Dawah and Being Offensive

Bismillah wal hamdulillah,

When beginning  (or intending) to do dawah, as with any good deed, one is often plagued with a hundred doubts and objections, whether as a product of the shaytaan or one's own self. One such barrier is the fear of being offensive. You are, after all, going to  - directly or indirectly - challenge the belief system, way of life, and code of ethics of just about everyone around you, so there is the very real possibility that some people will take offense. I believe, however, that that is not the real problem; that, in fact, there is a deeper fear behind the fear of being offensive: the fear of challenging the dominant culture.

Most people are unaware of the very strong influence that society has upon them and upon their psyche, and how society builds a construct of right and wrong like a dome that hovers above the people and casts invisible forces upon them. Muslims living in the West are a minority, and doing dawah is an indirect way of challenging the society. One could argue that Muslims, by law, are a part of that society, but the reality is that no matter what society you live in - past or present, the rules of a society are dictated by the dominant culture.

It is easy to criticize ideas and beliefs that the dominant culture itself criticizes, but once we enter the territory of the dominant culture, we feel this invisible urge to tread with care. It could be true that, by law, we have the freedom to voice our opinions - but the forces of society are very rarely only shaped by law. A dominant culture exists wherever there is a population of more than two, where one 'culture' can be outnumbered. It can exist, therefore, in a country or a city, a school, or even in a classroom, or even then, in a group of friends. A dominant culture does not have to imposed by force, or the threat of violence. It's mere existence is a power that it wields upon the rest of the people. Amongst friends it is called 'peer pressure', and so when speaking about a country, you can imagine just how much power it has what with the multitudes that strengthen it!
The dominant culture imposes upon the rest of us a feeling of inferiority and, hence, submissiveness.

A Muslim who wants to engage in dawah needs to be aware of this possibility. Are you afraid of offending others, or are you afraid of offending them because you feel submissive to them, and are suffering an inferiority complex? If you are, don't freak out! Understanding the roots of your fears is the first step to overcoming them.

You see, the power of the dominant culture, if it is not one that is based upon the guidance of Allah SWT, is an illegitimate power. How many people have led themselves to Hell because they have allowed the dominant culture to dictate to them what is right and what is wrong? 

To be continued..

Passion vs Guidance

Bismillah Irrahman Irraheem

When I was younger, I was filled with a furious, bubbling passion to help people. I had a strong sense of sympathy and compassion and was often moved to tears by hearing about the misfortune of others.

That was a long time ago.

It's not that I don't feel sympathy for others, but ever since my 'awakening' 2 and a half years ago, most of my acts of generosity, mercy, or compassion have been calculated and planned, rather than fueled by deep emotion. That is, they have been out of duty and obligation to Allah SWT, and not because I feel deeply sorry for or deeply love the people these acts of kindness are directed towards. I have often wondered, since, if this is a loss, and worried that maybe I have lost a part of my humanity.

The answer, as is quite pleasing to my rational-loving mind, came to me (alhamdulillah) after deeper reflection upon my younger self. Yes, I was filled with passion, sympathy, compassion and mercy, and yet, how often was it misdirected! My dream as a young teenager was to 'save the world', which at the time meant ridding the world of poverty by creating my own humanitarian organisation and ridding Africa of poverty. A noble dream, no doubt.

And yet, with all this supposed mercy, none of it seemed to have benefited those who have the greatest right over it: my own family. Neither my mother, father, younger brother or any of my relatives 'saw' any of this mercy or love. I had no interest in being a friend to my mother, or even a loving daughter, when no doubt she needed it then, nor my father, nor even my younger brother who many times suffered cruel coldness at my hands. I had no healthy relationship with any of these family members, nor did I put in any effort to change that. My other family members were no different, except perhaps two of my cousins who are my age and were my friends. I had no aspiration or interest in ever being a mother, and had little respect for those women who devoted their entire lives to caring for their children. "Why," I reasoned, "spend my whole life caring for a few children, when in that time I could save so many by opening an orphanage?"

That was a long time ago.

Now, by the grace of Allah SWT, revelation guides me to that which is best. I understand now, that my family's importance cannot be weighed with all the gold in the world; that they are the ones with the greatest entitlement to my mercy and love. The family is the foundational core of not just a healthy society, but a healthy world. It means my mother comes first, always. It means my emotions do not dictate how I treat my family; even when I am not feeling 'in the mood' I am always to treat them right. It means I care about my younger brother, and invest time and energy into our relationship, even more - much more - than that put into my friendships. Why? Because these are the people who come first, because Allah SWT has given them priority, and at His behest, I use what He has given me to treat them well. All of the people in this world have a place on the list, and God has shown me who is at the top, and how the list goes down:


The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves, and his wives are (as) their mothers;  And the owners of kinship are closer one to another in the ordinance of Allah than (other) believers and the fugitives (who fled from Mecca), except that ye should do kindness to your friends. This is written in the Book (of nature).  [Qur'an translation, 33:6]*

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ The man asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your father.’”   Source

In the Qur'an, Allah SWT many times commands us to give in charity, but whenever charity is mentioned, before the poor or the orphans are the relatives:

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing. [Qur'an translation, 2:177]

I understand then, and realize, that other relatives also have a right to my time, energy, and money (where applicable), and so (by the grace of Allah SWT) I go out of my way to connect with my grandparents and my aunts and uncles, even when I don't feel like it, even when there is nothing interesting to say, even when I wish I could be doing other things.

