[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Chaltahai: *
Fraudia: You are a shining example of humanity for us all. On the fence and all!!!!
[/QUOTE]
its just the mirrors on my pathan vest :)
I don’t care about others at all.
Whatever I do is what I think is right for me to do. I give more importance to certain things which appear to others(maybe, good Muslims and scholars) less important…like for example, I spend hours reading English/Urdu Quranic translations yet I don’t really like to read it in Arabic…Infact, I haven’t even finished Quran in arabic yet!..Whenever I read it in arabic I get a strange feeling that it doesn’t make much sense to me…Like why am I reading something that I don’t understand? I’m just trying to find out why I have to read it in a language I don’t understand…People just tell me that it is mandatory but no one has yet given me a valid reason for it yet. 
similarly, I don’t give much importance to hijab…I think hijab was a traditional dress in Mohammed(saw) times which women used to wear then and I believe that anything which covers my body(appropriately) except my face and hands is like a hijab(purdah)…However, it’s NOT my final judgment…I’m still trying to get more information on this topic…
I find it very difficult to offer prayers(except namaz-e-jumma) because I’m a fulltime student and also a lazy person…:(… I love Allah and I’m trying to change myself in this matter but I don’t know if I’ll succeed in it…wish me luck!!!
I don’t know if I answered your question or not but I think all this is related to this topic…Sorry if I went off the track..
Hey, do not be too hard on yourself. Take one step at a time. I have seen many people who started with praying once a week and then become a regularly prayer. Try your best and with sincere heart to approach salat. Slowly you will get the hang of it .
As for the Quran, Reading and understanding the meaning are both important. You will get reward for both of them. Go on with what you are doing. Keep on reading the translation and interpretation and the Arabic words.. I am sure in no time you well get very acquainted with verses and will began to recognize the pattern, the meaning and the beauty of Al-Quran.
Don’t stop doing the good thing. Just increase.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ammarr: *
[All are basically gr8 people. This is why I focused on the physical aspects... most of us do manage to be generous/gentle/simple since society confirms these to be good values, but when it comes to change our appearance, many of us waver.
[/QUOTE]
This is still related to internal condition of a person. When you have strong Iman it shows outside in your behavior, manner, and character..In the way you carry yourself, in your speech, akhlak and how you handle the situation. It’s still the matter of your faith (Iman) that correlates to the physical appearance. Usually if a person does not find the importance of it deep down in their heart then it wont shows.
On the other hand we have seen many examples of people who are physically Islamic committing unbelievable atrocities.
I agree with you ammarr, societal pressure has a tremendous impact on our behaviour. Anyone who says otherwise, "get real!" If it weren't for societal pressure, we wouldn't be such a homogeneous society. People wouldn't be stumbling over themselves to fit in and keep up with the Joneses.
An instance of societal pressure preventing us to be good muslims is to keep quiet when someone makes an offensive remark about our faith. Or just being proud of being muslim and how many of us feel that pride?
Growing up in an area without any diversity, I felt that I had to be exactly like my peers. Even though I now live in a metropolitan area with a large muslim community, I still feel that societal pressure does influence how I do certain things like the way I dress. If for instance, I lived in a society, in which I was expected to be covered head to toe, I would comply (regardless of the fact that I don't believe in it) but I definitely cannot do that where I would be ostracized.
Article related to the subject.
Resisting The Urge To Compromise
*The word Hikmah (wisdom) has been misinterpreted for too long. It means to approach the people in the best way possible, to act in the in most appropriate way taking that particular situation into account. It has never meant to give a false image of Islam for personal or community welfare. When Muslims are willing to compromise in all aspects of their life, we lose the favour of Allah, emit an image of weakness to our enemies, and lose that dignity in the sight of our Creator. *
All praise is due to Allah, the Just, the Bestower, and peace and blessings upon our beloved and humble Prophet Muhammad.
