Islam and Radicalization?

Recently, the news regarding a student, Saad Aziz, from IBA being involved in alleged terrorist activities has set the media on fire. The news indeed is shocking because it questions the very role of education in terms of breeding logical and stable members of the society. I was amongst the many who were extremely taken aback by this news and I saw myself praying that this is a false allegation and that it gets to be known as such. However, if the allegations are true then there are very important factors that need to be considered before deriving any conclusions from such an incident.

Looking through all the articles and bulletins, it seemed that the student’s growing a religious tendency seemed to be the sole reason for his inclination towards such acts. While, in such time and age, due to the acts of a few, it surely does seem that religion may have some link with radicalization but that is in fact completely false and baseless. A related article by the Guardian gave useful insight on the matter, with one of its statements being; “The fact is that the role of religion in radicalization (and de-radicalization) is grossly overestimated. There is actually no empirical evidence to support the claim that religion (any religion) and ideology are the primary motivators of violent extremism.”

Although, such incidents may be becoming increasingly common, it goes against principle and logic to consider what is true for a part to be true for the whole. Perhaps a simple comparison may suffice as an explanation, Islam itself is like water; in its real form and use, it instigates life and without it there is no life. However, this very same water can wreak havoc and cause mind-blowing catastrophe when it comes in the form of tsunamis and other disasters. Similarly, our religion in its true essence is the source of life, a manual and guidance for entire mankind. However, damage takes place only when it falls in the hands of wrong people who very conveniently misquote its verses and use it as a means of brainwashing other people. These people do so in order to serve their own ulterior motives and while such motives and their causes are unknown because they cover them under the facade of religion, nonetheless, it needs to be clear that their acts are by no means in accordance to or supported by religion.

Allah is our Judge; and Islam by no means allows us to take the responsibility of judging others and taking their lives into our own hands. Our religion commands us to have courteous relations even with non-Muslims; let alone Muslims. So how can we go about judging even those who are Muslims whether they may be practicing or not. Without a doubt, our religion requires us to command good and forbid evil but it nowhere goes near to violence or to taking the lives of others into our own hands. In fact, at the time of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) in a war, one of the Sahabah overcame his opponents and just as he was about to kill him, the opponent recited the kalima, yet the Sahabi killed him. When the Prophet (S.A.W.W) found out about this incident, he called over the Sahabi and asked the reason behind his doing so, so he said that I still killed him because I felt that he only accepted Islam due to fear and in order to save his life and not because he truly wanted to do so. The Prophet (S.A.W.W) reprimanded his act and said that did you tear open his heart that you knew his intent?

Religion and religious appearances have no link with any terrorist ideologies; just because religion is being misused by people doesn’t mean that it breeds such ideologies. Just like such people have no right to judge others similarly people should be careful of judging religious or religious looking people as well. It is as disturbing for us as it is for those who don’t adorn such appearances when people do such acts because they are not only causing direct damage as a result of their acts but also defaming and giving religion a bad name which it certainly does not deserve. It seems that the time is here about which the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) said, "There will come a time when holding on to your Emaan (belief) will be like holding onto hot coals." May Allah Ta’ala guide us and make us firm on His religion and may He protect us from those people who misinterpret it and use it to misguide others. I hope and pray that we are able to recognize people for who they are and distinguish clearly between right and wrong. This time and these incidents are a trial for everyone, may Allah Ta’ala protect us in this time.

A love letter long overdue

It’s exhilarating as it is tensing but I can’t believe that I am finally at it. It feels a bit surreal yet I can’t help but feel embarrassed…

All my life I have searched for love in the wrong places. From the Disney movies that I watched as a kid to the chick flicks that I adored in my teens; I just felt that the spark that we thrive for in our lives awaits us in some Mr. Right. Though no one quite claims that aloud yet somehow that seems to be exactly what most of us seem to be searching for. But that’s not it.

Many of us may not even thrive for just romantic love but some of us thrive for love for our families, friends, for ourselves or perhaps the better amongst us may even search for love for humanity. But nothing gives back the way it should and how can it? How can we expect people to love us back the way we want them to? How can we have expectations from other people when we fail our own selves so many times? How can I expect unconditional love from someone when I am incapable of giving the same myself? We are humans and we are prone to make mistakes; to disappoint. Then how can one expect such perfect love from imperfect people? I refuse to give in to heart ache each time someone I love disappoints me; be it my own self. I refuse to believe that this wonderful feeling was given to us in order to hurt us time and time again.

But all of this begs the question that who then deserves this love that we so easily throw in the hands of unworthy, undeserving people? The answer was simple now that I come to think of it; and I had found it each time someone had hurt me, each time I shed a tear in secrecy there was only One to console me. How had I not thought of this before is really beyond me. This love that we throw away so shamelessly was made for the One Who created it in the first place, it was for the One Who created us, Who taught us how to take our first steps and Who taught us how to use our tongue, Who taught us the use of pen as we grew older and taught us that which we did not know.

