An article published in a Magazine
THE ENEMY WE OVERLOOK
It predominated the age before Islam. That was over fourteen centuries ago. The old Meccans tolerated the most dangerous enemy. They nursed and celebrated him with pride. Before they knew, it darkened their city; clouded their minds and blinded their senses. They were persuaded into fighting themselves to death over frivolous matters. They justified beheading their fellow tribesmen from another family over arguments on trivial encounters. They cherished bowing for idols which they molded with their own hands using woods, clay or farm produce.
They stored, drank and got intoxicated with alcohols. They consumed dead animals and blood. They feasted and entertained themselves with the concert and dancing steps of naked women. They felt humiliated giving birth to a female gender. The enemy made them see keeping a woman a sign of cowardice. Killing or buying her alive was then a show of bravery and masculinity!
Then, Islam came to their rescue. It crushed the enemy totally. It did not only uproot its influence from every nook and cranny. It also pursued its trace to other lands and exterminated it from its roots and foundations.
This victory did not come easy. It was 23years of physical, psychological and spiritual battles led by their own very son, the messenger of Allah-Muhammad Abdullah (peace be upon him). After the first 13years of the fiasco, the enemy still had a great influence and control. It instigated them to send him into an exile. They were filled with pride and fury that they condemned the best of their own sons in truth and morality. This they were glad to do to him for trying to save them from perish because they were blindfolded by their common enemy. They labelled him a madman, a magician and a liar.
With the power of guidance he possessed, he returned after ten (10) years and destroyed the fake structure. They all realized they had been living in a structure without a foundation. They cursed their enemy that they had erroneously sheltered, defended and held in high esteem for years. They joined in the crush operation having been educated to know that they had been in an edifice built with the spider's web. For the first time, they realized the name of their enemy-IGNORANCE
They admitted that it was a liberation from falsehood into the truth. They now knew the sweetness of knowledge over guessing, tradition, blind-following and self-desires. They joyfully echoed it to the highest pitch of their voice 'the truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely, falsehood is bound to vanish (Q17:82).
Muhammad led them to Mecca to discount falsehood in a different ideology, morality and personality without a modicum of pride. They all submitted. They obeyed and followed. They rejected disbelief. They hated ignorance and became Muslims. They surrendered to pronounce the statement of piety: Lailaa illa Allah ( There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah)
When those who disbelieve had put in their mind the pride and haughtiness of the time of ignorance, Allah sent down His tranquility upon His messenger and the believers, and made them stick to the statement of piety. They were entitled to it and worthy of it. Allah is All-knowing of everything... Certainly, you shall enter the sacred mosque, if Allah wills, secure... and He granted besides that a near victory. It is He who sent His messenger with guidance and religion of truth that He may make it superior to all religions. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Witness (Q48:26-28).
Islam is the vehicle of salvation. This assertion is not opened to doubt or debate. It is clear from the above passage that it has come to prevail and overrule other ideologies. Humanity before was lost and was later found by Islam. No political philosophy, economic theory, social system or religious ideologies has influenced human generation like Muhammad, the messenger of Allah and his succeeding caliphate.
Humanity today is trending the same inglorious path. It may not get back on right track without Islam. The only challenge now is the large differential gap between the Muslims of yesterday and those today. The nature of Islam is unique, pure and incorruptible. The only issue of concern is the quality of the present generations of those who profess the faith. The triumph over ignorance that made them succeed and savage the world is gradually being compromised. Ignorance is again being celebrated amidst us anew and in a more colorful style. Our position today despite the presence of Quran and Hadith was like theirs before the advent of Islam. They embraced Islam and held firmly to it. They appreciated the evil of ignorance and were on the defence with knowledge.
We inherited Islam and were unmindful of ignorance. The monster resurfaced with sworn desperation to destroy our Islam. We strongly profess it but we are like 360 degrees from practicing it, ideologically, doctrinally and morally.
Today, the correct practice of Islamic faith is confronted with battles coming from three different sources. In order of strength, these enemies are Shaitan, ego (self wills) and ignorance. The worst of them is ignorance. Once crushed with the power of knowledge, the other two are weakened. Islam is impracticable without knowledge. Scholarship is the heartbeat of our faith. Unfortunately, we have either refused to learn or graduated so early from madrasaat (Islamic schools) only to rush into practicing and even preaching it. It is so dangerous that we have assumed the position of the scholars. With no regard to scholarship and authorities, we all become muftis (jurists) overnight issuing religious views and answering questions. We have created controversies and convolutions everywhere with our naivety and mediocrity.
Sadly, our true scholars are dying. The students are not ready to respect or listen to the few living ones. Everyone is a mallam (Islamic cleric or religious teacher) on his own. The messenger of Allah has predicted this saying:
'Allah would not take away knowledge by directly withholding from people. He would however evacuate knowledge with the demise of the scholars. This happens until there is left no scholar. People then choose the ignorant as their heads. These (ignorant) heads would be asked and they issue verdicts without knowledge. They stray others as they are astray' (Agreed upon)
Dear Brothers and sisters, this situation has indulged us into many distractions. The topmost of them are as follows:
1. Hero-Worship
In the most preponderance estimate, there are 4200 religions in the world. Among them all, Islam has a unique place in its doctrine of monotheism as well as not being named after a founder or symbol of worship just as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucionism etc are.
