Submitted by
Asem Mohd Mohiuddin , MD
Retired Radiation Oncologist
Scottsdale, Arizona
The last century has seen tremendous technological advances that have transformed the lives of man as never before seen in many centuries past made great strides. Many of the hardships of ordinary life that previous generations faced have been mitigated by better housing, food, communications and leisure. However, these changes have not come without a price. The move to individual rights and freedoms couched as liberalism has to a breakdown of intimate community relationships, extended family clusters, and even the nuclear family. Anxiety and depression are rampant. Divorce rates have skyrocketed. Child poverty and hunger keep increasing amid food surpluses. Suicide rates, substance abuse and drug addictions, gambling, immorality, and violence have become commonplace. Within this context, the biggest casualty has been the connection that past civilizations had with God. Atheism is now the fastest growing religion in the world. Many countries, especially in the Western Hemisphere, which for the past centuries had counted 95 percent of the population as belonging to a religion, has not dwindled to 60 to 70% and it is estimated that within the next 20 years, this will dwindle to less than 50% (Pew surveys). Most religions, especially Christianity and Judaism, have continued to lose adherents. The one religion that continues to stay strong and grow is Islam. To reverse the decline in religiosity, many religions have tried to reform, i.e., make the religion more palatable to modern society. This is the opposite of what religion was made to do. Instead of God’s commands dictating the life to be led it is moving more and more to adjustments to evolving social mores. New forms of worship, music, dance, and even bingo games are incorporated to attract worshipers.
Muslims have not been immune to these changes either. Many have succumbed to the lure of material well-being as a key objective of life. Others have gone the other way towards a more stricter, rigid harsher, and more violent interpretations of Islam (Al Qaeda, ISIS, Wahhabism, etc.). There have been many attempts to reform Islam (Bahai. Ahmadis, Ismailis, Abbadi and several other sects) Yet at its the core Mainstream Islam refuses any attempts at reform or reformation? Muhammad (pbuh) is accepted as the last of the Prophets and in his last sermon he declared God’s revelation that “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Quran 5:3)
As a result, there is no latitude for reform or changes to that which has been codified by the Quran and Sunnah. It is because of this that Islam has become the whipping boy for modern-day secularists and religionists who want to see Islam subjected to the same human interference as they have successfully inserted into other religious practices in the name of reform. However, there is a vast distance between Islam as a religion and Muslims as its practitioners. At the most basic level, the enunciation of the Shahada- “That there is no God, but the one God and Muhammad (pbuh) is his prophet,” is enough to be a Muslim. Many “Muslims” also participate in some aspect of Ibaadat (ritual worship), in the so-called “5 pillars”- Iman (belief), Salat (prayer), Sawm (fasting), Zakat (charity), and Hajj (pilgrimage). However, these practices are more often as a form of duty than heartfelt commitment. Essential prayer, which is the most frequent part of this Ibaadat asks at each intercession for God’s help in keeping them on the “straight path.” But worldly life is a distraction to the straight path. Dishonesty, cheating, corruption. Injustice, arrogance, and a variety of other unsavory characteristics have crept into Muslim behavior that no longer reflects the core message of Allah and his commands. Why is this so? The concept that it is enough to be a worshipping Muslim for Allah to forgive all their other sins to smooth their way into heaven in the hereafter has been drilled into the hearts and minds of Muslims since childhood. It is clear from the Quran that this is not enough. Allah asked of those who supplicate to Him to lead a righteous life. The Ibaadat is an aid to maintain connectivity to God and facilitate a purposeful existence. He has said that He has created mankind to be his Viceroy on Earth. He has created the earth as
a garden and given man the responsibility of nurturing this garden. To be its keeper, in essence, the gardener. It does no good if the gardener waters the plants in the morning and then crushes them in the afternoon by walking roughshod over them. This is the state of current-day Muslims.
Allah says in the Quran:
“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (Quran 1:177)
He is making it abundantly clear that He is not interested in the blind worship of mankind or to be a nominal Muslim but to fulfill a greater obligation to Allah if you truly believe in him. He has asked man specifically to be a righteous human being. A MOMIN, What does this mean? He expects man to go beyond the five pillars to truly find favor with Him. Think of what a pillar is. Pillars are useful to support a building. They by themselves do not provide shelter, security, or comfort. However, a building supported by strong pillars provides all of the above and the stronger the pillars, the stronger the building. A building that provides shelter requires a foundation, it requires walls, it requires a roof, and it requires doors and windows.
Similarly, to be a complete human being (a Momin) we have to reach beyond just the five pillars. The five elements that
make a Momin are Aqedah (belief), Aqlaaq (character), Amal (deeds including Ibaadat) Ilm (Knowledge), and Adl (Justice). Each of these
elements has five constituent parts.
Aqedah is “believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers (Sura Baqarah 2:177)).
Aqlaaq is to be of the best character (good to your parents, to your family, to your neighbors, to your community, and to Islam).
The greatest accomplishment of the Prophet (pbuh) was that he took a nation steeped in Jahiliya and transformed it into a nation of mercy, of compassion, justice, unity, honesty, and trust. Only after this transformation was the full weight of the Quran fully revealed and entrusted to the Muslim Umma.
Amal is the actions and life you lead of good deeds, performing the five pillars (Ibaadat), kindness in actions towards others, honesty and trust in business dealings, humility and sincerity, and service.
Ilm (knowledge) consists of knowledge of Allah, the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), knowledge of the world (physical and biological sciences) and knowledge of the unseen (research).
Adal (Justice) consists of jihad to conquer your ego, to be non-judgmental of others as to ethnicity, race, skin color, disability or other, to judge fairly without bias and prejudice, to promote peace among people, and to fight oppression.“O ye who believe! Be strict in observing justice, and be witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or against parents and kindred “ (Quran 4:136)
This is true Islam. It is time Muslims woke up to the true reality of what is meant by being the servant of Allah or one who submits to Him.