But Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Kahf (Chapter of the Cave):

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ

“Say ‘I am only a man like you, to whom it has been revealed that your god is one God,’” (18:110).

The Prophet ﷺ was not an angel, nor a demigod, nor a jinn. He was a human being, a son of Adam `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him)—granted the best of the children of Adam (as), but still human. This means that aside from the miracles facilitated to him by Allah (swt), and the revelations he received through God’s angel Jibreel (as), what he did and the way he behaved and lived his life were something a human can do. It was not supernatural!

Allah (swt) says in Surat Al Anbiya’ (Chapter of the Prophets):

قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَلَائِكَةٌ يَمْشُونَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَلَكًا رَسُولًا

“Say ‘If there were upon the earth angels walking securely, We would have sent down to them from the heaven an angel [as a] messenger.’” (Qur’an 17:95)

If Allah (swt) had sent an angel for us to follow, how could we do so? Instead, all the prophets and messengers of Allah (swt) are humans, but humans who truly lived, practiced and breathed the message of Allah (swt). `A’isha radi Allahu `anhaa (may God be pleased with her) said of the Prophet ﷺ: “His manners were the Qur’an.” If we want to understand our religion, we must understand the way the Prophet ﷺ lived his life and understand why we should emulate him and practice his sunnah (tradition).

Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Ahzab (Chapter of the Combined Forces):

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” (Qur’an 33:21)

We need to get to know the Prophet’s ﷺ personality better by reading his seerah (biography) and by studying his sunnah, and then by putting into practice all of his good qualities.

It is no secret that Islam is being attacked. Whether from within, by people who commit atrocities in the name of Islam such as ISIS and Al-Qa’idah, or from outside by the rising tide of Islamophobia and the subtle, and not-so-subtle, attacks on and mockery of Islam and Muslims. Our religion has been hijacked by a statistically insignificant minority who share nothing with the teachings of our faith other than a name. Their evil actions give reason and excuse for people of ill intent to try to smear this beautiful religion, using the actions of this minority as an excuse to attack Muslims and create a tremendous fitnah (trial) for us all. It is shaking the weak-hearted to the core and confusing those of us who, all of a sudden, find ourselves in the midst of a very disorienting storm.

Is this something new, or has it happened before? Let us take a quick look back at a couple of major events in our Prophet’s ﷺ life.

In the tenth year of prophethood, the Prophet ﷺ went to Al-Tayef, which is about 60 miles from Mecca. He travelled by foot, both ways, and in his company was his servant Zayd Bin Harithah (ra). Every time they stopped by a village or town, he would invite its people to Islam and none would answer his invitation. When he arrived at Al-Tayef he sought out three brothers who were prominent figures of the tribe of Thaqeef. He sat with them and invited them to Allah (swt) and to aid Islam. One of the brothers said to him, “I will rip the cloth off the Ka’abah if God sent you,” while the other said, “Did God not find anyone better than you?” and the third said, “By God I will never speak to you, for if you are a prophet then you are dangerous to engage in conversation and if you are lying then I should not be speaking to someone like you.” So the Prophet ﷺ left them and said, “Then please do not tell others about me.” (The Sealed Nectar, p148)

The Prophet ﷺ stayed with the people of Al-Tayef for ten days and he did not leave any of their honorable or respected figures without speaking to them about Islam. They all told him to leave their land and kicked him out. They also egged the lowly ones from among them, and their slaves, to yell and curse at the Prophet ﷺ and Zayd (ra) as they were leaving. People gathered and formed two lines and, along with cursing and yelling, threw pebbles and rocks at them until the heels of Prophet ﷺ bled. Zayd (ra) was trying to protect the Prophet ﷺ with his own body, was hit in the head, and bled. People continued to abuse them until three miles later, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companion got to a vineyard and they rested under the shade of its plants.

The Prophet ﷺ himself was humiliated, hurt and broken-hearted. What did he do?

Imam Bukhari reports that `A’isha (ra) asked the Prophet ﷺ if he had experienced a day that was harder on him than the day of the Battle of Uhud. The Prophet ﷺ replied that he had seen his fair share from her people, but the worst was when he went to Al-Tayef to invite its people to Islam. He said, “…then I left, saddened and downtrodden, until I realized that I had arrived at Qarn Al-Thaalib. While there, a cloud cast its shadow upon me. I looked up and the Angel Jibreel was on it, and he said, ‘God has heard what the people said to you and how they responded and He has sent the angel of the mountains with me to command him with whatever you may please.’ At that, moment the angel of the mountains called the Prophet and asked, ‘O Muhammad, you shall have whatever you please. If you so desire, I can close the two mountains on them.’ [The people of Al-Tayef lived between two mountains.] The Prophet replied, ‘But I wish that God would send from among them people who would worship Him alone and not associate any in worship with Him.’”

This is why Allah (swt) says about the Prophet ﷺ in Surat Al-Anbiya’:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (21:107)

He was the most merciful person. Allah (swt) called him “a mercy to the worlds”. He was merciful to his family, followers, friends, even enemies. He was merciful to young and old, to humans and to animals. Those who persecuted him in Makkah and killed his relatives and his followers, when they were defeated in battles and brought to him as captives, were forgiven by him. He asked them, “What do you think I am to do to you today?” and they replied, “Nothing but good, a generous brother the son of a generous brother.” He replied, “I shall say to you what Yusuf (as) said to his brothers: ‘No blame on you today.’”