Unfortunately, we are in the era where hero-worship is fast taking the place of the monotheistic religion among the mainstream Muslims. Muslims are worshipping the opinions of their revered scholars. They do that by prioritizing them over the texts of Qur'an and Hadith. Blind followerhip is gaining preeminence in this contemporary age more than ever before. ‘We hear and we obey, sincerely and confidently declared for Allah and His messenger by our pious predecessors in faith, is now reserved rights of the Amir (Muslim group leader), sheikhs (aged or learned Muslim), mallams and imams (religious leader). I would do not do it because my sheikh said so! I shall remain upon it because my Mallam says nothing is bad with it! That is what we hear today from the Muslim youths who are supposed to follow Allah and His messenger with textual evidences.
We see many people (so-called Muslims) worship the graves of these men, deify their pictures as well as pray seeking favour and protection in their names. These are practices for which generations were cursed in the past. No doubt, the scholars, imams and pious men deserve respect and morality for their personalities. However, we shall not take any man, even among the angels or prophets, as a deity. Our fundamental creed is there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.
Say: O people of the Book! Come to a statement that unifies us and you that we worship none but Allah and that we associate no partner with him and that no group of us shall take another group as Lords besides Allah (Q3: 64)
While only the messenger of Allah reserves absolute obedience without questioning, he had warned against transgression in our reference of him. To supplicate in his name (as yaa Muhammad) or pronounce it in adhkaar (as yaa Rasuulullah) instead of yaa Allah or exclaim it in interjectory remarks (such as Muhammad! or Yaa Rassulullah!) to express surprise or ecstasy is from the practices alien to the pristine Islam. This may be rather referred to as Muhammadanism and not Islam. If that is so, how do we think of its possibility with the name of Abubakr, Umar, Uthmaan or Ali (May Allah be pleased with them all)? How much more unreasonable can it be with the name of an imaam or sheikh elsewhere? This is Shirk (associating partners with Allah). May Allah deliver the Ummah and untie us from the web of ignorance.
2. Partisanship.
Politics has cropped into our daily socio-economic lives. Brotherhood in politics is fellowship of self-interests and greedy ambitions. In partisan politics, there is no sincerity and selfless service for the sake of the system or people. This spirit breeds factionalism, break-away or defections as they call it within central political parties. It is sad that this exactly defines the state of Islam at the moment.
Brothers can simply not work, serve and worship together in the same mosque or central Islamic organization. There are groupings and subgroupings as the issues of segregation mounts. We have witnessed continual secession of Muslims from one bigger Islamic body to form new micro bodies. Islamic Jamaah are springing up in new brands and nomenclatures from every nook and cranny of the society.
Character assassination, mutual hatred and loss of trusts have a comfortable accommodation in the headquarters of our political Islam.
As typical of politicians, we hide these under pretense and fake brotherhood. A party of us calls another names. Some of us cannot pray in certain mosques until we reach that of our party. We do not even care if the solat timing would have to pass. Praying in our party masjid or behind our party imaam is now more important to us than the solat timing, universality of Islam and sanctity of Islamic brotherhood!
The believers are nothing but brothers. Make peace between your brothers and fear Allah that you may receive mercy. O you believe! let no group scoff another. It may be that the latter is better than the former. Let not a group of women scoff another. It may be that the latter is better than the former. Do not defame one another or insult yourselves with (bad) nicknames. How bad is it to insult ones brother after having faith? (Q49: 10-11)
Islam is a universal religion. It embraces humanity into a common fold without discrimination. Its brotherhood is sacred. It is unrestricted by geographical, tribal or national boundaries. Believers should be one as God, their Lord and Creator is one.
Is it not a worse disaster befalling the Ummah when a Muslim does not just avoid his fellow brother in Islam for more than three days but wishes never to see or hear him again? Is it not regretful enough that a Muslim in a new environment has to be asking in which of the mosques around he could pray? Is it not awful enough that Muslims meet one another on a narrow path without saying or returning the greetings of peace? Is it not embarrassing enough to identify as member of this or that Islamic group before you relate with or regard a Muslim as one?
Disunity has drawn us too many steps backward than we need to thrust forward to lead and make waves in the frontiers. The issues of divisions have made us objects of ridicule. We must be united to be invited. It is important to say that only the Muhminun (believers) can be united. All the Muslims in the world may not be united because of this sectarianism and sectionalism. The unique factor for unity is correct aqeedah (ideology).
This is the true belief propagated by the messenger of Allah for the first 13years of his prophethood. Muslims (Muslimun) may be united in fiqh (rituals) and morality but only the believers (Muhminun) can be united in belief. To be a Muhmin (believer) requires some steps further than being a Muslim (submitter). One of such is to put Allah and His messenger above your self wills or desires, people, fame, wealth and the world.
Common qibla and rituals without common creed about Allah, His messenger, companions, angels, etc would not help. There is no better way to paradise for the Muslims except to belief. There is no belief except total submission to the will of Allah and His messenger. Without unrepentant adherence to Qur'an and authentic tradition of the messenger of Allah, our unity may be a mystery. People with difference sources of guidance cannot be regarded to be practicing same religion. People in the religion cannot be asked to be united without sharing the same fundamentals of the faith they profess. We cannot be divided by our tribe, nationality or state of origin as Muslims. We can only be divided and be political Muslims if our fountain of inspiration, guidance and judgements is not purely from Quran and Hadith. Both are the ropes of Allah.