The most popular catch-cry of today's generation is the word "compromise". The weak consider it as * harmless* , the ignorant hold it as * beneficial* , and the astray count it as essential. Seems too powerful a conclusion, but that's the reality. *In Islam, there is absolutely no room for compromise. **There is no evidence that the Prophet (s.a.w) ever did so, nor did his companions, nor does the Qur'an provide scope for it. This stance also makes rational sense to those who sincerely dwell upon this topic. A person suffering from a heart condition will be foolish if he chose to consume half of the medicine prescribed, and then took sugar lollies as substitutes for the rest of the tablets. Who is he cheating? Not the doctor, who sought the best possible solution for his condition, nor the pharmacist, who supplied the medicine. The patient is the one at loss. **Surely, Allah, in His Wisdom and Mercy chose Islam as the medicine for the ills of our society: the cancer of interest and woes of politics, the mistreatment of women and the division of society, the stinginess of man and his unsatiable desires. *
WHY DO WE COMPROMISE?
There appears to be three main reasons why people will willingly compromise the elements of Islam, will choose those orders Allah has enforced us to follow according to their own desires, and substitute the rest with man-made systems.
- "We are living in hard times, in a difficult society, and thus Allah permits us to compromise, because ( now wait for it)...' Islam is easy, not hard' ". A Hadith also quoted is that narrated by Aisha (r.a.a), who said that when the Prophet (s.a.w) had the choice between two actions, he chose the easiest course. True, Islam is easy to follow, but not to the extent that we are permitted to change the rules set by Allah for our own convenience. When asked what their proof is that we can compromise, they claim that our condition today is similar to that during the Makkan period of the Prophet's mission. We should bear patiently like he did then, and act as he did in those circumstance. The fallacy of this argument stands clear when we study the reasons why the Prophet (s.a.w) acted as he did back then, and how later on he acted differently. We are now living in the Madinah era, the era where the Qur'an was completed. The Makkan period could be seen as a temporary stage where the companions were trained and prepared in that special environment. But Islam was completed, finalised with the ayah:
*"This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you,and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." *
*Islam was then perfected, so by retracing our steps all the way back to the Makkan era is illogical. *
A cup full of fresh milk will be spoilt if only a drop of blood were to fall in it. Allah has never asked us to go beyond our capacity to please him , thus arguments such as "I must work in a Haram field because I have no choice" is an invalid argument. *If our women must mix with men in the workplace, Allah never asked them to go to such extents. If we eat food which is declared Haram, don't expect automatic forgiveness, because no excuse remains. *
Where as most people use their own rationale to substantiate their weak claims, I have the Word of Allah:
"Such is Allah, your Lord in truth. So after the truth, what else can there be, save error" [Surah 10, Verse 32]
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error"
[V.33, V.36]
Do you consider our current situation to be much worse than that suffered by the Prophet (s.a.w) and his companions, or the other prophets before him? Surely this is the same code enjoined upon the Prophet (s.a.w) and upon us. Yusuf (a.s) went through many tortures, but never compromised, but instead turned to his Creator:
"O my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me"
[S.12,V.33].
It was not in the nature of Yusuf, nor in any of the Prophets, nor in any of the righteous servants of Allah, to compromise in order to gain some worldly benefit. Yusuf preferred jail to falling for the lusts of women.
Another false argument is the apologetic one: "We want to show people a religion which is easy and doesn't require much effort, not to make people run away from Islam." **
In truth , people have been running to Islam because, when shown in its real light, Islam provides the solutions people have been seeking. They do not want a mixture of Islam with the Kufr they fled. Showing Islam in a **"moderate" or "soft" light will only give the wrong image of an already perfect religion.The third argument is that we must compromise in order to strengthen Islam. We must enter and join these institutions, join hands with the non-Muslims who are our partners in this life. This way, we can spread Islam, and live happily ever after.
WRONG!!! Again, there is no proof in the Shariah for this view, but rather to the contrary. Surah al-Kafirun is a prime example of this:
"Say: "Disbelievers! I do not worship what you worship nor do you worship what I worship. I shall never worship what you worship neither will you worship what I worship. You have your own religion and I have mine."