He did not ever take revenge or retaliate. He was the most forgiving person. His concern was that the message of Allah (swt) made it through to hardened hearts. Yet we say, “He was a prophet akhi, how am I to compare myself to him?”

Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Baqarah (Chapter of the Cow):

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُمْ مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ۖ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ

“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” (Qur’an 2:214)

We are living in difficult times and many questions surround us.

How do we counter sick-hearted people who want to turn our children into murderers under the false guise of Islam?

How do we answer Islamophobia?

How do we answer our children’s questions about a distorted image of Islam?

How do we uphold the Prophet’s ﷺ honor?

By learning and understanding the life he lived. The morals he exemplified. The actions he took. By building ourselves in the same methodical way he built his followers. You start with faith and solidify it in your heart. Then you apply the beauty of that faith to all of your actions.

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’” (Qur’an 3:31)

To follow him, we must understand him.

The time is now for us to focus on what is most important.

It is not the environment you live in. The Prophet ﷺ grew up in a time where people circumambulated the Ka`bah naked and worshipped idols.

It is not the lack of a full-time Islamic school that makes our children grow up detached from this religion.

It is not that we do not have an imam (religious leader). We have the example of a great imam, may Allah (swt) bless him and his family, but even though we have him, he is not going to raise our children for us.

The responsibility lies with us. We are the ones responsible for understanding our faith and raising our kids to be proud of, and to fully embrace and practice, their Muslim identity.

Allah (swt) says in Surat Muhammad:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

“So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. And Allah knows of your movement and your resting place.” (Qur’an 47:19)

We are told to ‘know’ before we are told to ask for forgiveness. The most telling evidence that we must have knowledge first before we take action is that the first verse of the Qur’an to be revealed was:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

“Recite in the name of your Lord who created.” (Qur’an 96:1)

Reading is the key to knowledge. Islam started with knowledge and learning before action, and therefore it is incumbent upon each one of us to learn our deen (religion). Learn and know what is obligated upon you for the sake of Allah (swt), for your own sake, for your family’s sake, your neighbors, your community, your society and humanity as a whole.

Knowledge is a fardh (obligation) on every Muslim. This obligation is two kinds. One is what is known in Islam as fard kifayah, or an obligation that is fulfilled if a sufficient number of Muslims within a community perform it. For example, not every Muslim needs to be a scholar of Islam, or an expert in hadith (traditions of the Prophet ﷺ) or tafseer (exegesis of the Qur’an). It is an obligatory knowledge, but if a sufficient number of people possess it, then the sin of not performing the obligation is lifted from the rest of the Muslims. This is true for all kinds of knowledge, not only Islamic or religious knowledge. This means that not everyone needs to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer; rather, a sufficient number of people should have that knowledge, helping their societies become self-sufficient rather than needing to import expertise.

The second form of knowledge is that which is fard `ayn, or obligatory on each and every Muslim. Every Muslim must learn of their religion that which corrects, strengthens and improves their faith.

The best way to fight Islamophobia is to understand and practice our Islam: to engage people as a Muslim and to live our lives as Muslims. Therefore, wearing the hijab is fighting Islamophobia. Resisting lusts and temptations is fighting Islamophobia. Understanding Islam is fighting Islamophobia.

In the following series of articles, I invite you to take a deep look at the other side of the coin, which actually goes back further than the rise of Islamophobia in the last decade. There is undoubtedly a Western-ophobia common among devoted Muslims, which is sometimes just as misplaced and unfair toward Western people and values as Islamophobia is to us.     

The presence of Muslims in the West was quite insignificant until the last few decades in which we have seen exponential growth. At the same time, through mass media, globalization has brought Western values and culture to the heart of the Muslim world.  The imprudent emotional reaction we’ve seen from the Muslim world is quite polarizing. Many Muslims have developed somewhat of an inferiority complex in the face of the achievements, progress and ultimate power of the Western world. Some express this by wanting to do everything Western and copy the model, thus hoping to achieve success or nobility by assimilating into the “modern” world. The other extreme is using religious identity to protest everything Western—pessimistically looking for a way to condemn it as immoral.

Obviously there are aspects of American culture that are in conflict with Islam, but still there are too many issues that are misunderstood, unfairly presented or based on false assumptions. This is particularly true regarding the basis of many imported fatwas (religious rulings) from overseas. Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah (may God have mercy on him) said in his authoritative book “Informing the Signers on Behalf of the Lord of the Universe,” advising those who would issue or pass on a religious ruling:

ولا يتمكن المفتي ،والحاكم من الفتوى ،والحكم بالحق إلا بنوعين من الفهم: أحدهما: فهم الواقع ،والفقه فيه ،واستنباط علم حقيقة ما وقع بالقرائن ،والأمارات ،والعلامات ،فالعالم يتوصل بمعرفة الواقع ،والتفقه فيه إلى معرفة حكم الله ورسوله في المسألة” (إعلام الموقعين 1/  17

“A scholar (mufti) or judge is not to give a religious ruling (fatwa) unless they fully understand two issues. The first of the two is a thorough understanding of the details of the reality in which the ruling will be applied. Through understanding the reality, the scholar can know the ruling of God and His messenger on the matter.”

