Personal, - Are We True Muslims? - II

Two Kinds of Muslims
Partial Muslims
Some Muslims profess faith in Allaah Almighty and the Messenger
sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and declare Islam as their religion; but
then they confine this Islam to only a part of their lives. To the
extent of this part, they express great attachment to Islam,
extensively perform worship rituals like Prayers, use of the rosary,
remembrance of Allaah Almighty. They are very particular in conforming
to outward piety in matters like food, dress and other external
social, cultural customs. Thus they are fully 'religious'.
But beyond these conventions their lives are not according to what
Allaah Almighty commands. If they love, they love for the sake of
their own selves, their country, their nation, or for anything else,
but not for Allaah Almighty. If they become displeased, are angry,
hate someone, make enemies, or wage war, it too is for the sake of
some worldly or selfish interest. Their relations with their
businesses, their wives and children, families, societies -- will all
be to a great extent unaffected by Islam and based on secular
considerations. As landlords, traders, rulers, soldiers, professional
people -- in all spheres they will behave as if they are autonomous,
having no connection with their position as Muslims. When such people
establish cultural, educational and political norms and institutions,
these have nothing to do with Islam, even though they may seem
Islamic.
True Muslims
The second kind of Muslims are those who completely merge their
personalities and existences into Islam. All the roles they have
become subordinate to the one role of being Muslims. They live as
Muslims when they live as fathers, sons, husbands or wives,
businessmen, landlords, laborers, employers. Their feelings, their
desires, their ideologies, their thoughts and opinions, their likes
and dislikes, all are shaped by Islam. Allaah's guidance holds
complete sway over their hearts and minds, their eyes and ears, their
bellies, their sexual desires, their hands and feet, their bodies and
souls. Neither their loves nor their hatreds are formed independently
of Islamic criteria. Whether they fight or make friends, it is purely
for the sake of Islam. If they give anything to anybody, it is because
Islam requires it to be given. If they withhold anything from anybody,
it is because Islam wants it to be withheld.
And this attitude of theirs is not limited to personal lives; their
public lives, their societies are also based entirely on Islam. Their
collectivity exists for Islam alone; their collective behavior is
governed by the precepts of Islam alone.
What Kind of Muslims Allaah Almighty Desires
The above two kinds of Muslims are significantly different from each
other, even if, legally, both are included in the Ummah and the word
`Muslim' is applied to both equally. Historically the first kind of
Muslims have made no achievement which may be worthy of mention or
which merits our being proud of it. Nothing these 'Muslims' have done
has left an Islamic imprint on the pages of world history. The world
has received no benefit from their existence; indeed, Islam has
suffered decay because of them. Because of the preponderance of such
`Muslims' in Muslim society, power and world leadership largely passed
into the hands of rebels against Allaah Almighty. For these `Muslims'
have been content merely with ensuring that they enjoy the freedom to
live religiously within the narrow confines of their private lives.
Allaah Almighty never desired to have such `Muslims'. Nor did He
Almighty send His Prophets or reveal His Books to make them. Indeed it
is the second kind of Muslims who are desired by Allaah Almighty. Only
they can ever accomplish anything worthwhile from the Islamic point of
view.
Supreme Loyalty to Allaah Almighty
This is not a phenomenon peculiar to Islam. In fact, no way of life
can ever prevail in the world if its followers accord their faith and
commitment a subordinate position in their lives. Or, if they live and
die for causes other than their faith. We see even today that only
those are considered real and true followers of a creed or ideology
who are loyal to it with their hearts and souls. Every creed in the
world desires such adherents and no creed can prevail in the world
except through such followers.
However, there is an important difference between Islam and other
creeds and ideologies. Although others demand from men total loyalty
and dedication, they in fact have no such right upon him, their claims
are entirely unjustified. The objects they place before men are not
the kind of objects for which a human being should sacrifice anything.
But Allaah almighty for whom Islam demands the sacrifice of life has a
right upon us. Everything must be given in His way, for whatever
exists in heaven and on earth belongs to Allaah Almighty. Man himself,
whatever he possesses, and whatever lies within him, all belong to
Allaah Almighty. It is therefore in perfect harmony with justice as
well as reason that whatever belongs to Allaah Almighty must be
reserved only for Him Alone. Whatever sacrifice man makes for others
or for his own benefit or to gratify his desire is indeed a breach of
trust unless it be with the permission of Allaah Almighty. And
whatever sacrifice is made for Allaah Almighty is in reality a payment
of what is due.
But, one lesson Muslims must learn from those who are sacrificing
everything for the sake of their false ideologies and false gods: how
strange it is that, while such unimaginable dedication, sacrifice and
fidelity is being shown for false gods, not even a thousandth part of
it is shown for the True God by those who profess faith in them.
Where Do We Stand?
Let us examine our lives by the crucial criteria of Imaan and Islam as
laid down by the Quran and the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.
If you claim that you have accepted Islam, have you oriented your
living and your dying towards Allaah only? Are you living for His
cause alone? Are your hearts and minds, your bodies and souls, your
time and efforts, being devoted to the fulfillment of Allaah's
commands? Is that mission being accomplished through you which He
wants to be fulfilled by the Muslim Ummah? And, again, do you obey and
serve only Allaah? Have you eliminated from your lives subservience to
selfish desires and obedience to family, brotherhood, friends, society
and state?
Have you made your likes and dislikes totally subordinate to what
Allaah Desires? If you love somebody, is it really for the sake of
Allaah? If you dislike somebody, is that too for the sake of Allaah?
Is no element of selfishness involved in this? Do you give and
withhold only for the sake of Allaah? Are you spending on your own
selves and giving wealth to other people, or withholding the same,
because that is what Allaah Almighty wants? Is your motive nothing but
to gain His pleasure?
If you find such a state of faith and submission within yourself, you
should thank Allaah that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of
Imaan in its fullness. And if you feel any deficiency, you must give
up every other concern and worry and concentrate wholly on remedying
this deficiency. For on its removal depends your wellbeing in this
world as well as your success in the Hereafter. Whatever success you
may enjoy in the present life will not compensate you for the loss you
will suffer in the Hereafter due to this deficiency. But if you make
up for this deficiency, even if you gain nothing in this world, you
will benefit immensely in the life to come.
Do not use this criterion to test or judge others and determine
whether they are Believers or hypocrites and Muslims or disbelievers;
use it only to judge your own selves and, if you detect any
deficiency, try to remove it before you meet Allaah Almighty. How a
mufti )religious jurist( or a court judges you should be of least
concern to you; it is only the judgment of the Supreme Ruler and
Knower of the seen and unseen which matters. Do not become happy
merely on seeing your names registered as Muslims, but remain anxious
about how and where your names are entered in the Register of Allaah
Almighty.
Real success consists in your being judged as believers and not
hypocrites, obedient and not disobedient, faithful and not unfaithful,
by that God who is the final Judge.

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