Tell me something about the ummah, please.

[cooterhein]

The ummah al-Islamiyah, more specifically. What I'd like to find out about is the basic content of what Muslim children in the UK (or the US, Canada, et cetera) would most likely be learning within mainstream Islam. That's the content of what I'd like to know about, but please explain it as you would to an adult.

The particular thing I'd like to know about is this. Suppose you're a teenage Muslim in a mostly-not-Muslim country. Someone reaches out to you on the Internet, this person says Hello, please help us, it's the ummah! You are over there and you're doing just fine, we are over here and your brothers and sisters need your help. Your brothers and sisters are suffering, please sneak away from your family (or just leave, if you're old enough to be away from home), redeem these expensive plane tickets which are paid for by a millionaire who is sympathetic to our cause, and come live here! Fight with us, maybe it's some sort of jihad, maybe we want you to be part of a caliphate or establish an Islamic state of some sort. Just leave where you are and come here on a one way trip. Again, it's the ummah, and some other part of the ummah needs your help.

Now. This thing about the ummah that I'm looking for. What can you tell me about the ummah that would effectively preclude any sort of cooperation with such a request? Remember, I'm looking for something that you would want to teach a Muslim child in order to prevent them from going halfway across the world in order to fight and die for some Islamic cause, but explain the concept to adults, please.

Again, the scenario is one in which a well-to-do Muslim teenager or young adult is being asked to give up on dreams of being a doctor or engineer, give up on going to school, and travel across the world to fight on behalf of some other part of the ummah. So please tell me what you would want to tell this young person, in order to keep them from leaving their family and country behind. And if you would, please explain it to me in these terms.

Here's what you need to know about the ummah. Continue talking about the ummah, explaining things about the ummah....and by the end, it makes sense.

If there's other things you want to tell me, well and good, but I'd like to make a priority of the ummah-specific information.

Thanks!

 

[Reminder]

This sort of thing does not happen so often. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with it.

Imagine I create a thread on a Christian forum: "Tell me if your son was smart enough to become a doctor but instead he decided to join the army to fight against Islam in Iraq, what would you say to try to stop him from joining the army."

It does not make a lot of sense.

 

[cooterhein]

This sort of thing does not happen so often. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with it.

Imagine I create a thread on a Christian forum: "Tell me if your son was smart enough to become a doctor but instead he decided to join the army to fight against Islam in Iraq, what would you say to try to stop him from joining the army."

It does not make a lot of sense.

Okay, would you prefer to tell me something about the ummah that would support this as a valid goal?

Please make sure you tell me something about the ummah.

 

[Reminder]

Okay, would you prefer to tell me something about the ummah that would support this as a valid goal?

Please make sure you tell me something about the ummah.

Jihad is any work in the name of Allah (SWT) including being a doctor (not just fighting).

From a Christian perspective, someone who preaches = jihad. Children who build schools on missions = jihad.

Edit: Perhaps an answer to your question would be that if your child has a realistic potential to become a doctor or whatever and you have the resources to make it happen, given that this is a form of jihad in itself you might encourage him/her to pursue that path.

 

[cooterhein]

Jihad is any work in the name of Allah (SWT) including being a doctor (not just fighting).

From a Christian perspective, someone who preaches = jihad. Children who build schools on missions = jihad.

Edit: Perhaps an answer to your question would be that if your child has a realistic potential to become a doctor or whatever and you have the resources to make it happen, given that this is a form of jihad in itself you might encourage him/her to pursue that path.

Thanks for that. Can you tell me anything about the ummah that would be useful in this type of scenario? What are Muslim kids learning about the ummah that would apply here? What should they be learning about the ummah?

 

[kritikvernunft]

Remember, I'm looking for something that you would want to teach a Muslim child in order to prevent them from going halfway across the world in order to fight and die for some Islamic cause, but explain the concept to adults, please.