فصل في تغير الفتوى ،واختلافها بحسب تغير الأزمنة ،والأمكنة ،والأحوال ،والنيات والعوائد. هذا فصل عظيم النفع جداً، وقع بسبب الجهل به غلط عظيم على الشريعة، أوجب من الحرج والمشقة، وتكليف ما لا سبيل إليه ( إعلام الموقعين 3/13

“The applications of rulings in Islamic Law will be different according to the different eras, places, circumstances, intentions and customs. This is a hugely beneficial point of reference. Major mistakes have been made against Islamic Law as a result of ignorance in this point. Much hardship, difficulty and near impossible legislations have been caused by ignorance of this point.”

We will only be proper witnesses for our religion to ourselves, our families and to the rest of the world if we have the superior path of balance and moderation in practicing our religion.

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُواْ شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا

“With this scripture, We made you a superior moderate nation so that you may be witnesses upon mankind and the messenger a witness for you.”(Qur’an 2:143)

Before moving forward, let’s agree on something in full honesty and neutrality. There are many corrupt immoral common practices in the Muslim world and there are also many noble moral virtues in American culture that need to be revived in the Muslim world. This series is an application of two very famous verses commonly quoted because of their foundational vastness:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاء ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Certainly God commands to justice, moral excellence and preserving family ties. He forbids immorality, sin and hostility. He reminds you so that you will keep this in mind.” (Qur’an 16:90)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“Dear Mankind, We have created you from a male and female and made you into races and families so that you may get to know each other. Truly the best among you to God are the most pious. Indeed God is Omniscient and Fully-Aware.” (Qur’an 49:13)

Issue #1: Referring to Non-Muslims as “Americans” or “the Americans”

Time and time again, I have been hanging out with young Muslims and we start talking about school or hobbies and they will say, “My American friends…” Now these kids are born and raised in America and have maybe visited their parents’ birthplace for some months in the summer. I’m sure when their parents take these children to their birthplace, all of the people there will know after any sort of interaction that these Muslim kids are indeed American. Many of these parents talk about “back home” as if they haven’t chose America as their new homeland, pledged allegiance by adopting citizenship, and will most likely die and be buried here! What’s crazy is that there are close to 5 million American Muslims which is more than Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar combined!

The root of this problem is the crux of the series we are starting; the idea that there is something un-Islamic in being American. Let’s call a spade a spade; many Muslim parents and religious folk often refer to America and American people with a negative connotation. This is the land that gave them the freedom to practice and promote Islam, it gave them other freedoms they probably didn’t have in their birthplace and it gave them equal financial opportunity regardless of race or religion. Sure there is a corrupt foreign policy which doesn’t value innocent Muslim lives as much as Americans or Israelis, but at the same time there are many great things about this country, which is why out of all countries they choose to live here.

If we are going to build future thriving generations of American Muslims, then we must stop this identity confusion and encourage Muslims to love their country with reverence for the good and dedication to fixing the bad by working with our fellow countrymen toward a morally better society. Obviously our love for God is the most defining part of our identity and that’s what should drive us to work with like-minded people to make our country a better place.

وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبَرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

“You must cooperate with each other in righteousness and piety and you are prohibited from cooperating in sin and aggression.” (Qur’an 5:3)

The reason many immigrants love their birthplace is because that’s where they were born and grew up. Their childhood and family memories are there, which is why it’s natural to love your birthplace. American Muslims are no different. Each Muslim country has its own cultural and institutional governmental corruption, as does any other country, but that doesn’t make it wrong to love your country and all the good it represents to you.

The major negative effects of 9/11 were:

1. The murder of 3,000-plus innocent people, whose “crime” was going to work to support their families.
2. Demonstrating our 800-billion-dollar a year defense budget (which is six times more than China, who is next on the list of defense spending) has major holes in it. Of course, there are the hundreds of previous government officials, military officers, scientists and scholars of the highest institutions that have brought forth testimonies and evidence that there are major issues in the official story of 9/11, which questions the ease by which Bin Laden and his crew orchestrated these horrendous attacks from the mountains of Afghanistan.
3. A million innocent Afghani and Iraqi people have been murdered, whose only “crime” was having a corrupt government.
4. The destruction of those two innocent countries, causing chaos, division and strife.
5. The placement and support of a highly corrupt regime in Afghanistan.
6. The two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq fueling a fringe element of extremist ideology amongst Muslims.
7. Mainstream mass media blaming 1.5 billion Muslims for this and spreading fear against Islam and Muslims the world over.  Whether fueled by strategic anti-Islam agenda or just trying to create an attractive story, images like that of the World Trade Center burning, and then fading into a photo of Muslims engaged in prayer, have played a major role in the formation of hate groups, which produce the likes of the recent Norwegian terrorist  Anders Breivik.
8. Giving credence and purpose to the anti-Islam movement that has existed since the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
9. The rapid downfall of the U.S. and thus the world economy.

Major positive effects:

1. The millions of curious objective people who didn’t accept the anti-Islam rhetoric and researched the faith and interacted with Muslims, causing most of them to have a favorable view of Islam and Muslims, as well as multitudes embracing Islam.
2. It woke up many Muslims and their Islamic centers to fulfill their responsibility in presenting the message of Islam to their neighbors.
3. The removal of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban from power.

When comparing these two sets of facts, it becomes obvious that this tragedy was ugly and highly negative. It produced anger, hatred, bias, fear, chaos, bloodshed and poverty. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday who is a Methodist minister and I mentioned to him that, although Muslims mourned the loss of 9/11 and condemned the evil that caused it, we feel uncomfortable with these anniversaries. We feel that the anniversary says “Don’t forget when those “Muslim” terrorists attacked our country, so let’s join in solidarity against them.” The minister agreed that an anniversary should be a remembrance of a positive joyous occasion.

