A new generation is emerging. Young, happening, educated individuals and yet very much Muslims. While sitting recently with a group of young savvy’s discussing travel, the dialogue went all the road encircling our communication, and then someone mentioned Islam, I kept quiet to see their reaction, but with authority and details infact with much easiness Prophet, his colleagues and “hadits� were discussed, with it the beauty of Islam. It took me some time to sink in the thought that these dudes were not paper Muslims, with only Muslim names, but well balanced, positive, modern yet practicing Muslims, the guys knew it all, at least the basics.
I was drifted in my own thoughts, how often we hear from “moderates�, their opinion as to how Islam should be seen, many are happy to lay down new rules, principles and uproot the old fashioned medieval Islam, and even built a new one, very close to Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism, actually how to cut Islam apart and add new pieces with spark of new versioned Islam.
Sadly, few of these so called moderates, social reformers or positive voices hardly know Islam, how many genuinely bothered to read a short biography of Prophet Muhammad. Apart from being the Prophet of Allah, may peace be upon him, he was a man and lived among men, a social reformer, administrator, commander, philosopher, teacher, friend, father and husband. His life is worthy of being read and understood in detail. How a man uneducated, born in midst of desert eclipsed with the shadow of warring clans and Bedouins, developed the sense of brotherhood, love and security. He broke all ancient rules by proclaiming “There is no God but Allah�, and bore the pains and torture from his own people, and within his life time converted waves and waves of clans, tribes and individuals to the beauty of Islam, and worship of One Lord “Allah�. Within few years the disciples of Muhammad shook and brought the ancient and powerful Persian and Byzantine empires to knees.
Islam was not the blood thirsty religion then, as seen today by many, but was all about “SALAM�, PEACE, it was Christians then, who killed and persecuted the Jews. Again it was Christian monks not Muslims who burned and razed the legendary library of Alexandria. Thousands of women were burned alive by pious Christian men, accusing these women of heresy and witch craft.
What ancient civilizations and dynasties forged in centuries, Islam achieved in few decades. Not by sword but by call of brotherhood, equality of mankind, respect and rights for women, acknowledging orphans. Islam then meant “Brotherhood�, and each Muslim brother by religion, in his last speech Rasool said, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non Arab nor a non Arab has any superiority over an Arab, also the white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good actions�. This was thousand years before Gandhi, Martin Luther, and Mandela.
To catch up with this modern world we shunned our basic beliefs, made lawful what was not, we threw our literature, culture and adopted with much confusion, the passion for west, and undoubtly, west is going full throttle towards development and growth.
The “magrib azan� started with “Allah o Akbar�, calling the faithful, my new friend happily removed the I pod head phone and got up to pray, he was clean shaven, wore Jack Jones jeans, and on his hand was strapped the iconic Audemars Alinghi Carbon, with Allah o Akbar he was transformed into meditation and personal dialogue with Allah, with no mediator in between. Later I recollected the young dude never even once called himself a “moderate�, he was just a MUSLIM.
Sorry for butting in but “so proud do not exist” – present tense
Ask anyone above 50 – past tense
i’d say well done shaiviites and vaishnavites for keeping ur differences civil in secular India
Pervez, yup. We Hindus should start blowing up and killing each other just because we choose to pray to different gods. Muslims have provided us with enough present-day examples in Iraq, Pakistan and even in India on how to be intolerant to different viewpoints among Muslims, and coming up with the perfect solution – using violence. I bow down to such wisdom, and I’m sure your god is really happy at your thoughts and how the Muslims are killing each other in his name.
To pervez:
Please do tell us how many Shaivites have killed Vaishnavites and vice-versa, ever? And while many oldies in both communities don’t see eye to eye even today, all their differences have been in the intellectual space. Many schools of thought in Hinduism don’t see eye to eye for many reasons, but they’ve also kept their differences civil, even when the term “secularism” hadn’t been coined.
And anyways, Hinduism is too diverse for any group of people to claim that they own it. And even atheists are considered Hindus if they’ve not converted to other religions. Atleast they’re not called non-believers or infidels.
Brother Anis
“Islam in itself is moderate religion. It is the only religion that preaches a balance of life and religion. It doesn’t say that in order to be close to God you have to go for celibacy or become a monk in jungles. You practice religion and do you regular job and take care of family. In fact earning a livelihood and taking care of family are religious duties. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught that apart from the obligatory acts of worship, you should do the worship as much as you can. T”
Very well said
A practising muslim can never be a threat to oneself, family, freinds and above all to the nation because Islam being the most beautiful religion is not only a religion. Infact, it teaches to conduct yourself to the best. People who find muslims to be a threat to the world do not know that people who rae not a practising muslims do not qualify to be called as ‘Muslims’ therefore, Practising muslims should get worried when such people are in a conversation. I feel one should adhere to all the hadiths and offer basic five times namaz and be away from all the things which are haraam for us.
I hope with the emerging new practicing muslims race, the day is not very far off when we will definitely be appreciated when we try to bring peace and will resolve issues like Babri-Ram janambhumi conflicts. Insha’llah we will bring that change. Where there is a will there is always a way.
Lets be those ‘practising Muslims’ on which the whole world will be proud one day.
AAMEEN
Mohammad on September 14th, 2007 1:15 pm said …. It is the only religion that preaches a balance of life and religion. It doesn’t say that in order to be close to God you have to go for celibacy or become a monk in jungles.
Indeed a nice comment…. The core of any religion is to teach it’s adherents a way to LIVE our lives …not to run away from life….
The only point I diagree with Mr.Mohammad is …he says Islam is the ONLY religion which says so… this is quite unpalatable to me . I always tend to get worried about the word ‘ONLY’…
If we take the case of Hinduism…there is the concept of the renunciation or monkhood called Sanyas. But it is not a rule for everybody. The classical delineation of Hindu society was fourfold. The brahmcharis( students), the grihastas( householders), vanaprasthis (grihastas who has passed on the responsibility of earning or administration to their younger generation and have taken voluntary retirement to live a life of quietitude and contemplation) and finally sanyasis( persons who have take a vow that their sole purpose in their life is realization of the truth or god. they have no duties and no rights in the society). The grihastas were the providers for both the brahmacharis and the sanyasis.There was/is no age restriction for sanyas. Before initiation into sanyas, a person should make sure he or she has no outstanding obligations to the society. The sanyasis prayers included the well being of the whole world . In a nutshell this is the classical orgnanization of the Hindu society. Of course …this set up is hugely modified in the current day scenario ..but still the spirit remains ….
“Being close to God” in the hindu society is to perform ones stipulated duties according to which station of life he is ( brahmachari, grihasta or vanaprastha) .Duties well performed pleases God.