped our future where the ‘best lack all conviction and the worst are full of passionate intensity’. We are not seeing the big picture when we give into the whims and fancies of our tweens all because we, ourselves as adults have become submerged into the same brand culture. Until we don’t stop, the tweens will not and would not, in fact they will pursue all grounds to get what they want for ‘youth is a kind of madness’ – we were all there once upon a time but; why is it that we as adults look in general to the youth of today in sheer hopelessness? We do so because our association with the ulema, the teachers, the pious and the learned have become a resounding nil in most homes. These people have been shunned and the pop-stars, cricket stars, soccer stars, Hollywood/Bollywood stars have been embraced with love, sweat, tears and banknotes by tweens, teens and parents alike in unison. Think again – how have we become addicted? We have become addicted through the campaign of advertising that appealed to the 7 deadly sins which made us BRAND CONSCIOUS!
Gloomy as it looks the following incident makes you realise the wealth of iman. As I sat in my classroom there walked in a youngster of 14 dressed in a white kurta, a fledgling beard and a breaking voice saying that he would like to go out in the path of Allah during the school vacation otherwise the holidays will just be a waste of time with friends who worry about cars, cell phones and girls. Remarkable isn’t it? How is it that a tween can think like this? Simply put, the value he gets from home allows him to understand basic instinct from the command of Allah.
Amazingly another incident at a Darul-uloom/madressah made me stagger. In a visit to an ‘uloom’ recently tweens and teens from a Muslim school interacted with the tweens and teens of the uloom/madressah and the following comment is food for thought. Ismail (not his real name – teen from a Muslim school) said that the boys of the uloom/madressah were not concerned over their clothes, appearances i.e. gel and cells, but were at peace with the world yet, they related with all we could tell and share with the. What is the message? Clearly, we have to refocus our attention on our tweens and teens. Interestingly, of recent the arranged ‘halqas’/gatherings of discussions by the Jamiat-ulema Gauteng with students from universities and Darul-ulooms sparked off great levels of understanding between the youth to the extent that many stereotypes and generalisations have been cleared regarding their outlook to life in context of all that we jointly face.
In stemming the morally decadent tsunami we need to become more active with our tweens and teens. This means that we have put an end to APS – Absent Parent Syndrome and realise that quality time is what our tweens and teens need. They need to be given the concrete reinforcement that they are successful. And how would you do that you might ask. The answer is: You got to start taking an interest in what our tweens and teens do. This incident is a real example. A parent had to bear the nagging of his tween just turning teen for a Play Station 2. The father refused and took an interest in child’s desire to do archery. Today the child owns his own archery kit, his father is keen to assist him in the sport and to provide meaningful help for the school’s developing archery club. In effect, the child has redirected his ambitions and has become less demanding on those material goodies that don’t develop mind, body and soul. We make dua that the youngster keeps to his noble intentions.
The Brand culture in essence is not only the desire of a particular thing but, it attempts to shave you of your inner choice and inner self which is unique. Sad is that individual whose life is only an imitation of all that he/she absorbs and not a unique responder with Islam to all of life’s great favours and opportunities. Don’t be plastic, be fantastic with yourself in light of the fact that Allah did not create you off a production line and Allah did not market you on a billboard for sale to mindless adults. “And which of the favours of your Lord can you deny…” – Al Quran, Surah Ar-Rahmaan.
So where to from here with the brand culture that erodes all real living? In future times your tweens or teens want/demand/desire/moan/groan for a brand name thing say NO! See if it produces suicidal tendencies – it will not. It’s our fear that we will lose them if we don’t give them. You can deal with their lost tempers now over and over again but, would you able to deal with their loss of Jannah/Paradise in the life to come because of your own doings? The prelude to Jannah/Paradise is the day of Judgement when nothing will count but our deeds. They i.e. our children should not be the means of our destruction. To end off know and read:
Al- Quran: Sura 66 Ayat 6
O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your Families from a Fire
Whose fuel is Men And stones, over which Are (appointed) angels
Stern (and) severe Who flinch not (from Executing)
The commands They receive from Allah,
But do (precisely) what they are commanded.
To order your copy of the research: GENERATION NEXT contact: Grethel Pieterse or Maruschka Loubser on : email: grethel@hotdogz-inc.co.za. Tel.: 011 454 3297. Fax: 011 453 7121
NB: The highlighted extracts must be made separate in the page for attention purposes.
NB: The highlighted extracts must be made separate in the page for attention purposes.
SOMETHING THERE IS THAT DOES'NT LOVE A WALL…
SOMETHING THERE IS THAT DOES'NT LOVE A WALL…
Robert Frost's POEM: Mending Wall.
The true love of a believer is likened to a moth attracted to a burning flame. The moth with all intensity circles closer to the flame until it comes so close to it that it burns itself to death in the flame. Similarly, making tawaf around the Kabaa first from a distance and then desiring to come closer and closer until you touch the Kabaa and that intense feeling wells up tears in your eyes, making you know that your return is to Allah and the instinct desire is to meet Allah in that very condition…..you turn your face and you see the multitude of Muslims of all shades aspiring for the same place and your heart has a change of feeling: 'Why do these people push so much…' 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall' knocks on the heart for the first wall to break down is looking at the ummah as a single body and not as different nations.
22 March 2004 Sheikh Ahmed Yassin wheeled himself for fajr salaah to meet with his Beloved – Allah. After salaah F-16 jets fly overhead to muffle the noise of approaching helicopters as Sheikh Ahmed Yassin keeps to his routine path home when suddenly, missiles from helicopter gunships speed menacingly towards its target – wheelchair-bound 67 year old cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and killing him. The aftermath led to praise from Israel saying that they have taken out the Palestinian Bin Laden whilst the rest of the world looked upon with shock and awe at the lethal dose of WMD on a paraplegic hoping that the smoking gun would be enough evidence to bring Sharon to justice. Nay! It only led to more arrogance and allowed Israel to continue with its plans – continues to build that great wall of divide! 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall' rings in the hearts of people but we keep to old thinking that 'Good fences make good neighbours' and we talk but do nothing to break the walls that separate us from looking at the ummah as a single body but understanding that 'Allah has created us into different tribes so that we may understand each other' (Quran, Al-Hujurat ayat 13).
The mood is joyous as the polls get clogged with voters putting their mark to bring in the next phase of democracy in South Africa on 14 April 2004. It is clear that the majority of people look towards that party that broke down walls of divide and continue to do and generally stare with derision at those parties that talk of breaking down the walls of division in sunny South African yet, cannot take a moral stand on the Wall of Divide in Palestine nor condemn the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Ten years of freedom makes you wonder of what we have achieved and how our world views have changed by this freedom. 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall.. that wants it down' is the ringing words on 14 April 2004 because the whole election is aimed at uniting a nation never to divide it again for the walls of racism and divide created hate! Hate the ingredient to build walls.
The above scenarios is what we talk about and in doing so we get to see how people think and how they react to issues beyond their little world of perfection and comfort zones. In doing so we realise how we as Muslims right here in sunny South Africa divide ourselves with the walls we build in our hearts. The walls of indifference! especially when we found excuses in our mind not to participate in the elections of 2004 and we said that crime was out of control, education is in mess and the likes yet, we live off the fat of land accumulating wealth thinking it will last forever. This is just one example of what we do to keep ourselves happy with what we have and be totally indifferent to what happens beyond our homes, shops, classrooms, kitchens, degrees, diplomas and everything else. The question that remains is how do we answer to 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall… that wants it down'. We would find it difficult because we feel that we are going to lose our comfort zones and we fear people staring at us for our different views especially when we enjoin in good and forbid evil. This is the wall that needs breaking down – fear!
Iraq! becoming the graveyard for allied forces builds the wall of divide between the modern world and terrorists – another word that means Muslim. So we are in this divided world now where we have to understand how our own personal hates limit our potential to see beyond the deception of word play in the media. Therefore, we have to begin by looking at the ummah as a single body. When we do so then we would be able to realise that we are not each others enemies because of the different approaches to hajj, salaah, fasting, zakaah and the likes but it is our common desire to fulfil these pillars of faith regardless from where we come. Therefore, we have to begin here in sunny South Africa by participating in the system of democracy by working with all people and promoting what is aimed at human togetherness and standing up against issues like abortion etc. How would you want others to listen to you when you refused to take part in the building the country to establish things that would help people?
How can you go for Hajj and not take part in all the forms of ibadaah and still want people to listen to you about Hajj? To attain the love of Allah means going beyond the logical appearance of things. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in his condition could well read his fajir salaah in his home, yet his life shows that he went to salaah in that wheelchair and died in it to. He met his Beloved-Allah, in a state of prayer! Yes, been involved in the fight against oppression is an ibdaah (prayer) in itself therefore, look into your life and see how much of it is a prayer beyond the five compulsory prayers. Now when we look at the walls of divisions we have built and the indifferences we have developed about sunny South Africa, Walled Palestine, Burning Iraq, Forgotten Kosovo, Destructed Bosnia, Unknown China, Troubled Kashmir, Hunted Bin Laden Afghanistan and Boiling Burma we realised that we know and feel so little for the ummah because we are comfortable with what we are walling in and with what we are walling out. Is this not true? Just how vibrant is our homes with rich conversation about world issues, politics, education, race relations, books and so much more?
No! our homes are the hotspot generally about fashion, preparation for big weddings, cars, cell phones, parties, movies and the likes so much so that we built a wall of divide between us and them – the have and the have nots. Therefore, the wall in Palestine shallows down to an 'Ag shame so bad' response whilst participation in the country's development brings the cry 'What have they done…' and when asked to do something for others it always brings the hue and cry of 'And what about my rights and my life..' These responses in general reflect the walls we have built to save ourselves from the truth thinking that our life is the life of everyone else. Therefore, we have to become aware of how we think by interacting with more people and see how enjoining in good and forbidding evil can be so much a pleasure than a problem. It is only when we break down our personal walls of divide would we understand the greatness of Islam because Islam preaches submission to the will of Allah.
It is Allah who says that ' We have created you in different tribes and nations so that you may understand each other' nothing is said about dividing. It is about understanding each other that requires breaking the walls of division down – both physical and mental. When we took part in protest marches for a cause we felt strongly about, we met with people of different shades and shared a common experience. The difficulty lies in progressing that experience to greater good by breaking the walls of indifference, hate, division and apartheid mentality to promote a culture of enjoining in good and forbidding evil to recognise Allah as one with no partner. To do this, we have learn to love Allah and know that to Allah is our final return. The factor in the equation is how are we going to meet Allah – with walls of indifference to the ummah when it was bleeding, with walls of hate for fellow humans who Allah created, with walls of materialism as vanguards for our 'future', with walls of insincerity?…. Personally I hope not.
