Islam and Muslims:
Lofty Creeds, Pitiable Breeds
(published as "Nostalgic Aspirations of Muslims and Harsh Realities" in the Minaret)
Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq
One routine many Muslims regularly go through is to try to understand the reasons behind the already wide - and still widening - gap between their nostalgic aspirations about what their conditions should be and the stark reality they wake up to every morning.
On any day it is not easy to read a newspaper without reading something that might make our hearts heavy for the whole day or even for days. Turning on TV to watch news is even more agonizing and traumatic. Muslims are starving in Somalia, Ethiopia, and in several other parts of Africa: non-Muslims are their saviors. While the 'helpless' Muslim world watched, their fellow people were being decimated in Bosnia and Kashmir. Muslims are under siege in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia and these cases are, of course, obvious to most Muslims. To other, more observant Muslims, the siege against Islam reaches as close as the Heartland of Islam, from where Prophet Muhammad (s) gave the final, universal call of salvation to mankind. These are ongoing "events" that are parts of our observation on a routine basis. Since these events play heavily on our emotions, we often are overwhelmed by them. We have hardly any energy or motivation left to probe into beyond what appears on the surface.
Being unable to have significant leverage on the events that shape our lives, we resign ourselves to fatalism, as if this is "ordained" for us by Allah. We keep repeating from our pulpits (minbars) how lofty Islam's creeds and guidance are, how Islam is the solution to our problems, how Islam embodies all that is true and best for the humanity! For Muslims to discuss about Islam's loftiness and high ideals is understandable. That is what we believe. We have no reason to hesitate to proclaim that, indeed, it is the reality. However, what is missing in our approach is our ability to explain as to why with lofty Islam, we are in such "less than lofty" situation.
Yes, Islam is the only deen (way of life) that has made it incumbent upon its adherents, males and females, that they seek knowledge and education. Who can dispute the loftiness of such an injunction? However, the societies that do not have such guidance dominate the world today and they have more literate and educated people than Muslims do. Islam is the only deen that proclaims taharah (cleanliness) as half of iman (faith). This also is a lofty creed. Yet, how sharp in contrast are the lives of majority of Muslims living in the squalid conditions of poverty and destitution in various parts of Africa and Asia.
Islam, with its unambiguous message of Tauheed (monotheism), demands from its adherents their unconditional commitment to the unity of its adherents. Yet, we are divided and fragmented in every possible way we can consider. For Muslims, what Islam has to offer is lofty, noble, and thoroughly beneficial is an accepted premise. Loftiness of Islam, however, does not automatically translate into loftiness for Muslims, unless they truly understand their deen, embrace it wholeheartedly, and strive capably following the guidance of Islam.
Some might object the use of the expression 'breed' in the title. However, is not that what we are? 'Breed' means 'kind or variety with hereditary properties.' And, to the best of my understanding, that is what we are. Similar to followers of other religions, most of us are 'culture-bound' or 'culture-driven.' When we mention about one billion Muslims, it is a statistical figure based on their cultural heritage and identity. It includes people who are primarily born in 'apparently' Muslim families. Once their cultural identity is established, whether they believe in Islam or not, whether they pray or not, whether they are communist or atheist, nationalist or monarchists, they are included among the cultural bunch called Muslims. What is the difference between us and the generation of the Prophet (s)? Answer to this question would be a topic in itself. A plain, simple answer would be that the generation of the Prophet (s) 'consciously' embraced Islam. This embracing meant freedom from our 'received' culture, choice of Islam on the basis of understanding and volition, and adherence to it wholeheartedly with full weight of creativity and dynamism. There was nothing automatic for them. Through their lives Islam's loftiness became a living reality.
In our time, people come to Jumuah (Friday) prayer, many without knowing exactly what kind of role such a congregation is supposed to play in their lives. It is no wonder that they like to come as late and leave as early as possible. Even when they are present, obviously most of them do not come to learn anything but to perform a ritual only. Why should they be blamed? The way Islam is presented from the minbars, it would be unrealistic expect a different result. We tend to show more concern about the ritualistic side of Islam than the behavioral side. We emphasize the legal side of Islam more than the value side. Read some Islamic magazines and newsletters. Often they are nauseating! Some of these have one, major concern; for example, fighting bid'a (innovation). One of them recently introduced a toll-free Fatwa Hotline. The pathetic part is that, after writing lengthy, serious stuffs about bid'a, only real bid'a they can identify is, for example, celebration of Prophet's (s) birthday or of the night of Mi'raj, etc. We have entrapped ourselves into our compartmentalized life and thought. Within this framework, we can breed only prototypes.
We must understand that Muslims cannot be biologically bred, nor can they properly be bred within the 'received' culture of Muslims. Prophet Nuh's family bred a disbeliever son. Prophet Lut's (p) spouse was among the ones condemned by Allah. We need a new cultural awakening among us, where we understand and embrace the truth as we grow up. We may wish our progeny to become Muslims, but we cannot automatically expect so. The received culture of Islam is not necessarily the true culture of Islam. From authoritarian political institutions to male-dominated social patterns, from fragmented Muslim world to its dependent economic structures, from blind dogmatism to arrogance and intolerance against each other, from fatalistic resignation to ineffective mimicry of others, all symptoms of the Ummah have made us nothing short of a laughing stock of the contemporary world. As long as we continue to 'breed' Muslims within this 'cultural' framework, Islam and its creeds will continue to be lofty, but we will remain pitiable.
[The author is an associate professor of economics and finance at the Upper Iowa University. This article was previously published in the Monthly Minaret, November 1995.]
HOME
Index of my
writings
Have you visited my site on Kazi
Nazrul Islam?
Genocide
1971 Page?
Hadith
Humor Page?