First of all please read after listening to famous "Wake up" talk below as loud as to blow up your speakers!!!
Then What I want to tell will make more sense!
I hope you can have time to watch these videos of Yasir Qadhi and Nouman Ali Khan and Khalid Yasin which I find related to what I want to talk about here.
This post is about what I have in my mind to share with any other Muslim who has a concern about Islam and/or muslims. I didn't have a chance to sit and talk with people, that's why I put a note here for the record. Hopefully, I can have a chance to talk with a muslim brother in person someday, somehow, sometime. Also, this article poorly reflects really what I want to say. I wish I was able to express my thoughts in a better way.
We always hear negative news about Muslims and bad things happen in Muslim majority countries. Islamophobia is increasing. Will Muslims have a better future? This highly depends on what Muslims are doing for a better future. If we don't have any effort, we don't have a right to expect good things to happen.
Talk to each others
We, muslims, can get together and have quality talks. We can learn from each others and hear each other's problems as muslims. This may help us to know about issues and situations faced by other muslims around us that we never experienced or noticed (a related hadith) . For example, I would not know what is the situation of an adult new muslim woman entering a mosque as a first time, as me being a born muslim in a mostly muslim living country. (please see the first 3 minutes of the video, click here). These type of talks and sharing experiences have a potential to heal us and teach us valuable lessons. But, in order to have that we must get together and share with each others. It souldnt be the only time for us to get together and listen to an Imam or sheikh or a famous muslim preacher. Beside that, we can get together and listen to each others. We have a lot to learn from each others.
Another reason to get together with fellow muslims is to share what is important to us as muslims. If we watch TV, listen to the radio, surf on the internet, as curse of living nowadays, we will be bombarded with all kind of news, information, gibberish, Islamophobia and etc... Also, we will be listening to things what is found important by others who are funded by others that are not necessarily important or deserving our attention. We must have the ability of setting our own agenda, rather than following the crowds. Here, an important question is, as a muslim, are we paying attention to what we should pay attention to? Therefore, instead of complaining about how media is biased against Islam, why don't we sit together and tell each others what is important for us as muslims today? This is not trivial because, by paying attention to right things, we would better be aware of our responsibilities. For example. should we follow the crowds and rap about how ISIS is brutal and unislamic? or talk about the crisis of how many muslim children became refugees and facing lack of school and education thus being pushed towards ignorance and to the hands of angry extremists due to foreign occupations and interventions in muslim lands?
With the previous two paragraphs, I imagine a group of muslims having a meeting, looking at power point slides on the screen and listening to a presenter and engaging in a following discussion session. And these people should not be allowed to have cheap talks about mideast politics or results of latest soccer games:) Here `Rad Talks` seems to be a good example.
Who cares what Muslims say?
As muslims, are we able to talk to everybody? Or we are able to talk only to the muslims? If Islam is for humankind and universal, why muslim talks, activities, doings, organizations etc, are not getting attention of non-muslims? It is not nature of the Qur'an just to talk to the muslims. But, somehow we muslims, our language, our activities are not able to draw attention from everybody. Our style is not suitable for everybody. We must be able to talk to everybody and our words should make sense to ordinary people who never heard of Islam. (Please see the print-screens of the emails that I got from a jewish organization, Click 1, click 2, click 3.) It implies that Jewish wisdom can help anybody, not only Jews. Is Islam only for muslims? If not, why we are not capable of getting attention of all ? By this, I don't mean marketing or sugar coating of Islam ( as it is unnecessary). I mean presenting Islam in good way with a beautiful language and proper style.
Recently, my wife told me how a girl she met was interested about Halal diet and Halal food after my wife told her about it. Because, this person has understandable concerns for the treatment of animals in the industrial settings, as you know many people are going vegetarian for that reason. Here the thing is if we are going to talk and promote and practice Halal food in a meaning of making sense to any conscious person or it will be just some special, spiritual, weird Muslim thing that has nothing good to the rest of the world? Or, we are just going to make life easier by saying chicken is not big deal, beef is not pork, it must be okay and etc...{1} Keep blind to animal abuse in meat industry by not demanding Halal. But, meanwhile repeat a cliche "Islam defends animal rights" hypocritically...
We, Muslims, quit praying salat but look up to Yoga and meditation as a cool stuff. We quit Halal and then we need animal right activists teach us about animal's treatment. Because our faith doesn't make us to get up and do anything for environment, we have to go to green peace or so. Indeed, we really ignore so much of Islam( we are stuck with 5 pillars), and we really need Islamization of muslims.
Who we are?