A great scholar of Islam was asked if his last day was today how would he live it. He replied like how I do everyday. When asked how is that he replied that everyday he lives in the remembrance of Allah as how he understood it from the noble life pattern of Nabi Muhammed (S.A.W). This surprised the person as he expected to hear about having to do an act of superior martyrdom to meet with Allah – his Beloved. Similarly, if we were asked the question, we would conjure images of valour and bravery, piety and total submission to Allah and a death in HIS path yet, when we look into our lives realistically, we have so much of walls that divide us from that which we really want – a death in the noble pleasure of Allah.
How did Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and other silent servants of Islam achieve this in this age? The answer lies in how they led their lives. They led it in the service of humanity to please Allah. They led it in enjoining in good and forbidding evil. They were the moths that showed expression of their love of the light by been annihilated by it, similarly these people of iman became so close to Allah that they became absorbed in the light of Allah's greatness that gave their life to unite the ummah and humanity to recognise Allah, the Creator with no partner. To do this they broke down walls that divide us all, walls of self denial, walls of dislike, walls of indifference, walls of conceit, walls of arrogance…perhaps you can include some of your own here ______________, _______________________......
The message therefore is for us to become involved and practical with our Islam to a point where we do not use it to divide. I remember fondly the time a relative of mine, Uncle Yakoob Sujee, who for 13 years gave his life in the service of Islam by living in the 13th Avenue Mosque, Mayfair died in that mosque on a Friday after performing fajr salaah with congregation, and doing all the other nafl ibadaah until sunrise and seeing to the affairs of the foreign jamaats. The death touched the hearts of thousands local and abroad and the question was how. It comes to the simple standard of breaking down walls that divide us to establish the iman of humanity until the day of Qiyamaat. Consider the place you are in and work in that mode. No wall separated Mayfair from Greater Johannesburg and no F-16s fly overhead to muffle an attack on muslims going to the mosque and so the approach to practice Islam and to take it to others is so different and begs the question: 'Why don't we do more to break down the walls of misconception of Islam the people have because of the Western media when we are so free and why didn't I take part in this country's democracy?'
The life we lead is the way we either separate ourselves from greater humanity or divide ourselves from it. Therefore, know that our actions are our greater masters and the more our actions serve to divide the more, we humanity moves away from us and the more our actions brings unity and belief in Allah with no partner, the more humanity loves our existence to a point when we depart from the world, humanity misses us and we feel happy that now we have become united with our Beloved – Allah. Is this not success - when you depart from this world living unity, fighting oppression, spreading Islam and enjoining in good and forbidding evil and breaking down walls that divide?
If you have to depart to met your Beloved-Allah today in the way you live your life how would you? We leave this space for you to fill out.
Remember fill out but don't fall out for there are just so many walls to break down. 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall ..that wants it down.'
Abdullah Sujee
Robert Frost's POEM: Mending Wall.
The true love of a believer is likened to a moth attracted to a burning flame. The moth with all intensity circles closer to the flame until it comes so close to it that it burns itself to death in the flame. Similarly, making tawaf around the Kabaa first from a distance and then desiring to come closer and closer until you touch the Kabaa and that intense feeling wells up tears in your eyes, making you know that your return is to Allah and the instinct desire is to meet Allah in that very condition…..you turn your face and you see the multitude of Muslims of all shades aspiring for the same place and your heart has a change of feeling: 'Why do these people push so much…' 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall' knocks on the heart for the first wall to break down is looking at the ummah as a single body and not as different nations.
22 March 2004 Sheikh Ahmed Yassin wheeled himself for fajr salaah to meet with his Beloved – Allah. After salaah F-16 jets fly overhead to muffle the noise of approaching helicopters as Sheikh Ahmed Yassin keeps to his routine path home when suddenly, missiles from helicopter gunships speed menacingly towards its target – wheelchair-bound 67 year old cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and killing him. The aftermath led to praise from Israel saying that they have taken out the Palestinian Bin Laden whilst the rest of the world looked upon with shock and awe at the lethal dose of WMD on a paraplegic hoping that the smoking gun would be enough evidence to bring Sharon to justice. Nay! It only led to more arrogance and allowed Israel to continue with its plans – continues to build that great wall of divide! 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall' rings in the hearts of people but we keep to old thinking that 'Good fences make good neighbours' and we talk but do nothing to break the walls that separate us from looking at the ummah as a single body but understanding that 'Allah has created us into different tribes so that we may understand each other' (Quran, Al-Hujurat ayat 13).
The mood is joyous as the polls get clogged with voters putting their mark to bring in the next phase of democracy in South Africa on 14 April 2004. It is clear that the majority of people look towards that party that broke down walls of divide and continue to do and generally stare with derision at those parties that talk of breaking down the walls of division in sunny South African yet, cannot take a moral stand on the Wall of Divide in Palestine nor condemn the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Ten years of freedom makes you wonder of what we have achieved and how our world views have changed by this freedom. 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall.. that wants it down' is the ringing words on 14 April 2004 because the whole election is aimed at uniting a nation never to divide it again for the walls of racism and divide created hate! Hate the ingredient to build walls.
The above scenarios is what we talk about and in doing so we get to see how people think and how they react to issues beyond their little world of perfection and comfort zones. In doing so we realise how we as Muslims right here in sunny South Africa divide ourselves with the walls we build in our hearts. The walls of indifference! especially when we found excuses in our mind not to participate in the elections of 2004 and we said that crime was out of control, education is in mess and the likes yet, we live off the fat of land accumulating wealth thinking it will last forever. This is just one example of what we do to keep ourselves happy with what we have and be totally indifferent to what happens beyond our homes, shops, classrooms, kitchens, degrees, diplomas and everything else. The question that remains is how do we answer to 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall… that wants it down'. We would find it difficult because we feel that we are going to lose our comfort zones and we fear people staring at us for our different views especially when we enjoin in good and forbid evil. This is the wall that needs breaking down – fear!
Iraq! becoming the graveyard for allied forces builds the wall of divide between the modern world and terrorists – another word that means Muslim. So we are in this divided world now where we have to understand how our own personal hates limit our potential to see beyond the deception of word play in the media. Therefore, we have to begin by looking at the ummah as a single body. When we do so then we would be able to realise that we are not each others enemies because of the different approaches to hajj, salaah, fasting, zakaah and the likes but it is our common desire to fulfil these pillars of faith regardless from where we come. Therefore, we have to begin here in sunny South Africa by participating in the system of democracy by working with all people and promoting what is aimed at human togetherness and standing up against issues like abortion etc. How would you want others to listen to you when you refused to take part in the building the country to establish things that would help people?
How can you go for Hajj and not take part in all the forms of ibadaah and still want people to listen to you about Hajj? To attain the love of Allah means going beyond the logical appearance of things. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in his condition could well read his fajir salaah in his home, yet his life shows that he went to salaah in that wheelchair and died in it to. He met his Beloved-Allah, in a state of prayer! Yes, been involved in the fight against oppression is an ibdaah (prayer) in itself therefore, look into your life and see how much of it is a prayer beyond the five compulsory prayers. Now when we look at the walls of divisions we have built and the indifferences we have developed about sunny South Africa, Walled Palestine, Burning Iraq, Forgotten Kosovo, Destructed Bosnia, Unknown China, Troubled Kashmir, Hunted Bin Laden Afghanistan and Boiling Burma we realised that we know and feel so little for the ummah because we are comfortable with what we are walling in and with what we are walling out. Is this not true? Just how vibrant is our homes with rich conversation about world issues, politics, education, race relations, books and so much more?
No! our homes are the hotspot generally about fashion, preparation for big weddings, cars, cell phones, parties, movies and the likes so much so that we built a wall of divide between us and them – the have and the have nots. Therefore, the wall in Palestine shallows down to an 'Ag shame so bad' response whilst participation in the country's development brings the cry 'What have they done…' and when asked to do something for others it always brings the hue and cry of 'And what about my rights and my life..' These responses in general reflect the walls we have built to save ourselves from the truth thinking that our life is the life of everyone else. Therefore, we have to become aware of how we think by interacting with more people and see how enjoining in good and forbidding evil can be so much a pleasure than a problem. It is only when we break down our personal walls of divide would we understand the greatness of Islam because Islam preaches submission to the will of Allah.
It is Allah who says that ' We have created you in different tribes and nations so that you may understand each other' nothing is said about dividing. It is about understanding each other that requires breaking the walls of division down – both physical and mental. When we took part in protest marches for a cause we felt strongly about, we met with people of different shades and shared a common experience. The difficulty lies in progressing that experience to greater good by breaking the walls of indifference, hate, division and apartheid mentality to promote a culture of enjoining in good and forbidding evil to recognise Allah as one with no partner. To do this, we have learn to love Allah and know that to Allah is our final return. The factor in the equation is how are we going to meet Allah – with walls of indifference to the ummah when it was bleeding, with walls of hate for fellow humans who Allah created, with walls of materialism as vanguards for our 'future', with walls of insincerity?…. Personally I hope not.
A great scholar of Islam was asked if his last day was today how would he live it. He replied like how I do everyday. When asked how is that he replied that everyday he lives in the remembrance of Allah as how he understood it from the noble life pattern of Nabi Muhammed (S.A.W). This surprised the person as he expected to hear about having to do an act of superior martyrdom to meet with Allah – his Beloved. Similarly, if we were asked the question, we would conjure images of valour and bravery, piety and total submission to Allah and a death in HIS path yet, when we look into our lives realistically, we have so much of walls that divide us from that which we really want – a death in the noble pleasure of Allah.
How did Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and other silent servants of Islam achieve this in this age? The answer lies in how they led their lives. They led it in the service of humanity to please Allah. They led it in enjoining in good and forbidding evil. They were the moths that showed expression of their love of the light by been annihilated by it, similarly these people of iman became so close to Allah that they became absorbed in the light of Allah's greatness that gave their life to unite the ummah and humanity to recognise Allah, the Creator with no partner. To do this they broke down walls that divide us all, walls of self denial, walls of dislike, walls of indifference, walls of conceit, walls of arrogance…perhaps you can include some of your own here ______________, _______________________......
The message therefore is for us to become involved and practical with our Islam to a point where we do not use it to divide. I remember fondly the time a relative of mine, Uncle Yakoob Sujee, who for 13 years gave his life in the service of Islam by living in the 13th Avenue Mosque, Mayfair died in that mosque on a Friday after performing fajr salaah with congregation, and doing all the other nafl ibadaah until sunrise and seeing to the affairs of the foreign jamaats. The death touched the hearts of thousands local and abroad and the question was how. It comes to the simple standard of breaking down walls that divide us to establish the iman of humanity until the day of Qiyamaat. Consider the place you are in and work in that mode. No wall separated Mayfair from Greater Johannesburg and no F-16s fly overhead to muffle an attack on muslims going to the mosque and so the approach to practice Islam and to take it to others is so different and begs the question: 'Why don't we do more to break down the walls of misconception of Islam the people have because of the Western media when we are so free and why didn't I take part in this country's democracy?'