And cling all of you together to the rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselvesand be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is awful torment (Q3:103-105)
Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no concern with them in the least. Their affair is only with Allah Who will then tell them what they used to do(Q6:59)
Set your face towards the monotheistic religion-Allahs path to which He has created mankind. Let there be no change in the order of Allah. That is the firm religion but most men know not. Always turn in repentance to Him. Be afraid and dutiful to Him. Perform solat and be not among those who associate partners with Allah from within those who split their religions and became sects-each sect rejoincing in what they hold onto (Q30:30-32)
As for those who are deficient only in the practices and morality, a show of tolerance, love and kind advice can make them better if Allah wills. Ignorance has dragged us into this pit. Ego and pride have kept us there for too long blinding our way out. It is time we eschewed big-headedness and care for true knowledge. Allah help us
3. Westernization
Islam is a religion that emasculated creed, worship, morality and culture. Coincidentally, these are also referred to as religious obligations. Each of these four elements, if well exercised according to the established rules and guidelines are heavenly rewarded. They lead a man to happiness, security, and tranquility in this world and hereafter. Islamic cultures have a component of dressing, fashion and beautification, marriage, greetings, trading, and every other ways of life. Adherence to them is rewarding. They bring one closer to Allah and make one a better Muslim. Neglect in their regard is considered a sin. Except forgiven, a Muslim may be punished for violating any of these ethics.
For example, in marriage, the approval of waliy (father or guardian of a Muslim lady) is the first of the four (4) conditions for islamically legal nuptial knot. The one who marries without this socio-cultural aspect of Islam has invalid marriage engagement. The marriage that is ordinarily supposed to translate to a rewarding act of worship becomes a curse and a cause of spiritual stagnancy.
Today, ignorance has blinded an average Muslim against the virtues of Islamic civilization. No one appears to have drunk the poisons of the western civilization and become more intoxicated with the western cultures than the Muslim youths. A Muslim lady parades herself in tights and skimpy dresses as do by the Nollyhood female artists and so-called celebrities. She is more comfortable in these accursed wears or in pseudo hijabs that are themselves revealing her back curves, skins and chests. She also keeps boyfriends because it is the order in vogue. They also bear tattoes, attend clubs and freely mix with opposite genders. They also want to contest their worth in beauty pageants or Miss Campus.
The male cuts popular hairstyles of Obama, afro and Gallas to tell the world that they follow the beat of the age. They see gentleman cuts encouraged by Islam as being too cold and conservative. They indulge in smoking, drugs and betting via crazy interest (stimulated in them by the west) for soccer. They go about with girls in an uncultured manner to prove that they are not village boys of Islam! The western doctrine preaches ‘sex is fun’ even without marriage. They propagate the use of condom and distribute it free among unmarried youths. Islam preaches total abstinence until marriage. It emphasizes gentlemanliness, decency and chastity. Western civilization is a poison and venom from which no one recovers except by Allahs guidance. No book is better than Allahs; No guidance is better than that of Muhammad. The best civilization is from the Holy Quran and the authentic hadith.
Verily, this is my (Muhammads) straight path, follow it. Follow not other paths for they will separate you from His (Allahs) path. (Q6:153)
Say: the guidance of Allah is the guidance. If you have to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, there would not be for you besides Allah, a protector or helper (Q2:120)
A Muslim is supposed to live on principle, be him/herself and be proud of Islamic values more than anything else. May Allah guide us to what is most right.
4. Innovations
There are two very stubborn and dangerous infections to Islam of anyone. Either of them weakens its spirit, make it unhealthy before finally send it to its early grave. This is hypocrisy (nifaaq) and innovations (Bidah). The texts of the Glorious Quran and Hadith spared no possible means to explain their inglorious consequences on the innocence and purity of Islam.
Hypocrisy is holding on to kufr (disbelief) or having doubts about Allah, His messenger or any of the articles of faith but show, act or display faith in pretence and deceit to fellow Muslims. An hypocrite is a disbeliever appearing like a believer.
Allah says about hypocrisy:
The hypocrisy would be in the deepest portion of the fire. You shall not find for them any helper (Q4:145)
Bidah is to follow (others) or invent (by oneself) a new matter in the religion of Islam not legislated in the Quran, approved by the messenger of Allah before his demise or practiced by any of the companions of the messenger of Allah. The messenger of Allah forbid both types of Bidah. This implies that he condemned both the leader or proprietor and the follower in separate independent statements.
Against its invention (i.e. starting or creating Bidah anew), he said: Whoever invents in this affair (Islam) of ours what is not established in it (i.e. in Quran or Hadith), would be rejected (Agreed Upon. Cited in Riyaadusaalihin). Against following, he said: Whoever performs an act upon which there is none of our verdict (ruling or approval) would be rejected (Muslim)
Bidah is a new sharia (Islamic legislation) different from the path of Allah, the messenger and the general Muslims.
He says about bidah:
And whoever contradicts and opposes the messenger of Allah after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than believers way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen and burn him in Hell. What an evil destination! (Q4:115)
The only apparent difference between them and pure shirk is that the latter has been specifically pronounced unforgivable except the perpetrator repent from it prior to death. All of them lead to Hell Fire except that Shirk is certainly forever while a kind of hypocrisy (i.e hypocrisy of acts such as lying, hesitation to attend fajr and ishai prayers, betrayal of trusts etc) or bidah (i.e not rendering one a kaafir such as celebrating birthday of the messenger of Allah, shouting adhkaar in congregation, celebrating the day or night of Israi and miraj etc) are considered sins for which the guilty ones may have temporary stay in the blazing Hell. Sadly, many Muslims are either ignorant or unmindful of this important fact.
