Loving the Ummah, do you?

[Z]

Asalamu Alaikum

The Jumma lecture got my mind in orbit today, and damn, I realised how far away I was from loving the Ummah. Now we all say we love the Ummah, and love the prophet, but how much do we love him, and the Ummah?

The prophet said, those who follow the others, and follow their ways, are not from amongst us, right?

Hmm, this is one thing I'm still trying to get hold of. It's very compilcated to understand. I mean if a brother says he loves the prophet, and the sisters back him up by saying it's what in his heart that counts, then isn't that a bit silly? I mean if I love Brad Pitt and think his cool, I'd adapt my lifestyle to his and do things which he does and the way he does them (?) regardless of what others say and think, right? (Like we see many do today.) But how come when it comes to the prophet, we say we love him and sisters say it's what in the heart that matters, but yet we never even try to change. (?) For that issue, it's what in the heart, and we don't need to show it. Interesting?

I don't want to be barking up the wrong tree here, but anyone who says they love someone and says they love them deep down, yet never shows that love, doesn't it go to show that there's hardly (if any) love down there? Like it's just an excuse? I mean if we really love the prophet, we'd die for him, but some of us can't even keep a few hairs under our chin for the prophet. May Allah guide us all, Ameen!

Another thing which like hit me was love for the Ummah this time. How many of us drink from the same glass our brothers and sisters? How many of us eat from the same plate as our brothers and sisters? How many of us use the same fork, spoon, and knife as our brothers and sisters?

Maybe because of this, the Ummah is falling apart. There's no love between us. The story that was told today goes like Abu Hurairah (?) came to the prophet with a glass of milk and said, you drink first prophet of Allah, then I shall drink. (This is what we do when we show respect for someone, right?) But look here how the prophet reacted. He said, call all the other brothers (sahaba's) together, and he made each one of them drink from this glass of milk. Then he told Abu Hurairah (?) to drink and thereafter, the prophet drank out of the glass. Now, let's forget about the miracle here of how more than 70 thirsty people drank out of one glass of milk, but focus on the love shown. Could you imagine, would there be a single inch left on the rim of that glass, that a sweaty and thirsty mouth that has not touched? Of course not, and yet the prophet put his clean, blessed lips on the rim of the cup. This is love, this is how much we should love our brothers and sisters, as shown here by how much the prophet loved us.

What can be said of those whom the prophet cried his eyes out everynight and yet we find that we cannot even show our love for him by keeping a few strands of hair on our chins and below.

I think we all need to ponder again on how much we say we love him, and how much we show that love. May Allah guide us all, Ameen.

Here's something which might be of interest to some of you. It's what our modern brothers and sisters seem to say every now and then. Take a read insha Allah and please note, I'm not trying to aim this at anyone, or even insult anyone. My point is just to try and reinforce the message of Allah and his prophet into correct perspective here.

SELF-JUSTIFICATION - A CURRENT FLAW
There are different types of excuses or self-justifications which individuals carry. People normally carry a combination of them. Some of the most common types of self-justifications that people hold are the following:

- "At least I am better than others"
- "I will change in the future"
- "I'm not ready for it yet, its too difficult to change"
- "As long as I'm pure inside, Allah will forgive me"

"AT LEAST I AM BETTER THAN OTHERS"
The individual who holds this idea looks at the extreme actions of people which they consider as 'bad' such as stealing from Muslims, rape or eating pork and compare their own actions to them. They feel reassured that they are better than those who undertake those actions. When they commit haram or neglect the Islamic duties (fara'id) they think to themselves that at least they are not like others, at least they perform some actions of Islam. If they take drugs they say, "atleast I don't drink alcohol". If they have haram relations with the opposite sex they say, "at least I have the intention of marriage". When involving in haram contracts they say, "at least I don't steal". If they miss the obligatory salah they justify it to themselves by thinking, 'at least I pray on Friday'. By extending their logic you could say, 'at least a homosexual isn't a rapist' and 'at least an alcoholic doesn't eat pork'. The problem with this argument is, who defines what type of behaviour is bad and what is good? Allah is the one who defines the good actions from the bad actions. Allah views the halal actions as good and all the haram actions as evil. So in the sight of Allah missing salah, being rebellious to your parents, eating pork, rape, socialising with nonrelated members of the opposite sex, homosexuality, taking intoxicating drugs, drinking alcohol and adultery are all haram and from the munkaraat (evil) actions that lead to the hellfire.