The life we lead is the way we either separate ourselves from greater humanity or divide ourselves from it. Therefore, know that our actions are our greater masters and the more our actions serve to divide the more, we humanity moves away from us and the more our actions brings unity and belief in Allah with no partner, the more humanity loves our existence to a point when we depart from the world, humanity misses us and we feel happy that now we have become united with our Beloved – Allah. Is this not success - when you depart from this world living unity, fighting oppression, spreading Islam and enjoining in good and forbidding evil and breaking down walls that divide?
If you have to depart to met your Beloved-Allah today in the way you live your life how would you? We leave this space for you to fill out.
Remember fill out but don't fall out for there are just so many walls to break down. 'Something there is that does'nt love a wall ..that wants it down.'
Abdullah Sujee
Tsunami – I, you and the Ummah caught in the sun!
Article: Al-Huda Magazine.
Title: Tsunami – I, you and the Ummah caught in the sun!
Happy is he who looks at his own deeds and appoints them as pleaders to his Lord. – Hadrat Idrees (A.S)
When the tsunami whacked the shores of South East Asia it riddled the mind with images that shattered hearts and changed lives forever. The catastrophe is still visible and it is brought to us by the mass media – CII, Radio Islam, CNN, BBC, SABC, eTV, Sunday Times etc and we are all AWARE! Aware of what? That’s the question – ‘To be or not to be’ in the belief of Allah.
Strange as it might sound the facts are shocking. The mass media featured articles, opinions, emails and letters to the editors by people who questioned the actions of a merciful Lord such that, many gave up their belief in Allah. It was the Muslim in all circumstances who believed that this earthquake in the sea that gave birth to the devastating tsunami was actually the plan of Allah to bring people to realisation. Realisation of Allah! Many non-Muslims asked the question: “How can a merciful Lord do this?” Whilst others said: “This is nature’s work and not that of God, so let nature take its course.” The question we should be asking ourselves is: “Why did Allah send this natural disaster?”
In the events that preceded the flood in the time of Nu’h (A.S) (Noah) what was the spiritual condition of people who were once Muslims but turned to disbelief? History bears testimony to the fact that they worshipped idols which they called ‘gods’. They believed that these ‘gods’ would protect them from evil and provide all their needs. In effect they became cruel and immoral. They asked of Nu’h (A.S) to chase his followers away because they were low class for they claimed they were high class. And so did their intransigence grow until the Ark was built. The command of Allah to fill the ark with a pair of every animal and the rightly guided was fulfilled. Then the deluge began. The result – the believers were saved and the disbelievers were drowned. Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? This is a command on nature by Allah to show that Allah has created man and jinn only that we worship HIM. When we stray of the right path or when we are among those HE disfavours then Allah sends forth reminders! Clear reminders of HIS majesty so that we can once again redirect our affairs in HIS remembrance.
The people of Hud (A.S) were destroyed with raging windstorms for eight days and seven nights for their disbelief, their vanity and arrogance of their strength. Only Hud (A.S) and the rightly guided were saved and they migrated to Hadramaut (Yemen). Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? Nay, this is a command of Allah on nature.
The people of Saleh (A.S) – remember how they plotted to kill the unique she camel and Saleh (A.S)? They became evil and arrogant on disbelief and Saleh (A.S) gave them a warning of Allah’s punishment. What did they answer: “Let the punishment come as quick as possible...” They were destroyed by thunderbolts and violent earthquakes. Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? Nay, this is a command of Allah on nature.
The people of Lut (A.S)! Alas! They were warned about their unnatural ways of sexual behaviours and when they did not heed to guidance they were fired with brimstone from the heavens such that not trace of their civilisations exists. Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? Nay, this is a command of Allah on nature.
Mankind insists that homosexuality and lesbianism is ‘natural’ yet they seek the courts of law to grant them a rightful place. Mankind in this immoral pursuit insists that same sex marriages be recognised by the Church and State. Yet, mankind lost sight of what is natural. It is natural to believe in one Supreme Being – Allah and to recognise the order HE has put in nature. Therefore, the tsunami is not devastation in isolation of it being just an ‘act of nature’; nay it is a command of Allah on nature. It is clear that many nation states in South East Asia were the market place of sexual immorality, class consciousness, arrogance in the belief of vain glories and idol worship and many evils comparative to the events of the Prophets (A.S) listed above. Therefore, Allah sent HIS punishment to guide rather then destroy.
Life and death is in divine hands of Allah. As Allah commanded Nu’h (A.S) ‘Leave the mount in peace and blessings. A nation will spring from those with you. There will be other nations to whom We will give enjoyment for a long while, and then finally a painful end will overtake them.’(Al-Quran 40:5-6) indicates that Allah wants people to know that life and death is in HIS hands and the natural disasters is what HE commands when people became wayward. Why do we question Allah’s noble ways so much when disaster strikes but, never question Allah’s bounties? Why do we attempt to justify all the evil we do in garbs of virtue? Why do we gamble and use its ‘profits’ (e.g. LOTTO and the likes) for social welfare and legalise all vice in the name of work? Perhaps we fail to realise that Allah is watching and HE knows what is in our hearts. We want to have our own way with life and in doing so we break all HIS commands and Allah brings forth reminders in the form of devastating natural disasters. Strange it is – the survivors all said ‘Thank GOD we alive!’ and those afar exclaimed – ‘Thank GOD it didn’t happen to us!’
In all of this we know that the tsunami caused the devastation that took the lives of believers and non believers. It is for Allah to divide us in groups of believers and non believers on the Day of Judgment in the condition we left this world. To quote just one example in thousands: the tsunami took the lives of 26 boys and their teacher reciting the Quran at the beachfront – how will they be raised on the Day of Judgment? Yes, they will, inshallah, be raised reciting Allah’s word on that fateful day. We cannot judge Allah’s grandeur with our understanding of things. We have to submit to Allah because mankind is so weak that in inventing the nuclear bomb he still fails to retrieve that which a fly had taken from his bowl of soup! So we have to brace ourselves with hope that Allah wants us to change our ways to please HIM. Leave judgement in HIS court! It is Allah’s work – our work is to establish salaah, enjoin in good and forbid evil and to invite to the oneness of Allah.
Tsunami – I, you and the Ummah caught in the sun! We are caught in web of seeking answers from scientific means (see: http//globalsecurity.org/eye/Andaman-sri-linka.htm) because our iman has come to an ebb. Although we attempt to strengthen our iman and maintain our lifestyles as best as we can according to Islam we are selective in our morality. Therefore, we don’t look at all through the eyes of iman (Faith). The fact that you and I am Muslim, the looking glass should be iman and when this is so we accept the conditions Allah tests our health, wealth and time with conditions that do not please our nafs (desires). It is difficult but, very achievable. The astounding anecdote of a group of widows Sri-Lanka is food for thought.
Prior to the tsunami few women were widowed and were observing their iddat. When the tsunami struck they survived and were rendered homeless. Their concern was how to complete their iddat despite conditions suiting them not observe the iddat they said to the effect: “We have lost everything and we cannot lose the command of Allah also.” In effect, they made the effort to observe their iddat in homes of family and friends. This anecdote was reported by Moulana Shabeer Saloojee of the Al-Imdaad Foundation. Another example recorded the pleas of local Muslims to assist in building the mosque because the local Muslim who lost all said to the effect: “When we look to upkeep the house of Allah, Allah will look after us and would see to our needs.” Amazing – isn’t it?
Happy is he who looks at his own deeds and appoints them as pleaders to his Lord. – Hadrat Idrees (A.S). This is so fitting in the light of the above events because our deeds are our masters. It is what we take to the grave. Therefore, any natural disaster is not a calamity for a Muslim when his/her deeds are in the favour of Allah. The true calamity would be the unfortunate situation when our books of deeds are presented to us by Allah in our left hand or from behind our backs. This would be the greatest calamity. Oh! Allah You save us from such a situation – Ameen.
We should look at the tsunami and the socio-economic consequences now as an indication of how our lives can change forever in a matter of minutes. We should not be caught napping in the sun therefore, let us take practical steps in changing our current lifestyles to please Allah. Here are a few ways:
Ensure that family members do some effort of social work – get in touch with local organisations – the work will astound you.
Visit the sick and make it a habit.
The local tabligh work – if it suits your spiritual condition – get involved.
Have at least one meal together as a family and infuse the discussion of serving others.
Have a simple meal once a week.
Encourage our children to pursue careers that are service orientated e.g. firemen, policemen, nurses etc.
The above proved its worth in Sri-Lanka after the tsunami. When thousands of children were orphaned, the Muslims got them organised so quickly and stopped the intrusion of paedophiles, missionaries with hidden agendas and the likes because they had people in every social, economical and political government department who understood the Islamic ruling to ensure that the Muslims get their way. It saved the day for Muslim orphans not getting adopted into non-Muslim homes or enticed into organisations that thrive on human trafficking for illicit games of lust. In essence, the enjoining in good and forbidding evil for the cause of Islam gives us the edge in the future!
Assuming disaster strikes today in sunny South Africa and – I, you and the Ummah are caught in the sun! – What would our condition be? Alas! We would be on the brink of…..
Assuming disaster strikes today in sunny South Africa and – I, you and the Ummah are striving in the enjoining in good and forbidding evil for the cause of Islam! – What would our condition be? All praise is for Allah – by and large our condition will be one of acceptance and our patience will be the means of guidance to Islam for all of humanity for the pleasure of Allah.
I think we would be better off in the second situation. What do you think? What are you going to do about it?
Title: Tsunami – I, you and the Ummah caught in the sun!
Happy is he who looks at his own deeds and appoints them as pleaders to his Lord. – Hadrat Idrees (A.S)
When the tsunami whacked the shores of South East Asia it riddled the mind with images that shattered hearts and changed lives forever. The catastrophe is still visible and it is brought to us by the mass media – CII, Radio Islam, CNN, BBC, SABC, eTV, Sunday Times etc and we are all AWARE! Aware of what? That’s the question – ‘To be or not to be’ in the belief of Allah.
Strange as it might sound the facts are shocking. The mass media featured articles, opinions, emails and letters to the editors by people who questioned the actions of a merciful Lord such that, many gave up their belief in Allah. It was the Muslim in all circumstances who believed that this earthquake in the sea that gave birth to the devastating tsunami was actually the plan of Allah to bring people to realisation. Realisation of Allah! Many non-Muslims asked the question: “How can a merciful Lord do this?” Whilst others said: “This is nature’s work and not that of God, so let nature take its course.” The question we should be asking ourselves is: “Why did Allah send this natural disaster?”