Muhammad (s.a.w) declared his religion to be that of Ibrahim. The unbelievers thus argued that there was no reason for them to leave their own beliefs and take up that of Muhammads (s.a.w), seeing they were of the same religion. They sought to compromise with him, proposing that he should prostrate before their gods in exchange for them prostrating before Allah, and he could demand whatever he wanted from them. This Surah was revealed in an uncompromising tone, clearly dividing tawheed (monotheism) from shirk (polytheism), establishing a true criterion, allowing for no further wrangling.
This wasn't the only situation. **When the Prophet's uncles felt that he was getting too powerful, they tried to bribe him with the gifts of this world. They offered him the leadership of Makkah if that was what he desired, wealth if that was his purpose, the most charming wife if that was what pleased him, yet he refused all these, because he only desired that only the truth prevailed. **Under such harsh and luring circumstances, he commented that if the sun were to be given in his right hand, and the moon in his left, never would he leave this cause until Allah will elevate it, or he would die striving for this cause. This was his prime opportunity; if it were in his nature to compromise, he could have accepted the leadership, secretly hid his true convictions, and later spread Islam after being confident and powerful enough. Rasulallah (s.a.w) was known as the Trustworthy. He was thus able to kindle the fire of Arab nationalism and would thus have united them. They would have responded gladly to his call, tired of their tribal warfares. Thereafter, he could free the Arab lands from the domination of the Romans and the Persians. He could have easily established an Arab state in this way, instead of bearing thirteen years of pain and torture. He could have made the people bow initially before his authority, then he could have used his position of authority to impose the belief in the unity of Allah, and bow before the True God.
This was not what Allah desired though, and that is not Islam. Islam seeks the destruction of all forms of evil, through pure ways, not the manipulation of evil to reach a pure goal. This is not possible, nor permissible.
Even in a life or death situation, we are told of the rewards if we persevere and bear patiently. Ibrahim (a.s) chose to burn in the fire prepared by his own father, rather than to hide his religion, leave the area, and spread the Word of Allah.
NO EXCUSE
Rest of article.
Alhamdulillah, we are given all the necessities of life. We have enough money to purchase halal products and these are available everywhere, so we need not compromise in terms of our food. We can freely wear the required clothing asked by Allah, so we have no excuse not to. Our sisters need not mix in our universities or workplaces, because Allah never requested them to compromise Islam to gain worldly knowledge. We can choose our work, our partners, our lifestyle, yet we consider ourselves fighting some imaginary "Jihad" of the nafs. Indeed, you never initially had an excuse, and you certainly do not now, so stick to the path chosen by Allah, to all of it, for that is the only way we can dig ourselves from this rotten trough we have fallen in, because we prefer to attribute orders to Allah which He never asked for.
*"Say you (O Muhammad ): ' This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me with sure knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah. And I am not of the Mushrikun.' "[S.12,V.108] *
*""And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not other paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become pious."[S.6,V.153]. *
By: Ibrahim Abu Khalid
Re: Rest of article.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Majid007: *
Our sisters need not mix in our universities or workplaces, because Allah never requested them to compromise Islam to gain worldly knowledge.
[/QUOTE]
This sounds suspiciously like ' Our sisters have no need to be educated' . Is it ?
Secondly, lets suppose that to educate themselves or work our sisters just couldn't avoid 'mixing'. Shall we (the 'brothers') let them have the choice, or decide for them ?
Thirdly, is letting them (our sisters) decide, a 'compromise' ?
RedMango.. my question was about following Islam to the full. Please dont bring in this brother/sister man/woman thing in here. just start a new thread if you're that curious.
Majid, the article is a nice read =)
[QUOTE]
This sounds suspiciously like ' Our sisters have no need to be educated' . Is it ?
[/QUOTE]
Please dont make assumptions.
[QUOTE]
Secondly, lets suppose that to educate themselves or work our sisters just couldn't avoid 'mixing'. Shall we (the 'brothers') let them have the choice, or decide for them ?
[/QUOTE]
That decision is up to them, the laws of the Qur'an and Sunnah have been laid over 1400 years ago, and they are still here, if we choose to follow them, we gain, if we dont, then we compromise. And there are some special reasons sometimes which Allah knows, but as always refer them to Qur'an and Sunnah.
