Face of Islam
By Yero Jallow
“The word ‘Islam’ means ‘peace.’ The word ‘Muslim’ means ‘one who surrenders to God.’ But the press makes us seem like haters” –Muhammad Ali
I was hit hard by Imam Ahmed’s sermon yesterday at the Daral-farooq mosque. His sermon, focused on the late Imam Safi (RA) and his rise to eloquence, detailed a life of struggle from a poor boy (later one of the most powerful Imam Safi) and his widowed mother’s struggle to have Safi learn the art of wisdom, languages, and life matters. According to the Imam, Safi was born in Palestine, and at a tender age, moved with his mother to Arabia. Later, Imam Safi met his mentor, Imam Malik (RA).
On a similar vein, these thoughts of Imam Safi (RA), made me reflect deeply on the problems affecting all of us as Muslims today; Muslims’ approach to prayer. We have others that completely abandon prayers. We have the others that pray the Morning Prayer and the other prayers are a problem. We have the others that probably do it once a week, maybe only on Friday congregations. We probably have few that do it yearly, on eids (feast of sacrifice and fast). We have the others, in fact a very large constituent who do a lot of payback prayers. And then we ask: Are we not Muslim enough? What exactly is the problem in our hearts? Taking clear reference that we should be doing these physical and spiritual bends at least five times daily at specified times.
Oh yes, God is most loveable, and I hardly met someone who didn’t like God, quote God, invoked his prayers or protections, so it wasn’t anything against the one and only one out on His throne “Kursi.” It certainly have to do with some worldly temptation, something temporal, probably too distracting from the real path, and pushes us far away from where we should all be. By nature of human hearts, we are quick to turn to God when some hard hit touches, but when it is all looking good, we probably are turning away.
I will neither speculate on the problems affecting all of us nor am I excluding myself from being partly affected as well, somehow. I think most of them are known to each and every one of us.
Here is an interesting example, in today’s world of terror and its large attribution to Muslims, many just don’t like to associate themselves with Islam openly. What a case! If you probably ask them: Are you a Muslim? Instead of replying an emphatic yes, they will mumble and say, “…but I don’t believe in what the other person did.” Sad. How could any allow to be defined in his beliefs? Think about it really. People are responsible for their actions and no one should legitimize terror in the name of religion. The ones generally scolding and victimizing Islam are as guilty as those using Islam to legitimize terror, and it don’t really matter who the persons were, be them whatever position they occupy. I couldn’t think of any better inspiration than Muhammed Ali, Alh. Malik Al-Shabazz (Malcolm X) and Congressman Keith Ellison. Their approach to matters is well thought-out. Hiding your identity adds nothing but put you in more problems. If someone was hiding their identity of being a Muslim, I wonder how he will be able to pray in certain places. For all we know, when the destructive wolf comes in the herd, its first hit is always the weak and the isolated, so don’t exercise neutrality between those that are using Islam for political purposes, terror, or otherwise. You are who you are, and none of the negative attributions applies to you, unless and until you exercise that fear by allow others and their ugly circumstances to define you.