Well, that is not what happens. What they do, is to join a military training camp of moderate rebels, funded by Obama's State Department, with a view on fighting against Bashar. Next, they will usually radicalize, take their weapons and training along, and join a more radicalized version of the rebellion, to fight Bashar more radically. For some unknown reasons, the US State Department does not want these youngsters to fight Bashar radically. They are supposed to do that more moderately. The next step is that Hillary Clinton will demand that American fighter jets drop bombs on her own trainees, because someone who fights Bashar radically, is worse than Bashar, who should only be fought moderately. By the way, everybody involved on the ground there is Muslim. So, the story that any of this has fundamentally anything to do with religious differences, is obviously *******s.

 

[darkbro]

The concept of ummah is.. not known by many people. I am not sure myself, but here are some resources:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5665, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2586

On the other hand,
A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asking permission to strive in jihad. The Prophet said, “Are your parents alive?” He said yes. The Prophet said, “Then strive in their service.”
In another narration, the Prophet said, “Then return to your parents and treat them with good company.” (Sahih Bukhari 2842, Sahih Muslim 2549)

By the way, everybody involved on the ground there is Muslim. So, the story that any of this has fundamentally anything to do with religious differences, is obviously *******s.

Nah, not really. The other one of them doesnt admit the quran as a last revelation and thinks that the quran now is already impurified. And why would Obama's State Department train the rebels while american aircrafts are bombing the muslims civilian too?

 

[Search]

:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)

Hi.

Hope you're doing well. Thank you for your question.

The particular thing I'd like to know about is this. Suppose you're a teenage Muslim in a mostly-not-Muslim country. Someone reaches out to you on the Internet, this person says Hello, please help us, it's the ummah! You are over there and you're doing just fine, we are over here and your brothers and sisters need your help. Your brothers and sisters are suffering, please sneak away from your family (or just leave, if you're old enough to be away from home), redeem these expensive plane tickets which are paid for by a millionaire who is sympathetic to our cause, and come live here! Fight with us, maybe it's some sort of jihad, maybe we want you to be part of a caliphate or establish an Islamic state of some sort. Just leave where you are and come here on a one way trip. Again, it's the ummah, and some other part of the ummah needs your help.

It is not that simple. I have watched a 16-year old in subtle hints having been invited to join Daesh on another site, and this incident occurred in 2014. The reason he was being invited was because he was talking about having a hard life, his parents not understanding him, and feeling suicidal, and other things that made his life miserable. I personally felt that it was teenage angst. (In any case, despite some extremists' hints about joining Daesh, I and other Muslims on that site clearly advised him against doing so.)

During teenage years, universally, life seems to generally "suck" or at least it feels that way to teenagers even if they have otherwise a good life. Also, my professor in anthropology at college I distinctly remember telling us that teenage angst is something that anthropologists have found is a global phenomena, meaning, that this phenomena is common to all cultures (whether we're talking an African tribe in the jungle or in Indian village or a U.K. metropolis or U.S. suburbs).

For example, on the Dr. Phil show, similarly, there was a 14-year old girl Hope who made the mistake of talking on a social media site about how she hates her mother, and a woman message her back telling her that she could stay with her and they would party and she was taken within 45 minutes from her home and she was kidnapped and prostituted against her will as part of a sexual trafficking ring. At this age, teenagers are especially vulnerable to social media influence or grooming, which is why in the U.S. for example we've also heard of cases of individuals committing suicide over cyberbullying or being preyed upon by a predator.

Now. This thing about the ummah that I'm looking for. What can you tell me about the ummah that would effectively preclude any sort of cooperation with such a request? Remember, I'm looking for something that you would want to teach a Muslim child in order to prevent them from going halfway across the world in order to fight and die for some Islamic cause, but explain the concept to adults, please.

Read this article that was posted on this board itself called "5 Ways to protect your teen from joining ISIS." The two things that would be the making-of-preclusion that make the KEY difference would be (a) proper parenting and (b) teaching their children traditional Islam and making their home an Islamic shelter of God's Mercy and Love. These are the two great barriers that would preclude any sort of cooperation with such a request.

This is in line with the findings of MI5, CIA, and FBI. For example, in a classified briefing note on radicalization prepared by MI5 and obtained byThe Guardian, the report clearly said the following: “Far from being religious zealots, a large number of those involved in terrorism do not practice their faith regularly. Many lack religious literacy and could . . . be regarded as religious novices.” The article said that contrary to expectations, “a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalization.”

