Bismallah,

Subhanallah! May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad (AS) and his progeny (AS), eternally!

Bismillah

Salaam Alaikum,

Truly eloquent!

Salaam Alaikum

'Asalaamu Alaikum'

 

This is more for the WORKING HARD OR HARDLY WORKING POST!  What do you think- MR 

 

 

This is my first real attempt to write so please bear with me as I openly discuss Islam as a Muslim living in America.  I am not a scholar or an Alim but just an “average Joe” trying to understand Islam and practice Islam in the American culture that I live in.  And don’t be shocked because I’m also not a writer so I’m going to write articles as I would talk to you if you were in person.

 

I’d say my background is probably similar to most of the Muslim youth.  I’m a Desi guy who came here when I was young, grew up in the American Culture , schools, College etc.  I really got into Islamic activities in college and I think that’s where I really began to understand Islam. 

 

Let’s face it that most of the Muslims in MSA’s in universities want to work for Islam.  Whatever their reason to come and work for the MSA I think is not important but rather what they do is.   I’m sure that we all can agree that Islamic activities on university campuses falls into either programs where top-name Islamic speakers give speeches, an Islamic Awareness week or two, Iftar dinners, the occasional Basket Ball/Volleyball/Soccer tournament and of course Friday Prayer.  By no means, am I not knocking any of these activities because there is no doubt in my mind that each of these activities are legit and are effective if performed according to Islam.

 

However, as a Muslim from an American University with a very active MSA, I looked back on my college days and questioned whether my time in the MSA was spent “doing Islamic work” or “Working for Islam”.   

 

To really understand what I am talking about, you have to look at what each of these things are.  Now at this point, I can easily give you my definition based on my own sometimes twisted opinions on both these topics and you as the reader can either agree or disagree.  That gets us nowhere because I’m probably just like you, trying to do my best to learn Islam.  So the best thing to do get anything out of this discussion (or any other discussion for that matter), we have to have a standard to compare the ideas too. Look at it this way.  Each of us has our own opinions on any subject  and if we were to follow our opinions regarding our actions we can easily lead ourselves into a whole lot of trouble when it comes to Islam.  I remember being taught in Sunday School, that as Muslims, we know that for all actions, our standards and guidance is what Allah(swt) says in the Qur’an and the Prophet’s (saw) Sunnah.  So with this in mind, I began searching for what each of these ideas meant according to Islam and how each of them are to be carried out.

 

In my search of the Qur’an and Sunnah, I came across several places where “doing Islamic work” was discussed.   In principle, doing Islamic work is simply “being Muslim” or performing actions (i.e. deeds) that are halal(righteous) and stopping ourselves from doing actions that are haraam(impermissible / forbidden).  I came across several ayahs that discussed the performing of deeds. 

 

You(Muslim Ummah) are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors. [TQM 3:110]

 

I swear by the declining day, that man is in loss, except those who have faith and do righteous deeds and counsel one another to follow the truth and counsel one another to be steadfast. [TQM 103:1-3]

 

They believe in Allah and the last day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and they strive with one another in hastening to good deeds, and those are among the good. [TQM 3:114]

 

And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise. [TQM 9:71]

 

In essence, these ayah’s tell us that all actions according to the Allah’s rules are considered Islamic work.  So when I pray, fast, give zakat, give charity, abstain from drinking, not eating pork or any other action prescribed by Islam, I am performing “Islamic work”.  The same concept  would apply then to the things that I did at the MSA and the things I do today like raising money for my local masjid, or helping out Muslims at the youth center, organizing a fundraising dinner, or any other activity.  The only thing that I have to remember is that whatever Islamic work that I perform must be according to the guidance given in the Qur’an and Sunnah.  The point I want to make here is that when a Muslim performs any general action according to Islam, he is performing what is generally termed as “Islamic work”.

 

Now lets tackle “working for Islam” given that we have clearly defined “Islamic work”.  Grammatically, the phrase “working for Islam” tells us that the phrase means that a person is in the act of performing some actions for the religion of Islam.  Again, I went back to the source of guidance, the Qur’an and Sunnah, to determine how Allah(swt) and his Messenger (saw) defined “working for Islam”.  I came across several ayahs that discussed the concept of “working for Islam” synonymous with “calling for Islam” (dawah).

 

Invite to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided. [TQM 16:125]

 

And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allah and does righteous deeds, and says: 'I am one of the Muslims.'" [TQM 41:33]

 

It becomes clear that the term “working for Islam”, according the Qur’an, is exclusively for calling people to the religion of Islam. Let’s move forward to determine if carrying(i.e. delivering) the message of Islam is required (fard) or upon us as a Muslim.  The Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammed (saw) is clear when it is mentioned:

 

Reported by Ibn `Abbaaas radiyAllahu `anhu: The Prophet sallAllahu `alaihi wa sallam sent Mu`aadh to Yemen and said, "Invite the people to testify that Laa ilaaha ill Allah [none has the right to be worshipped but Allah] and that I am the Messenger of Allah. And if they obey you in that, then inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them five daily prayers in every day and night, and if they obey you in that, then inform them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakaat from their properties and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor among them."

 

"Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers." [TQM 2:159]

 

"Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining al-ma`roof [i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and forbidding al-Munkar [polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden]. And it is they who are successful." [TQM 3:104]

 

Understanding the Ayahs and hadith, brings us to the conclusion that working for Islam refers exclusively to carrying the message of Islam to humanity.  Although this discussion brought me to understand the difference of “Islamic work” and “working for Islam”, it opened my mind to several questions. 

 

Ø      What is carrying the message of Islam?

Ø      If spreading the message of Islam is required on me, what should I be doing about it?  How do I go about doing it? 

 

To be honest with you, these questions will require some more research and frankly I want to know if you as a reader think the topics I have written are true or just plain wacky.  So insha’allah, I’m leaving my blog address at the bottom of this article so if you have anything to say, you can post it there and we can discuss.  I just started to blog so please be patient.

 

I intend (insha’allah) to think about the questions and try and give my thoughts in a later issue or my blog.    

 

Jazak-allah Khair.

Mateen Abdullah 

http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=mateen_rocks

very good post man

HAVE A BLESSED EID !!!

SALAAM, WAA'IL

wow niice

prop baq...