“Who taught by the pen (4) Taught man that which he knew not.” (5)- Surah Alaq.

So I write my long overdue love letter with a sense of excitement alongside a sense of regret.

My Dearest, Most Beloved Allah ﷻ,

I write to you today what I should have written a long time back. I am no poet, no writer, in fact I am no one other than a sinning slave. Oh my Allah ﷻ, I have come to you today empty handed; the only thing I have to offer is a broken, wounded heart that I am finally putting to its place. Oh Allah ﷻ forgive me for I have slipped time and time again. I wandered far away but I finally found the right place and had it not been for Your blessings and guidance I don’t know where I would have been today. Oh Allah ﷻ I come to you hoping that You will accept this deficient attempt of mine.

Ya Allah ﷻ, I live in a time where there are two extremes; ones who only follow Islam as if it were a list of to-dos and don’ts and ones who only seem to be concerned about its spirit and intention. Yet so few realize that it is a perfect combination of both. How can we live our lives without order yet get through with intention? And how can we only do actions without feeling anything? Ya Allah ﷻ people don’t realize that the two are inter-binding; that Your love brings about the desire to obedience and that Your obedience leads to Your Pleasure.

I live in a time where people debate about the beard and hijab. They rightfully say that Islam is not in the beard and hijab but they forget that beard and hijab are a part of Islam. How can I claim to love you yet do as I please? If I truly love you then I would want to be the way You want to see me. How can I claim to love you and then simply dress as I please? When You have commanded hijab how can I shun it?

Oh Allah ﷻ if one of our teachers had instructed us to use double spacing in an assignment we would not dare to do otherwise fearing that it would make us lose some points. Yet when it comes to Your commandments, my Lord, we all seem to do as we please.

There is no doubt that hijab is hard; while most girls my age get decked up as they step out I, instead, cover myself in a lose coat. And in a time where Islam is so misunderstood I step out and feel glances that tell me that they feel I am backward or suppressed. Little do they know that I wear it only for Your sake; for I would rather feel strange amongst people for Your sake than have the comfort and joy dressing in a way that You don’t approve of.

Oh Allah ﷻ! They feel that when I clad on my hijab I get with it the right to judge; little do they know that these eyes are so occupied with my own faults that I cannot afford to cast a glance at anyone else. I don’t, rather I can’t, judge anyone who doesn’t cover, however, it hurts me when they so easily dispense off and disregard something that is dear to You as something insignificant and unimportant. For it is one thing to not wear hijab and another entirely to justify it. Both Hazrat Adam A.S. and Satan faltered, however, Satan justified his act while Hazrat Adam A.S. repented; I just hope and wish that people could realize that.

Ya Allah ﷻ I pray to You to give me an intellect that makes me understand Your commandments; not one which questions them. Ya Allah ﷻ what use will my intellect be if it doesn’t bring me closer to you? Oh my dear Lord, I seek Your forgiveness and thank You for all the little and big things that You blessed me with; for giving me a family, a home, for making sure there is someone or another to put a smile on my face. Oh Allah ﷻ You have blessed us immensely and my deficient words of gratitude can never be enough and my praises of You can never equal Your Magnificence, so I ask you not to look at my words or my deeds but rather to accept my feeble attempt. For this sinning lover of Yours knows no more than to try, and for I heard from someone that “oh Lord I failed a thousand times but still Your Mercy remains.”

Oh Allah ﷻ I ask You for Your love and the love of those whom You love. Let me also love others for Your sake as that alone will allow me to love them unconditionally; without any expectations. Ya Allah ﷻ this heart belongs to You so kindly accept it for now and forever.  

Oh Allah ﷻ I fear the day when we would be raised up and would have to give an account for all we did in this world. I am afraid I have nothing that I could present on that day but just a few tear drops that I shed in Your remembrance at some points in my life. I am sorry I never turned up earlier. I am sorry I faltered time and again. All I can promise and commit to is not giving up. I won’t give up I promise. And even for that I beg you to help me achieve that.

I thought I didn’t believe in happily ever-afters as they seemed too clichéd but with You Allah there really is a happily ever-after if we set our lives straight. May we not get distracted by the glitz and glamour of this worldly life for it is temporary and our final abode and destination is only with You. Let us live our lives focusing on and working towards our aakhirah; as what use will a fancy guesthouse have for me if I build myself a rotten home!

Etiquette of entering home in Islam

When entering home; one should say salam even if the house is empty and recite the dua for entering home.

Furthermore, one should use miswaak for as soon as one enters home. 

Eating etiquette in Islam

Torn between two extremes

"Some days,

 I feel everything at once,

Other days,

I feel nothing at all.

I don't know what's worse:

Drowning between the waves

Or dying from the thirst."