Islam is about beauty, mercy and God-consciousness and it should be remembered and understood as such. There is a famous hadith which says, “Indeed God is beautiful and He loves beauty…” (Muslim). God is defined primarily at the beginning of each chapter of the Quran as the loving, merciful, gracious, compassionate, forgiving, beneficent, etc. Muslim theologians have agreed from the time of the Prophet until this very day that the most comprehensive verse of the Qur’an about the message of Islam is:

“Indeed God calls for justice, a high standard of virtuous interaction, and preserving the rights of kinship. He forbids ugly immorality, sin and aggression. He reminds you so that perhaps you will be mindful.”(Qur’an, 16:90)

The acts of 9/11 were completely in contrast to this authoritative definitive verse of the Qur’an, so we will not accept the horror of 9/11 as being related to Islam. The burden now rests on the shoulders of every Muslim to understand their faith correctly and how to properly relate it to our neighbors. In doing this, we can promote the truth of Islam and dispel the lies and anti-Islam rhetoric.

This requires us to achieve balance in our approach to the world, as it relates to spiritual tolerance and intellectualism, while remaining proud of the divine message that we are calling to.

“Thus, We have chosen you to be an ideal moderate balanced nation so that you may be witnesses upon mankind and that Messenger can be a witness for you.”(Qur’an, 2:143)

We must step out of our enclaves and interact with society according to the values of this verse and the rest of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This is first done by building relationships with neighbors, co-workers, classmates, the interfaith community, etc. The method is simple: be a Muslim, understand Islam and its priorities without coming off as preaching, and let it be known you are Muslim. The Qur’an says,

“Who is better in speech than He who calls to the path of God and works righteousness saying, ‘Indeed I am a Muslim.’”(Qur’an, 41:33).

Presenting Islam is based upon wisdom and gentle preaching, as mentioned in the Qur’an:

“Call to the path of your Lord with wisdom and gentle preaching…” (16:125)

This verse, in conjunction with the previously-mentioned verse, dictates that we first act like Muslims, and if the chance arises we present our message. First of all, this means it is NOT correct to get into theological debates with people as an act of da`wah. Very rarely will you change someone’s mind about religion by proving something to them in a debate. In many cases ,you will alienate them with your dogmatic religiosity. If discussion naturally goes somewhere, or you are asked a specific question, then you can mention a point about Islam. In other cases, once you’ve built a good relationship, you might have an open religious discussion. In any case, you must present Islam with wisdom and understanding, which is a big gift from God that we must strive and pray for:

“…Whoever has been given wisdom has been given a lot of good…” (2:269)

Finally, one of the most important parts of our mission as Muslims, that we are very weak in, is community service. Every single Mosque should have an active role in soup kitchens, clothing the homeless, keeping the city clean, etc. In my opinion, this weakness in our community is a result of our lack of seeing this land as ours and the inhabitants as our people, our brothers in humanity and nationality. Don’t forget how the Qur’an refers to the Prophets and their people:

“We sent to the city of Ad their brother Hud. He said, “O my people, worship God as there is no god other than Him” (11:50)

We will conclude with a verse which sums up our responsibility,

“You are the greatest nation brought forth for the benefit of mankind. You enjoin all good; you forbid all evil and believe in God…” (3:110)

This was a joint session at the UK Islamophobia Conference in Birmingham April 2011.

I was talking to my 4-year old child the other day, and asked him a simple question:  “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  His innocent, yet ambitious response was:  “A baseball player, soccer player, doctor, hafiz (one who memorizes the entire Qur’an) and an elevator-man” –  He is obsessed with pressing the buttons on elevators, so much that he has apparently  made this his lifelong dream – so who am I to stop him?  As a parent, I admire the youngster’s energetic, wide-ranging dreams – I told him if he becomes all those things, he could eventually have his own elevator in his house.  My belief is that with hard work, sincerity and determination, any professional aspiration is achievable.

But when the time comes, what if either of my children tell me that they want to be the President of the United States?  What do I tell them?  Do I tell them, “Sorry boys – we’re Muslims, and that is not a reachable goal? “   The current state of race relations in the U.S. tells me that it would be a potential dream-deferred.

As children, we seemingly all used to have the same list of future potential jobs:  athlete, astronaut, doctor, and President.  Even as a child born and raised in the Deep South – I never felt a doubt that my professional aspirations would ever be limited.  With a family that has roots in the U.S. since the 1950’s, I felt as much as part of the fabric of America as anyone else.  But now, we are living in the post-9/11 reality – with Muslims constantly put under the microscope.  The term “Islam” has been co-opted, and turned into a political poker chip in order to spread fear and distrust of the American Muslim community.

When my father went to work each day in Opelika, Alabama in 1966, his co-workers didn’t ask the question of whether or not he was plotting against them.  The handful of Muslims that gathered in a house to do Friday prayers in Auburn, Alabama weren’t being watched by the FBI – to see whether they were spreading a militant message.  But the same Islam was being practiced in the 1960’s, as is being practiced today – so why the change in perception?  The answers simply boil down to the fact that it has become politically beneficial to embed fear among the public, along with a sense of “otherness” of the Muslim community.