"I WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE"
This notion is commonly held by many youth. They believe that they will change in the future when they become older, they will settle down, get married, have children, go to Hajj and begin practising Islam. This excuse allows them to justify the haram to themselves. If it was as simple as that, everyone can act as they please with the hope of changing someday in the future. How many of us know of young people who have died? How many of us know of cases where boyfriend and girlfriend have died in car accidents? Muslims and non-Muslims alike can agree that the most definite thing in life is death. If this is the case, how can we act as if we are going to live forever?

The Messenger of Allah said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar,"If you awoke in the morning, do not speak to yourself of the evening, and if you reach the evening, do not speak to yourself of the morning. Take from your life for your death, and from your health for your illness, as you do not know what your name will be tomorrow." [Bukhari]

The Messenger of Allah said, "The clever one is he who disciplined himself and worked for what is after death, and the feeble one is he who followed his desires, then made (vain) prayers to Allah."

Allah (swt) said, "Say: The death from which you flee will truly overtake you: then will you be sent back to the Knower of all things secret and open: and He will tell you (the truth of) the things that you did!" [Al-Jumuah: 8]

Besides the inevitable reality of death, do we believe that Allah(swt) will accept our good deeds in the future whilst we committed haram during our youth? Do we think that performing salah and avoiding the evil temptations in our old age when it is easier to do so will grant us Jannah?

"Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: 'O my Lord! Send me back (to life), in order that I may do good in that which I have left behind!' - No! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is a Partition until the Day they are raised up. Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of one another! Then those whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy, they are the successful. And those whose scales (of good deeds) are light, they are those who lose their own selves; in Hell will they abide." [Al-Muminun: 99-103]

"I'M NOT READY FOR IT YET, IT IS TOO DIFFICULT TO CHANGE"
The true meaning behind this excuse is that people don't want to leave the haram they're committing. They have got so used to their lifestyle that they can't perceive it any other way. The thought of waking up for fajr salah, having to continuously study Islam or not 'chilling' with the opposite sex is too much for them. There are obvious contradictions in their behaviour; many of them will spend a lot of time on things they enjoy whether its playing computer games, physical training, sports or 'looking good'. In reality these people are lazy when it comes to Islam, they may spend so much effort in fitting in with the crowd and keeping up with the latest trend yet they are not willing to spend effort in staying away from the fire of hell and attempting to gain Jannah and the pleasure of Allah (swt).

We need to realise that in order to become Islamic personalities we have to live our life according to the objective that Allah (swt) has set for us. Why is it that many work hard when it comes to their exams, yet pay little attention to the true exam of life? Allah (swt) didn't create us for play. Life is not all about ease and acting like spoilt teenagers who have everything done for them. All of us have the capacity to become Islamic personalities. Islam wasn't revealed for angels, it was revealed for human beings.

Allah (swt) says, "Allah does not place a burden upon a person except that which he is capable of."[al-Baqarah: 282]

How can one then argue that following Islam is too difficult? Whoever believes this should look at the example of converts to Islam who completely transform their behaviour and may even face hardship from their families. If they can change why can't we?

If we look to the example of many of the Sahabah they used to be the worst of people and then became the best. Take the example of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (R.A). He was a man that wanted to kill the Messenger of Allah(swt) and who had even buried his two daughters alive. When he embraced Islam he became the best of people. 'Umar (r.a) was neither a prophet nor angel; he was a person like us. This type of complete transformation of personalities is not restricted to the companions of the Messenger of Allah (swt).

There are many examples from Muslims in our own communities in the West who used to be notorious criminals, drug dealers and alcoholics and who became active Islamic personalities working for the return of Islam when they received the Islamic dawah (call).

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah(swt) said, "People are like mines of silver and gold; the best of them in the days of Ignorance (jahilliyah) are the best of them in Islam when they attain knowledge." [Muslim]

This hadith means that no matter how far away from Islam we are, we all have the potential to change and become the best of people.

