Ask
your Imam, ask your Mowlana, ask your Sheikh! They have studied the religion
and should be in a position to guide us. Yet, we understand that they are not
infallible and may make mistakes. I will try not to directly quote Hadith
and/or Quran because the idea is for us to research aspects of our deen and get
authentic guidance from our learned people.
A
learned person, a Muslim who goes and partakes in a prayer meeting with people
from other faiths, in, let's say a church, will send confusing signals to the
layman. Is it permissible to pray with them and the argument will start with
"tolerance" and "my sheikh said.." and "we must
respect ...". And yet no one spoke any word of ill or malice towards
anyone from the other faith. But the new
buzzword is integration and as Muslims we need to integrate and therefore
interfaith is a powerful means for doing so.
I
scratch my head and look around but few are willing to say anything. Perhaps,
they will say something in the privacy of their homes or, when they do speak
more "publicly", they don't draw a line in the sand as did our
beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . Did he not draw a line in the sand? But where did we go
wrong? A long story but here are just a few thoughts of how thoughtless we are
in the seeds we plant. Easter has everything to do with paganism and there is a
fair impact of this on Christianity. Christians largely believe that Jesus died
for their sins on the cross. This happening is alleged to have taken place on
Good Friday which, coincidently, falls in line with the Easter weekend which is
synonymous with paganism. And, aaahhh, the easter eggs which are now made with
chocolate. Lovely isn't it. Except that,
while the chocolate is halal (permissible),
the now Easter-egg-formed chocolate is
nothing but a dedication to a pagan god. We find it delicious while we consume
nothing but that which at least taints our bodies and our very souls - do we go
to buy meat and ask for halal meat or do we eat any meat. The sheep, while it
was alive was halaal for us as potential meat until it was slaughtered and
dedicated to other than Allah. Likewise, the chocolate was halaal until it was
dedicated to a pagan god. And yet, you disagree, and you are inclined to stop reading
and you say "it is only chocolate we eat...".
And
as you carry on, you now attend their Christmas services in Church, you attend
their Christmas meals, and you give Christmas gifts. All in the name of tolerance
and shirk. "Well it is our Prophet too", I hear you say. Of
the many questions that arise is "are they celebrating the birth of God or
the son of God" - Is this not shirk? "Yes, but we don't do
that" is the retort. The crazy thought that we love for others what we
love for ourselves and then you tell them that you support them in going on their
way to the place where people who commit shirk go. Of course, Muslims do
believe in the Hereafter and in Heaven and Hell - right? So, you nudge them along to hell instead of leading them to the straight path. Interesting that people of
tolerance and integration can do that. But some are just so confused and allow
the non-Muslim to take your hand and drag you along all the while thinking that
you still pray and fast then you are all good. And then there are also other religions
like Hinduism, African Traditional religions, etc.
We
are human and we are prone to error. The good news is that our Creator, Allah, sent to us a
messenger who was the last of all prophets and who brought us Quran and his
sunnah ﷺ.
The best of teachers is none but Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Research, ask questions and be concerned
with your standing in front of Allah on the Day of Reckoning. Seek the truth and
live as a Muslim, inviting to good and forbidding evil.
To them their religion (to practice) and to us ours.
To them their religion (to practice) and to us ours.
We
pray for leaders who will guide us - seek them out and speak not of your own
desire.
And
Allah knows best.
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