I'll post another article by a female convert on this topic.
Wisdom or Surrender
Shariffa Carlo
Last night, something happened to me. I was out with my husband and I was harassed by a group of young men, who to me looked like a bunch of gang members (then again, all young men today seem to make me fear that ). One of the young men came up to me, arms up, and screamed into my ear like he was fighting off some monster… Normally, I am not affected by this type of childish behavior by ignorant kafirs, but this time, it got to me. I thought about all the experiences I have had over the years in this country, from the time a group of young guys tried to run me over to the stupid, silly ninja jokes I hear almost every time I go out. I felt weak, and I was tired of being a freak.
When we were talking about the incident, we started to come up with options, like changing the colors I wear - avoiding black. We felt that maybe that would help. But after really thinking about it, I doubt it will help. When I was almost run over, I was wearing a headpiece, jeans and a long top. This was back in my first days as a Muslim, when I did not know that this was not proper hijab). The dress did not matter. The color, I believe, does not really matter. It seems, in most cases that what matters to them is that I am different. In other cases, it is that I am Muslim.
The reality is that this society that publicly applauds individuality, is actually one of the most repressive societies that exist. Individuality is good as long as that individuality matches what the other individuals are doing to express their individuality. If all the young people are rebelling by growing long hair, donning beads and doing drugs, then it is acceptable to be individualistic by behaving the same way. But if all the youngsters are doing as I just mentioned, it is not appropriate to put on a hijab and fear Allah. That is aberrant behavior!
Allah warned us that the non-believers will not accept us until we give up our Islam. We have to become just like them to be accepted by them. Then, they will be happy.
Allah says:
And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians until you follow their religion. Say: Surely Allah’s guidance, that is the (true) guidance. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper. 2:120.
At first, I thought it would be wise to tone down my appearance. But I realized that too often, we use the term hikmah (wisdom) to justify watering down our deen. But when we do that, we lose the true flavor of Islam. We lose the sweetness of the faith. Wisdom does not involve throwing aside the beliefs in Allah in order to please the population that surrounds us.
Ibrahim Abu Khalid wrote: “The word Hikmah (wisdom) has been misinterpreted for too long. It means to approach the people in the best way possible, to act in the in most appropriate way taking that particular situation into account. It has never meant to give a false image of Islam for personal or community welfare. When Muslims are willing to compromise in all aspects of their life, we lose the favor of Allah, emit an image of weakness to our enemies, and lose that dignity in the sight of our Creator.” (Nida’ul Islam magazine (http://www.islam.org.au), August-September 1995)
Last night, as I reflected on what happened, and my weak reaction to it, I felt ashamed. Am I better than the Prophet and his great companions? Of course not! And when I look to what they had to endure, I am ashamed of my impatience with such a minor incident. The companions of Rasool Allah endured torture, humiliation, starvation, and even death. All that happened to me was a guy screamed in my ear. Where was that patience I preach about, the pride in my deen, the mukhalifa attitude? If this was a test, I failed miserably. Allah forgive me!
Now, how does this apply to me as a Muslim? Well, I think it was a lesson for me. I think that I was meant to learn that it is easy for Shaytan to open the door to our hearts to make us want to compromise to please society. Attempts were made to tempt the Prophet with lucrative offers that were made to him. He was offered to become a ruler in Mecca, but he did not falter. He did not compromise one iota of Islam for these people, and neither should we.
I know that wearing black is a sunnah. I would be committing no sin if I switched to blue or green or white. I know that it could possibly be easier on me if I change to another color. But, will I ever be able to respect myself again if I allow the inconsequential bullying of a kafir scare me into giving up one act (sunnah or fard) from my deen? On the Day of Judgement, will I be able to honestly say to Allah that I was willing to sacrifice my life for His sake if I am not even willing to withstand a little taunting for His sake?