In one of the recent lectures by Shaykh Kamaluddin, he talked about a trick of shaytan and that was that he keeps some people at extremes; these people either are totally submerged in the dunya and so lack the feelings in all their acts of worship or they are so submerged in the deen that they do more than they can and eventually burn out. As sad as it is, many of us are victim to this trick of his, however, Alhamdulilah there are many ways to combat it.

1) Make the right niyyat: Actions are based on intentions (niyyat). This is one aspect that is so often repeated yet the most neglected, we take it for granted that whatever acts of worship we are doing are obviously for Allah Ta’ala and hence we don’t specifically work on our niyyat. However, just working on and renewing one’s niyyat can stir up miracles! Working on one’s niyyat helps one realize that whatever is being done is only for His sake and so it cancels out any room for corrupted intentions that may creep up every now and then (such as showing off etc) if we don’t renew our niyyat. Secondly, it acts as a great imaan booster; perhaps it is a blessing from Allah Ta’ala that just by renewing our intention, we can feel such a strong sense of purpose and a stronger imaan Alhamdulilah. Moreover, the best part about niyyat is that it can have a multiplier effect (this is the coolest part)! :D What does having a multiplier effect mean? It means that for every one action the more niyyats you’ll make the more reward you’ll get. So, for example; if a person does wudu then that person can make multiple niyyats like getting cleansed from sins, getting cleaned because Allah Ta’ala likes purity, getting cleansed to do worship, fulfilling the sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.), so on and so forth.

2) Make dua: I had never understood why the Sahaba karaam (radi Allahu Ta’ala anhum ‘ajmaeen) used to make dua for everything, even for the soles of their shoes when they would break. Seriously, it was just beyond me. I felt that it would be disrespectful if I would ask Allah Ta’ala for such little things as He is so Majestic and Supreme. But I was so wrong in my myopic judgment. My fifth semester; my worst semester at university begun like this; my exams were about to start and my phuppo was going for umrah. She told me that she would make duas for my studies and deen and everything and I being so smart (read ignorant) said that “No, no. My studies are manageable; just make dua for my deen, please.” I didn’t say that because I thought I was smart enough but I felt that it wasn’t important enough for me to make dua for it. Lo and behold! I had the worst experience in that semester only to realize that Allah Ta’ala is in fact Supreme and Majestic, in fact so much so that not even the easiest of things are possible without His aid. That was when I realized what it meant when Sahaba karaam (radi Allahu Ta’ala anhum ‘ajmaeen) prayed for even the smallest of things from Allah Subhan-a-hu-wa-Ta’ala because He is capable of everything and we are capable of absolutely nothing without His help. (Sorry this got longer than it was meant to be!) In short; “Nothing is difficult if you seek it through your Lord and nothing is easy if you seek it through yourself”! So we must in shaa Allah start any and everything with dua, make a small dua if you are short on time but do make dua. This is also a huge blessing that Allah Ta’ala has given us. It is an amazing tool since it not only helps us in getting His help but also helps us build a connection with Him!

3) Start small: The first blunder we make is that when we feel a surge of imaan, we make the mistake of doing everything we possibly can and hence find things extremely difficult and impossible to sustain. Instead of doing this, we need to start small; for example; if you didn’t recite Quran previously then start small like one page a day and slowly build on to it. Do not over exert yourself and do not try to become perfect Muslims in one day. It is simply not possible so don’t aim for it either!

4) Consistency: This is perhaps one of the hardest parts because it is so easy to fall back especially when a person tries to add new good actions into one’s routine. One way to go about it is to make a routine! Specify times for different actions you need to do; for example; one can decide that he/she needs to make all tasbeehat by maghrib time. Furthermore, while adding new tasks, for example adding new tasbeehat in one’s routine, add them in small quantities so that you don’t fall back on the tasbeehat that you have been doing regularly.

Apart from the aforementioned points, other things that can help in staying consistent and having feelings in one's acts of worship are:

5) Self-check: This is essential because it helps in reflecting upon our mistakes and makes us realize our areas of improvement and the needed plan of action. It should be done daily and also on a weekly or/and monthly and so on basis. Every night one should evaluate the decisions, conversations, thoughts etc one has had and think about what he/she did wrong and if he/she did good then what more could he/she have done or what could have been done better. Self-checks are extremely helpful because many times we don't pay attention to what we do until we sit and reflect. Daily self-checks can really give us insights about our weaknesses and strengths and help us do much better. One should also keep daily/weekly and so on goals and should check whether he/she has been able to achieve them or not.

(Keeping good company also helps in keeping check on ourselves because when we are surrounded by righteous company then that leads to positive peer pressure and motivates us to do more good and helps us abstain from bad deeds which is extremely hard to do if one is striving all by him/herself!)