Now with this one, I am sure many of you will get hurt, especially the sisters who use this excuse like their backhand. Insha Allah you will read on and learn what wrong you are doing to yourselves.

"AS LONG AS I'M PURE FROM INSIDE, ALLAH WILL FORGIVE ME"
The fact that someone has this delusion proves that they are not pure from inside because they carry this corrupt notion, which contradicts Islam. Being 'pure inside' not only means believing in Islam, it also means practising it. What is the point of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (swt) if Allah (swt) is going to enter everyone into Jannah without accounting them for their deeds?

Believing in this idea allows people to gamble their life away. It will be too late to change on the Day of Judgement, when everyone will be worried about themselves to the extent that even the Prophets of Allah like Adam (as), Musa (as) and 'Isa (as) will be worried about themselves. When the earth will narrate the actions that we performed on it and our own body will speak to Allah (swt) about what we did whilst alive. Every single action small or large will be accounted on that day.

"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it." [Al-Zalzalah: 7]

The forgiveness of Allah (swt) is not achieved with false prayers, whilst continuing to disobey His commands. Allah (swt) says,

"Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds, until death faces one of them, and he says: 'Now I repent' nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them have we prepared a painful torment." [Al-Nisa: 18]

[Z]

Asalamu Alaikum

If there's anything not correct, or that I've mis understood, please do correct me. Jazak Allah.

[S_87]

:sl:
this articlee is very good... i have heard (and in past said) when im older ill do it..but we dont know when were gonna die and so this attitude (of later) is so :(

changing is as easy or as difficult as we want it to be.

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

nice one brother, very nice really got me thinking.:)

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[Far7an]

Assalamu alaikum

First of all I would like to say Jazakallahu khair wa barakallah feek to our dear brother Abdul Rehman.

You have addressed some important issues, mainly the importance of the sunnah and how it is important that we make it a part of our lives. As you said many claim to love the prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alahiwasalam) but how many choose to imitate him? The answer is not many, instead we show our love for the footballers and showbiz icons. This love might not be displayed directly, but just copying thier way of thinking and imitating them is a display of loyalty and affection.

In a Hadith reported by Hazrat Anas (radaiallahu anhu) that the Holy Prophet (sallalahu alahiwasalam) told him: "Son! If you are capable of having no malice in your heart for anyone, then adopt this method because it is my practice (Sunnah). One who likes my ways, loves me and he is my companion in heaven.”

We should really ponder over our condition, Subhanallah how far have we drifted away from the sunnah.

Another thing which like hit me was love for the Ummah this time. How many of us drink from the same glass our brothers and sisters? How many of us eat from the same plate as our brothers and sisters? How many of us use the same fork, spoon, and knife as our brothers and sisters?

Indeed this is something we need to think about...

DO WE LOVE OUR UMMAH?

[kaleem]

the corrupt goverments ruling over muslim lands?- not very much and allah knows best

the muslim people?- insha allah more than the corrupt rulers, unfortunately our love is suppressed by the goverments above us becuase we cannot implement sharia. may allah swt remove the corrupt leaders.amin.

[Far7an]

the corrupt goverments ruling over muslim lands?- not very much and allah knows best

Akhee, the question was directed at ourselves..

We must look at ourselves and look to better ourselves InshaAllah.

A wise scholar once told me

Its in human's nature to do two things, criticise others and compliment ourselves. We must change this around criticise ourselves and compliment others.

This way we will benefit InshaAllah.

Im sorry if I sounded harsh, forgive me InshaAllah..

But the reality is, maybe we do love the Ummah ....but DO WE LOVE THE UMMAH ENOUGH?

Even when discussing issues and debating, we see negative reactions from our brothers and sisters, ask yourself...is this the sunnah? Can we imagine our beloved prophet acting in such a manner, subhanallah.

the Messenger of Allaah (saws) said: "The strong man is not the one who can wrestle (fight); the strong man is the one who controls himself at the time of anger."

Ill stop here, as I do not wish to go off topic but I thought this issue needed to be addressed