Cain Enablers

In the last 40 years, bigotry and xenophobia have resided mainly beneath the surface.  It was considered taboo and a career-killer to insinuate that you would not hire a person based off race or religion – that was until the most recent wave of Islamophobia has infected the American landscape.  An example of how this paradigm has shifted, just examine the case of Presidential candidate Herman Cain.

As the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO and talk-radio host hit out on the campaign trail, Cain was asked by an interviewer whether he would be comfortable appointing a Muslim cabinet member or Supreme Court Justice.  His reply:

“No, I would not. And here’s why. There is this creeping attempt, there is this attempt to gradually ease Sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government. This is what happened in Europe. And little by little, to try and be politically correct, they made this little change, they made this little change.”

Cain’s short statement was a litany of right-wing talking points, bigotry and factual inaccuracies – a statement that should have raised a firestorm of criticism from left and right.

More disheartening than the actual comments was the actual response from the public and news media.  We have seen many recent instances of anti-Semitic, homophobic or misogynistic comments from talking heads or celebrities be punished heavily in the court of public opinion – and rightfully so.  In those instances, jobs have been lost, fines have been levied and careers have been derailed.  In the case of Cain, there was hardly any outcry – and in fact, we saw his early poll numbers rise.  Media outlets such as Fox News, who find any reason to be outraged, threw their support behind Cain – declaring him the “winner” of a recent televised debate.

Even though Cain is still considered by many to be a fringe candidate – many other high-profile Republicans have shared similar vitriol toward Muslims – with Donald Trump referencing a “Muslim problem” in the world, and Newt Gingrich comparing Muslims to Nazis on multiple occasions. Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachmann have also made disparaging remarks about Muslims, in light of the faux-shariah threat that has engulfed the political world.  In fact, a prominent fringe talk-show host Bryan Fisher recently stated that Muslims are not subject to 1^stAmendment rights – an extreme position to say the least.  Rather than distancing themselves from Fisher’s incendiary comments, many of the aforementioned candidates continue to appear on his radio show, pandering to his audience.  Thankfully my children are not old enough to understand the level of hatred that is being kindled in mainstream politics – Will they grow up in amongst a public that hates them, based upon what faith they belong to?

Birther Control

We now have a black President with an exotic sounding name.  Halfway through his inauguration speech, when Justice John Roberts flubbed a line – we had a birth (excuse the pun) of a new movement to delegitimize this President.  Many from the far-right wing have spread the rumor that Barack Hussein Obama – is a secret Muslim.  Political operatives have spent the past few years planting seeds of doubt in the public, so much so, that nearly a quarter of Americans believe that Obama is a Muslim.  This is aside from the fact that he has continually professed to be an adherent of the Christian faith for years.  From the left, we have seen many commentators come to his defense – but the question is:  Why does this question even need to be defended?

Of course we know that Obama is a self-professed devout Christian – which should end the discussion right there.  But what if the President or a prominent politician happened to be a Muslim?  Would that delegitimize him as a person, or make him unfit to lead?  One of the few prominent figures in the political world who has properly addressed the nuance of this subject matter was former Secretary of State and General Collin Powell.  When approached by an interviewer on the topic of Obama’s faith, he said:

“Well, he’s not a Muslim. He’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the right answer is, well, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in America? …Is there something wrong with some seven year old Muslim-American kid believing that he could be president?”

As General Powell so eloquently stated, the issue shouldn’t be whether Obama is a Christian or a Muslim.  In the 21^st century, the public discourse should have advanced far beyond the race or religion of an individual.  The same opportunities that are afforded to all U.S. citizens should be afforded to Muslim-Americans.  Sadly, it appears that Powell’s words reflect the exception in American politics, rather than the rule.

The Rise of the Opportunists

So in this era of anti-Muslim rhetoric, how will it be possible for Muslims to gain a voice in the American political spectrum?  Are we just guests of the state, who should be happy that we are allowed to partaking in the American Dream?  Unfortunately, many talking heads believe that this is the case – and some of these voices happen to be Muslim.

In recent months, there has been a dangerous term that has been coined, known as “Political Islam.”  This term is being thrown around like verbal confetti by pseudo-scholars and social commentators as a perceived threat to western civilization.  These talking heads are then invited to speak to government employees or appear on the aforementioned media outlets to scare…I mean educate their audience on the dangers of so-called militant Islam.  In the past, I have written about other terms that have been coupled with the word “Islam” in order to build negative perceptions in the public’s minds.  Terms such as “Islamo-fascism” and “Islamism” have previously been the go-to words in the right-wing lexicon.

To Muslims, this is very troubling and insulting – that the word Islam – something which we perceive as beautiful, and our source of meaning – has been co-opted for political gain, and being coupled with negative connotation.  Anyone who has studied psychology and propaganda knows that coupling a target word – Islam in this case, with other words of negative connotation will in-turn foment a negative perception among the target audience.  The same has been done with “sharia” fear-mongering in the U.S.  Take one look at the imagery depicted at the protests.  When politicians and mainstream news outlets enable and cater to the public’s fear, it is no wonder that the public discourse turns in such a negative direction.