In the events that preceded the flood in the time of Nu’h (A.S) (Noah) what was the spiritual condition of people who were once Muslims but turned to disbelief? History bears testimony to the fact that they worshipped idols which they called ‘gods’. They believed that these ‘gods’ would protect them from evil and provide all their needs. In effect they became cruel and immoral. They asked of Nu’h (A.S) to chase his followers away because they were low class for they claimed they were high class. And so did their intransigence grow until the Ark was built. The command of Allah to fill the ark with a pair of every animal and the rightly guided was fulfilled. Then the deluge began. The result – the believers were saved and the disbelievers were drowned. Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? This is a command on nature by Allah to show that Allah has created man and jinn only that we worship HIM. When we stray of the right path or when we are among those HE disfavours then Allah sends forth reminders! Clear reminders of HIS majesty so that we can once again redirect our affairs in HIS remembrance.
The people of Hud (A.S) were destroyed with raging windstorms for eight days and seven nights for their disbelief, their vanity and arrogance of their strength. Only Hud (A.S) and the rightly guided were saved and they migrated to Hadramaut (Yemen). Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? Nay, this is a command of Allah on nature.
The people of Saleh (A.S) – remember how they plotted to kill the unique she camel and Saleh (A.S)? They became evil and arrogant on disbelief and Saleh (A.S) gave them a warning of Allah’s punishment. What did they answer: “Let the punishment come as quick as possible...” They were destroyed by thunderbolts and violent earthquakes. Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? Nay, this is a command of Allah on nature.
The people of Lut (A.S)! Alas! They were warned about their unnatural ways of sexual behaviours and when they did not heed to guidance they were fired with brimstone from the heavens such that not trace of their civilisations exists. Can this be an act of nature or a command on nature by the Creator of nature – Allah? Nay, this is a command of Allah on nature.
Mankind insists that homosexuality and lesbianism is ‘natural’ yet they seek the courts of law to grant them a rightful place. Mankind in this immoral pursuit insists that same sex marriages be recognised by the Church and State. Yet, mankind lost sight of what is natural. It is natural to believe in one Supreme Being – Allah and to recognise the order HE has put in nature. Therefore, the tsunami is not devastation in isolation of it being just an ‘act of nature’; nay it is a command of Allah on nature. It is clear that many nation states in South East Asia were the market place of sexual immorality, class consciousness, arrogance in the belief of vain glories and idol worship and many evils comparative to the events of the Prophets (A.S) listed above. Therefore, Allah sent HIS punishment to guide rather then destroy.
Life and death is in divine hands of Allah. As Allah commanded Nu’h (A.S) ‘Leave the mount in peace and blessings. A nation will spring from those with you. There will be other nations to whom We will give enjoyment for a long while, and then finally a painful end will overtake them.’(Al-Quran 40:5-6) indicates that Allah wants people to know that life and death is in HIS hands and the natural disasters is what HE commands when people became wayward. Why do we question Allah’s noble ways so much when disaster strikes but, never question Allah’s bounties? Why do we attempt to justify all the evil we do in garbs of virtue? Why do we gamble and use its ‘profits’ (e.g. LOTTO and the likes) for social welfare and legalise all vice in the name of work? Perhaps we fail to realise that Allah is watching and HE knows what is in our hearts. We want to have our own way with life and in doing so we break all HIS commands and Allah brings forth reminders in the form of devastating natural disasters. Strange it is – the survivors all said ‘Thank GOD we alive!’ and those afar exclaimed – ‘Thank GOD it didn’t happen to us!’
In all of this we know that the tsunami caused the devastation that took the lives of believers and non believers. It is for Allah to divide us in groups of believers and non believers on the Day of Judgment in the condition we left this world. To quote just one example in thousands: the tsunami took the lives of 26 boys and their teacher reciting the Quran at the beachfront – how will they be raised on the Day of Judgment? Yes, they will, inshallah, be raised reciting Allah’s word on that fateful day. We cannot judge Allah’s grandeur with our understanding of things. We have to submit to Allah because mankind is so weak that in inventing the nuclear bomb he still fails to retrieve that which a fly had taken from his bowl of soup! So we have to brace ourselves with hope that Allah wants us to change our ways to please HIM. Leave judgement in HIS court! It is Allah’s work – our work is to establish salaah, enjoin in good and forbid evil and to invite to the oneness of Allah.
Tsunami – I, you and the Ummah caught in the sun! We are caught in web of seeking answers from scientific means (see: http//globalsecurity.org/eye/Andaman-sri-linka.htm) because our iman has come to an ebb. Although we attempt to strengthen our iman and maintain our lifestyles as best as we can according to Islam we are selective in our morality. Therefore, we don’t look at all through the eyes of iman (Faith). The fact that you and I am Muslim, the looking glass should be iman and when this is so we accept the conditions Allah tests our health, wealth and time with conditions that do not please our nafs (desires). It is difficult but, very achievable. The astounding anecdote of a group of widows Sri-Lanka is food for thought.
Prior to the tsunami few women were widowed and were observing their iddat. When the tsunami struck they survived and were rendered homeless. Their concern was how to complete their iddat despite conditions suiting them not observe the iddat they said to the effect: “We have lost everything and we cannot lose the command of Allah also.” In effect, they made the effort to observe their iddat in homes of family and friends. This anecdote was reported by Moulana Shabeer Saloojee of the Al-Imdaad Foundation. Another example recorded the pleas of local Muslims to assist in building the mosque because the local Muslim who lost all said to the effect: “When we look to upkeep the house of Allah, Allah will look after us and would see to our needs.” Amazing – isn’t it?
Happy is he who looks at his own deeds and appoints them as pleaders to his Lord. – Hadrat Idrees (A.S). This is so fitting in the light of the above events because our deeds are our masters. It is what we take to the grave. Therefore, any natural disaster is not a calamity for a Muslim when his/her deeds are in the favour of Allah. The true calamity would be the unfortunate situation when our books of deeds are presented to us by Allah in our left hand or from behind our backs. This would be the greatest calamity. Oh! Allah You save us from such a situation – Ameen.
We should look at the tsunami and the socio-economic consequences now as an indication of how our lives can change forever in a matter of minutes. We should not be caught napping in the sun therefore, let us take practical steps in changing our current lifestyles to please Allah. Here are a few ways:
Ensure that family members do some effort of social work – get in touch with local organisations – the work will astound you.
Visit the sick and make it a habit.
The local tabligh work – if it suits your spiritual condition – get involved.
Have at least one meal together as a family and infuse the discussion of serving others.
Have a simple meal once a week.
Encourage our children to pursue careers that are service orientated e.g. firemen, policemen, nurses etc.
The above proved its worth in Sri-Lanka after the tsunami. When thousands of children were orphaned, the Muslims got them organised so quickly and stopped the intrusion of paedophiles, missionaries with hidden agendas and the likes because they had people in every social, economical and political government department who understood the Islamic ruling to ensure that the Muslims get their way. It saved the day for Muslim orphans not getting adopted into non-Muslim homes or enticed into organisations that thrive on human trafficking for illicit games of lust. In essence, the enjoining in good and forbidding evil for the cause of Islam gives us the edge in the future!
Assuming disaster strikes today in sunny South Africa and – I, you and the Ummah are caught in the sun! – What would our condition be? Alas! We would be on the brink of…..
Assuming disaster strikes today in sunny South Africa and – I, you and the Ummah are striving in the enjoining in good and forbidding evil for the cause of Islam! – What would our condition be? All praise is for Allah – by and large our condition will be one of acceptance and our patience will be the means of guidance to Islam for all of humanity for the pleasure of Allah.
I think we would be better off in the second situation. What do you think? What are you going to do about it?
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The Right to know; if you don’t know.
On which side of the walled fence are you?
Let us begin the discussion with the following headlines, pictures and an interview to incite opinion/interest:
BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. soldiers are building a three-mile wall to protect a Sunni Arab enclave surrounded by Shiite neighbourhoods in a Baghdad area "trapped in a spiral of sectarian violence and retaliation," the military said. (20 April 2007)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/
Wall separating the Towns of Baka at Nazalt
(Palestine)
Palestinian women and children leaving their homes during Nakba. Note the absence of men, most likely they were sent to labour or concentration camps.
The Naqaba – May 1948 – 700 000 Palestinians forced off their land – 2007 they are still refugees.
http://www.palestineremembered.
Let us begin the discussion with the following headlines, pictures and an interview to incite opinion/interest:
BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. soldiers are building a three-mile wall to protect a Sunni Arab enclave surrounded by Shiite neighbourhoods in a Baghdad area "trapped in a spiral of sectarian violence and retaliation," the military said. (20 April 2007)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/
Wall separating the Towns of Baka at Nazalt(Palestine)
Palestinian women and children leaving their homes during Nakba. Note the absence of men, most likely they were sent to labour or concentration camps.The Naqaba – May 1948 – 700 000 Palestinians forced off their land – 2007 they are still refugees.
http://www.palestineremembered.
Survival of the Fittest?
An Interview with Benny Morris
With Ari Shavit (for full interview visit: http://www.logosjournal.com/morris.htm)
Are you a neo-conservative? Do you read the current historical reality in the terms of Samuel Huntington?
I think there is a clash between civilizations here [as Huntington argues]. I think the West today resembles the Roman Empire of the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries: The barbarians are attacking it and they may also destroy it.
The Muslims are barbarians, then?
I think the values I mentioned earlier are values of barbarians—the attitude toward democracy, freedom, openness; the attitude toward human life. In that sense they are barbarians. The Arab world as it is today is barbarian.
And in your view these new barbarians are truly threatening the Rome of our time?
Yes. The West is stronger but it’s not clear whether it knows how to repulse this wave of hatred. The phenomenon of the mass Muslim penetration into the West and their settlement there is creating a dangerous internal threat. A similar process took place in Rome. They let the barbarians in and they toppled the empire from within.
In light of the above you have the right to know, if you don’t know or, you can just pretend all is not true or happening or has happened. The choice is yours. How you view the world and how the view of the world is for you stems from how much of interest you take in what goes on. The above is all Middle-Eastern in character and in choosing it for this article, I know will cause some stirring because the affected are Muslims and the lands of Muslims.
“The Arab world as it is today is barbarian” How does it catch you? Or how does the Naqaba concern you? Or how does the wall in Palestine worry you? Or how does the situation in Iraq rile you? These issues affect us and we are still in limbo as to what we should think because we are still thinking in terms of what the mass media wants us to think. Our right is to know the truth and knowing the truth is not all. We should keep the truth alive so that our glorious Islamic history is maintained and not wiped off the surface of the earth as is what is happening in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine but; somewhat preserved in Timbuktu at the moment.
