[The following is a sermon ("khutbah" when transliterated from Arabic) I delivered earlier today:] "I went to the West and I saw Islam, but no Muslims; and when I returned to the East, I saw Muslims, but not Islam." I’m paraphrasing this relatively famous remark made by Muhammad ‘Abduh at the turn of the 20th century, because I think it’s an incredibly simple yet insightful remark on the state of affairs around the world with regards to Islam and Muslims – about how many Muslims seem to not implement the principles and teachings of Islam in their daily lives, but how many non-Muslims seem to do so instead. I don’t share it with you to focus on some notion of the world being divided into “the West” and “the East”, because I don't think it is. I do share it with you, however, because it raises the important questions of “What is Islam?” and “What is a Muslim?” – what does it mean to say “I am a Muslim, and Islam is my way of Life.”? I won’t answer these questions in this khutbah [sermon], but I will come back to them at the end.
There are lots of problems, conflicts, and suffering in and around the world today, and there always have been as long as people have been around, and perhaps there always will be as long as people are around. Often, it’s easier to place the blame on so-called “others”, whoever they may be – “I didn’t cause this problem.”, “They should deal with it.”, “It’s not my fault; it’s theirs!”, etc. However, it is so important and essential to first look within ourselves for any part of the problem, be it just a bit or even the whole thing, before we start looking to others. And so I will be taking an introspective look at us as Muslims. This isn’t to say these problems are exclusive to Muslims, as they certainly aren’t, but they are still problems we face.
Brothers and Sisters, some of the things (or maybe all!) I will say in this khutbah may seem confrontational and bruising, but please know and remember that everything I say, especially when it comes to any form of advice, is a reminder for myself as much as it is for everybody else. I am not here to blame or cast guilt upon individuals, but to point out the things we are doing wrong. We as a community, a society, and as a people. But, if any of us ever spot a problem, we should at least try to offer a solution with it, so the first half of this khutbah will be identifying some of the problems we face, and the second half will be suggesting some solutions for these problems.
So, let’s get started. There are various ‘internal’ problems Muslim communities are facing, of which I’m going to focus on three, and they are:
- Being prejudiced and discriminatory;
- Being close-minded (to ideas that are ‘different’);
- Lacking the intention and initiative to make things better.
Now, all of these problems have a common fundamental solution, in my opinion, and that is being able to think critically and with knowledge, which I’ll touch upon again in a bit, insha Allah. Like I said, though, me pointing out these problems isn’t to cast blame on any of us in particular – it may be that some of us are very guilty of these things and need to focus on changing ourselves, it may be that some of us are doing okay with these things, alhamdu Lillah, and need to focus on helping others with these problems (note that it’s “helping others”, not “changing others”), though the reality is that we’re all probably in need of changing ourselves for the better as well as helping each other do the same. We’re all in this together, so we should all move forward together, insha Allah.
Problem #1 – Being prejudiced and discriminatory Quite often, we pass premature judgement on things we don’t fully understand, be it people, events, or ideas. That’s part of our nature, it’s a way of dealing with the unknown – we find things about it that are familiar to us, then assume things about the stuff we don’t know based on the familiar bits, and then make some judgement on all of it, because then we have something we can work with, something we can take predict and plan around. And yes, sometimes, we don’t have any other information to work with, so we can’t do any better than making these assumptions and consequent judgements, as is the case in research. More often than not, though, in most everyday situations, we can do better; we have more information available to us. We just need to access it.
But we often don’t, and therein lies the problem. We don’t take the time to find out more about some people, events, and ideas. We don’t take the time to consider our impression of something and how much we actually know about it. Rather, we may be quick to judge, and even discriminate based on our prejudice. A famous example of this in the Qur’an is in Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) [18:60-82], when Musa (PBUH) did not have patience with Al-Khidr and judged the latter’s actions incorrectly. I’d like you to consider how many times you’ve seen, heard, read, or even thought/said something prejudiced. “They don’t know how to cook this food because they’re not from this country.”, “I’m not going to that event because it’s going to be boring.”, or even “That idea isn’t worth listening to because non-Muslims came up with.”, etc.
