Bismillar Rahmanir Rahim. The intelligence that Allah has bestowed upon man behooves him to submit to the Divine intellect which has given him the knowledge and guidance of the Holy Quran. “Read” was the first word of the Quran as expressed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Angel Jibril. “And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?” (Quran 2:170). When Prophet Muhammad tried to share Islam with the Quraysh people in 613 AD, of whom he was one, he told them that all men were brothers who served Allah, to stop the code of blood feud, violence, and vengeance killings, to stop all kinds of magic, superstitious beliefs, and shirk that their ancestors were practicing, and to stop oppressing and mistreating those who were weaker, poorer, or less fortunate than they were. Sound familiar? It should; those words are as applicable to our world today as they were when Prophet Muhammad shared them 1400 years ago. All expressions of love are the creation of Allah. For example, the love of parents for their offspring has been imbued by Allah into their nature. Similar to this is intended to be the love between a husband and his wife, and the love between an individual and all mankind. Man is encouraged to participate in all such rightful displays of affection, but he is enjoined to keep the love of Allah above all. I pray we find ways to live together in peace. To abandon Shaitan’s deceptions and all efforts by Kufr to divide us and breed hatred and violence. It’s done nothing to improve life for residents in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Eqypt, dozens of Latin American countries, and it won’t do anything positive in Bahrain except destroy a beautiful island country (which almost no one in Bahrain wants to see happen). Things are not perfect, but destroying the place where we all live and work, property, businesses, lives, and the economy, is going to do nothing but mire this beautiful country in exactly what has plagued Iraq, Syria, now Egypt, and many other countries for so many wasted years (which will make the western world very happy). Do we really want to live where women and children are afraid to go shopping for food or shoes, where the economy just gets worse and worse, where everyone is afraid to go to a place of gathering whether it be a masjid, a martem, majlis, temple, synagog, or church? That will surely do nothing but incur Allah’s wrath. Even the Quran says “And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned.” (Quran 22:40). How does anyone expect to stand on the Day of Judgment and say “I vandalized and destroyed property that wasn’t mine, oh, and I scared a whole bunch of people so they wouldn’t even come pray to you”. Then the western world will show pictures and say “see, this is Islam, they can’t even get along with each other, and they want to kill you too, but if you just send more tax money we’ll keep them away from you.” I watched it on the nightly news for years until I too thought that was Islam (and nothing could be farther from the truth). I pray we figure out how to live together side by side in peace just as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught by example in Medina and then Makkah. Does it harm me if your arms are straight or crossed, or if you want to pray to a cow, a dog, a grave, the moon, or anything else? No, it only affects your relationship with Allah. My duty is to share with you what I’ve read regarding why that is wrong, in the nicest of ways, and then to leave you in peace to pray however and to whomever or whatever you desire. “and do not become divided” (Quran 3:103), “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.” (Quran 16:125), “And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah , lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge.” (Quran 6:108), Do not kill each other (Quran 4:92), Allah will forgive to those who have done wrong out of ignorance (Quran 16:119), try for settlement between people (Quran 49:9), “He intended to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ.” (Quran 3:55 & 5:48). If conflict is for a human made reason such as greed for power, greed for nationalism, greed for wealth, greed for fame, or anything that has nothing to do with the freedom to express the religion of God, then that war is not a Holy war, but it is an ordinary war that is for the sake of humans and not for the sake of Allah. Fi Amanillah!
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 18:27:28 +0000