Are we doing enough?

Islam is under attack. Islam is taking the flak from the entire world after the 11th September attack on the World Trade Center. Islam is much-maligned religion of the world. Muslims are prosecuted everywhere in the world. The lament goes on. It is a never-ending fact. It is a never-ending complaint.

Before anything is written at this stage, it would be appropriate to recall this Hadith. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said to his companions that time will come when enemies of the Muslims will attack them as a hungry persons eats his meal. His companion asked if the Muslims would be few in number. Prophet (PBUH) replied in negative saying that Muslims would be like the surf of the seas (Countless in numbers) but their Iman (Faith) will be weak.

Considering this Hadith scenario becomes clear. Enemies of Islam are actively against it from the day Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) descended from The Cave Hera In Makkah and started preaching. The earliest Muslims were fewer and weaker but their faith was solid. They bore all the hardships brought to them by the Quraish and their collaborators. Islam prevailed and spread not only in the Arabian Peninsula but to the vast tracts of the known world.

Islam has not changed at all. It is a universal religion. It is a way of life. The change has come to the Muslims. Their faith is weaker. They are divided. Their interpretation of Islam varied. They do not want to change themselves. They try to extract what they want from Quran and Sunnah. Islam is not a collection of rituals. It circumvents our whole life.

Every Muslim requires a self-assessment. We have to analyse the present situation carefully and methodically. Our Iman has to be strengthened. Concept of Ummah has to be taken in its real sense.

A few categories of Muslims have emerged. They could roughly be divided into Practising and non-Practising Muslims. By the term Practising Muslim it is understood that he or she passes his or life according to Quran and Sunnah. But most of the practising Muslims think that praying five times a day is enough and no more is required from them. They will pray. Well and good. They will take their meals while their neighbour remains hungry. They will not abide by their promises.

We are proud of our glorious past. We should be. We mention thousands of libraries and numerous baths in The Muslim Spain while the Europe was immersed in the darkness. We are not tired of mentioning our scientist, doctors, mathematicians who excelled in their profession a thousand years ago.

We are oblivious of our present. We do not try to achieve the excellence in science and technology. We forget that 18th century industrial revolution enabled the western world to dominate the world. We do not want to remember that while the monasteries were eliminated in Europe we were entering in the monasteries hoping to get Allah’ (SWT) blessing without striving. We have forgotten that fall of Gharnata (Granada) coincided with Christopher Columbus’s voyage to seek new lands.

We have Kings, Generals, Dictators, Sultans who are corrupt and their iman is so weak that they seek blessing from the super powers. A few years ago a Sultan gave millions of dollars to a famous pop singer. A very old king goes to modern day Spain and spends thousands of dollars for a single breakfast. A billionaire Muslim gives millions of dollars to his mistress. It is a never-ending story. It is a pathetic fact.

These extravagances go on while millions of Muslim men, women and children are starving. Do we expect blessings from Allah (SWT)? We have to work for it.