There are worse examples than this that I’ve witnessed, though, subhan Allah. Where people have made judgements about the character of others, about whether or not somebody is a good or bad person, and even if somebody is going to Heaven or Hell. Who are we to judge any of those things? Who are we to say “I know the nature and intention of a person as good as that person themselves does, if not better, so much so that I can pass judgement on them.”? I hope none of us are currently thinking “Oh yes, I know so-and-so who does that; shame on them.” because not only is that exactly the problem I’m trying to address right now, but it’s also what I said earlier about us placing the blame elsewhere without looking at ourselves first. Instead, what we should be thinking right now is, “Am I guilty of this? Am I prejudiced and do I discriminate because of it?”
“O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them.” – Surah Al-Hujarat (The Rooms) [49:11]
Problem #2 – Being close-minded (to ideas that are different) Change can be difficult, it’s something we don’t typically deal with too well. Again, it’s in our nature – if we’re used to some routine, some way of doing things, some form of tradition, we understand it better and can predict and plan around it. If something’s different, though, if it’s strange or new to us, then it means we don’t know how things are going to go, and that can be scary. So yes, change can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily wrong or should be avoided or even resisted.
Whether it’s something like cooking the same food all the time because it’s what we grew up with, marrying people only if they’re from the same tribe/region because it’s the same culture, or even refusing to question our own beliefs out of fear of finding something we can’t agree, explain, or justify – these are all examples of us being resistant to change, even when it may lead to something better for us from something that was worse for us.
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you.” – Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) [2:216]
Problem #3 – Lacking the intention and initiative to make things better Now this is the problem that actually bothers me the most, which is why I’m not going to dwell on it that much, subhan Allah. Again, none of these problems are exclusive to Muslim communities, but one of the responsibilities we have as Muslims is to make things better, to strive for Ihsan (perfection). Despite this, despite this duty to improve what we can, not just for ourselves but for all, I have found and heard of the same problem in many Muslim communities not just here in the UK, but around the world. And it is this problem of not taking the initiative with problems identified, of not being willing to put in the effort to make things better, subhan Allah.
I know it’s much easier to complain about a situation than it is to do something about it, but that helps nobody, and instead usually only makes things worse. Of course, pointing out a problem to others once or twice may be acceptable, in certain circumstances, but if you find you are complaining frequently and not offering any solutions or at least taking part in those solutions, you may find that you are part of the problem instead.
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” – Surah Ar-Ra’d (The Thunder) [13:11]
I said all of this, not because I’m trying to make us feel bad; I said it all because these are some of the problems we are facing as a people, and we need to acknowledge these problems in the first place if we are to do anything about them, so the next step is to find solutions to these problems and solve them, insha Allah.
Now that I’ve outlined some of the problems we face, I’ll quickly run through some solutions for them, so I ask that you please reflect on these and try to implement them to make our communities better, insha Allah.
Solution #1 – Being prejudiced and discriminatory This one is simple in terms of knowing what action to take, or in this case, not take – don’t judge, not unless you have to. What should we do instead? First, and perhaps most importantly, is to acknowledge and admit what you don’t know. And then try to find out about those things that you don’t know so you can make an informed opinion. “I don’t know why the Brother/Sister won’t accept my iftaar invitation…I should ask [maybe they can’t eat certain foods].”, “I don’t know why they never come to the masjid…I should ask without judging [maybe they don’t know how to pray and are too shy to ask somebody to show them].”, and so on. Just asking about things – in a considerate and polite manner – can provide a wealth of information and broaden our understanding of those around us, which in turn gives us more opportunities to better ourselves with, insha Allah.
Of course, this isn’t to say that we have to find out everything – some details may simply be personal/private or beyond our reach (again, consider the nature of research, where we’re continuously trying to push the boundaries of human knowledge and have to make assumptions), but, as I said, in those cases we still need to admit what we don’t know, and to not speculate unnecessarily.
