The Soft Underbelly

 

Can you imagine what paradise is like? Do you take time out to imagine you being in paradise? To reach paradise you must die a worldly death to attain the everlasting pleasure of paradise. And what better death than being a martyr.

We are present in this holy month which witnessed the Battle of Badr but who of us would have been in the company of the Muslims during that battle, had we lived then? Of course, Allah designed and decreed that we live in this era, the here and now. We are armchair spectators to one of the worst, if not the worst, atrocity in the history of mankind. It is the life of today to be spectators. Everything around us creates the atmosphere for “viewing” and little about taking action. Islam has never been a religion of inaction and passiveness. Rather, Islam is built on faith and action. The bare minimum is to carry out the five pillars of Islam, viz. To bear testimony in the worship of Allah alone and that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is His final messenger. But your faith will never be complete unless you love for your Muslim brother what you love for yourself. Your faith will never be complete when his pain is not also your pain. So, when you see a wrong, you change it with your hands, and if you are unable, then with your speech and if you are unable, then with your heart (in prayer) but the latter is the weakest form of faith (as per the hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)¹. Of course, justice is not reserved for Muslims and Muslims are obligated to ensure justice for all.  There is always a group that are downright sell-outs and then there is the majority that believe battles are won with slogans, petitions and court-cases. Yes, we must speak out. Yes, we must make dua. But more than that we must act. The weakness in our words and prayers strongly suggest we must reform. Perhaps in our reformation to the pristine Islam taught by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and practised by the first three generations, we will be favoured with being part of the solution and victory. Victory is inevitable, it is just whether we are part of it.

Everybody is good at so many things, but not so good at proclaiming the religion of Allah, Islam. And not so good at making meaningful changes in their lives and to implement the changes which will augment the fight for justice and rid the world of evil and oppression.

1.      Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do so, then with his tongue. If he cannot do so, then with his heart, which is the weakest level of faith.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 49]

 

You need to also read:

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/03/your-honour.html

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/03/iftar-at-third-haram.html

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/02/wars-and-scores.html

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/02/red-heifer.html

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/01/why-its-trump.html

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2023/03/suicide-at-cape.html

 

Picture courtesy of https://www.powerthesaurus.org

 

Importance of 2024

 

The silly person is the one who is blessed but chooses something else, something imperfect over his blessing. Is not the blessing from your Creator, your Lord, your Provider, Allah the best?

In my last blog, it was mentioned that if there was any day to truly celebrate then it would be the battle of Badr, the battle in which the Muslims defeated the pagans of Mecca. The battle before which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made a plea to Allah for victory so that Islam is not lost if the Muslims are killed at that battle. Yet here we are in troubled times while we incline to a system other than that ordained by Allah and celebrating events and dates which are foreign to the teachings of Islam. Before there is any misunderstanding, we are in a non-Muslim country, and we are naturally therefore part of the system. However, it is one thing to partake in the system as is necessary but you must be circumspect to that which is not essential, but merely enjoyment and indeed, at times, frivolous. As we enter the Gregorian calendar year of 2024, there is not much to celebrate. Yet Muslims partook in celebrations and took the date and new year to be significant. If so, significant in which way? While Allah has prescribed the Hijri, lunar, calendar, how is it that you pray for a good new year while that new year has its origin in paganism. How is it that the lunar calendar is perfect, and it can only be so because Allah ordained it. The calendar is important in any system. Thus, from a Muslim point of view, the perfect Hijri lunar calendar must trump the imperfect system and calendar of western civilisation. A cursory glance at the Gregorian calendar then the length of the months has no clear reasoning with a month being twenty-eight days while others are either thirty or thirty-one. More confusing is it that months September to December have a numeric prefix from seven for September, eight for October, nine for November and ten for December. However, these are months nine to twelve which means that this calendar is somehow flawed. Were you to analyse the system further, you are sure to pick up many strange things. If there was to be a simple matter of choice between the Islamic system and any other system, then it must be easy to choose the Islamic over anything else. Islam has a calendar which trumps any other calendar and system. Even if there is an issue or something from another system, while Islam is silent on the matter, then it does not automatically mean that you can adopt that matter.

To put things in perspective, if you look around you and take only the Filisteeni issue, then how conflicted are you in your approach and support for these oppressed people. Your system is the Islamic system with its own calendar, its own days of celebration, its own method of celebration. Yet while you claim to support the oppressed and pray for them, you discard the blessings of Allah by choosing to partake in something foreign to Islam. Most don’t know the Hijri date (even approximately) or how close Ramadan is. Furthermore, Islam teaches that the day starts at “sunset” and not midnight. Such is it that the difference between truth and falsehood cannot be trivialised. To be aware is to choose Hijri lunar over Gregorian while we accept that in many cases, we do record the Gregorian date and refer to it. Ease of use under the circumstance is not a key to open the door to discarding the blessings of Allah.

 

You may also be interested in reading (click the link):

https://capemuslimspeak.blogspot.com/2024/01/can-you-see-victory-soon.html

 

 

Picture courtesy: https://pngtree.com

 

 

Can you see the victory soon

It is common in ageing to experience physical weakness and perhaps an ailment or two. Weakness of memory is fairly common. Islam has been around for many a century, but it is not Islam that is showing the signs of ageing, especially weakness, but Muslims in general. Islam is the religion and way of life ordained by Allah, the All-Powerful, the All-wise.

The world is facing many a crisis and Muslims are entirely caught up in it. Yet, except for pockets of excellence, pockets of resistance against tyranny and a small group clinging steadfastly to Quran and Sunnah, Muslims are not the dynamic ummah they ought to be. The fi li steeni issue shows some form of unity of Muslims, but without any leadership. Delving a little deeper, then the singularity of purpose, “this brotherhood of yours is one brotherhood” is tested. Muslims must be bonded under the banner of the kalima “laa ilaaha illallah Muhammad-ur-rasoolullah” but Muslims continue to look for credibility, support and legitimacy from outside. Every issue of injustice is a Muslim issue for which the ummah needs to rise and rectify. Muslims, though, continue to shout slogans and invoke the assistance of other than Allah. The discussion, debates and arguments, on the issue of the Filisteeni, in Muslim circles reflect the level of the ummah. Years of indoctrination has paid off as Muslims can, at best, shout slogans. No longer do the enemy fear the Muslims because Allah is not placed uppermost in the approach. The history of ‘Aad, Thamud and Pharoah is either forgotten or there is total ignorance on the matter. While Muslims celebrate and commemorate so many things, if they were to commemorate anything, then certainly the Battle of Badr should be on top of the list. Was it not this battle before which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ pleaded with Allah for victory?

“O Allaah, grant me what You have promised me, O Allaah, give me what You have promised me. O Allaah, if this small band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth.” [Sahih Muslim]

Muslims have the solution and rightly claim to have it. Yet, what they have is in books while the understanding and execution of important solution are lacking. Concentrating on matters of numbers and size of gatherings without quality and wisdom is childish and lacks maturity. That people incline to such leadership is testament to their weakness. Had they stuck to the guidance of Allah, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise, then their faith will increase tremendously and be a part of the solution. The solution can entail physical involvement or supplication and pray, both fully immersed in the complete faith they have in Allah.