Bidah to authentic Islam is similar to a weed on a farmland. Weed is an unwanted plant that grows amidst the legitimate crops just as Bidah is a condemned practice within text-based Islam. Weed would sometimes get so mixed up with the original plant or even appear like it that it may be difficult to identity it from far except by the experienced farmer who knows the nature of both the plants and the weeds. Bidah usually looks so much like righteousness, piety and religious devotion just as Islam is. Only the sincere pious scholars who recognize the nature of Islam and Bidah can actually separate the shafts from the grains. The ignorant would argue, defend and justify Bidah as the one unfamiliar with weeds would bet Sida acuta (Broom weed) for Chocorous olitorous (Jute).
Bidah can be a major sin, a minor sin or kufr depending on its type as identified by the learned ones within the system of Islam. As dangerous as weeds are to the plant if left unpruned at its earliest stage, Bidah is dangerous to islam if left uncriticised from its earliest stage. Shaitan prefers bidah to major sins such as zina, drinking alcohol, unjust killing, offending parents, magic and sorcery, taking or giving money with interest, making false witness, cheating or abusing the property of the orphans etc. This is because a Muslim would not be proud of any of these evil acts let alone publicize or invite people to join. He would feel guilty and would always hope to repent and yearn for forgiveness. However, Muslims would commit Bidah with joy and pride while it is one of the most hateful acts to Allah. He would celebrate the successful spread of this evil while Shaitan is very proud and happy at his acts of misguidance. Unfortunately, ignorance has made same act seem to him as guidance and righteousness!
‘Allah says: Shaitan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and has barred them from the way, so they have no guidance (Q27: 25)
Faith is not complete without the love of the messenger of Allah. Love of the messenger of Allah is the love of Allah. The best way to show love to a leader or mentor is obedience, emulation and true followership. In return, we gain the love of the one whom we love, respect and obey. This is what Muslims should do to keep alive the purity of Islam and reverence of the Messenger of Allah.
Say: if you love of Allah, then follow me. Allah would love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful. Say: obey Allah and the messenger. But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers (Q3:31-32)
It is amusing to hear the innovators using the love of the messenger of Allah as excuse. If one understands Bidah as a sin, how can the love of the messenger of Allah make us commit it? Besides, it important I mention here that such thoughts and excuses are from shaitan and it is not new. People had such inclination in the past and were cautioned. Out of several occasions where such cases happened, I would like to cite one:
Umar bn Khattab entered the masjid. He saw a group of people proceeding to a particular place and struggling to offer solat at that spot. Then he enquired: What is this? They replied: It was a place where the messenger of Allah prayed. Then he replied: Do you want to be taking effects or relics of your prophets as masjid (sacred place of prayer, obeisance or special honour)?! The generations before you were accursed on account of this. Whoever has solat due upon him in this place, let him pray there. If otherwise, depart! (Its chains of narration is authentic according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim. Narrated by Abu Shaybah in Musonnaf, vol 2, page 376. Cited in Zaad Maad of Sheikh Ibn Qayyim, vol 1, page 18)
Dear faithfuls, no matter how we love the messenger of Allah today, some in the past (the caliphs and the companions) had a super love for him. The love of the Muslims before the hijrah and ten years after it is an estimable multiple of ours in this age of over four hundred years after the hijrah. Despite that, they only followed him carefully and sincerely. They never innovated. Those who were almost tempted into doing something similar due to their overzealousness was cautioned when he (the messenger of Allah) said:
‘Whoever deviate from my sunnah is not of me (Bukhari and Muslim)
This hadith was narrated on the authority of Anas about the story of the three men saying; where are we compared to the Messenger of Allah? Allah has forgiven him of the sins in the past, present and the future. Then one said: If he sleeps, I shall wake up for tahjud (spiritual devotion) throughout the night. ‘If he has wives, I shall distant myself from women, said another. The last said: if he eats, I shall fast forever! They were simply overzealous and excited about piety but they are merely ignorants of the prophetic tradition and the nature of Islam. Hence, they nearly fell into Bidah.
Conclusion
It is essential we seek knowledge of Islam. Ignorance has grown so wild, proud and confident among us. It is high time we banished him. We must learn before we can serve Allah, practice Islam and defend the religion rightly. Ignorance cannot be an excuse for avoidable errors. Knowledge is a light in the darkness. It gives one the foresight when others are only relying on the sight at the forehead. It informs you of the dark spot even in the daylight when other cannot see beyond brightness. It protects you, your relations and your properties when others have to protect theirs themselves. There is no worse death than living without life. While alive, knowledge is life; ignorance is death. The situation that we have many graduates and undergraduates who do not know what to say in prayers let alone recite the Holy Quran leads us nowhere. Imam Shaafiy (May Allah have mercy on him) said in his poetry Deewaan: whoever missed learning during his youth, say takbeer (the statement of Allahu Akbar) upon him four times for he is dead.
I pray Allah grants us beneficial knowledge, vast provisions and acceptable deeds.
Subhaanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika ashadu an laailaaa illa Anta wa astagfruka wa atuubu ilaeka
THE ENEMY WE OVERLOOK
It predominated the age before Islam. That was over fourteen centuries ago. The old Meccans tolerated the most dangerous enemy. They nursed and celebrated him with pride. Before they knew, it darkened their city; clouded their minds and blinded their senses. They were persuaded into fighting themselves to death over frivolous matters. They justified beheading their fellow tribesmen from another family over arguments on trivial encounters. They cherished bowing for idols which they molded with their own hands using woods, clay or farm produce.
They stored, drank and got intoxicated with alcohols. They consumed dead animals and blood. They feasted and entertained themselves with the concert and dancing steps of naked women. They felt humiliated giving birth to a female gender. The enemy made them see keeping a woman a sign of cowardice. Killing or buying her alive was then a show of bravery and masculinity!
Then, Islam came to their rescue. It crushed the enemy totally. It did not only uproot its influence from every nook and cranny. It also pursued its trace to other lands and exterminated it from its roots and foundations.
This victory did not come easy. It was 23years of physical, psychological and spiritual battles led by their own very son, the messenger of Allah-Muhammad Abdullah (peace be upon him). After the first 13years of the fiasco, the enemy still had a great influence and control. It instigated them to send him into an exile. They were filled with pride and fury that they condemned the best of their own sons in truth and morality. This they were glad to do to him for trying to save them from perish because they were blindfolded by their common enemy. They labelled him a madman, a magician and a liar.
With the power of guidance he possessed, he returned after ten (10) years and destroyed the fake structure. They all realized they had been living in a structure without a foundation. They cursed their enemy that they had erroneously sheltered, defended and held in high esteem for years. They joined in the crush operation having been educated to know that they had been in an edifice built with the spider's web. For the first time, they realized the name of their enemy-IGNORANCE
They admitted that it was a liberation from falsehood into the truth. They now knew the sweetness of knowledge over guessing, tradition, blind-following and self-desires. They joyfully echoed it to the highest pitch of their voice 'the truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely, falsehood is bound to vanish (Q17:82).
Muhammad led them to Mecca to discount falsehood in a different ideology, morality and personality without a modicum of pride. They all submitted. They obeyed and followed. They rejected disbelief. They hated ignorance and became Muslims. They surrendered to pronounce the statement of piety: Lailaa illa Allah ( There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah)
When those who disbelieve had put in their mind the pride and haughtiness of the time of ignorance, Allah sent down His tranquility upon His messenger and the believers, and made them stick to the statement of piety. They were entitled to it and worthy of it. Allah is All-knowing of everything... Certainly, you shall enter the sacred mosque, if Allah wills, secure... and He granted besides that a near victory. It is He who sent His messenger with guidance and religion of truth that He may make it superior to all religions. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Witness (Q48:26-28).
Islam is the vehicle of salvation. This assertion is not opened to doubt or debate. It is clear from the above passage that it has come to prevail and overrule other ideologies. Humanity before was lost and was later found by Islam. No political philosophy, economic theory, social system or religious ideologies has influenced human generation like Muhammad, the messenger of Allah and his succeeding caliphate.
Humanity today is trending the same inglorious path. It may not get back on right track without Islam. The only challenge now is the large differential gap between the Muslims of yesterday and those today. The nature of Islam is unique, pure and incorruptible. The only issue of concern is the quality of the present generations of those who profess the faith. The triumph over ignorance that made them succeed and savage the world is gradually being compromised. Ignorance is again being celebrated amidst us anew and in a more colorful style. Our position today despite the presence of Quran and Hadith was like theirs before the advent of Islam. They embraced Islam and held firmly to it. They appreciated the evil of ignorance and were on the defence with knowledge.
We inherited Islam and were unmindful of ignorance. The monster resurfaced with sworn desperation to destroy our Islam. We strongly profess it but we are like 360 degrees from practicing it, ideologically, doctrinally and morally.
Today, the correct practice of Islamic faith is confronted with battles coming from three different sources. In order of strength, these enemies are Shaitan, ego (self wills) and ignorance. The worst of them is ignorance. Once crushed with the power of knowledge, the other two are weakened. Islam is impracticable without knowledge. Scholarship is the heartbeat of our faith. Unfortunately, we have either refused to learn or graduated so early from madrasaat (Islamic schools) only to rush into practicing and even preaching it. It is so dangerous that we have assumed the position of the scholars. With no regard to scholarship and authorities, we all become muftis (jurists) overnight issuing religious views and answering questions. We have created controversies and convolutions everywhere with our naivety and mediocrity.
Sadly, our true scholars are dying. The students are not ready to respect or listen to the few living ones. Everyone is a mallam (Islamic cleric or religious teacher) on his own. The messenger of Allah has predicted this saying:
'Allah would not take away knowledge by directly withholding from people. He would however evacuate knowledge with the demise of the scholars. This happens until there is left no scholar. People then choose the ignorant as their heads. These (ignorant) heads would be asked and they issue verdicts without knowledge. They stray others as they are astray' (Agreed upon)
Dear Brothers and sisters, this situation has indulged us into many distractions. The topmost of them are as follows:
1. Hero-Worship
In the most preponderance estimate, there are 4200 religions in the world. Among them all, Islam has a unique place in its doctrine of monotheism as well as not being named after a founder or symbol of worship just as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucionism etc are.
