Harry Potter and the American Muslims, Part 2

by Rami Mahmoud Elsawah

The bond of a Muslim and his brother is sacred. He is forbidden from harming his brother, he is required to give him/her hospitality, to share his bed, his house and his food for at least three days. He is required to visit him when he is sick, bury him when he dies, and wish him peace and blessing when they meet. He covers his brother's shortcomings and protects him from harm. His bond is such as can't be found anywhere else in human life. It is love for the sake of Allah...it is the source of his humanity. Many Muslims in America today don't feel this happening to them. Their fellow Muslims are turning them away from Islam. I will state that again...Muslims feel turned away by their fellow Muslims...and it is turning them away from Islam! I know what you may be thinking...it's arrogance. This is true, arrogance between Muslims does happen and sometimes too much; but that's not what I want to talk about. I want to tell you that we as Muslims in an effort to do the right thing sometimes do the worst thing. That is to say, we make other Muslims feel unwelcome, we turn them away. I will give you a small but strong example -- and if any women would like to correct me on this -- feel free to write your comments please. There are the Hijabis; lanterns of the religion, the ever persecuted and misunderstood. Then there is the rest of the world; the ones who don't cover, or have yet to cover. The two -- it seems -- have a very hard time getting past a certain depth of mutual cooperation and understanding with each other. In other words, they don't get along. Let me explain why insha Allah. The Hijab is a very, very hard thing to wear. It is a declaration of yourself, your faith, and your Deen (your religion). In other words, it's a hard thing to wear. But of course, women were not born with Hijabs; they had to put them on, and usually at that point of life when it's the hardest. This is the time when your voices start to change, hair grows in places you've never dreamed, and in America and Europe dating becomes a factor of life. But you don't date, in fact you don't even talk to boys...in FACT you are so damn modest and considerate that you don't want to activate that raging Y chromosome in the surrounding males by displaying all your flesh and hair, which seem to be so abundantly given to you. So you are shunned by your friends, you live your life as an outcast, and the only ones who you can turn to for support, who won't laugh at your modesty, or persecute you for your faith, are the other Hijabis. So you'll be damned if your going to let them go. Now...the other perspective. You dress the way you want to dress, and it's really not even that bad. You don't show cleavage, you don't wear shorts and your clothes are pretty loose. But every time you try and talk to that Hijabi she seems to just snuff you off; she has an air of untouchability, an unpleasant welcome that you used to get from other people back in high school when they were too cool for you. You try and hang, but she only hangs with her clique...she doesn't like you...because you're not covered. So where does the problem originate? Could it be arrogance? That does indeed happen, but it may also be that these two people have a misunderstanding. You see, the Hijabi seeks security from the torment of the world and so consorts only with those who are Hijabis, who she know will give her security and comfort. The non-hijabis feel like they are being turned away because they don't feel like they can seek their comfort within the Hijabis. So the Hijabis feel outcasted by the world and the world feels outcasted by the Hijabis. This is quite a big problem. Let's go back to Qu'ran and Sunnah: Surat Abasa: "(The Prophet) frowned and turned away, because there came to him the blind man (interrupting)." (Qu'ran 80:1-2) This Sura is well known. It's an admonition from Allah to his Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him. A blind man interrupted the Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him, as he was giving Da'wa to a pagan Quraishi leader. A man --whom if converted -- would result in a great many of his tribesman becoming Muslim too. Now imagine you're on the phone with a potential employer. You're telling him about all your amazing qualities and how utterly disastrous it would be for the company to be without you. Then you're little brother comes in the room yelling: "Rami! Rami! Have you seen my notebook from school?!" You'd probably strangle him. Prophet Muhammed, peace and blessing be upon him, just frowned and turned away. "But what could tell thee but that perchance he might grow in purity? Or that he might receive admonition, and the reminder might profit him?" (Qu'ran 80:3-4) The Prophet, peace and blessing be on him, was then instructed that the ones who are seeking knowledge might be of better use of that knowledge than the one to whom takes it with great effort. Like the one who is eager to attend class to learn and the one who goes just to get marked for attendance. Truly this was the case in this event. The blind man would later convert, become a pious Muslim, and governor of Medinah. Then Allah says (read this one carefully): "As to one who regards himself as self-sufficient, to him dost thou attend; Though it is no blame to thee if he grow not in purity. But as to him who came to thee striving earnestly, and with fear (In his heart), of him wast thou unmindful. By no means (Should it be so)! For it is indeed a message of remembrance." (Qu'ran 80:5-11) There is a lesson in this for us. First, if you are spending your time giving Da'wa to people who don't give two poops about Islam and disregard the brother passing by just looking for a salaam, then you've goofed up big time. Second, if the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing be on him -- who mind you is a billion and a half times closer to Allah then we are -- can make that mistake, I guarantee you that we have done the same. But unfortunately for us we don't have the privilege of revelation; so if you are doing it then you probably don't even know you are. It happens everyday. You don't believe me? Look at how many people attend lectures at our MSA's. Now look at the number of Muslims attending the college. They don't match do they? So what happens to all those disenfranchised Muslims? Why is it always the same old faces who show up? Maybe I'm going to have to leave this up to you to determine. In the meantime, I can most certainly tell you that we need help from Allah, big time. Just take my advice and read carefully from the Surah above. Remember the lessons to be learned and remember what it is to be a brotherhood. Please, the next time you see that Muslim standing over there -- whether you think he/she is good or bad -- offer him your Salaams and take the silly frown off your face. Because we were given a heart, and that heart was made for us to have compassion. You don't know if he'll be the one leading the prayers in the near future. Hazrat N'uman Ibn Bashir (R.A.A) relates that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: The Muslims in their mutual love, kindness and compassion, are like the human body. Where when one of its parts is in agony the entire body fells the pain, both in sleeplessness and fever. May Allah grant us Humility and Humanity.

of and relating to...