The First Strangers: Towards the Comprehensive Islamic Revival of Thought & Action

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and upon his family and Companions.

Strangers: From Silsiliat Rasail al Ghuraba, Shaykh Dr Salman al-Awdah

There are two types of strangership that Muslims are going through today:

1 – The first is the alienation of Muslims from the followers of other religions.

Abdullah Bin Masu’d narrated: “While we were in the company of the Prophet in a tent, he said: ‘Would it please you to be one fourth of the people of paradise?’ We said: ‘Yes’. He said: ‘Would it please you to be one third of the people of paradise?’ We said: ‘Yes’. He said: ‘Would it please you to be one half of the people of paradise?’ We said: ‘Yes’. Thereupon he said: ‘I hope that you will be one half of the people of paradise, for none will enter paradise but a Muslim soul, and you people, in comparison to the people who associate others in worship with Allah, are like a white hair on the skin of a black ox, or a black hair on the skin of a red ox.’ [Related by al-Bukhari]

This hadith shows that the conflict between the Muslims and the disbelievers [those who overtly attack Islam and the Muslims] never stops and that this conflict did not prevent the Prophet and his companions from spreading Islam.

2 – Second type of alienation is the alienation of the followers of the Sunnah from the other sects of Muslims.

This type is harder than the first. When a Muslim adheres to Sunnah, his strangeness increases. He gets many opponents and fewer supporters. He is a traveler on a long path with few companions. When he reaches a higher stage, some of his companions withdraw from him until a very limited number of them remain to continue the journey.

The followers of the Sunnah should spread the right creed, the correct methodology for the interpretation of the Qur’an and Sunnah; and the right Islamic manners. They should call non-Muslims to Islam so that they do not fall prey to the innovations and the prejudices.

The strangeness of Islam might be a strangeness of principles, place or time. The strangeness of principles means that some principles like Jihad and enjoining good and forbidding evil become strange. The strangeness of place is when Islam becomes alienated in one place but strong in another place. The strangeness of time is when Islam becomes strange everywhere at a certain period of time. However, there always exists a group of victorious followers of the Sunnah who are not influenced by those who oppose them.

Comments:

In the media hype age were are living in, where branding and compartmentalising people in schisms and stereotypes have become the standard, not following the status-quo can leave an individual feeling despondent and dejected because of the onslaught he or she might face for not being a conformists. This is very true in the field of actualising and implementing the comprehensive and middle way of the Islamic Da’wa especially since many people have pigeonholed themselves in various divisions and categories.

The ailment of elitism and selectiveness has permeated in the mindset of certain Muslims and sadly even amidst many Islamic workers. It is incredibly regrettable that there are some who have an elitist and exclusive mentally in our community, who seem to want people to follow what they feel or perceive to be correct without properly ascertaining whether the views and opinions they may be positing to be sound. I am sure the readers know what I am talking about. I have met many who believe they are the vanguards of truth against everyone else, who believe to be upon guidance and the rest in misguidance and who deem their way is the only way. I am not alluding to issues pertaining to iman and kufr [faith and disbelieve], I am referring to issues where flexibility and variants opinions have been accommodated and some times even welcomed in our glorious scholastic heritage.

The issues of using tasbeeh beads, leaving one’s garment below the ankle, wearing western attire amongst other matters have become the criterion whereby people judge each other’s taqwa, piety and the level of religious adherence. This certainly is not the way of the Sunnah or our predecessors. The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, ‘’verily Allah does not look towards your faces [shapes] or your bodies, but he looks to your hearts and to your deeds’’ [Muslim]

It is not the outward or the exoterical appearance that really matters but what are more important are the inward and the esoterical aspects. Many are very fervent to emulate the Prophet in his outward appearance but neglect to imitate his character and adab when dealing with others.

I remember engaging a group of people in a discussion some time ago and unfortunately rather than trying to sincerely discover the authentic stance with evidence and sound arguments on the issues under discussion the brothers, I felt, were more concerned of my group affiliation or from which Scholars and institutions I have taken my knowledge. Yes, we should be careful from whom we acquire knowledge, however, the narrow, shallow and simplistic and selective understanding and approach is not, in my estimation, the methodology of our great scholars and Islamic workers of the past. It is quite lamentable to listen to people who have no formal education in the Islamic sciences or the basic adab of discussions, censuring this and that scholar. We should remember what Imam ibn Asakir said, ‘the flesh of the scholars is poison’. Therefore, one must be extremely careful when speaking about the scholars.

I have personally endeavored at all times to read and benefit from scholars from various schools of thought and affiliation, and I think to gain a comprehensive overview and understanding of Islam and a deep appreciation of our scholastic tradition it is paramount that the student reads and studies from various sources and materials. Therefore, if reading from the works of Ghazzali makes one a Sufi, then so be it, if reading from the works of Ibn Taymiyyah makes one a Salafi, so be it, and if reading from the works of Mawdudi and Qutb makes one a ‘Islamist’, so be it. They were all Muslims and giants in Islamic resurgence, we should be proud that we have access to benefit from their works.

This reminds me of the story which Imam Shatibi narrates in his monumental work al-I’tisam regarding Imam Ibn Batta, a scholar amongst the ‘Ulema al ‘Amilin’, who underwent heavy criticism due to the comprehensive nature and source of his knowledge. Shaykh Zarabozo cites this also in his excellent work, ‘the authority and importance of the Sunnah’ p.251-256. He writes, ‘’Ibn Batta said that his adventures were truly stupefying. He traveled far and wide and met with many people. If he agreed with the people’s views, he was in fine shape. If he disagreed in any way, he was then branded. If he commented that an opinion seem to contradict the Qur’an and Sunnah, they would call him one of the Khawarij. If he reads to them Hadith about Tawhid, they would claim he believes in anthropomorphism. If the Hadith were about faith, they would call him a Murjite. If the Hadith were about the virtues of Abu Bakr and Umar, they would all him a Nasibite [those who cursed Ali]. If the Hadith were about the virtues of the Prophet’s family, they would call him a Rafidi. If he was silent about the interpretation of a Verse or Hadith and would response with the verse or hadith itself, they would call him a Dhahiri. If he responded with some explanation, they would call him a Batini. If he gave interpretations, they would call him an ‘Ashari. If he rejected the apparent meaning of the text, they would call him a Mu’tazili. If he demonstrated to them what was the strongest opinion based on the reports from the Prophet [peace abd blessings of Allah be upon], they would say that he is doubting their scholars’ trustworthiness. After all this, Ibn Batta concluded that there was no escape. The only thing he could do was to cling to the Book and the Sunnah and seek forgiveness from Allah. After recounting his story, al-Shatibi says that it were as if Ibn Batta was speaking through everyone’s tongue. That is, there is no Scholar or virtues person who adheres to the Sunnah except that he has to put up with this kind of onslaught from those who are not truly following the Qur’an and Sunnah. This is because others are actually following personal desires and likes and they are ignorant of what is best and true’’.

In order for the true revival of Islam to filter through we must all, and especially people of responsibility, awaken the souls to the true comprehensive and holistic approach of Da’wa’ and learning. It is only then will we bring about a revival that is fruitful and permanent.