The term “Political Islam” is thereby a loaded one.  Those who have coined and continue to use the term have also enacted a campaign against the most visible and active Muslims groups in the U.S.  We have seen groups like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Political Action Committee targeted by these very critics – in an attempt to tie their political activities into something much more sordid and grey. These groups have unfairly been criticized for not speaking up after terror attacks, or a perceived lack of denouncing violence in the name of Islam. These allegations are obviously false – and it is clear to those who have interacted with and have received these groups’ communications throughout the years.  But once again for the general public, perception becomes reality.  In an attempt to paint the only politically active major American Muslim groups as some sort of fifth column, or “soft on terror,” it gives credence to the negative connotations created by the terms “Political Islam.”  Various anti-Islam websites keep dossiers on these groups, along with prominent Muslims who are involved in politics, in order to create further panic.  For many who are profiting off the Islamophobia business, Americans should be alarmed at the sheer existence of Muslim Congressional Staffers, lobby groups, Muslim political party activists.

After looking at the precedents that have been set for American Muslims, there is definitely an uphill battle that we face moving forward.  And while the voices of hate and ignorance are seemingly getting a free pass when it comes to making anti-Muslim comments – we are seeing that their character flaws ultimately catch up with them.  Just ask Newt and Trump, who used anti-Muslim rhetoric for short term gain, however ended up marginalizing themselves from the race due to continual lies and moral ambiguity.  The same can be said of Cain – who is now distancing himself from his divisive comments regarding Muslims.  Even the Pizza Man realizes that he has no hope in getting elected on an agenda of fomenting hatred and xenophobia.

But what do I tell my sons?  After seeing the level of anti-Muslim sentiment, along with the depths that individuals are willing to sink to in order to discredit Muslims at any level within the political spectrum – do they have any hope for the future?    My hope is that the answer is YES.  In American history, we have seen fear and political marginalization of many groups – much worse than that which Muslim-Americans are experiencing.  In the past, we have seen the black community being counted as 3/5^th’s a human being – along with a struggle for political acceptance that persists even today – as in the case of the President Obama “birther” movement.  We have seen the Irish and Catholic communities struggle for political acceptance – as recently as the 1960’s.  When he was campaigning/elected for Presidency, John F. Kennedy was being viewed by many as a stooge for the Vatican.  The Muslim community is now being faced with the same bias – with many questioning the loyalty and enacting those fears into illogical hypothetical doomsday scenarios.

When the time comes, we must be able to tell our children that history is on our side.  While it is true that we are seeing many who are benefiting from the denigration of Muslims today, their gain is only short term in nature.  Although we may encounter more hurdles than other groups – we must teach our children that the same things that make Islam great:  Strength, Loyalty, Integrity and the ability to overcome obstacles – are also attributes of great leadership.   And even though we are living in a time of great fear and misinformation – the dreams and aspirations of American Children include the dreams and aspirations of American Muslim Children.

The Muslims of Murfreesboro did an excellent job of representing an Islamic community to the rest of America by being strong, composed and sticking to the facts. Although the documentary was filmed much earlier – it is airing in the shadows of the Peter King Radicalization hearings in Washington DC. In the current climate that the Muslim community is facing – there is a narrative that the Muslim community is playing the role of victim, prone to shedding “crocodile tears” when they get in front of the TV cameras.  Don’t believe me?  Just click here. Rather than showing respect for the Muslim’s willingness to shed tears for their faith – the script is flipped, and the anti-Islam community uses these emotions as fodder.

On a personal level, I was pleasantly surprised to see the former Imam of the mosque I attended in Irving, TX – Shaykh Ossama Bahloul. When the Imam came to the U.S, he could hardly speak any English – but you could see the true effort that he has made in learning the language and in order to become a more engaged member of the Islamic clergy. He is now fluent in English, and did an excellent job of representing himself to a national audience.

The appeal failed, so in the aftermath of the documentary – the opponents are still grasping to any legal straw that is available to them. Although this promises to be a long, arduous process – Muslims can rest assured that they cannot be denied the right to practice their religion freely, just as the case with any other faith. The same logic can be applied to what the opponents of Park 51 have attempted from a legal perspective – by trying to label the abandoned Burlington Coat Factory a “historical site” after the fact, among other last-ditch legal loopholes that they are attempting to exploit. This will also be the ultimate downfall of those states who attempt to pass anti-Shari`ah legislation – as a thinly veiled attempt to disenfranchise Muslims. Bottom line:  Muslims represent less than 2% of the entire U.S. population. In “anti-Shari`ah” states like Oklahoma, the population of Muslims is more like .02%. Please explain how buzzwords such as “creeping Shari`ah” have any precedent given these statistics.  In the end, there is absolutely no push for Shari`ah in the U.S., however the word has been politicized to foment a climate of fear/otherness of Muslims. So thank you Joe Brandon, your failure and mockery of the legal profession just lifted the spirits America’s 7 million Muslims.

Imraan Siddiqi is an entrepreneur, freelance writer and MBA from Arizona State University.  He writes primarily on the subject of Islamophobia, and his articles can be found on www.stopislamophobianow.wordpress.com.  You can also find links to his articles at facebook.com/StopIslamophobiaNow

While all these thoughts are natural, we need to look beyond them. We need to look through the illusion for a moment, into the Reality that stands behind it. We must refocus our sight, if we are to see the Truth beyond this hologram.

That truth is one of the most oft-repeated lessons in the Qur’an and prophetic teachings. That fundamental truth is this:

Everything in this life is a test.

