Weak Ones, Quran's Mission, A New "We"
Issue 386 » July 7, 2006 - Jumada-al-Thani 11, 1427
General
| Living the Quran |
Ibrahim
(Abraham)
The textual term 'duafa' does not refer to those who were economically, socially or politically weak, rather, to those who were morally and intellectually so, and hence preferred to follow not their own, but other's opinions. The truly 'weak ones' are those who relinquished one of the most important qualities bestowed upon them by their Lord to others - the freedom to think, to believe and to choose a direction. The 'weak ones' preferred to follow the arrogant, the rebellious. They sought closeness to Allah's creations, in preference of Allah, opting to take religion from them instead of Him. Demonstration of weaknes is no excuse. It is a crime. Allah did not wish anyone to be weak. He invites the people to seek strength through Him - and all Might is His. Material strength, whatever its magnitude, is not enough by itself to enslave a people wishing to be free. It cannot imprison man's nobility. The most that brutal, material strength can do is to own bodies, which it can imprison, torture and punish. As for conscience, the soul and the intellect, no one can rob these things of another, unless the owner himself wishes to relinquish, in humiliation. The 'weak ones' are weak because there is weakness in their spirit, souls, and minds. Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| Fulfilling the Quran's Mission An essential and important part of living by the Quran is to convey its message to people around you. Indeed the moment the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, received the first revelation he realized the immense task of bringing it to his people. Now we, as his followers, as people possessing the Book of God, are charged and entrusted with the same mission. To have the Quran obliges us to convey it; to hear the Quran is to make it heard. We must make it clear and known to mankind and not let it remain concealed. Look at yourself! Look at Muslims today! Why, despite the fact that the Quran is read by millions day and night, does it make no difference to our situation? Either we read it and do not understand it; or, if we understand it, we do not accept it nor act upon it; or, if we act upon it, we accept part of it and reject part of it; or, while we are engrossed in reading it and acting by only part of it, we are guilty of committing the worst crime and concealing it and not bringing its light to the world. Let there not be the slightest doubt in our minds that unless we commit ourselves to the most important responsibility of being witnesses unto the Quran, which entrusts upon us by virtue of us having it and reading it, we shall never discharge what we owe to the Quran. The ignominy, dishonour, humiliation, backwardness that has become our lot is only because of the way we treat the Quran and the mission it entrusts to us. By this Book God makes some peoples to rise and others to decline (Muslim). Nor shall we succeed in discovering and understanding the full and real meaning of the Quran, whatever Quranic scholarship we may attain, unless we obey the Quran. The Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, said to his Companions: There will be such people among you that, when you will compare your Prayers with theirs, your Fasts with theirs, your good deeds with theirs, you will consider yours very inferior. They will read the Quran, yet it will not sink deeper than their throats (Bukhari). To surrender and obey is not only to fulfil the real mission of the Quran, it is one of the surest keys to its understanding. You discover a meaning by obeying that you never discover by mere thinking. Source: |
| Blindspot! |
A new “We” If there is a contribution that Muslim westerners can bring to their respective societies, it is surely that of reconciliation. Confident in convictions, frank and rigorous in their critical outlook, armed with a broader understanding of Western societies, of their values, their history and their aspirations, they are ideally placed to engage their fellow citizens in reconciling these societies with their own ideals. The vital issue today is not to compare social models or experiences in a fruitless debate (as we have witnessed between the United States, France and Great Britain) but more simply, and in a far stricter and more demanding way, to take the measure of each society by comparing the ideals affirmed and proclaimed by its intellectuals and politicians, with the concrete practices that can be observed at the social grassroots: human rights and equality of opportunity (between men and women, people of different origins, skin colors). We must bring constructive criticism to bear on our societies, and measure words against deeds: all the citizens must adopt toward their society the same healthy self-critical attitude that Muslims must demonstrate toward their community. Our societies are awaiting the emergence of a new “We”. A “We” that would bring together men and women, citizens of all religion-and those without religion-who would undertake together to resolve the contradictions of their society: the right to work, to housing, to respect, against racism and all forms of discrimination, all offenses against human dignity. Such a “We” would henceforth represent this coming together of citizens confident in their values, defenders of pluralism in their common society and respectful of the identities of others; citizens who seek to take up the challenge in the name of their shared values at the very heart of their societies. As loyal and critical citizens, as men and women of integrity, they join forces in a revolution of trust and confidence to stem the onrush of fear. Against shallow, emotional, even hysterical reactions they stand firm for rationality, for dialogue, for attentiveness, for a reasonable approach to complex social questions. Source: |