When I first became Muslim, the idea of “fitting in” was drilled into me. I was told that I should modify my hijab in such a way as to blend in. “Use the patterns that are ‘in fashion’. Modify them, so they are more Islamic.” I was told. I did that. I compromised my deen by trying to look more like the non-Muslims so that they would not be intimidated by me. The result? When some Muslim terrorist hijacked a plane and killed the pilot, a group of young men decided that the proper retaliation for this was to kill me because I was a Muslim like the terrorist. They aimed their car towards me and gunned the engines. They missed me only by the Grace of Allah. All I remember is jumping, and when I landed, the car was fishtailing over the spot where I had been standing! It was then that I realized that compromise is useless. It does not matter what I do. I am different. I am a freak, and I am a slap in the face to all their values, morals and culture, so they are NEVER going to accept me! So why should I lose any chance I may have at Jannah, just to make them feel less intimidated by me?
Over the years, I have read hadiths like,
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet said, “I have been given five things which were not given to any one else before me. 1. Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month’s journey…” Sahih Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 7, Number 331.
And I have thought about the meaning of this. Why would fear be good? Do we want the non-believers to fear us? Isn’t it the fear of us that makes them hurt us in places like Bosnia and Kosovo? Isn’t it fear of us that makes them harass us? Maybe. But it was also fear of us that made them respect us when we were strong in our deen, when we did not compromise it. When we were strong in the deen, we were leaders of the world. We had the deen and the power because Allah was on our side.
When we started to compromise, we lost the power. Then we were left with only the fear from a group that was stronger than us. We lost the benefits of that fear, Allah’s protection, because we were willing to compromise. Ibin Khaldun said, “I knew Al Andalus would fall when I saw them imitating the Kufar”. They were a strong nation, but they sacrificed the favor of Allah for the favor of the kufar, and the kufar rewarded them with contempt and Muslim blood flowing like rivers in the streets. The Bosnians and the Kosovars blended in, now the price they pay for being good neighbors is having no home.
Allah also warned us what would happen when we stopped practicing our deen, when we sacrificed the next world for this one:
“The nations summon each other upon you as you call guests to eat from a plate of food”, they said , “will we be few in number on that day O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “no rather you will be many on that day, but you will be like the foam on the ocean. And Allaah will remove the fear in the hearts of your enemies and place in your hearts al-wahn”. They said, “what is al-wahn O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “love of this world and hatred of death.”’ (Sahih: Taken from a speech by Al AlBaani: www.ucl.ac.uk/~uczxisl/jihad.htm).
I know, it is a small thing, a color. It is easy and halal for me to change from black to something else, but Inshallah, I will not give them the satisfaction! We, as Muslims, have to take a stand somewhere. When will the compromise stop? When will the love for Allah above the love for this dunya cause us to act? When will I stop cowering and fight back? When will I say, “Enough! My way is the right way; it is the way of Allah and what you are doing is wrong.”? When will I become a caller to Islam - all of it - without compromise, without sugar-coating, without reservations? When will I finally accept that what Allah has commanded - either as a fard or as a sunnah is the best and compromising it compromises me? When will I stand in the face of evil and say, “Enough!” ?
This is my battleground. It is small, I admit, but this is where I draw the line. I will not compromise what I know to be the best to please those I know to be in error. Allah accept from me this small deed for Your sake and give us all the strength to say Enough! Ameen.
Incline:
Incline to peace, the spider quotes,
To the unsuspecting fly.
A Familiar tale unfolds itself,
As does a familiar lie.
How many times must we succumb,
To the spider’s bloody thirst,
Before we realize the truth,
We must defeat him first.
Only achieved on our own terms,
Can peace be considered peace.
Only when we’ve reached this goal,
Can any hostilities cease.
For if we withdrawal under any plan,
Our enemy can engender,
What we will have achieved will not be peace,
We’ll only have achieved surrender.
tazzy
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fraudz: *
We get too preoccupied with painchaa, darrhi, tasbeeh ... what about the personality, behavior, outlook, gentleness, simplicity, graciousness, that a true muslim should have
[/QUOTE]
This would be an accurate description of the dozen or so Muslims I have had the pleasure of meeting, mostly for Pakistan, and a few from Yemin.
By the same token, substitue "Christian" for "Muslim", and the statement would still be true!