Unfortunately, we are in the era where hero-worship is fast taking the place of the monotheistic religion among the mainstream Muslims. Muslims are worshipping the opinions of their revered scholars. They do that by prioritizing them over the texts of Qur'an and Hadith. Blind followerhip is gaining preeminence in this contemporary age more than ever before. ‘We hear and we obey, sincerely and confidently declared for Allah and His messenger by our pious predecessors in faith, is now reserved rights of the Amir (Muslim group leader), sheikhs (aged or learned Muslim), mallams and imams (religious leader). I would do not do it because my sheikh said so! I shall remain upon it because my Mallam says nothing is bad with it! That is what we hear today from the Muslim youths who are supposed to follow Allah and His messenger with textual evidences.
We see many people (so-called Muslims) worship the graves of these men, deify their pictures as well as pray seeking favour and protection in their names. These are practices for which generations were cursed in the past. No doubt, the scholars, imams and pious men deserve respect and morality for their personalities. However, we shall not take any man, even among the angels or prophets, as a deity. Our fundamental creed is there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.
Say: O people of the Book! Come to a statement that unifies us and you that we worship none but Allah and that we associate no partner with him and that no group of us shall take another group as Lords besides Allah (Q3: 64)
While only the messenger of Allah reserves absolute obedience without questioning, he had warned against transgression in our reference of him. To supplicate in his name (as yaa Muhammad) or pronounce it in adhkaar (as yaa Rasuulullah) instead of yaa Allah or exclaim it in interjectory remarks (such as Muhammad! or Yaa Rassulullah!) to express surprise or ecstasy is from the practices alien to the pristine Islam. This may be rather referred to as Muhammadanism and not Islam. If that is so, how do we think of its possibility with the name of Abubakr, Umar, Uthmaan or Ali (May Allah be pleased with them all)? How much more unreasonable can it be with the name of an imaam or sheikh elsewhere? This is Shirk (associating partners with Allah). May Allah deliver the Ummah and untie us from the web of ignorance.
2. Partisanship.
Politics has cropped into our daily socio-economic lives. Brotherhood in politics is fellowship of self-interests and greedy ambitions. In partisan politics, there is no sincerity and selfless service for the sake of the system or people. This spirit breeds factionalism, break-away or defections as they call it within central political parties. It is sad that this exactly defines the state of Islam at the moment.
Brothers can simply not work, serve and worship together in the same mosque or central Islamic organization. There are groupings and subgroupings as the issues of segregation mounts. We have witnessed continual secession of Muslims from one bigger Islamic body to form new micro bodies. Islamic Jamaah are springing up in new brands and nomenclatures from every nook and cranny of the society.
Character assassination, mutual hatred and loss of trusts have a comfortable accommodation in the headquarters of our political Islam.
As typical of politicians, we hide these under pretense and fake brotherhood. A party of us calls another names. Some of us cannot pray in certain mosques until we reach that of our party. We do not even care if the solat timing would have to pass. Praying in our party masjid or behind our party imaam is now more important to us than the solat timing, universality of Islam and sanctity of Islamic brotherhood!
The believers are nothing but brothers. Make peace between your brothers and fear Allah that you may receive mercy. O you believe! let no group scoff another. It may be that the latter is better than the former. Let not a group of women scoff another. It may be that the latter is better than the former. Do not defame one another or insult yourselves with (bad) nicknames. How bad is it to insult ones brother after having faith? (Q49: 10-11)
Islam is a universal religion. It embraces humanity into a common fold without discrimination. Its brotherhood is sacred. It is unrestricted by geographical, tribal or national boundaries. Believers should be one as God, their Lord and Creator is one.
Is it not a worse disaster befalling the Ummah when a Muslim does not just avoid his fellow brother in Islam for more than three days but wishes never to see or hear him again? Is it not regretful enough that a Muslim in a new environment has to be asking in which of the mosques around he could pray? Is it not awful enough that Muslims meet one another on a narrow path without saying or returning the greetings of peace? Is it not embarrassing enough to identify as member of this or that Islamic group before you relate with or regard a Muslim as one?
Disunity has drawn us too many steps backward than we need to thrust forward to lead and make waves in the frontiers. The issues of divisions have made us objects of ridicule. We must be united to be invited. It is important to say that only the Muhminun (believers) can be united. All the Muslims in the world may not be united because of this sectarianism and sectionalism. The unique factor for unity is correct aqeedah (ideology).
This is the true belief propagated by the messenger of Allah for the first 13years of his prophethood. Muslims (Muslimun) may be united in fiqh (rituals) and morality but only the believers (Muhminun) can be united in belief. To be a Muhmin (believer) requires some steps further than being a Muslim (submitter). One of such is to put Allah and His messenger above your self wills or desires, people, fame, wealth and the world.
Common qibla and rituals without common creed about Allah, His messenger, companions, angels, etc would not help. There is no better way to paradise for the Muslims except to belief. There is no belief except total submission to the will of Allah and His messenger. Without unrepentant adherence to Qur'an and authentic tradition of the messenger of Allah, our unity may be a mystery. People with difference sources of guidance cannot be regarded to be practicing same religion. People in the religion cannot be asked to be united without sharing the same fundamentals of the faith they profess. We cannot be divided by our tribe, nationality or state of origin as Muslims. We can only be divided and be political Muslims if our fountain of inspiration, guidance and judgements is not purely from Quran and Hadith. Both are the ropes of Allah.
