Studying the Seerah of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) and practicing Islam in the West.
Asalaamu alaykum all,
I pray you are all well and good, in imaan and health.
I have just come across an article (a collection of excerpts, really) through the sunnah.org website entitled 'Descriptions of the Prophet Mohammed' (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam). Take the 15 minutes out of your day that is required to read it and go through it. It not only sufficiently goes through his physical features, but most importantly his character traits along with many hadiths to highlight the respective points of the qualities that he brought and taught to mankind, principles that are urgently needed in this time.
For the article, go to: http://cwis.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/prophet/prophetdescription.html
Unfortunately many Muslims have become so distanced from their Incredible Prophet and Messenger of God (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) that they don't even know how old he was at the time of his death! This is a calamity. We have objectified the Beloved Teacher (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) to such an extent that he no longer becomes humanly accessible. Instead of Muslims (well first of all, Muslims need to start practicing their fundamentals in the first place) taking the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) as their role model in life, I personally feel that he is seen as some faraway legendary hero of whom we know a good couple of stories about, etc, and people then seem to have the attitude: ok that's a good story, now lets get on with REAL LIFE! This is wrong.
Allah, our Loving Creator and Sustainer sent us his Chosen Apostle to be taken as an example to follow:
"Thou have indeed in the Apostle of God a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of God." (33:21)
If you are going to study anything related to Islam then study the Seerah of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam), his life story. Brothers and sisters, non-Muslims know more about Al-Mustafa than we do. They shower praise upon him more than we do. They study his life more than we do. Are we really believers? Do you and I think that we are believers and that, therefore, we are going to be saved? Well, on what basis?
If we really are believers then we will, without hesitation, sacrifice that hour in the evening when we normally would rest after a day's work or when we go home after lectures at university, etc. We will find the time to read a Seerah book, buy and listen to Shaykh Hamza's commentary on Martin Lings, to find out about Shamail Tirmizi, to read Qadi Iyad's Shifa. There are whole courses and the ‘ulema have talked at length about the lessons we can glean from his life and how to implement his moralities, habits and principles here in the West in the year 2005. Practical, realistic and effective; for Muslims who have hypocritically turned their backs on the Sunnah of the Best of Creation (just this term itself requires lengthy reflection) thinking that his way of life was for Arabia in the 7th century and we are now living in the West in the 21st century have a serious dilemma not only with their faith (imaan) but potentially with their place within the fold of Islam.
Following the lifestyles, imitating the conduct and patterns of the disbelievers and holding them, in practice, to be superior to the Sunnah (this word in Arabic means ‘established pattern of conduct’) of the Messenger of Allah is arguably tantamount to debasing the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam). The Sunnah of the Prophet and he himself are inseparable and to degrade one means degrading the other and the one who degrades the Beloved of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) by even a little becomes a disbeliever instantly; this is the Shar’iah of Islam. It is no good saying salaat-o-salaam and durood one day and then mimicking the disbelievers the next. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) said once: “ Whoever resembles a people, he is one of them.” Actions speak far, far louder than words.
Which brings me to another thing. I understand that we living here in the west (to those recipients in Europe, USA, etc) find it very difficult to keep up our Islam and to keep strong our Imaan (faith) in this Islam-less, Islamaphobic and virtually anti-Islamic climate and atmosphere. First of all, we need to ask ourselves what we are doing in non-Islamic lands in the first place if we are not engaged in calling the people to Allah (which is the only allowable reason for migrating from Islamic lands to non-Islamic lands); Shaykh al-Yacoubi has a good few things to say on this issue. The reality is (and I hope and pray that you are seeing this along with countless other people across the world) that we here in the West and elsewhere are slowly being pried from our connection with Allah, Most Loving through His Deen of Islam. Our traditions are being lost as we procreate further generations of children and our work and study patterns that are pseudo-religions unto themselves consume our very souls as we go about our days fulfilling worldly requirements.
The problem is not that we are dealing with the world, but that we deal with the world to such an extent that we stop dealing with and practicing our Islam. In case your respected self is not versed in the various intricate sociological philosophies and systems espoused by the disbelievers, this situation we are confronted with that is driving us further and further away from our Lord, our multi-faceted religion and our Leader (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) is precisely the goal of secularism. I repeat: our predicament is EXACTLY the aim of secularism. Secularism is the dominant political and social culture in the world today and it has to by necessity eradicate or weaken other systems of life.