On which side of the walled fence are you? The point made here is to knock your heart to take a stand and be willing to believe in it. You see, Benny Morris (born in 1948) is an Israeli historian and unofficial leader of the New Historians, a group of scholars who dispute the mainstream historical view of the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Morris) but, he is taking an active stand to view Arabs in certain negative light with the backing of becoming a well known figure in writing history. Are you willing to navigate into tough terrain and take a stand that can put you in opposition of many people? The fact is, the willing are few and the able need the following of the masses.
Think about this fact – many Palestine men who are utterly desperate actually work on the wall/fence in Palestine to earn a living. How desperate have we become? Furthermore, Benny Morris makes the following comment: Remember another thing: the Arab people gained a large slice of the planet. Not thanks to its skills or its great virtues, but because it conquered and murdered and forced those it conquered to convert during many generations. But in the end the Arabs have 22 states. The Jewish people did not have even one state. There was no reason in the world why it should not have one state. Therefore, from my point of view, the need to establish this state in this place overcame the injustice that was done to the Palestinians by uprooting them. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Morris)
The question begs the mind as to our right to know the truth and how to use it. Just how many of us are talking about these issues with our children and making it a point of knowledge for them. The emphasis here is how we, as an ummah, need to pool our resources and challenge the views of people like Benny Morris. When last did you discuss an issue concerning the ummah with your child in such a way that the child conveys his/her view even though it might be opposite to yours? In a conversation with a Muslim youngster in the USA in 2006 on Iraq, he was supportive of Bush and could not comprehend my view. In the ensuing discussion I realised that he understands the world from different angle. The angle been that as a youngster, he has only seen Muslims branded as bad characters and 9/11 adding the cherry on the top therefore, he believes in the Muslim that looks and is appeasing to the status quo that offers from western politicians. Therefore, any one else who is opposed in stronger ways to the western politicians is a fundamentalist. This type of youngster is now everywhere and the question that springs to mind is: “Do we blame them?”
Of course, we don’t want to blame them but, we don’t cherish their views and we want them to revise their views to something like ours i.e. the general Muslim adults. However, what is your view that you can offer to such a youngster? Do you have the knowledge? Have you spent time and energy researching the issues like the ones above or, have you read a book or two on the matter? By and large, NO! Therefore, if we are not going to take the lead by walking the talk then, we are going to be obsolete in our roles as leaders of the youth. To the youth as well, if you think you going to get everything from an adult, think again! You need to start leading by the example of reading, researching and writing. Seek to become professional with finding the truth. It is Allah’s promise that truth will prevail and falsehood will perish. For now, with all the falsehood on Islam and Muslims, Allah is all Knowing but HE wants to see what gusto we have to enjoin in good and forbid the evil.
To illustrate the point: when Bilal (R.A) was tortured and exclaimed that Allah is One, Allah is one he did so to prove his worth to Allah. His is the story that Muslims have a right to know so that they can know which side of the walled fence they are. Now that you know something different and that you see things somewhat differently ask yourself how much you allow for people to continue their oppression on Muslims – be it a psychological oppression, a physical oppression or any other form of oppression.
If you do not talk to your child about the issues facing the Muslim world and the Muslim ummah then, the media is already talking to them and probably making up their minds for them already. That is why we need to start training our flesh and blood – our youth, to be historians, writers, researchers and media specialists because they would be able to present the true Islamic spirit. Then we would not need the likes of Benny Morris to provide some sympathetic historical evidence in favour of Muslims. We need to therefore, take the bull by the horns and provide the world with the right view of Islam and its history. To do this, we need to become accredited by Allah – the accreditation follows on the intention – “Every action is judged by its intention – hadith to the effect, Al-Bukhari, therefore, we need to focus our minds on seeking the truth and then presenting it. In this way what we say will impact on the hearts of people and then the mind will change. Currently, you would know that the events of 9/11 are written in such a way that Muslims are demonized in the textbooks children are learning from. So, where are the Muslim intelligentsia and research class who aught to have provided the ‘other opinion’in textbooks for students?
By now the thinking is clear that you need to focus on issues that surround you. The nagging reality is – taking a broad general view:
Your car is never parked correctly in the masjid’s parking lot yet, you could fist a guy who blocked you in the same non-parking zone.
Your child attends a particular school and you complain about the school like hell.
The potholes in the community drive you mad and all you do is go on about the taxes you pay.
Your child’s teacher had made one remark against your child and you made a tsunami of it.
You had to wait an hour longer in the queue at the Home Affairs Department and you lampooned the country to the dogs.
You did not pay for the traffic offences and you could have killed the cop if you could.
Your teacher marked your assignment and you get less than expected – you were ready to call in the infantry.
And the list can go on…
The point of the above is that: if you are not prepared to DO something proactive and right, as opposed to complain and be reactionary then how are you going to be contributor to your own self growth, the masjid’s development, the school’s development, the community’s development and then to the country’s development? Yes, how, how, how..? We cannot expect change to come if we sit and do nothing because scientifically speaking, nothing comes from nothing! Only Allah has the power to create everything from nothing!
When we look at the Muslim ummah you will be shocked to know the plethora of expertise we have and the dynamism we possess. Therefore, we need to start in small ways. Start an awareness campaign of some sort in your school, masjid and community and then see how it benefits yourself, your immediate circle of friends, community, country and ummah. The issue at hand is the fact that you had the right to know and you chose to do something about it rather than just knowing about something and doing absolutely nothing. Take South Africa as a case in point – if we have so many Loyal South African Pessimests how can this country progress? I know we have a crime problem.
In the whole episode of this article you were jolted from side to side and probably made uncomfortable about what is going on in the ummah but at least you took the time to read – yes! You took the time to read about it. Now you have the right to know just how much of self worth you have with all the things you believe in i.e. do you actually do something about it or does it remain a figment of your imagination? You know best and knowing now has been the right to know. Decide now on which side of the walled fence you are: Those who choose to know and do; or those who choose to know and never to do! Ask not what Islam can do for you; ask what Islam can do for you. Ask not what my rights are; ask what my responsibilities are. Ask not what my right to know is; ask what is it that is right that I should know.
Finally, are you going to read the Benny Morris interview in full by visiting the website or are you going to talk to someone about the wall in Iraq, the wall in Palestine or maybe, do some research on the Naqaba? If not, perhaps you have wasted time reading because with the revelation of the word READ came the action of knowing and doing. To be or not to be was the question now; to do or not to do; is the question. It’s the question you have the right to know. In the end know the words of a wise man who said to me: there is no right way to do something wrong and; there is no wrong way to do something right.
For all previous articles visit Abdullah Sujee’s blogspot: http://rendezvousofminds.blogspot.com/index.html
Right Of Dignity VS Freedom Of Speech
Al-Huda
March 2006
Article by Abdullah Sujee
Title: RIGHT OF DIGNITY VERSUS FREEDOM OF SPEECH….
The Muslim today needs to read the sirah/history of Muhammad (S.A.W) to effectively realise that the noble Messenger was and is. This would enable the Muslim to know that he/she has a glorious example to follow yet, has demeaned that example in many ways save to say that those who emulate his (S.A.W)’s example are branded as terrorist, fundamentalist or radical Islamist. Therefore, we need to introspect on ourselves in relation to Muhammad (S.A.W) asking how the right of dignity overweighs freedom of expression when we want to say what we want of him (S.A.W).
The cartoons that depicted Muhammad (S.A.W) in the above branded categories by the Danish cartoonist, reflects the distortion of human rights. This distortion makes one aware of the double standards applied on a universal platform such that cartoons that were drawn of Nabi Isa (A.S.), Jesus, were not printed for fear that it would inflame the Christian world. This shows that we need to apply our MAN-MADE-LAWS with more precision and fairness such that we qualify ourselves to be above the instinctive behaviour of animals. Therefore, let us indulge in what a non-Muslim says about Muhammad (S.A.W):
Michael H.Hart in his book titled: The 100 of the Most Influential Persons in History, said:
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most
influential persons may surprise some readers and may be
questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who
was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated
one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely
effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.
The question that begs the mind now is: “How can another non-Muslim recognise Muhammad (S.A.W) so greatly?” The answer is not with you and me but, with the representation of Islam and Muslims in the media, the way we as Muslims represent ourselves and the way people view us. In all of this, on a general platform, people have taken the liberty of using their freedom of expression against the right of dignity, to brand, demean or just insult Muslims.
How often have you heard or read about a Muslim terrorist, a Muslim Fundamentalist so on and so forth but never of a Christian terrorist, a Jewish radical, radical Judaism, radical Hinduism so on and so forth? The answer – Never! This labelling process through the strategic use of sensationalisms, dramatisations, innuendos, irony, satire and sarcasm in the media has established a stereotypical view of who and what represents a Muslim that the non-Muslim must dislike or hate as opposed to those Muslims they should ‘like’. The cartoons, from all that I have read about it, have reinforced the above labelling process such that it ignited the anger of Muslims and a great number of non-Muslims as well.
The anger we speak about vented out in mass marches, killings, sectarian violence in Nigeria, impasse of agreements in Palestine, death threats from Al-Qaeda and so much more unsavoury incidents that leave a lot to be desired. In all of this, the Muslim reaction in general made us fit the established mindset that we are reactionary, terrorists and fundamentalists yet, we are not. The South African response was very proactive and it engaged the media on their own terms using the constitution as a benchmark thus, setting a side all potential incidents of violent protests. In effect, Judge Muhammad’s decision was swift yet very logical – the right of dignity overweighs freedom of expressions focuses this article’s content.
In essence the right of dignity means that a person’s Allah given right to exist and to be respected has to govern our social interactions which in fact allow us to co-exist as different people. Allah shows us in the Holy Quran that HE has created us into different nations so that we understand each other (Surah 49:13) emphasising the very fact that every human is a dignified creation of Allah and has to be respected. When we choose to vilify a human’s dignity we automatically disrespect his/her belief system which gave him/her the will to want to live. In effect, in doing this, we shatter the human’s circle of companionship and camaraderie such that they would want to defend themselves from abuse. This is exactly what happened.
When Muhammad (S.A.W) was vilified, it automatically showed disrespect to Islam which is our belief system that shapes our faith in Allah – the only Being worthy of worship and is the reason why we do good deeds i.e. only to please Allah. Then when Islam was disrespected as a result of the cartoons, the Muslims’ role models, the Sahaba (R.A) were indirectly vilified thus shattering the nobility of their righteous actions in light of how we as Muslims are perceived by non-Muslims in general. In effect, we chose to defend ourselves in the way that we did so that we could restore the original dignity to Muhammad (S.A.W).
In all of the above, we see the cartoonist and the media as the antagonists and yes, in this case they are. However, have we not looked into our daily lives and found the many examples of we vilify Muhammad (S.A.W). To illustrate the point consider these real and true incidents in the years 2005/6:
On one hot day, a Muslim youngster walked into the masjid with a printed T-Shirt emblazoning a skull and some satanic image – how did this vilify the example of the prayer of Muhammad (S.A.W)?