That is the difference, then. I understand that these are their rights, and those who have rights over me come first.When you make pleasing Allah SWT your priority, emotion does not guide (or mislead!) your actions, but rather knowledge. You do not wait for a signal or burst of compassion to move you in the right direction towards an act of mercy, Allah SWT's guidance shows you the right path, and your mercy fuel is not exhausted in the wrong direction.

That is not to say that a humanitarian organization to rid the world of poverty is not a beautiful dream, but it is a dream that is put in it's right place. In novels about rich American families (most novels I read were American), the family could be a broken home, and yet the parents are busy organizing charity events.

Family first; the rest of the world comes second. 

The Battle Within

Bismillah Irrahman Irraheem

Have you ever had those moments when you look back at the last few months that have passed before you and think, what happened? How did I lose my focus so much and for so long?
On this journey of life, a Muslim's goal is to always try to please Allah SWT. And yet, sometimes, even when that is our intent, we lose ourselves in the furious ocean of this dunya. Sometimes I feel like I am gasping for air, trying to stay above water, but again and again the ocean waves keep beating down on me and pulling me under, and if I am not careful, I can stay under for a long, long time.

But how? And why? The answer is rather simple

Allah SWT says, [in rough translation]
"Verily satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents, that they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire." 

Consider the nature of enemies. They are always plotting for your demise, always looking for a weakness in your defenses, always waiting for any moment of a lapse in concentration in order to take you down. Such is the shaytaan, but the shaytaan is the worst of enemies, and is the most skilled for he has been honing his skills since that very first time humans have sinned.

When one is aware of such an enemy, it becomes incumbent upon them to have constant vigilance and always be on the defense. And the defense of a Muslim is to have always constant remembrance of Allah SWT, and to never lie by the wayside upon falling, but to get up and assume your defenses once more. And of course, first and foremost to have trust in Allah SWT, Who alone can save you from every evil. 

 Ibn ul Qayyim (ra) writes:

“One of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) said: “Indeed a servant commits a sin by which he enters Paradise; and another does a good deed by which he enters the Fire.” It was asked: How is that? So he replied: “The one who committed the sin, constantly thinks about it; which causes him to fear it, regret it, weep over it and feel ashamed in front of his Lord—the Most High—due to it. He stands before Allah, broken-hearted and with his head lowered in humility. So this sin is more beneficial to him than doing many acts of obedience, since it caused him to have humility and humbleness—which leads to the servant’s happiness and success—to the extent that this sin becomes the cause for him entering Paradise. As for the doer of good, then he does not consider this good a favor from his Lord upon him. Rather, he becomes arrogant and amazed with himself, saying: I have achieved such and such, and such and such. So this further increases him in self-adulation, pride and arrogance—such that this becomes the cause for his destruction.”

Source: http://www.yasminmogahed.com/2011/11/13/take-back-your-heart/ 

Where are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? And what on Earth is all the fuss about! (Draft)

Dearest Reader,
Here we are in the 21st Century. It's great isn't it? Many people would argue that the greatest thing about living now rather than 500 years ago is SCIENCE. We owe many of our pleasures and comforts to it - whether it be televisions and iPhones, cars and aeroplanes, or drugs and medicines that treat and cure the plethora of diseases that plague us. There is, however, an even greater benefit from Science (in my opinion) - an eye-opening understanding of the world around us, ourselves, and the vast cosmos of 'Space'. This newly gained knowledge can help us answer some of the questions that have troubled humanity through the ages: Where are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? And what on Earth is all the fuss about!

The study of LIFE


Due to the rather tiny size of our beloved blue planet in comparison with the enormousness of the Universe, many people have concluded that we are, in fact, not very special. We are but a tiny speck in an inconceivably huge ocean of planets, stars and galaxies. But where our little home falls behind in the domain of bigness, it shines in the arena of wonders - similar to the iPhone when compared with the Eiffel Tower.
For here, in this speck of stardust that is the Earth, scientists in the field of Biology have uncovered a stunning reality: that behind every little living thing, and every little thing within it (even that smaller than the eye can see!), there is a sophisticated, intelligent mechanism that makes it 'work'. Just as cars don't move by magic, but by a mechanistic process that we call 'technology', so nature employs it's own technology - and has been doing it for millenia. It has taken the human race thousands of years to develop it's technology, only to find that Nature beat us to it, and does so even better.