And cling all of you together to the rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselvesand be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is awful torment (Q3:103-105)
Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no concern with them in the least. Their affair is only with Allah Who will then tell them what they used to do(Q6:59)
Set your face towards the monotheistic religion-Allahs path to which He has created mankind. Let there be no change in the order of Allah. That is the firm religion but most men know not. Always turn in repentance to Him. Be afraid and dutiful to Him. Perform solat and be not among those who associate partners with Allah from within those who split their religions and became sects-each sect rejoincing in what they hold onto (Q30:30-32)
As for those who are deficient only in the practices and morality, a show of tolerance, love and kind advice can make them better if Allah wills. Ignorance has dragged us into this pit. Ego and pride have kept us there for too long blinding our way out. It is time we eschewed big-headedness and care for true knowledge. Allah help us
3. Westernization
Islam is a religion that emasculated creed, worship, morality and culture. Coincidentally, these are also referred to as religious obligations. Each of these four elements, if well exercised according to the established rules and guidelines are heavenly rewarded. They lead a man to happiness, security, and tranquility in this world and hereafter. Islamic cultures have a component of dressing, fashion and beautification, marriage, greetings, trading, and every other ways of life. Adherence to them is rewarding. They bring one closer to Allah and make one a better Muslim. Neglect in their regard is considered a sin. Except forgiven, a Muslim may be punished for violating any of these ethics.
For example, in marriage, the approval of waliy (father or guardian of a Muslim lady) is the first of the four (4) conditions for islamically legal nuptial knot. The one who marries without this socio-cultural aspect of Islam has invalid marriage engagement. The marriage that is ordinarily supposed to translate to a rewarding act of worship becomes a curse and a cause of spiritual stagnancy.
Today, ignorance has blinded an average Muslim against the virtues of Islamic civilization. No one appears to have drunk the poisons of the western civilization and become more intoxicated with the western cultures than the Muslim youths. A Muslim lady parades herself in tights and skimpy dresses as do by the Nollyhood female artists and so-called celebrities. She is more comfortable in these accursed wears or in pseudo hijabs that are themselves revealing her back curves, skins and chests. She also keeps boyfriends because it is the order in vogue. They also bear tattoes, attend clubs and freely mix with opposite genders. They also want to contest their worth in beauty pageants or Miss Campus.
The male cuts popular hairstyles of Obama, afro and Gallas to tell the world that they follow the beat of the age. They see gentleman cuts encouraged by Islam as being too cold and conservative. They indulge in smoking, drugs and betting via crazy interest (stimulated in them by the west) for soccer. They go about with girls in an uncultured manner to prove that they are not village boys of Islam! The western doctrine preaches ‘sex is fun’ even without marriage. They propagate the use of condom and distribute it free among unmarried youths. Islam preaches total abstinence until marriage. It emphasizes gentlemanliness, decency and chastity. Western civilization is a poison and venom from which no one recovers except by Allahs guidance. No book is better than Allahs; No guidance is better than that of Muhammad. The best civilization is from the Holy Quran and the authentic hadith.
Verily, this is my (Muhammads) straight path, follow it. Follow not other paths for they will separate you from His (Allahs) path. (Q6:153)
Say: the guidance of Allah is the guidance. If you have to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, there would not be for you besides Allah, a protector or helper (Q2:120)
A Muslim is supposed to live on principle, be him/herself and be proud of Islamic values more than anything else. May Allah guide us to what is most right.
4. Innovations
There are two very stubborn and dangerous infections to Islam of anyone. Either of them weakens its spirit, make it unhealthy before finally send it to its early grave. This is hypocrisy (nifaaq) and innovations (Bidah). The texts of the Glorious Quran and Hadith spared no possible means to explain their inglorious consequences on the innocence and purity of Islam.
Hypocrisy is holding on to kufr (disbelief) or having doubts about Allah, His messenger or any of the articles of faith but show, act or display faith in pretence and deceit to fellow Muslims. An hypocrite is a disbeliever appearing like a believer.
Allah says about hypocrisy:
The hypocrisy would be in the deepest portion of the fire. You shall not find for them any helper (Q4:145)
Bidah is to follow (others) or invent (by oneself) a new matter in the religion of Islam not legislated in the Quran, approved by the messenger of Allah before his demise or practiced by any of the companions of the messenger of Allah. The messenger of Allah forbid both types of Bidah. This implies that he condemned both the leader or proprietor and the follower in separate independent statements.
Against its invention (i.e. starting or creating Bidah anew), he said: Whoever invents in this affair (Islam) of ours what is not established in it (i.e. in Quran or Hadith), would be rejected (Agreed Upon. Cited in Riyaadusaalihin). Against following, he said: Whoever performs an act upon which there is none of our verdict (ruling or approval) would be rejected (Muslim)
Bidah is a new sharia (Islamic legislation) different from the path of Allah, the messenger and the general Muslims.
He says about bidah:
And whoever contradicts and opposes the messenger of Allah after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than believers way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen and burn him in Hell. What an evil destination! (Q4:115)
The only apparent difference between them and pure shirk is that the latter has been specifically pronounced unforgivable except the perpetrator repent from it prior to death. All of them lead to Hell Fire except that Shirk is certainly forever while a kind of hypocrisy (i.e hypocrisy of acts such as lying, hesitation to attend fajr and ishai prayers, betrayal of trusts etc) or bidah (i.e not rendering one a kaafir such as celebrating birthday of the messenger of Allah, shouting adhkaar in congregation, celebrating the day or night of Israi and miraj etc) are considered sins for which the guilty ones may have temporary stay in the blazing Hell. Sadly, many Muslims are either ignorant or unmindful of this important fact.