Allah says in the Qur’an: “It is He who created death and life in order to test you, which of you are best in deeds. And He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.” (67:2)

Here we are told that the very purpose for which life and death were created: to test us. Think for a moment about an emergency siren. What is its purpose? The siren is an indication and a warning that something harmful is coming. If we hear it, we naturally panic. But what happens when they need to test the siren? What happens when it’s just a drill to see how we will react? The test siren sounds exactly the same, but it is “only a test.” Although it looks, sounds, and feels real, it is not. It is only a test. And we’re reminded of that again and again throughout the test.

This is exactly what Allah tells us about this life. It is going to look, sound, and feel very, very real. At times it’s going to scare us. At times it’s going to make us cry. At times it’s going to make us flee, instead of standing firm—even more firm—in our places. But this life and everything in it is only a test. It is not actually real. And like that test of the emergency broadcast system, it is training us for what is real. It is training us for the Reality beyond the test siren.

Now, what would happen if the coming of that test siren was not even a surprise? What if each and every household were given notification that the test was coming? Consider for a moment the notification of Allah (swt) to us (exalted is He):

“The present world is only an illusory pleasure: you are sure to be tested through your possessions and persons; you are sure to hear much that is hurtful from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with God. If you are steadfast and mindful of God that is the best course.” (Qur’an, 3:186)

Now imagine that in addition to these notifications, we were given knowledge of countless other communities who were similarly tested. Allah says:

“Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without encountering what those before you encountered? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help is near.” (Qur’an, 2:214)

So not only was the siren predicted – it was not new. Suppose our community was told that we are not unique. So after all of that, how then would we react once the test siren came? Well, if it’s a drill, there’s no shock or disbelief. We don’t panic. We don’t even become distressed.

But we do act.

And here’s the crucial part. Who are we acting for? Who is testing us? Who is watching, really? CNN, C-Span, the American public? No. They’re all a part of the illusion; all a part of the test. They’re all just a creation of the test. We act for one judge and one judge alone. We act for the only true Reality (al-Haqq). We act because we know He is watching, and He is the only One who will judge this test.

Once we realize this fundamental truth, something dramatic happens. As soon as we internalize that it is only a test, our questions drastically change. Instead of asking: “How could this be happening?” “Why is it so unfair?” our questions become: “How should I react?” “How should I pass this test?” “What am I meant to learn?” “How should I see through this illusion, to the Creator of Peter King, all of Congress, and the test itself?”  “How can we as a community use this test to bring us closer to our final destination, God?” and “How can we use this test to fulfill the purpose for which it was created – a tool to bring us nearer to Him?” Allahu akbar (God is Great).

The beauty of the tests of Allah (swt) is that after notifying us that they’re coming, He gives us the exact recipe for succeeding in them: Sabr (patience) and Taqwa (God-consciousness).

Allah (swt) says: “The present world is only an illusory pleasure: you are sure to be tested through your possessions and persons; you are sure to hear much that is hurtful from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with God. If you are steadfast (have sabr) and mindful of God (have taqwa), that is the best course.” (3:185-186)

In another verse, Allah (swt) emphasizes these same two necessary components for averting any harm as a result of the schemes against us:

“They grieve at any good that befalls you [believers] and rejoice at your misfortunes. But if you are steadfast and conscious of God, their scheming will not harm you in the least: God encircles everything they do.” (3:120)

As part of our manual for success in these trials, Allah (swt) also tells us how those before us reacted when they were tested:

“Men said to them: ‘A great army is gathering against you, so fear them: But it (only) increased them in Faith and they said: ‘God is enough for us, and He is the best protector.’ And they returned with Grace and bounty from Allah. No harm ever touched them: For they followed the good pleasure of God. And God’s favor is great indeed. It is only the Evil one who urges you to fear his followers; do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are true believers.” (3:173-175)

In another passage Allah (swt) tells us:

“Many prophets have fought, with large bands of godly men alongside them who, in the face of their sufferings for God’s cause, did not lose heart or weaken or surrender: God loves those who are steadfast (have sabr). All they said was, ‘Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses. Make our feet firm, and give us help against the disbelievers,’ and so God gave them both the rewards of this world and the excellent rewards of the Hereafter: God loves those who do good. You who believe, if you obey the disbelievers, they will make you revert to your old ways and you will turn into losers. No indeed! It is God who is your protector: He is the best of helpers.” (3:146-150)

Allah (swt) conveys these stories to us, so that we can learn from the response of those who passed before us. And their response was this: “God is enough for us, and He is the best of protectors.’ Their response was: ‘Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses. Make our feet firm, and give us help against the disbelievers.” Their response was not to look at the test. Their response was to look through it. They looked through the illusion and focused on the One behind it: God. They realized that, not only was Allah (swt) the giver of the test, He was the only one who could save them from it. And so they beseeched Him for His help through repentance, sabr, and perfecting their moral character (taqwa).

But most reassuring of all, Allah (swt) Himself comforts the believers and promises them success:

“Do not lose heart, nor fall into despair—you have the upper hand, if you are true believers. If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth). And Allah loves not those that do wrong. Allah’s object also is to purify those that are true in Faith and to deprive of blessing those that resist Faith. Did you think that you would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained steadfast?” (3:139-142)

Once we change our lens with which we see our lives, our internal and external response drastically changes. When the righteous before us were tested, it only increased them in faith and obedience. The Qur’an recounts: “When the Believers saw the Confederate forces, they said: “This is what Allah and his Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger told us what was true.” And it only added to their faith and their zeal in obedience.” (33:22)

But until we change that lens, we will never move beyond “how could this happen to us” to realize the true purpose of the test itself: a created tool to purify, strengthen and bring us closer to the Creator of you, me and all of Congress.