On one happy day, the groom walked into the masjid for his nikah wearing a striking red kurta with white buttons – how did this vilify the example of the dressing of Muhammad (S.A.W.)?
On one rushed day, a Muslim man parked his car in the masjid’s parking area obstructing and inconveniencing so many people by coming out very late – how did this vilify Muhammad (S.A.W)’s example of common courtesy shown and practised to non-Muslims as well.
On one sunny day a girl Muslim walks out of the house wearing something so scant that a non-Muslim father and daughter comment “Couldn’t she wear anything at all?” – How did this vilify the example of modesty Muhammad (S.A.W)?
The examples can multiply but, we choose not to illustrate more save to say that:
We need to dignify Muhammad (S.A.W) by way of our freedom of expression allowed to us by Allah and then by how the constitution has given us latitude to express it! The nagging reality is – we have found reason not to identify with Muhammad (S.A.W) in our daily lives but with the stars of Hollywood and Bollywood. In effect, we only realise just how foolish we are, when our own very stars in the ‘woods’ vilify Muhammad (S.A.W). Therefore, we ‘rage against the dying of the light’ seeking to engage the world with ‘sound and fury’ but really, it ‘signifies nothing’ because; we will fizzle out into the screening of the next blockbuster on our plasmas.
On the other hand, the picture is not bleak at all. In the wake of all of this, there arose a kind of youth and a people from amongst the ummah who became more resolute in their obedience to Allah and HIS Messenger (S.A.W) such that they began to change their lives. These are too glorious to pen down save to say that they have reaffirmed with Allah that Muhammad (S.A.W) is the last and final Messenger and that they will aspire to live his lifestyle. This is something the media struggles to change and alter because the change so deep and sincere that death on his (s.a.w)’s example is preferred over life. This shows how freedom of expression is dignified.
So when you reflect on Michael Hart’s statement know that Muhammad (S.A.W)’s character is divinely protected because Michael is a non-Muslim and Allah made him see the light. The cartoonist on the other hand, is that person who Allah showed HIS wrath too because he isn’t living a peaceful life because of his own unsound actions. Therefore, we need to understand that, like the Quran is the sacred property of Allah to protect, Muhammad (S.A.W) who was and is the embodiment of the Quran is also divinely protected. In effect, our rightful, yet obtuse reaction in some instances were, in opinion, not really sound, needs to be emboldened by reading, understanding and practising the life pattern of Muhammad (S.A.W). Then, wouldn’t we be also protected? I think we would. The example is shown in the Sahaba (R.A) in that they emulated the example of Muhammad (S.A.W) and Allah then said about them in the Quraan “I am pleased with them and they are please with ME.”
In conclusion read this extract from Abdullah b.Abdul Muhsin at-Turki’s biography of Muhammad (S.A.W):
But I thought that the Messenger of Allah (~) would organize our
affairs (until) he was the last of us (alive). Allah has left His Book with you, that by which He guided His Messenger. If you hold fast to that, Allah will guide you as He guided him. Allah has placed
your affairs in the hands of the best one among you, the Compan-
ion of the Messenger of Allah (~), (whom Allah describes in the
Qur’an) “The second of the two when they were in the cave”, so
arise and swear allegiance to him.’ Thereupon the people swore al-
legiance to Abu Bakr as one body after the pledge in the hall.
Abu Bakr said after praising Allah, ‘I have been given author-
ity over you, but I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me,
and if I do ill, then straighten me up. Truth is a trust and false-
hood in treachery. The weak among you shall be strong in my eyes
until I secure his right, if Allah wills; and the strong among you
shall be weak in my eyes until I wrest the right from him. If a peo-
ple refrain from fighting in the way of Allah, Allah will disgrace
them. Whenever obscenity prevails among a people, Allah inflicts
upon them common affliction. Obey me as long as I obey Allah
and His Messenger (~), and if I disobey Allah and His Mes-
senger, you owe me no obedience. Stand up and perform prayer.
May Allah have mercy on you.’
The Burial of the Messenger of Allah (~)
When allegiance was sworn to Abu Bakr, men came to prepare
the Messenger of Allah (~) for burial on Tuesday. Abdullah b.
Abu Bakr and Husain b. AbduHah al-Fadi and Qutham, and Usa-
mah b. Zayd, and Shuqran freedman of the Messenger of Allah
(~)washed him. Ali pulled him on to his breast and Abbas and al-
Fadl and Qutham turned him over along with him. Usamah and
Shuqran poured water on him. They kept his shirt on while All
rubbed his body over the shirt without touching the Messenger’s
skin with his hand while saying, ‘I ransom you with my father and
my mother, how pure you are alive and dead!’ No part of the Mes-
senger’s body that is usually exposed when washing an ordinary
corpse was seen. (Abridgement of Sirat Ibn Hisham. The Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), page 307.by Abdullah b.Abdul Muhsin at-Turki
How does this touch you? If it shows you the true nature of the men around the Messenger (S.A.W) don’t you think you should get familiar with him (S.A.W)? Start today by reading about Muhammad (S.A.W). After all the command “READ” was the first published word from Allah to mankind.
If you are not reading, in opinion, you are vilifying the profound intellectual capacity of Muhammad (S.A.W).
“Read in the name of your Lord…” – Al –Quran.
Suggested Reading on Nabi Muhammad (S.A.W.)
Sirat Ibn Hisham. The Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) by Abdullah b.Abdul Muhsin at-Turki
Muhammad. A Mercy to all the Nations byAl-Hajj Qassim Ali Jairazbhoy.
Muhammad his Life based on the Earliest sources by Martin Lings.
Men Around the Messenger by Khalid Muhammed Khalid. (This book will make you realise the impact Muhammad (S.A.W) had on people that became those that Allah was and is pleased with.
March 2006
Article by Abdullah Sujee
Title: RIGHT OF DIGNITY VERSUS FREEDOM OF SPEECH….
The Muslim today needs to read the sirah/history of Muhammad (S.A.W) to effectively realise that the noble Messenger was and is. This would enable the Muslim to know that he/she has a glorious example to follow yet, has demeaned that example in many ways save to say that those who emulate his (S.A.W)’s example are branded as terrorist, fundamentalist or radical Islamist. Therefore, we need to introspect on ourselves in relation to Muhammad (S.A.W) asking how the right of dignity overweighs freedom of expression when we want to say what we want of him (S.A.W).
The cartoons that depicted Muhammad (S.A.W) in the above branded categories by the Danish cartoonist, reflects the distortion of human rights. This distortion makes one aware of the double standards applied on a universal platform such that cartoons that were drawn of Nabi Isa (A.S.), Jesus, were not printed for fear that it would inflame the Christian world. This shows that we need to apply our MAN-MADE-LAWS with more precision and fairness such that we qualify ourselves to be above the instinctive behaviour of animals. Therefore, let us indulge in what a non-Muslim says about Muhammad (S.A.W):
Michael H.Hart in his book titled: The 100 of the Most Influential Persons in History, said:
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most
influential persons may surprise some readers and may be
questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who
was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated
one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely
effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.
The question that begs the mind now is: “How can another non-Muslim recognise Muhammad (S.A.W) so greatly?” The answer is not with you and me but, with the representation of Islam and Muslims in the media, the way we as Muslims represent ourselves and the way people view us. In all of this, on a general platform, people have taken the liberty of using their freedom of expression against the right of dignity, to brand, demean or just insult Muslims.
How often have you heard or read about a Muslim terrorist, a Muslim Fundamentalist so on and so forth but never of a Christian terrorist, a Jewish radical, radical Judaism, radical Hinduism so on and so forth? The answer – Never! This labelling process through the strategic use of sensationalisms, dramatisations, innuendos, irony, satire and sarcasm in the media has established a stereotypical view of who and what represents a Muslim that the non-Muslim must dislike or hate as opposed to those Muslims they should ‘like’. The cartoons, from all that I have read about it, have reinforced the above labelling process such that it ignited the anger of Muslims and a great number of non-Muslims as well.
The anger we speak about vented out in mass marches, killings, sectarian violence in Nigeria, impasse of agreements in Palestine, death threats from Al-Qaeda and so much more unsavoury incidents that leave a lot to be desired. In all of this, the Muslim reaction in general made us fit the established mindset that we are reactionary, terrorists and fundamentalists yet, we are not. The South African response was very proactive and it engaged the media on their own terms using the constitution as a benchmark thus, setting a side all potential incidents of violent protests. In effect, Judge Muhammad’s decision was swift yet very logical – the right of dignity overweighs freedom of expressions focuses this article’s content.
In essence the right of dignity means that a person’s Allah given right to exist and to be respected has to govern our social interactions which in fact allow us to co-exist as different people. Allah shows us in the Holy Quran that HE has created us into different nations so that we understand each other (Surah 49:13) emphasising the very fact that every human is a dignified creation of Allah and has to be respected. When we choose to vilify a human’s dignity we automatically disrespect his/her belief system which gave him/her the will to want to live. In effect, in doing this, we shatter the human’s circle of companionship and camaraderie such that they would want to defend themselves from abuse. This is exactly what happened.
When Muhammad (S.A.W) was vilified, it automatically showed disrespect to Islam which is our belief system that shapes our faith in Allah – the only Being worthy of worship and is the reason why we do good deeds i.e. only to please Allah. Then when Islam was disrespected as a result of the cartoons, the Muslims’ role models, the Sahaba (R.A) were indirectly vilified thus shattering the nobility of their righteous actions in light of how we as Muslims are perceived by non-Muslims in general. In effect, we chose to defend ourselves in the way that we did so that we could restore the original dignity to Muhammad (S.A.W).
In all of the above, we see the cartoonist and the media as the antagonists and yes, in this case they are. However, have we not looked into our daily lives and found the many examples of we vilify Muhammad (S.A.W). To illustrate the point consider these real and true incidents in the years 2005/6:
On one hot day, a Muslim youngster walked into the masjid with a printed T-Shirt emblazoning a skull and some satanic image – how did this vilify the example of the prayer of Muhammad (S.A.W)?
On one happy day, the groom walked into the masjid for his nikah wearing a striking red kurta with white buttons – how did this vilify the example of the dressing of Muhammad (S.A.W.)?
On one rushed day, a Muslim man parked his car in the masjid’s parking area obstructing and inconveniencing so many people by coming out very late – how did this vilify Muhammad (S.A.W)’s example of common courtesy shown and practised to non-Muslims as well.
On one sunny day a girl Muslim walks out of the house wearing something so scant that a non-Muslim father and daughter comment “Couldn’t she wear anything at all?” – How did this vilify the example of modesty Muhammad (S.A.W)?
