Are We Muslims?

Question

How is it that the understanding of Islam has changed so completely in the mind of the average person from an all-embracing life system to merely a few acts of worship-often done half-heartedly, in an automatic way or even not at all? Today, we find Muslims, most in fact, who consider that being a Muslim involves praying and fasting, but that otherwise they are free to live their lives according to any social, political or economic system they please. We also find those who claim to love Allah but profess that good feelings and intentions are sufficient proof of Islam.

How was such an idea ever adopted-the notion that one's loyalty to Islam is unrelated to his behaviour? How did a Muslim come to imagine that he could oppose the teachings of his Lord and betray His trust; that he could lie, cheat and deceive; that he could refuse what is lawful, preferring what is unlawful; that he could accept humility and humiliation in order to preserve his status in a society based on immorality and oppression...and still claim allegiance to Islam? How could a Muslimah come to imagine that she could oppose teachings of her Lord and betray His trust; that she could lie, cheat, deceive, covet and backbite; that she could go out, exposing herself to every eye; that she could willingly raise her children as contented members of an un-Islamic society...and yet still imagine that the "good intention" in her heart would cancel all of that before Allah?

From the very outset of Prophet Muhammad's ( Salalahu Alaihi Was Sallam) call to the worship of Allah alone and in the days when Islam was a vital movement attracting most of those who came in contact with it (which was a long period in history), the average Muslim was quite a different example than what we have today. When he said, "La ilaha ill-Allah" and "Muhammadun rasul-Allah,", he did not consider those words as something to be pronounced and repeated without leaving any effect upon his thinking and behaviour. He understood them to mean that Allah, the Creator, is the rightful governor of this universe. He understood that from the time Adam was set upon the Earth, Allah had sent an eternal message to mankind, stating that whoever follows His guidance will be guided for his own benefit, but those who turn away in rejection will harm their own souls; and every soul will bear the consequences of its choice. He understood that Allah, God of the universe, i alone worthy to be worshipped and obeyed and that He alone has the right to direct one's life. No other man or government has that right, and rulers are to be obeyed only as long as they uphold the laws of Allah. He understood that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, chosen by Him to relay the guidance that was meant to reach mankind, and that he was a living example of this guidance- a teacher to be followed and obeyed.

No one ever imagined that sincerity was enough. How could it be when the Prophet had made clear that faith is neither by desire nor by adornment, but it is what has settled in the heart and is proven by deeds.

One might Imagine while seated comfortably in his chair that he could move the Universe. But when he reaches out to move a nearby table, he finds that the effort needed to do so may require that he arise from his seat; and if the table is large, it may require even greater exertion on his part. Thus, the belief that sincerity alone suffices is deception. No doubt, there can be no deliberate or fruitful action without prior intention. But what good is sincerity or intention in practical terms? Unless it is translated into effective behaviour, what is gained? There will be no rform, no progress, no accomplishment- no change at all.

And so Allah repeats over and over in the Qur'an that His reward will be for those who believe and do righteousness. He never said that faith alone or intention is sufficient. Faith must bcome a motive to positive action- to doing as one is directed. That means putting the word of Allah above all else- above customs and traditions, above the opinions of man, above one's own desires, laziness or reluctance.

All of this was apparent and self-evident to early Muslims. It was not their idealism alone which changed the course of history- it was action. They knew that the laws of Allah had been sent down to be followed, and that that was the true meaning of worship.

Among the contemporaries of the Prophet were those who erred and those who sinned. They were never free of human feelings or human weaknesses. They knew fear and anger and wordly temptation. The material of their creation was no different from our own. But the ever-present consciousness of Allah and the firm relationship with Him prevented them from decline, protected them from despair and continually renewed their hope. The first Muslims became unique examples of human excellence while never losing their human nature. Their society was one in which human potential was utilised to the utmost as simply a reflection of their understanding of Islam.

What happened to change that understanding to what we see in the outlook of Muslims of today?

Answer 1

Assalamu Alikom,
Good post, and if you're wondering for the reason, then it's probably Media in the first place.

When we used to follow our teachings and behave like Real Muslims we almost ruled the world, during the Islamic Golden Age, we maintained the backbones of Science, Literature, Philosophy, Arts, Economy,...etc.

Present science owes too much to our Ancestors, and guess if they survived the moment and saw what Muslims turned to be, they would just disown us as brothers and feel ashamed of what we do everyday.

The thing is, because of corrupt media, and the global propaganda held against Muslims, people formed false Ideas and fake images shaped out in almost everyone's head...
People now tend to pick what they follow, and justify their acts with the everlasting plea "Allah -swt- is merciful and is going to forgive me, I'm doing my best" duh ?!...you find their best way below average, and like the Almighty 'azz wa jall is offering a menu of islamic deeds and they just pick what they like most.

Islam is NOT a set of rituals like many believe, being full-time Muslim doesn't mean staying in mosques 24/7 praying to the Creator and doing nothing beyond, Islam is a Perfect Way of Life, it's a life system, that when you claim you're a Muslim will have to follow.

We were created to Worship, specifically on Earth to Build, to Raise the civilizations and to cultivate.

If we are to classify the teachings, they would then be categorized into Life-bound teachings and Akhera ones.
You can't restrict yourself to one type, you can't just pray all the time and leave off the Muslim behavior and the Muslim will to learn you're ordered with. Still, you can't just treat people in good Muslim ways and act so Islamic with loyalty, faithfulness, honesty...etc. without doing your Akhera duties, like Praying in time, Fasting..and so on.

If you want to act so Good in life without the Akhera part then please be a Buddhist !!...you don't need to claim you're a Muslim while you pick the Dunya part only.