Again, the scenario is one in which a well-to-do Muslim teenager or young adult is being asked to give up on dreams of being a doctor or engineer, give up on going to school, and travel across the world to fight on behalf of some other part of the ummah. So please tell me what you would want to tell this young person, in order to keep them from leaving their family and country behind. And if you would, please explain it to me in these terms.

See above (i.e. article "5 Ways to protect your teen from joining ISIS.")

Btw, I have talked to a teenager (16-year old) in just such a situation when I was on a site as I mentioned earlier in this post. How did I talk to this person? Simple. Obviously having been a teenager myself once, I understand teenage angst. I didn't talk down to him or talk to him as if I'm above him. I was humble, sincere, and honest with him on that site, and while I publicly advised him not to listen to what I considered bad and irresponsible advice, I didn't just stop there. I also privately advised him and told him the following: "Realize you are precious to Allah SWT. Sometimes, it’s hard to see things in their proper perspective, but please know that your negative feelings [suicide and the like] are only temporary… Your feelings will change as you grow into yourself. You won’t feel this way forever. Look to that day." I went on to direct him to resources that would make him feel positive. Do you think this 16-year old boy left from U.K. to join Daesh? What do you think? The answer is no, Alhamdhullilah (all praise, thanks, and credit is to Allah) he didn't. He turned 18 in 2016 and is now working a part-time job so he can self-fund his university studies. What I'd say is that we should never ever as a society or as an individual underestimate the power of simple kindness and genuine sympathy and giving sincere advice.

Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Religion is giving sincere advice."

And Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If any of you consults his [Muslim] brother, he [the latter] should sincerely advise him.”

And Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Gentleness does not enter anything except that it adorns it.”

Here's what you need to know about the ummah. Continue talking about the ummah, explaining things about the ummah....and by the end, it makes sense.

If there's other things you want to tell me, well and good, but I'd like to make a priority of the ummah-specific information.

Thanks!

Muslims believe that Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent as a messenger and prophet to all creation to call to accept peaceful submission to the One God. This peaceful and humble submission to the One God is called Islam. Muslims believe that Prophet Adam alayhis salaam (peace be upon him), Prophet Abraham alayhis salaam (peace be upon him), Prophet Moses alayhis salaam (peace be upon him), and Prophet Jesus alayhis salaam (peace be upon him), and Prophet Muhammad :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) are all monotheists (believers in the One God) and brothers as prophets.

Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one."

Prophet :saws: (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I am most akin to the son of Mary among the whole of mankind and the Prophets are of different mothers, but of one religion, and no Prophet was raised between me and him (Jesus Christ)."

Therefore, you have to understand that even those who do not yet believe the message of Islam ("submission to One God") are considered part of the ummah. In fact, there are two types of peoples peopling the ummah (nation): (1) ummat'e dawat and (2) ummat'e- ijabat. The first one refers to those who are invited to accept the call to Islam, and the second one refers to those that have answered the call to Islam.

The Quran (2:136) says the following: "Say ye: 'We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.'"

Peace.

 

[kritikvernunft]

And why would Obama's State Department train the rebels while american aircrafts are bombing the muslims civilian too?

From the air, you cannot see what to bomb. So, you need secret service operatives on the ground to send back the information of what exactly to bomb. The problem is that the adversary does not like these operatives to do that. So, an operative who wants to remain safe, will feel the need to make a deal with the adversary about what information he feeds back for use by the bombers. Hence, the drone report estimate says that in 90% of the cases, it was either the adversary or else another paying customer who indicated to the operative what exactly to bomb.

In other words, quite a few of the civilians who were bombed, had a bombing request handed in by another civilian, who had a grudge against them, in exchange for a market-level fee paid to the secret operative, and an additional facilitation commission to local militia of the adversary, who keep an eye on the not-so-secret operatives operating in their territory.

Furthermore, let's not forget that the US State Department labels all young men in battle zones as militants. If they are not duly registered with the adversary, there is no danger in denouncing them to the fighter bombers. If a secret operative has not fulfilled his quota of bombing targets for the month, he will obviously, and with approval of the local militia of the adversary, indicate unregistered militants as bombing targets.