The examples can multiply but, we choose not to illustrate more save to say that:
We need to dignify Muhammad (S.A.W) by way of our freedom of expression allowed to us by Allah and then by how the constitution has given us latitude to express it! The nagging reality is – we have found reason not to identify with Muhammad (S.A.W) in our daily lives but with the stars of Hollywood and Bollywood. In effect, we only realise just how foolish we are, when our own very stars in the ‘woods’ vilify Muhammad (S.A.W). Therefore, we ‘rage against the dying of the light’ seeking to engage the world with ‘sound and fury’ but really, it ‘signifies nothing’ because; we will fizzle out into the screening of the next blockbuster on our plasmas.
On the other hand, the picture is not bleak at all. In the wake of all of this, there arose a kind of youth and a people from amongst the ummah who became more resolute in their obedience to Allah and HIS Messenger (S.A.W) such that they began to change their lives. These are too glorious to pen down save to say that they have reaffirmed with Allah that Muhammad (S.A.W) is the last and final Messenger and that they will aspire to live his lifestyle. This is something the media struggles to change and alter because the change so deep and sincere that death on his (s.a.w)’s example is preferred over life. This shows how freedom of expression is dignified.
So when you reflect on Michael Hart’s statement know that Muhammad (S.A.W)’s character is divinely protected because Michael is a non-Muslim and Allah made him see the light. The cartoonist on the other hand, is that person who Allah showed HIS wrath too because he isn’t living a peaceful life because of his own unsound actions. Therefore, we need to understand that, like the Quran is the sacred property of Allah to protect, Muhammad (S.A.W) who was and is the embodiment of the Quran is also divinely protected. In effect, our rightful, yet obtuse reaction in some instances were, in opinion, not really sound, needs to be emboldened by reading, understanding and practising the life pattern of Muhammad (S.A.W). Then, wouldn’t we be also protected? I think we would. The example is shown in the Sahaba (R.A) in that they emulated the example of Muhammad (S.A.W) and Allah then said about them in the Quraan “I am pleased with them and they are please with ME.”
In conclusion read this extract from Abdullah b.Abdul Muhsin at-Turki’s biography of Muhammad (S.A.W):
But I thought that the Messenger of Allah (~) would organize our
affairs (until) he was the last of us (alive). Allah has left His Book with you, that by which He guided His Messenger. If you hold fast to that, Allah will guide you as He guided him. Allah has placed
your affairs in the hands of the best one among you, the Compan-
ion of the Messenger of Allah (~), (whom Allah describes in the
Qur’an) “The second of the two when they were in the cave”, so
arise and swear allegiance to him.’ Thereupon the people swore al-
legiance to Abu Bakr as one body after the pledge in the hall.
Abu Bakr said after praising Allah, ‘I have been given author-
ity over you, but I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me,
and if I do ill, then straighten me up. Truth is a trust and false-
hood in treachery. The weak among you shall be strong in my eyes
until I secure his right, if Allah wills; and the strong among you
shall be weak in my eyes until I wrest the right from him. If a peo-
ple refrain from fighting in the way of Allah, Allah will disgrace
them. Whenever obscenity prevails among a people, Allah inflicts
upon them common affliction. Obey me as long as I obey Allah
and His Messenger (~), and if I disobey Allah and His Mes-
senger, you owe me no obedience. Stand up and perform prayer.
May Allah have mercy on you.’
The Burial of the Messenger of Allah (~)
When allegiance was sworn to Abu Bakr, men came to prepare
the Messenger of Allah (~) for burial on Tuesday. Abdullah b.
Abu Bakr and Husain b. AbduHah al-Fadi and Qutham, and Usa-
mah b. Zayd, and Shuqran freedman of the Messenger of Allah
(~)washed him. Ali pulled him on to his breast and Abbas and al-
Fadl and Qutham turned him over along with him. Usamah and
Shuqran poured water on him. They kept his shirt on while All
rubbed his body over the shirt without touching the Messenger’s
skin with his hand while saying, ‘I ransom you with my father and
my mother, how pure you are alive and dead!’ No part of the Mes-
senger’s body that is usually exposed when washing an ordinary
corpse was seen. (Abridgement of Sirat Ibn Hisham. The Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), page 307.by Abdullah b.Abdul Muhsin at-Turki
How does this touch you? If it shows you the true nature of the men around the Messenger (S.A.W) don’t you think you should get familiar with him (S.A.W)? Start today by reading about Muhammad (S.A.W). After all the command “READ” was the first published word from Allah to mankind.
If you are not reading, in opinion, you are vilifying the profound intellectual capacity of Muhammad (S.A.W).
“Read in the name of your Lord…” – Al –Quran.
Suggested Reading on Nabi Muhammad (S.A.W.)
Sirat Ibn Hisham. The Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) by Abdullah b.Abdul Muhsin at-Turki
Muhammad. A Mercy to all the Nations byAl-Hajj Qassim Ali Jairazbhoy.
Muhammad his Life based on the Earliest sources by Martin Lings.
Men Around the Messenger by Khalid Muhammed Khalid. (This book will make you realise the impact Muhammad (S.A.W) had on people that became those that Allah was and is pleased with.
History Is The Forgotten Subject
July 2006 Issue: Alhuda
Written by Abdullah Sujee
History is the forgotten subject.
You cannot give that which you don’t have and you cannot have if you don’t want!
To startle the mind I have listed some historical accounts in a condensed version from Mahmood Mamdani’s, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim. The impact might provoke two kinds of responses. In fact you would have the knee jerk reaction saying, “I did not know this and these people were really bad characters…” or you would respond saying, “Now what can I learn from this history because I see through current history that violence is a means to an end and it is all that these powers have to give. They really want a piece of Arab land so; if they didn’t want global power they would not behave like this…” Therefore, it is going to be your own moral conscience that is going to drive you to research deeper into the following historical events.
# 1
The year 1492 marks the unification of Spain and it began with the act of ethnic cleansing first of the Jews and then in 1499 through the Edict of Expulsion the Muslims were given the choice to convert or leave.
# 2
The year 1804 in Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland, it people were massacred by the Europeans. The last original native Tasmanian died in 1869!
# 3
The first recorded genocide in modern history is the near annihilation of the Native Americans!
# 4
The first bomb ever dropped from an airplane was Italian in November 1, 1911 outside Tripoli in North Africa.
# 5
The First systemic aerial bombing – by the British on Somalia in 1920!
# 6
***The gassings of Russians by Germans preceded the gassings at Auschwitz – the first mass gassings were of Russian prisoners of war in southern Ukraine.
# 7
The first genocide of the 20th Century was the German annihilation of the Herero people of South West Africa in 1904.
# 8
“Fundamentalism” is, in fact, a term invented in 1920s Protestant circles in the United States…Just like conservatism was a political response to the French Revolution and not a throwback to pre-modern times, fundamentalism, too, was reaction within religion to its changing political circumstances. There is a difference between Christian fundamentalism, which emerged in the 1920s in America, and political Christianity, a phenomenon that arose in America after the Second World War.
#9 My own account – the holocaust of the Jews. The Muslims had nothing to do with it, yet we are called terrorists and Hitler practised the kind of oppression we see in Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other places by people who have close ties with Christianity but, we have not labelled Christians as terrorists and fundamentalists.
These 9 very brief historical accounts serves to show how much or how little we know and how to respond therefore, can you imagine the mind of that child who, at the most crucial age of his life is not taught history? The child is a moron of a present sensate culture geared to make him believe that all that you ever need is a branded item and all that you will give is opportunity to buy and spend more. This hyperbole might even be a shocking fact because in reality many teenagers, young adults and older people don’t have freaking clue of what has happened in South Africa, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the last few months. This attitude stems from the fact that history played or plays no significant part in the child’s scholastic history. Therefore, what has the child got to give? He has really a capitalistic mind geared and supply and demand of attaining material goodies and lifestyle luxuries.
Here are two real scenarios:
Scenario 1:
17 July 2006 – schools reopened for the third term. In the assembly in the school the youngsters were questioned of the following: 1) the world cup and the all of them were really head over heels to say something…2) When they were questioned about Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, only a handful could answer knowledgeably on the matter…3) When they were questioned about the tsunami in Indonesia there were less than a handful who knew and so it proved with various other contextual issues. This begged the question, “WHY?” The answer that came to mind after much thought was: These pupils have no connection to real events because they don’t see how events occur as a result of people in power doing things that affect us. This reality occurs because pupils in general don’t know history of time and place to want to know how events affect their lives.
Scenario 2:
At a university a while back – the students got into a discussion on the creation of Pakistan. The students of history brought so many issues to the fore that was not known to the audience. Consequently, it led to people talking about the current situation of the ummah in relation to that partition of India and it made general sense that history is important to know your future.
Now let us focus on the historical input # 8. Assuming this lesson on American history was taught to our pupils in Muslim schools as a case in point and in all schools. The word would not have the connotation it has today. In fact pupils would have been able to make that connection and people in general would have different view on what ‘fundamentalism’ is. The point made here is that history as a subject if taught without propaganda would make people more aware of the world they live in. However, the danger of distorted history needs to be put into perspective as well.
For a moment ponder on current history textbooks in the United States and elsewhere in the G8 nation states. How do you think their history books reflect 9/11 and the July 7 bombings, the Iraq invasions etc? The textbooks would in many ways show Muslims as the terrorists, and radical Islam been a religion that advocates violence and ‘moderate Islam’ as the only option for peace. This shows how history is distorted but used to promote a particular mindset to maintain the status quo. Therefore, history cannot be seen through the eyes of school textbooks only but, through the archives of the big past history that governs how the present history unfolds.
Al-Imam al-Waqidi in his momentous book, ‘The Islamic Conquest of Syria’ mentions that: “Muslims are generally ignorant of their history, thus developing an inferiority complex towards the West.” From this we see that Muslims have not taken the study of History seriously and therefore, our schools have come to celebrate the other subjects overbearingly thus, making a subject like history a non-entity. The consequences are for all to see. Generally, Muslim students are caught up in a wave of a greater fictitious world which they have made their reality. I have seen schools where history was made an important subject and taught with vigour, the students made an impact on the social-political ethos of the school and were prepared to do something for the school when they left it. You will find in schools where history is not taught at all, the students have no real link to the history of their school, they have no real tradition in their schools, they have no desire to promote their school as an institution of greatness nor, will they take an initiative to commemorate their school’s 10 year existence so on an so forth. Furthermore, it is a tremendous task to motivate the teachers, the pupils, the SGB, BOG to commemorate the country’s important days as well as the school’s important dates. This eventually leads to an indifferent attitude to issues locally and globally. Work locally, think globally – ever thought how it came into being?