Also, a deep belief in many people minds is that we only have to do what we like, follow the teachings that we lean to but No,..
"حفت الجنة بالمكاره"
We will Definitely do things that are not very desired, we will have to go against our devastating human will several times.

You've called yourself Muslim-Doctor, Salute for that...
You have not forgotten you're a Muslim, and for the Dunya part, you've become a Doctor.
You can turn all your life aspects into worship, like when you treat people for the sake of Allah -swt- you worship, when you eat Halal then you turn your Eating into Worship, you can convert ANY act into worship and this is what islam all about.

You don't have to be rigid, violent, and never smiling in order to be a Good Muslim like many people believe, and like Media shows, they always come up with a tough man, with lots of facial hair, untidy clothes, and very serious looks, to play the role of Muslims in most historical series, consequently, people started to perceive the idea of being a Good Muslim as being Unfriendly.

Being Muslim is about being NICE to people, after being committed to One God, and following his Teachings.

"و لو كنت فظاً غليظ القلب لانفضوا من حولك"

I admit I sometimes get so emotionally drained and act so nervous because of what I see everyday and I admit, I'm wrong everytime I act so offensive..

Another thing is when you hear people speak like "Not that single act is what is going to matter that much"...No it IS, EVRY SINGLE ACT MATTERS...My looks matters, My behavior Matters, My Attitude Matters my EVERY tiny thing Matters...if you love God, everything will be as important.

Jazak Allah Khairan ! =)

Answer 2

Salam :) I'm a Muslim teenager living in Canada. I wear hijab alhamdullilah and it's for the most part accepted here since i live in a big city with a sizeable Muslim population. I do get the few ignorant comments and idiots at school though who ask stuff like "yo got a bomb under there hahaha". But the hardest part is being different from your friends. Being a Muslim, parties, alcohol dating boys wearing revealing clothing etc is haram, and while I don't want to do that anyway, it can be a little awkward to have to explain why I don't do it to people who consider it just a part of being a teenager and its ordinary to them. Muslims living in Muslim countries definitely have it easier when it comes to fitting in. And with food it can be a little tricky but I always try to read the label if I'm not sure of the ingredients. But I wouldn't wanna be any other religion no matter how difficult it gets and how different I feel from everyone else, I'm glad to be Muslim :)

Answer 3

Salam

There is far too much to read through brother inshAllah you can find what you needed amen. Everyone is individual unto themselves and has a relationship with the All Mighty Allah SWT in the due time just known by Allah SWT. Only he knows what is in the hearts and minds of human beings the creation made by the creator he is in a place of no time. It is for us granted such time. Tolerance in patience with also watchful eye inshAllah amin.

Answer 4

As salaamu 'alaikym, my friend.

Insha'Allah, I am in full agreemenet with the how you have described a very real situation in the world today.

Sadly, it is not only occurring in Islam, but also in Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc., etc., etc.

The ideal that ones faith is ones life and that the same holds rule over the entirity of ones life sees to have been lost as modernity arose.

Insha'Allah, this is one of the few changes that can not be almost entirely blamed on Western culture as it seems that most, if not all of the Western converts to Islam are reverting back to the more basic ideal and ideals of Islam in what might be seen as a renewal of our faith. Alhumdulillah!

May Allah, Subhanna wa Ta'ala, guide us back to the truth of Islam and may we all live and die within that spirit of a complete submission to the Will of Allah (swt).

Ma'a salaam.

Answer 5

I havent read it all,but I got the general idea.
That is our eternal struggle,to strive and be better Muslims. Some people need a wake up call to realise that what they're doing with their life isn't good enough.
Open up your heart to Allah, keep your intention pure and He will help you. Hang out with a good company who will make yo better not take you down with them. No matter what happens in your life know that Allah is there watching,waiting and will help you if you reach out for Him.

To the smart one about women realising that they don't need to hide, well what have YOU done to your women except change them into sex tools for your own pleasure? How degrading is that?

Answer 6

Asalam alaikum, I couldnt agree more...as muslims we are mandated to work towards the realization of Shari'a law, not just doing the required rituals etc...but my oh my do I get the thumbs down when I say anything like u did in my questions.....people in here as well as in the 'real world' make such statements as "i dont feel hijab is required" "a beard is nice but not necessary" etc etc....the ignorance of the average muslim is truly shameful.....I pray we all Learn the religion, not just the parts of it that suit us...salaams

Answer 7

Yes, u r right now, I realised I am half to three quater Muslim. Not the best 100% Muslim. Muslim=People who submit to the will of God or Allah the Almighty.

Answer 8

execellent really.i think its true we talk about islam but we have this bad habbit that we separe islam from our life.we know what is good and what is right and we choose what we desire.thats the problem.but honestly no matter of what we do we will always stay like this.like our life is seperated to:materiel(what we desire) and what we learn in islam and we want to achieve but we cant bcz we choose the desire.
so to answer ur question i say yeah we are muslims bcz u cant say that we dont want to be good mo2menin but not a completely muslims bcz sometimes we choose what we love instead of what we suppose to choose in islam.

Answer 9

Duh..we are not the Perfect One "AllahSWTwe are humans not the prophet Muhammad himself PBUH....we can only do our very best and always keep our Iman. I make so many mistakes I trust and believe Allah SWT is merciful and forgive sins...let us know when you make your ascension to heaven.

Answer 10

Islam is the best religion with some of the worst followers

Answer 11

Muslims of today! getting shellfish, not properly uderstanding Islam, demanding their wishes towards Allah, not respecting others or olders, being sarsactic.