Peace To All Who Read This...
Masha'Allaah! An excellent eye-opening and mind-churning thread.
I’ve noticed that many of those who have criticised the thread or Ammar’s approach have been far too hasty and presumptuous.
It was not asked, “what makes a good Muslim”. The initiation of the thread was with respect to acknowledging and accepting Islaam into our lives on a personal level, in a largely non-Muslim society. That is to say: “What stops you from practicing Islaam to the best of your ability.”
The problem is, that whenever we are asked to reflect upon ourselves as Muslims, we automatically take a defensive attitude of: “How dare you question me about my Religion”; “you’re just another mullah” or; “Mind your own business.” So each time a question is raised carrying the slightest hint towards improving oneself as a Muslim, it brings together with it a degree of anxiety. But why? Surely, if a brother or a sister sincerely advises us to question ourselves with regards to our relationship and attachment to society with our relationship and attachment to the Creator, this can only be for our own benefit. Why does it frighten us?
It does not necessarily mean that the two relationships are exclusive of one another, but rather, they can be compatible if we know how to manage them while conducting ourselves in society and prioritising. What can be so terrifying about this?
In fact, we should be grateful when someone asks us to question ourselves with regards to our Religion. This is what the Messenger of Allaah – salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – advised the Companions with, and they were clearly the best of mankind. Do we not require this reminder moreso?
I would also like to add as a side point, that if I were to say to myself that “I am a good Muslim” without practicing Islaam to the best of my ability, I would be kidding myself. At the very least I would need to prove this to myself and to Allaah – subhaana wa ta’aala – to Whom we shall all return.
To practice our Deen to the best of our ability, means that our actions, both inwardly and outwardly, must be in accordance with Islaam (Qur'aan & Sunnah). By actions here, we mean: the actions of the heart; the actions of the limbs; and the actions of the tongue.
If Islaam was only about believing in the heart but not acting upon it, then it would not have been of any use for Allaah to send Muhammad – salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – “… as an example to be followed …” as He Himself states in the Qur’aan. And if Islaam was purely for a social purpose of treating people with kindness and care, then Allaah would not have commanded us to establish the regular prayers. Rather, Islaam encompasses everything in a balanced format.
So it is no good in telling yourself that you are a ‘good’ Muslim if you just believe in the Word of God and His Prophet, but when it comes to acting upon it, you find yourself engaged in backbiting or fornication or other sinful actions of the tongue and limbs. Similarly, you are fooling only yourself if you pray and worship God, but not in sincerity and for His pleasure alone, but rather for the pleasure of the people.
Then why is it, that if a man chooses to grow a beard or wear his lower garment above his ankles he is considered to be an extremist or a fundamentalist? And why is it, that if a sister decides to preserve the hijaab or raise a family, instead of work, she is considered as being oppressed. For verily it is such actions that have been commanded, encouraged and allowed by Allaah and His Messenger. And truly, it is such actions, together with ‘eemaan (and the social, political, economic etc. behaviour), that prove to oneself how good a muslim he or she really is in the eyes of the Creator, Allaah.
The irony remains however, that for those who consider themselves to be Muslims, perhaps not even good, but just Muslims, when Allaah and His Messenger command to wear the hijaab or grow the beard or not allow the lower garment to fall below the ankle, it is taken as insignificant and brushed aside as though it is worthless. Then i ask you, why is it, when a father commands his son that he expects him to be home no later than 9 O’clock, he expects his son to obey him? Surely, the commandment of God is far superior than that of a man over his child!
So what is it that prevents us from following the commandments of Allaah and His Messenger? And why is it that whenever we are reminded to assess our position in Islaam and question our adherence to the Religion, that we get upset? We can either do it today or tomorrow – when the pen is lifted, the ink is dry, and the book is shut … please don’t leave it too late. We are all far from perfect.
&peace
"No leaf falls except that He knows of it, and no rain drop forms except that He has willed it."
No way. Look at all the role models we muslims have nowadays.
Hakeem Olajuwan
Malcolm X
Muhammad Ali
Kareem Abdul Jabar
Rahim Abdullah