6) Imaan boosters: (This is my favorite part!) So we all have something that just gives us that needed push, for most of us it is usually the same; like recitation of Quran, making dua, Islamic lectures or/and company of our elders. Since none of us lives in isolation and we interact with the world on a regular basis hence it is very easy to get distracted or concerned about worldly matters and these imaan boosters help in making us realize what is actually important and ever-lasting and hence are able to  increase our imaan.

These are just a few pointers, there can be many more that one could use to have consistency in one's good deeds and to have the right kind of feelings in one's ibaadaat . May Allah Ta'ala guide us to do good and may He be pleased with our little efforts for verily He is Ash-Shakoor! Ameen!

Everything good herein is from Allah Ta'ala and all the shortcomings are my own.

Nostalgia

This is a guest post by an amazing person who wishes to stay anonymous, may Allah Ta'ala accept his/her efforts in His way and grant him/her good beyond his/her expectations. If you benefit from the article then please remember the writer in your duas. Jazakumullahu khair.

I am holding my cup of tea and gazing out of the window on this chilly winter morning. I’m not a tea-person but I love feeling the warmth of the cup in my hands and the steam on the tip of my

otherwise freezing nose. I can see the blue sky with patches of white clouds and the dim sunlight falling on the adjacent apartments and I can hear this beautiful morning chirping of birds. I love this part of the day. I love mornings. Somehow the serenity and calmness of the morning always reminds me of the serenity and calmness of my childhood and sometimes I just wish that I could go back. I wish to go back to those early school days of innocence. Those days when the biggest worries were what your mother gave you for lunch today. And the biggest happiness was… well; I can’t remember what my biggest happiness was when I was that young. May be that’s because we found happiness in every little thing. We celebrated moments. We didn’t have smartphones, laptops, internet, wifi-signals-not-catching to worry about. We lived in the moment. We lived in the present. We didn’t hold on to grudges. We didn’t care if that girl called us fat last week, we’d still want to go to the swings with her. We didn’t care if our mother scolded us last night, we’d still want to hug her goodbye before leaving for school. We didn’t worry about what would happen next. We were all thoroughly convinced that everything ahead will be good. We always looked up to the happily ever after-we trusted that God had one for us.

We were disciplined and organized. I remember my mother giving us dinner at 7pm and tucking us in the bed by 8pm. We would wake up early in the morning. We would have breakfast. We would WANT to go to school. We would do our homework on time. We would pay attention in classes. We would respect our teachers. We loved our teachers. Everything that the teacher said was the only reality for us. Yes, we asked questions and explored but we trusted their words. We didn’t know how to argue. We didn’t feel insulted if we were corrected. We didn’t go into depression if we were punished. We had no sense of entitlement. We were grateful if someone gave us anything, no matter how small that thing was. We loved sharing. We loved people. We were happy and content with what we had... If only life could be that simple again.

But is it really life that has changed or is it us? Every human is born with these genuine traits of goodness. No one is born greedy, no one is born proud, and no one is born as a thief or a rapist or a murderer. The Asal and the Fitrah of each of us IS that pure and simple. If only we don’t fall prey to the desires and the temptations of the world, we would continue to be that pure. But this is how we are. We are bound to make mistakes because we are humans. But every time we make a mistake, there is that stingy feeling inside and there’s that voice that always tells us to STOP. That same feeling you had when you lied for the first time in your life. That feeling you had when you called someone with a bad name when you were young. That voice that told you not to pick that cute pen and keep it in your pocket because it didn’t belong to you. Every time we ignore that voice and we ignore that feeling, we lose some part of our innocence, we become somewhat numb to the reception of such feelings and we put a veil over that voice until one day, we become completely numb and our hearts are sealed.

No counselor, parent, teacher, friend can change anything then.  The heart becomes so hardened that even the word of God doesn’t melt it (illa ma sha Allah – except if God wills). So, till when would you and I keep killing that voice that comes from the inside? Are we waiting for the seal to be placed? The seal that hardens the heart and shuts the doors of guidance, the seal that blinds the eyes and deafens the ears, this seal gives me shivers. The Qur’an e Kareem declares about such people:

“And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.”

-         Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah 179

As I write this deficient collection of random thoughts, the sun outside has become brighter and my cup of tea has finished. The chirping of the birds has become distant and I listen to the cars as they honk. The day has started. Another day has started. And this new day gives me new hope. It gives me that feeling that you get when you are attempting a really lengthy exam and you have suddenly remembered the answer to a question but you think the time is over, you don’t even have time to look at the clock and then the invigilator says: “You have five minutes left.” Let’s just say that this new day is like those five unexpected minutes you get in an examination. It’s your choice now whether to sit and stare at the paper or to pick up the pen and write without wasting any more time. 

Know that with every beat of your heart, (it) itself remembers and glorifies Allah.

Souce: http://thelightedpath.tumblr.com/