You might look at the above as a simplistic argument to promote the teaching of history but, think about it. We have maintained the five pillars of Islam because we made the history behind it real and every Muslim can talk about it with confidence and vigour. Is it not possible then to talk of other events in history that will lend significance to our lives so that we do not become overdosed with an inferiority complex? The answer is YES. Yes, we can if we begin to make the teaching of history important and paramount in schools and become selective with who teaches History as how we are about whom teaches Math and Science. This selective importance we give to History will save the generations to come from being colonised again. The teaching of History is the one of the most important weapon we have to ‘DECOLONISE’ the mind and to realise that there is an explanation to events from an angle of facts and drawing lessons from those events. Therefore, the approach of teaching history should be more on the lessons rather than regurgitating facts upon facts.
It is clear now that you can only give that which you have especially when you are dealing with people. History gives a perspective of uniqueness and grandeur and if you don’t have that in your past you will not be able to give off that uniqueness and grandeur. If you don’t know your past then the danger is, you will be caught in the web of taking what others give you of your own supposed uniqueness and grandeur and how they will tell you it was borrowed or learnt from others. Do you get the picture? The less you know of your own history, the more you will believe what others tell you about yourself! This is where we are today. We are caught in the glorious past of selective understanding of Islamic history and we have become story tellers.
Story tellers have a very, very limited view but, the researcher is the person who does not tell you the depth of the ocean by judging the depth from the beachfront where his toes are dipped into the water. He will make you swim in the torrents of the tide and bring you to your wits end because he wants you to face reality and know that you have a chance to rewrite history. This is what we are afraid of. We are afraid to face the lessons of our history because it will bring us to our wits end to know that we have so much to give. Muslims have come to give and not to take! If we take our history seriously then, we will take the bull by the horns and begin to redefine the ‘Bull run’. This can happen when we begin to make history a dominant part of our studies.
Muslim students today are not keen to study History, languages, the Arts and other such careers because we have not seen the history it will reap for the generations to come. Therefore, we can at this point give our children the only dream of material attainment because it’s all that we have to give. Look into the holy Quran and identify the many historical anecdotes Allah uses to make us aware of what has happened and what will happen based on the past. How much of this history has come to us from the ulema when they address us and how much have we studied this at tertiary level to make an impact on the minds of people?
History is the forgotten subject. You cannot give that which you don’t have and you cannot have if you don’t want! In conclusion you need to begin reading history and establish a library in your home as how you established the television room. You will see the difference when you pick up a book to read and when you child asks you about it, you can reply: “I am reading a book about The Islamic Conquest of Syria and it says here that the Muslims…” Can you imagine what will happen to that child’s mind that just leapt off the coach in front of the plasma that showed Muslims to be defeated and downtrodden? Make history today and start that library at home but, read as well.
Written by Abdullah Sujee
History is the forgotten subject.
You cannot give that which you don’t have and you cannot have if you don’t want!
To startle the mind I have listed some historical accounts in a condensed version from Mahmood Mamdani’s, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim. The impact might provoke two kinds of responses. In fact you would have the knee jerk reaction saying, “I did not know this and these people were really bad characters…” or you would respond saying, “Now what can I learn from this history because I see through current history that violence is a means to an end and it is all that these powers have to give. They really want a piece of Arab land so; if they didn’t want global power they would not behave like this…” Therefore, it is going to be your own moral conscience that is going to drive you to research deeper into the following historical events.
# 1
The year 1492 marks the unification of Spain and it began with the act of ethnic cleansing first of the Jews and then in 1499 through the Edict of Expulsion the Muslims were given the choice to convert or leave.
# 2
The year 1804 in Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland, it people were massacred by the Europeans. The last original native Tasmanian died in 1869!
# 3
The first recorded genocide in modern history is the near annihilation of the Native Americans!
# 4
The first bomb ever dropped from an airplane was Italian in November 1, 1911 outside Tripoli in North Africa.
# 5
The First systemic aerial bombing – by the British on Somalia in 1920!
# 6
***The gassings of Russians by Germans preceded the gassings at Auschwitz – the first mass gassings were of Russian prisoners of war in southern Ukraine.
# 7
The first genocide of the 20th Century was the German annihilation of the Herero people of South West Africa in 1904.
# 8
“Fundamentalism” is, in fact, a term invented in 1920s Protestant circles in the United States…Just like conservatism was a political response to the French Revolution and not a throwback to pre-modern times, fundamentalism, too, was reaction within religion to its changing political circumstances. There is a difference between Christian fundamentalism, which emerged in the 1920s in America, and political Christianity, a phenomenon that arose in America after the Second World War.
#9 My own account – the holocaust of the Jews. The Muslims had nothing to do with it, yet we are called terrorists and Hitler practised the kind of oppression we see in Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other places by people who have close ties with Christianity but, we have not labelled Christians as terrorists and fundamentalists.
These 9 very brief historical accounts serves to show how much or how little we know and how to respond therefore, can you imagine the mind of that child who, at the most crucial age of his life is not taught history? The child is a moron of a present sensate culture geared to make him believe that all that you ever need is a branded item and all that you will give is opportunity to buy and spend more. This hyperbole might even be a shocking fact because in reality many teenagers, young adults and older people don’t have freaking clue of what has happened in South Africa, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the last few months. This attitude stems from the fact that history played or plays no significant part in the child’s scholastic history. Therefore, what has the child got to give? He has really a capitalistic mind geared and supply and demand of attaining material goodies and lifestyle luxuries.
Here are two real scenarios:
Scenario 1:
17 July 2006 – schools reopened for the third term. In the assembly in the school the youngsters were questioned of the following: 1) the world cup and the all of them were really head over heels to say something…2) When they were questioned about Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, only a handful could answer knowledgeably on the matter…3) When they were questioned about the tsunami in Indonesia there were less than a handful who knew and so it proved with various other contextual issues. This begged the question, “WHY?” The answer that came to mind after much thought was: These pupils have no connection to real events because they don’t see how events occur as a result of people in power doing things that affect us. This reality occurs because pupils in general don’t know history of time and place to want to know how events affect their lives.
Scenario 2:
At a university a while back – the students got into a discussion on the creation of Pakistan. The students of history brought so many issues to the fore that was not known to the audience. Consequently, it led to people talking about the current situation of the ummah in relation to that partition of India and it made general sense that history is important to know your future.
Now let us focus on the historical input # 8. Assuming this lesson on American history was taught to our pupils in Muslim schools as a case in point and in all schools. The word would not have the connotation it has today. In fact pupils would have been able to make that connection and people in general would have different view on what ‘fundamentalism’ is. The point made here is that history as a subject if taught without propaganda would make people more aware of the world they live in. However, the danger of distorted history needs to be put into perspective as well.
For a moment ponder on current history textbooks in the United States and elsewhere in the G8 nation states. How do you think their history books reflect 9/11 and the July 7 bombings, the Iraq invasions etc? The textbooks would in many ways show Muslims as the terrorists, and radical Islam been a religion that advocates violence and ‘moderate Islam’ as the only option for peace. This shows how history is distorted but used to promote a particular mindset to maintain the status quo. Therefore, history cannot be seen through the eyes of school textbooks only but, through the archives of the big past history that governs how the present history unfolds.
Al-Imam al-Waqidi in his momentous book, ‘The Islamic Conquest of Syria’ mentions that: “Muslims are generally ignorant of their history, thus developing an inferiority complex towards the West.” From this we see that Muslims have not taken the study of History seriously and therefore, our schools have come to celebrate the other subjects overbearingly thus, making a subject like history a non-entity. The consequences are for all to see. Generally, Muslim students are caught up in a wave of a greater fictitious world which they have made their reality. I have seen schools where history was made an important subject and taught with vigour, the students made an impact on the social-political ethos of the school and were prepared to do something for the school when they left it. You will find in schools where history is not taught at all, the students have no real link to the history of their school, they have no real tradition in their schools, they have no desire to promote their school as an institution of greatness nor, will they take an initiative to commemorate their school’s 10 year existence so on an so forth. Furthermore, it is a tremendous task to motivate the teachers, the pupils, the SGB, BOG to commemorate the country’s important days as well as the school’s important dates. This eventually leads to an indifferent attitude to issues locally and globally. Work locally, think globally – ever thought how it came into being?
You might look at the above as a simplistic argument to promote the teaching of history but, think about it. We have maintained the five pillars of Islam because we made the history behind it real and every Muslim can talk about it with confidence and vigour. Is it not possible then to talk of other events in history that will lend significance to our lives so that we do not become overdosed with an inferiority complex? The answer is YES. Yes, we can if we begin to make the teaching of history important and paramount in schools and become selective with who teaches History as how we are about whom teaches Math and Science. This selective importance we give to History will save the generations to come from being colonised again. The teaching of History is the one of the most important weapon we have to ‘DECOLONISE’ the mind and to realise that there is an explanation to events from an angle of facts and drawing lessons from those events. Therefore, the approach of teaching history should be more on the lessons rather than regurgitating facts upon facts.
It is clear now that you can only give that which you have especially when you are dealing with people. History gives a perspective of uniqueness and grandeur and if you don’t have that in your past you will not be able to give off that uniqueness and grandeur. If you don’t know your past then the danger is, you will be caught in the web of taking what others give you of your own supposed uniqueness and grandeur and how they will tell you it was borrowed or learnt from others. Do you get the picture? The less you know of your own history, the more you will believe what others tell you about yourself! This is where we are today. We are caught in the glorious past of selective understanding of Islamic history and we have become story tellers.
Story tellers have a very, very limited view but, the researcher is the person who does not tell you the depth of the ocean by judging the depth from the beachfront where his toes are dipped into the water. He will make you swim in the torrents of the tide and bring you to your wits end because he wants you to face reality and know that you have a chance to rewrite history. This is what we are afraid of. We are afraid to face the lessons of our history because it will bring us to our wits end to know that we have so much to give. Muslims have come to give and not to take! If we take our history seriously then, we will take the bull by the horns and begin to redefine the ‘Bull run’. This can happen when we begin to make history a dominant part of our studies.
Muslim students today are not keen to study History, languages, the Arts and other such careers because we have not seen the history it will reap for the generations to come. Therefore, we can at this point give our children the only dream of material attainment because it’s all that we have to give. Look into the holy Quran and identify the many historical anecdotes Allah uses to make us aware of what has happened and what will happen based on the past. How much of this history has come to us from the ulema when they address us and how much have we studied this at tertiary level to make an impact on the minds of people?
History is the forgotten subject. You cannot give that which you don’t have and you cannot have if you don’t want! In conclusion you need to begin reading history and establish a library in your home as how you established the television room. You will see the difference when you pick up a book to read and when you child asks you about it, you can reply: “I am reading a book about The Islamic Conquest of Syria and it says here that the Muslims…” Can you imagine what will happen to that child’s mind that just leapt off the coach in front of the plasma that showed Muslims to be defeated and downtrodden? Make history today and start that library at home but, read as well.
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