On a side-note, earlier this week we heard about the deadliest mass shooting in the USA to date, subhan Allah. We still don’t know the full details about the whole thing, and realistically, we probably never will, not fully – we’ll try to piece it all together bit by bit in an effort to understand it all. And we’ll do the same regarding the shooting and stabbing of an MP yesterday here in the UK, subhan Allah. In both cases, what do we actually know about the perpetrator of these crimes, as well as the victims? Not much, really. What I really hope, though, is that we – the remaining, the living – don’t pass judgement on any of the victims. Nor should we ever pass judgement if possible. Subhan Allah I’ve seen some people say the victims of the shooting brought it upon themselves because they were homosexual/bisexual and at a nightclub, and this is really saddening to see and hear. At what point did any of us become Al-Hakim (The Judge), subhan Allah? At what point did we choose who “deserves” and “doesn’t deserve” to die? Whether somebody is doing something halal or haram, it doesn’t mean we know their situation or their intentions, and it certainly doesn’t mean we can pass judgement on them.
People died. They were murdered. And whether or not we agree or disagree with things those people did or didn’t do, or the way they were or weren’t, at no point should we feel that this was right, that they deserved to suffer and be murdered. They, the victims of the Orlando shooting, Jo Cox the MP, all of us – we are all people like each other, we’re all capable of the same intentions and actions. To those Muslims who have spoken with approval about these shootings (alhamdu Lillah I haven’t witnessed that here), “I see Muslims, but not Islam.” And to those non-Muslims who have felt a loss and tried to strengthen ties of kinship and understanding, “I see Islam, but not Muslims.”
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying: “Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the gravest lie in talk and do not be inquisitive about one another and do not spy upon one another and do not feel envy with the other, and nurse no malice, and nurse no aversion and hostility against one another. And be fellow-brothers and servants of Allah.” Muslim [45:35]
Solution #2 – Being close-minded to ideas that are different Be open-minded…but not so open-minded that your brain falls out! What I mean by this is that it’s okay to think about things differently to what we’re used to (and this should be encouraged!), as it may offer us new ways to look at things, new ways to see things and understand them. This doesn’t mean changing for the sake of changing, especially if we don’t understand why we’re making the change (hence “your brain falling out”), but to consider alternative perspectives, to challenge yourself, to challenge your own beliefs, thoughts, and feelings.
Yes, as I mentioned before, that can be scary, but it will give you a better understanding of situations and a better understanding of why you believe what you do, and you may find your beliefs reaffirmed, corrected, or something else – in any case, keep doing this to better your understanding of everything; as long as you remain honest in your reasoning, you should be fine, insha Allah.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge." Riyad as-Salihin [13:6]
Solution #3 – Lacking the intention and initiative to make things better If you spot a problem, the first thing you should do is try to solve that problem yourself – a broken tap in the prayer room? Report it to those who can fix it. Not enough drinks at iftaar? Bring some of your own. No feeling of community with other Muslims on campus? Organise a social to get to know each other. Most problems we face as a community can be solved with some effort on our own part, alhamdu Lillah. And for the problems that still can’t be solved after trying yourself, get others involved and ask how you can help. Alhamdu Lillah, there are a few characters here in our own community, both Brothers and Sisters, that I’ve seen time and again take the initiative and not only try to improve things for our community, but they actually did improve things, masha Allah, especially in the last academic year. This is what we need of more in our community – people that actively seek to improve our situation, people who take the initiative and actively try to solve our problems, alhamdu Lillah. Don’t complain about problems, do something about them.
“…He who believes in Allah and the Last Day speaks good or remains silent.” Muslim [1:81]
I said earlier that these three problems could be all solved with some critical thinking and a solid knowledge-base, so we should strive for these things as part of our striving for perfection, insha Allah. Critical thinking doesn’t mean being able to criticise, but instead to think about things in an objectively logical and fair manner, rather than be swayed/influenced by emotions and subjectivity, whilst a good knowledge-base provides the actual content with which you base your thinking upon. This is a skill all of us are capable of, insha Allah, and should be a part of our daily lives and how we view the world, so please seek out ways to practice and improve this skill.
Lastly, my initial questions: “What is Islam?”, “What is a Muslim?”, and “What does it mean to say, ‘I am a Muslim, and Islam is my way of Life.’?”. I said I wouldn’t answer these, not just because one simply can’t provide comprehensive and in-depth answers to these questions in the space of one khutbah, or even ten perhaps, subhan Allah, but because I want you to all go away and think about this in your own time. What does it actually mean when you say you are a Muslim and Islam is your religion?