Why the Suffering?
Many ask the question: Why is the Ummah suffering so much, despite millions making dua throughout the world and millions making dua during Haj and Umrah? Why is there no change? The answer can be understood by way of an analogy: A son is disobedient and rebellious towards his father’s instructions and arrogant in his stance against his father, demanding, swearing, abusing, and adopting bad behaviour as found common in this day and age. The father is deeply hurt, offended and angered, and when he has had enough of the disrespect and arrogance, he finally resorts to breaking off ties with his son and he cuts off all privileges. Now, if the entire family, even the entire community, tells that father: “Forgive him. He is your son…” That father will respond: “I have no problem with forgiving him. All he has to say is, “I’m sorry”, and I will forgive him.” However, on being encouraged to humble himself and ask for forgiveness, the son retorts with arrogance: “Why must I? Why do I need to? I’m independent! I don’t need him!” Will that father forgive that son? Will he grant those privileges of money, car, etc.? Similarly, the Awliya-Allah, the Salihin (the pious), and so many more are making dua for the Ummah. In fact, if all the Auliya Allah were to gather on the Day of Arafat and earnestly pray for the Ummah, Allah Ta’ala would most assuredly be prepared to forgive. However, from our side, there is a step to be taken—and this is what the majority are not ready to do: They are not prepared to take the step of “CHANGE”. Allah Ta’ala’s doors are ever-open. Allah wants us to become His. He wants to forgive us and shower His infinite Mercies and Blessings upon us, but we are not prepared to take the step of obedience —the step that will secure His Forgiveness and Pleasure. Unfortunately, the majority do not even acknowledge their sins, let alone repent. Many justify and reason their sins. Some even dispute and argue regarding Allah Ta’ala’s Commandments as if they have some authority over Allah Ta’ala (Na-uzu billah). So many are brazen in their indulgence as if challenging Allah Ta’ala, like that arrogant son: “What can You do? I do not need You!” (Na-uzu Billah). With this kind of behaviour and attitude, can we expect any favours, privileges or assistance from Allah Ta’ala? We live in a fool’s paradise if we think we can continue sinning and still be a recipient of Allah Ta’ala’s bounties and aid. If we truly want Allah Ta’ala’s assistance, we have to give up our sins. Many are not even fulfilling the Fardh Injunctions – Salah, Zakah, Fasting in the month of Ramadan, etc., and others naively depend on Wazifas to solve their problems; they are just not prepared to give up their sins–this is sheer foolishness. Wazifas and Ta’wiz are no barrier against the Azab of Allah Ta’ala when there is indulgence and persistence in sins. Then we have those Muslims who, in the face of natural disasters, war and genocide, etc., question God’s existence, ask where are Allah Ta’ala’s mercy and compassion, or ask if He is seeing what is happening. (Na-uzu Billah). Allah Ta’ala is not blind or deaf and does not want chaos. Allah Ta’ala wants peace. However, we have to fulfil the conditions of the contract. The first condition is that we become Believers who are ‘Kamil’ (perfect). If we implement Deen in our lives, adopt Taqwa and follow the noble example of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), then the conditions will change. The Day the Ummah fulfils its duties across the board —making a total change; then our suffering will be replaced with success, prosperity, happiness, and people of other faiths will also accept Islam. Allah Ta’ala explicitly spells out His conditions and His promises: ” Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will certainly make them (His) vicegerents in the land, as He made those before them, and will certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and will certainly give them peace in place of fear in which they were before; (provided that) they worship Me, ascribing no partner to Me. And those who turn infidel after that are the transgressors..” Establish Salah and pay Zakah and obey the messenger, so that you may be favoured with mercy. [Surah Nur 24: 55 / 56] Thus, in order to see the fruit of our duas and receive Allah Ta’ala’s assistance on an individual, national, and international level, we must fulfil our pledge by obeying Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
Taking Lessons from Flowers
Taking Lessons from Flowers by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) Whilst taking a walk through Mitchell Park one morning after Fajr, breathing in the fresh morning air, we found the pathway covered with flowers having fallen off the trees. I mentioned to my friends: ‘At one time, these flowers were on the trees, and they were admired. People enjoyed and appreciated their fragrance, inhaling and saying, ‘How beautiful…, ‘ ‘How sweet…’ and ‘How charming.’ However, when the slight breeze touched those flowers, they left the branches of the trees and fell onto the ground. Then we found those people who once admired and enjoyed those pretty flowers trampling over them as they walked. Those pretty, colourful and fragrant flowers became a carpet on the ground and were crushed —as if those visitors were squashing the hearts of those flowers. After some time, the garden service swept those flowers away, and they were thrown into some bins. After that, the bin bags were disposed of at some dump.’ I then explained this as an analogy to my friends. Once upon a time, Muslims were like those flowers on the trees. The fragrance of their Iman and Islam, their beautiful character and charming etiquette, were admired and appreciated by all. Their pleasant character and speech, honesty, sincerity and service to mankind emitted such beautiful fragrances which even non-Muslims benefited from. The beautiful colours of their Ibadah – be it Salah, Zakah, business transactions and social interaction were the means of not only people changing their faith but also changing their culture and language, as we find in the time of the Sahabah (Radhiyallahu ’anhum). They spread to all parts of the world, undeniably influencing different nations. People inhaled their fragrance when they were flowers on a tree, and they accepted Islam. When the breeze of temptation and sin blew, then as we find today, many Muslims left the tree; they separated themselves from the strong, sturdy trunk of correct Aqa`id (beliefs) and lost the attachment they had to the branches of Ibadat (worship). They adopted the Western culture, and in turn, they lost their fragrance and their colours as they withered away. Having fallen onto the ground, the Muslim Ummah globally is being ‘crushed’ underfoot by ther[1]. In whichever direction we turn, we find a picture to grieve over: So many amongst our precious youth cannot even be identified as the blossoming flowers of the Ummah. They have preferred to mix with sand and mud and, in so doing, have lost their fragrance and colour. The Hollywood/Bollywood culture, with all its immorality and sins, is that sand and mud —more exactly, it is quicksand, which readily swallows our young Muslim sons and daughters. And then we have the picture of the burdensome yoke of injustice, oppression and suppression. The lives of Muslims have become so cheap that hundreds, if not thousands, are ‘swept’ into mass graves, where genocide has become a play and past time for many enemies of Islam. We have the destruction of Muslim homes, the deliberate killing of Muslim children, the rape of Muslim women, and the theft of Muslim land —oppression compounded. When we turn away from this sad, heart-wrenching sight, we see another picture to cry over: Many Muslims, in positions of authority and rule, are like puppets, and non-Muslim governments pull their strings. Some are treated like animals – they are “broken in” or trained to listen and obey — as we find with some Muslim Governments, and there is no gain in return. This is our reality; from where to where and from what to what. But there is no despairing if only we return to Allah Ta’ala’s obedience and the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). All that is required is to plant the seeds of Taqwa, and those beautiful, fragrant, colourful flowers will soon be blooming and blossoming once more. [1] Kuffar: Non-believers – those who have not brought Iman (faith) in Allah Ta’ala and the Risalat (Prophethood) of Sayyidina Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
The Reality of Our Islam
The Reality of Our Islam by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) If we had to analyse the eras when Muslims throughout the world were dominant, we would find that they had the Haqiqat (reality) of Islam in their lives; they were living Islam happily, willingly and enthusiastically. They understood their purpose in this world. They understood that they had higher and more noble objectives to aspire for because they looked beyond this life. Before them was their return to their Creator —Allah Ta’ala, Aakhirah (the Hereafter), and Jannah, they exerted themselves in the direction of obedience to Allah Ta’ala and securing His Pleasure. Allah Ta’ala put into people’s hearts love for these sincere and obedient servants and granted them success. There was a dynamic effect when people met with these Muslims because they had both the Haqiqat and the “Surat” (outer form). People changed their religion, culture, dress and language because they saw Islam’s beauty and blessing. In the early days of Islam, we see how a small number grew to 500, then 700 and thereafter 1500 —which was a great and wonderful accomplishment, considering the odds against the Muslims at that time. Today, we are plus one billion —but what a difference between the early Muslims and us! In the 1950s, as a young boy, I recall visiting the museum. There were different animals: wild animals, omnivores, carnivores and so forth, but they were all stuffed with sawdust. And there were signs near the animals which read: ‘PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH.’ Would we find such a sign in the Kruger National Park when we go on a safari, wanting to see the Big Five? When does the king of the jungle require a sign such as: ‘PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH’? Yet, in the museum, this sign was placed next to the lion because there was no life in that lion. There was no Haqiqat (reality). Even if it was the king of the jungle, he was now stuffed with sawdust. Rats, too, could nibble without fear because there was no life, no worry of even a roar. Looking at the present scenario of the Muslim Ummah globally, we see our likeness to those stuffed creatures. We have lost that power and supremacy which is otherwise reserved for the Believers. The majority of Muslims today have no reality. We have ‘stuffed’ our hearts with the love of Dunya and, therefore, our great weakness and overwhelming incapacity —a prophecy that clearly manifests today. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: The people will soon summon one another to attack you, just as people invite others to share their dish when eating. Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be many in number at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish, like that, carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take away the awe and fear of you from the chest of your enemy and cast ‘wahn’ into your hearts. Someone asked: What is Wahn? The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.[1] One billion in number, but how shameful, humiliating and dishonourable that we are subservient to the minority. Who is influencing the political and economic climate? Who is manipulating global dynamics? Certainly not the Muslims. The early Muslims had the reality and spirit of Islam. As such, success and victory were theirs for the taking. On the other hand, we want to conquer the world with only the Surat (form) of Islam or with talks and literature. Dominance, Supremacy, Power and Authority do not come with Surat. The majority cannot even be recognised as Muslims – So even the surat seems to fall away. On one of my trips to Pakistan, I visited someone at his home. There was a bowl of plastic fruit which looked so real – but it was “good for looking”, not suitable for eating. Many of us Muslims today are not even good for looking. The plastic fruit was a good imitation – but in our Surat, there is no imitation also, very much like the Munafiqeen: neither here nor there. Developing genuine piety in the heart and practising Islam are the keys to success and dominance, not selecting what we like and leaving off what our Nafs do not incline to. Allah Ta’ala wants us to enter into Islam completely. “O you who Believe! Enter into Islam completely…” [Surah Baqarah 2:208] This is the recipe for success. But we will have to bring together the correct ingredients to make that “flop-proof” success. [1] Abu Dawud