As the general picture of Muslim youth today, we don't have a sound Islamic education since in the West or other muslim living (not islamic) countries, we go to secular schools and learn about religion in a piecemeal fashion when we have a chance out of the school. And nowadays, we learn from YouTube, We don't know so much about Islam. Not all of us went to Islamic schools and studied Islamic Theology. But, it is also kind of impossible for all of us to be an Alim (scholar). We all cant be scholars of Islam but, still each one of us carries the responsibilities of being a muslim. Therefore muslim leaders, doers or activists will be among us, not only among Muslim scholars. As a result, today's muslim youth should not feel ashamed or weak due to lack of islamic knowledge but have confidence and produce activism for the sake of God, As we all know learning Islam is a lifelong and never ending struggle.
Also, we won't be only listening to muslim scholars in every aspect of life as one scholar can not know everything. Their great knowledge of the religion does not make them superheros. Lets say, a Muslim psychologist would be a better person to solve marriage problems rather than Imam in the mosque knows the religion but does not know the psychology.
In addition, we only see big humanitarian aid organizations by muslims. That's great. But, it is not the only way to serve to Islamic causes. There is so much to do but, instead of producing Muslim activities, statements, responses, reactions, art, movies, affirmations, words, we just imitate one another. Let's start a new muslim humanitarian organization?
When we talk about dawah, many times it means bringing non-practicing muslims to the mosque or to an Islamic event that they don't really care. I disagree that the life will be better if all Muslims go to masjeed to pray 5 times and do fast and perform other fards (obligations). We must be better Muslims, Yes. But, this means so much more than praying. fasting, giving charity and etc... As a summary, is our problem quantity of the muslims in the masjeed or quality of them? The practicing Muslim definition shouldn't be degraded to one prays. fasts, do hajj and donate money. I say this keeping in mind that, I admire some great people who devout their life for great purposes and they are non-Muslims. But they are people that you want to be with them for their quality, sincerity, and consciousness.
Who is going to do it?
If a Muslim's right violated for being Muslim? Don't worry, CAIR will handle it. If a new famine appeared in Africa, don't worry `Islamic Relief` will do something, you just donate. If ISIS kills people in a western country? Don't worry a Muslim scholar who is famous in YouTube will condemn it at a drop of a hat. So on and so forth, thus we can outsource everything ( please don't get me wrong. I have no problem but I am grateful to those organizations and people) We don't have to do anything. No intellectual and physical effort is necessary. We can kick back and watch the Superbowl games. Is it really so?
Who represent Islam and Muslims?
If you remember a few years back, there was a stupid movie said to be about our beloved prophet Mohammad (pbuh). It is said to be an ugly movie and a very poor job, sure to be made just to denigrate him. It was protested in many muslim countries by angry protesters and some muslims died in the incidents. I agree with protesting. Nevertheless, that wasn't the only way to show our disturbance and disagreement. But, who get together and come up with a good idea, who produced a thoughtful Muslim response?
Likewise, some terrorists killed people in Charlie Hebdo magazine in France which published nasty cartoons about our prophet. I don't remember any response to that cartoons by muslim communities. Yes, this immoral acts in the name of freedom of speech hurt all muslims. But, what is our response. What we can suggest young muslims to do as a response to that? If we dont have any good idea or solution, then some angry young guys can do bad things, like doing violence. This is wrong. But, unfortunately it happened. Then, we rush to condemn those who did it and say it is unislamic. So, what was Islamic then? and where the hell it is?
Unfortunately, today ISIS or chaotic situations in muslim countries bring up Islam to the attention of the society. Compared to the number of muslims in the world ( that 1.6 billion we ignorantly love to brag about), activity, productivity or effectiveness of muslims seem very low.
It is sad to say but until we start to do something, ISIS will represent world muslims! ( it is not an excuse to say media always picks up the bad example and want to misrepresent Muslims) We keep saying this is not Islamic, that's not Islamic but then people would ask then where is the Islamic? Islamic is not there because we don't realize Islam.
I wish I could better explain what I mean here. I couldn't write for pages, Please help me by leaving a comment then I can explain or modify parts that could be misunderstood.
{1} Remember that, when you go to the grocery store, you would notice how many products are labeled as kosher, while how many of them labeled as halal. Therefore, it is clear that producers respect Jewish consumers but not Muslims consumers. I believe that they did enough to earn that but we, Muslims, apparently didn't do enough.
{2} One day, I was randomly listening to a local radio station and a Christian preacher was bashing Islam by quoting some hadiths (sayings) of Mohammad(pbuh). Obviously, it wasnt only me listening, So, a non-muslim was preaching on Islam to many listeners who would hear about Islam as a first time.
I want to add links of some Muslims who are doing great job, Please check them out.