In the last few decades, scientists discovered that even the most fundamental building block of all living things- the cell - is extremely complex, so much so that it has been compared to a megacity! Within a single cell there exists factories that build machines to do the cell's work (proteins), transport mechanisms for within the city walls (the cell membrane or cell wall) and factories for recycling worn out machines. As Professor Michael J. Behe notes, cells and their contents are nature's 'nanobots'. More intriguing still, is that the cell has the ability to self-replicate and self-assemble, and all the information for doing so is contained within it's blueprint - DNA.
That's like having a car that can build itself!

"DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created" - Bill Gates

Our own bodies are filled with many a great wonder. Arguably the most beneficial to us of all human technology is the advances in the field of Medicine that have vastly improved our ability to overcome disease and illness. The key word is improved, because Medicine relies heavily on the human body's innate ability to fight disease. The human immune system is a highly organized war-front that protects the body against any invaders. Let us take a closer look at one of it's soldiers - the neutrophil - a single-celled fighter, and how it gets to the battlefield.


When, for example, your skin is wounded, thus breaching your body's barrier and potentially allowing 'invaders' to get in, cells in the vicinity release danger signals. Neutrophils on patrol in nearby blood vessels 'sense' that a change has occurred (by a mechanism not explained here) and leave the mainstream of bloodflow and begin to roll along the inner surface of the blood vessel wall (similar to the inside of a tunnel), first slowing down and then firmly attaching to the cells that make up the wall. They then rearrange their structure and squeeze out of the blood vessel and into the area where the skin was wounded. Then, like a patrol dog that follows the scent of a criminal, the neutrophil follows the danger signals and 'walks' along the tissue skin to the site of the wound and any potential danger.
In other words, a little robot soldier in your body is programmed to sense danger and travel to where it can do it's job.

But WHERE did all this technology come from?! 


Our home in the Universe 


Upon close inspection, it has become evident that 'life' is rather picky, and requires a number of special conditions to exist. As any gardener will know, plants (and life in general) require an appropriate amount of warmth, (liquid) water, and safety. Although that may not seem like a lot to ask for, it turns out that it takes a very special kind of planet, in just the right place to make a warm, safe home with plenty of water.

Not too little and not too much 


[incomplete] 

The hero is the one who goes beyond his ability to improve
his skills, until he becomes able to improve, and perhaps even
alter, the skills of other.
- Enjoy your life (kalamullah.com)

The Prophet   said, “Knowledge is only gained through
learning, and clemency is only gained through perseverance.”

The one frightened of climbing mountains
forever lives in the ditches

- Unknown (to myself)

The Middle Path

2009 was the year of change for me.. May was the month. I was a 'bad muslim' and May, 2009, came change.. But what pursued was not exactly perfection - far from it! There was a lot of fear, paranoia, some OCD.. but for a long while I couldn't figure out why it had all gone wrong. And then yesterday it clicked. 

What happened was, after my repentence, I thought, I had been a bad muslim previously - that person has to go - I need to be a new person now. And so what I did was basically do a 180 degrees in EVERYTHING - and that is where the problem lies, because I failed to recognize a simple, elusive truth: that not everything is black and white. Just because I was a bad muslim, does not mean that everything about me was bad - I didn't have to turn my back on everything. 

The straight path is also the middle path - which means no extremes. Change does not have to be extreme to be a 'true' change. 

Creative Islam

Believers are like the healthy soil of the Earth, they are watered with the same water, but each one produces a unique and beautiful plant!

I have become aware of the fact that I understood religiosity somewhat incorrectly.. Islam is not a copy paste religion or a detailed step-by-step instruction manual to every single moment of your life, and this can be seen from the stories of the Prophets peace be upon them, and the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.. They took in the beautiful teachings of Islam as the foundational principles, they absorbed it, and then applied it in creative ways - just as a talented architect learns the foundations at University, and then produces magnificent buildings not found in any textbook.. And I think this is really a hidden beauty of Islam - that Allah Almighty created us to worship Him in a way that no other creation can worship Him - humans are this magnificent and beautiful creation of Allah that have a creative power (given to them by Allah SWT) and thus are servants of God in creative, original ways - they are not only able to follow a step-by-step instruction; they are able to worship God in their own unique way. I'm not talking here about innovation in religion that the Prophet Muhammad warned about - I'm talking about creativity in doing good deeds - like taking the instruction of the Prophet Muhammad, alayhi issalat wassalam, to look after orphans, and building an orphanage (when no one had done that before!).. Creative ways of doing good in the name of Allah subhanahu wa taala. Amr Khaled always used to say, 'don't ask what you should do, look at what your community needs and do it!'