More and more people are recognising, educated as well as the lay, that Islam is the true religion. Al-hamdu lillah. When I say true religion I do not mean a bunch of do-gooders who feel good about themselves and chant and pray pointlessly. The proof of a true religion is that it goes into the ghettos, into the slums, it can confront the drug gangs, the prostitution rings, it can go to the people surrounded by darkness and evil and bring those people out into the light, in bliss and total peace. THAT is the proof of a true religion. A Divinely revealed religion that has practical, realistic and effective beliefs and methodologies of how to live your life in harmony with yourself, with others, with nature and with the Divine. The last time I heard, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today, by far. As the saying goes: there is no smoke without fire.
We have been given truth, we have been told to strive for Allah’s sake, for the sake of this Deen and we have been promised unbelievable rewards by God Himself. We have been given a way of life, the only proven way of life in history and we are slowly being pulled away from it. We must see these realities, brothers and sisters, and we must act. The best way of life is one in which you balance your hereafter and your worldly life. Nevertheless, when the worldly life is getting you to sacrifice your hereafter for it, then one has to draw the line.
When the times comes, if it is not already here, to choose between Islam and your duty to Allah and His Messenger and anything else then it is, strictly speaking, as clear as crystal what has to be done. When people stop you from practicing your Deen (which today, unfortunately, includes some Muslim parents) then Allah and His Messenger come first. When people stop you from working for the Deen and benefiting the Deen and calling to Allah by any and all means, then Allah and His Messenger come first. One of the qualities of a believer is that if he were to be given a choice between carrying out an otherworldly matter (to do with the hereafter) and a this-worldly matter, that he would choose the former. Far from abandoning all our affairs (e.g. jobs, degrees, families, doctors’ appointments!), however, I know many righteous servants of Allah here in the UK who practice the Deen to the maximum, work for the Deen to the maximum and call to Allah with every effort who also have families, jobs and careers. What needs to be a done is an effective management of our daily lives, routines and schedules. Anything is possible if Allah so wills.
Allah, Lord of Might and Reverence, Most Wise says in His Book:
“Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that ye have gained; the commerce in which ye fear a decline: or the dwellings in which ye delight - are dearer to you than God, or His Apostle, or the striving in His cause; - then wait until God brings about His Decision (torment): and God guides not the rebellious. (At-Taubah: 24)
We need to rectify our priorities, perspectives and attitudes and ponder a little. Yesterday South Asia was almost completely wiped away by a tsunami; tomorrow Europe could be laid to waste by an asteroid. Don’t let yourself be deluded into sacrificing your hereafter, the next life, for this deceptively short and deceptively fragile life. I think the main problem that Muslims are faced with is twofold (along with two quick tips on how to rectify the respective issues!!!):
When you make the first step towards Allah, he takes ten steps to you. When you go to him walking, He comes to you with speed. Remember, His steps and His speed are not like that of any human. Allah will help us to attain success in this life and the next, but we have to take the first step.
I want to end with a few verses from the Glorious Qur’an that have particularly helped me; one of the key themes of these verses is to contemplate (tafakkur) over the Creation of Allah Almighty. Allah, the Owner of Reverence has invited us many times in His Book to observe, look and reflect over His Signs, His Signs in Creation, in the sky, in the Earth, the animals, etc, etc. Once you start to appreciate their reality, another reality dawns on you, a realisation. Once that realisation starts to sink in, it begins to change and turn your heart towards Allah, All-Powerful, Most Wise, All-Knowing. Only a proper state of heart achieved through the realisation of reality will enable one to consistently practice the Deen of Allah, Most Beautiful. Through appreciating the Signs of Allah you begin to become closer to Him. The more you ponder and realise, the closer you get to Him. After all, he is OUR Lord and Creator; each one of us has a distinct and unique relationship with Him just as each son and daughter has with each parent.
“To Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and Allah hath power over all things.
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, - there are indeed Signs for men of understanding, -
Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! Not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.”
(Al’Imran: 189-191)