Bidah to authentic Islam is similar to a weed on a farmland. Weed is an unwanted plant that grows amidst the legitimate crops just as Bidah is a condemned practice within text-based Islam. Weed would sometimes get so mixed up with the original plant or even appear like it that it may be difficult to identity it from far except by the experienced farmer who knows the nature of both the plants and the weeds. Bidah usually looks so much like righteousness, piety and religious devotion just as Islam is. Only the sincere pious scholars who recognize the nature of Islam and Bidah can actually separate the shafts from the grains. The ignorant would argue, defend and justify Bidah as the one unfamiliar with weeds would bet Sida acuta (Broom weed) for Chocorous olitorous (Jute).
Bidah can be a major sin, a minor sin or kufr depending on its type as identified by the learned ones within the system of Islam. As dangerous as weeds are to the plant if left unpruned at its earliest stage, Bidah is dangerous to islam if left uncriticised from its earliest stage. Shaitan prefers bidah to major sins such as zina, drinking alcohol, unjust killing, offending parents, magic and sorcery, taking or giving money with interest, making false witness, cheating or abusing the property of the orphans etc. This is because a Muslim would not be proud of any of these evil acts let alone publicize or invite people to join. He would feel guilty and would always hope to repent and yearn for forgiveness. However, Muslims would commit Bidah with joy and pride while it is one of the most hateful acts to Allah. He would celebrate the successful spread of this evil while Shaitan is very proud and happy at his acts of misguidance. Unfortunately, ignorance has made same act seem to him as guidance and righteousness!
‘Allah says: Shaitan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and has barred them from the way, so they have no guidance (Q27: 25)
Faith is not complete without the love of the messenger of Allah. Love of the messenger of Allah is the love of Allah. The best way to show love to a leader or mentor is obedience, emulation and true followership. In return, we gain the love of the one whom we love, respect and obey. This is what Muslims should do to keep alive the purity of Islam and reverence of the Messenger of Allah.
Say: if you love of Allah, then follow me. Allah would love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful. Say: obey Allah and the messenger. But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers (Q3:31-32)
It is amusing to hear the innovators using the love of the messenger of Allah as excuse. If one understands Bidah as a sin, how can the love of the messenger of Allah make us commit it? Besides, it important I mention here that such thoughts and excuses are from shaitan and it is not new. People had such inclination in the past and were cautioned. Out of several occasions where such cases happened, I would like to cite one:
Umar bn Khattab entered the masjid. He saw a group of people proceeding to a particular place and struggling to offer solat at that spot. Then he enquired: What is this? They replied: It was a place where the messenger of Allah prayed. Then he replied: Do you want to be taking effects or relics of your prophets as masjid (sacred place of prayer, obeisance or special honour)?! The generations before you were accursed on account of this. Whoever has solat due upon him in this place, let him pray there. If otherwise, depart! (Its chains of narration is authentic according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim. Narrated by Abu Shaybah in Musonnaf, vol 2, page 376. Cited in Zaad Maad of Sheikh Ibn Qayyim, vol 1, page 18)
Dear faithfuls, no matter how we love the messenger of Allah today, some in the past (the caliphs and the companions) had a super love for him. The love of the Muslims before the hijrah and ten years after it is an estimable multiple of ours in this age of over four hundred years after the hijrah. Despite that, they only followed him carefully and sincerely. They never innovated. Those who were almost tempted into doing something similar due to their overzealousness was cautioned when he (the messenger of Allah) said:
‘Whoever deviate from my sunnah is not of me (Bukhari and Muslim)
This hadith was narrated on the authority of Anas about the story of the three men saying; where are we compared to the Messenger of Allah? Allah has forgiven him of the sins in the past, present and the future. Then one said: If he sleeps, I shall wake up for tahjud (spiritual devotion) throughout the night. ‘If he has wives, I shall distant myself from women, said another. The last said: if he eats, I shall fast forever! They were simply overzealous and excited about piety but they are merely ignorants of the prophetic tradition and the nature of Islam. Hence, they nearly fell into Bidah.
Conclusion
It is essential we seek knowledge of Islam. Ignorance has grown so wild, proud and confident among us. It is high time we banished him. We must learn before we can serve Allah, practice Islam and defend the religion rightly. Ignorance cannot be an excuse for avoidable errors. Knowledge is a light in the darkness. It gives one the foresight when others are only relying on the sight at the forehead. It informs you of the dark spot even in the daylight when other cannot see beyond brightness. It protects you, your relations and your properties when others have to protect theirs themselves. There is no worse death than living without life. While alive, knowledge is life; ignorance is death. The situation that we have many graduates and undergraduates who do not know what to say in prayers let alone recite the Holy Quran leads us nowhere. Imam Shaafiy (May Allah have mercy on him) said in his poetry Deewaan: whoever missed learning during his youth, say takbeer (the statement of Allahu Akbar) upon him four times for he is dead.
I pray Allah grants us beneficial knowledge, vast provisions and acceptable deeds.
Subhaanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika ashadu an laailaaa illa Anta wa astagfruka wa atuubu ilaeka
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