By Raiiq Ridwan | Based on a lecture by Br. Nouman Ali Khan

In light of the recent protests against Islam, or as coined by the West, “Islamophobia”, it is very important that we refer back to the Qur’an to seek guidance on this issue. Many times we have been played right into the hands of the enemies of Islam, and hence, with the right equipment derived from the book of Allah and the practice of His beloved Messenger ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him), we will insha’Allah be able to do what is right. For those who have followed the Ground Zero mosque controversy in New York, you will have learned that nearly two-thirds of Americans were against it, subhan’Allah. You would think that more cosmopolitan regions like New York would host less prejudice, but no, it is the same statistics nearly everywhere.

What we must remember is that the Islamophobes have certain values and principles. While we have our Islamic values and principles, they have their values and principles. However, when it comes to dealing with Muslims, they will compromise their own values. The Quraysh tribes during the Prophet’s ﷺ era would never attack one of their own; Tribal values meant everything to them, except when it came to Muhammad, the Messenger of God ﷺ, and those who were with him. So, instead of reacting by getting fired up, breaking down buildings and burning cars, as has become common in the Muslim world, we should expect this attitude. We cannot expect the enemies of Islam to treat us nicely; they will always keep doing the evil they are doing.

But instead of looking at what they are doing we should be looking at what we are doing. Pastor Terry Jones may say that he is “burning the Qur’an” but he is burning nothing but ink and paper. The Qur’an’s words are embedded onto the hearts of the believers. They would have to burn our hearts if they want to eliminate the Qur’an.

Let us go to a time in the life of the Messenger ﷺ when the Muslims suffered a very heavy defeat. It was during the Battle of Uhud, and the Muslims were beaten by the mushrikeen (rejectors/disbelievers). After defeating the Muslims, now the mushrikeen were planning on round two, so that they could finish off the Muslims once and for all. However, the Messenger ﷺ commanded that the Muslims attack the enemy first instead of waiting for another defeat, therefore in spite of the low morale and confidence, many of the injured and tired Sahabah (companions) stood strong beside the Messenger ﷺ. Allah records this in the Qur’an,

“Those [believers] who responded to Allah and the Messenger after injury had struck them. For those who did good among them and feared Allah is a great reward”. (3:172)

Here we get our first lesson. Even through the enemy attacked us, and hit us hard, we should continue responding to the call of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Instead of leaving salah (prayers) to appease our neighbours, we should rush to salah in the masjid. Instead of shaving our beards and taking off our hijab, we should hold onto it more tightly, courageously. We should learn from the persecution and project our faith and march on positively, in hope of the great reward of Allah for our struggle. Allah continues to explain the Battle of Uhud, and this shows something very relevant as we hear it very often,

“Those to whom people [i.e., hypocrites] said, ‘Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them’…” (Qur’an, 3:173)

“So fear them! Be afraid of them!” – Subhan’Allah, is this not what some Muslims say to us today? ‘They are against you, they will block your visa, please them, they are powerful, they can do this and that.’ Yet, what is the response of the true believers? Allah records their reaction in the same ayah,

“Buy it [merely] increased them in faith and they said ‘Hasbun’Allah wa ne`mal wakeel – Sufficient for us is Allah and [He] is the best disposer of affairs’.” (Qur’an, 3:173)

Subhan’Allah. When statements like this are said by the believer, his depression goes away. He feels near to Allah, protected by Allah, and his heart beats: ‘Hasbun’Allah wa ne`mal wakeel’ – Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best caretaker of our affairs.

When we talk about responding to the attacks on Islam, the first response should be in our hearts and not publicised in the media. Until and unless we firmly believe Islam’s truth in our heart, and say it with our tongue and prove it through our actions that ‘HasbunAllah wa ne`mal wakeel’, then no matter how many press releases we do, no matter how many articles we write about it, or Facebook events we open, the effort is pretty much useless. Are we doing the work out of fear that Islam will suffer or are we doing this to save our reputation, or are we trying to please the kuffar (disbelievers, rejecters of faith) who demonize the name of our beloved religion? Until our fear of other people is gone and we fear Allah alone, it will not help us, as Allah explains to us in Surah Al-Imran. Allah first shows the success of those who responded with bravery,

“So they returned with favour from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.” (Qur’an, 3:174)

This is what we will get once our hearts have firmly placed reliance upon Allah, and until that we will not be given Allah’s favor and bounty, but rather it will be humiliation. Allah also exposes the reasons why Muslims suffer this shame, in a bid to show the Muslims to abstain from such behavior, when He says:

“That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters…” (Qur’an, 3:175)

So in reality it is nothing but Shaytaan who incites doubt and fear in the hearts of the believers. This is something we find hard to comprehend, thus Allah makes it clear to us, and now He gives more advice in the same verse:

“So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are indeed believers.” (3:175)

Allah says that we should not be concerned with anyone’s pleasure other than Him if we truly have faith in Him, as we are supposed to say ‘HasbunAllah wa ne`mal wakeel’! This was the same du`a’ (supplication) that cooled the fire that was burning for Ibrahim `alayhi assalam (may Allah send his peace and blessings on them). We will see how powerful this du`a’ is . While any attack on Islam should sadden us, we shouldn’t be saddened by their words because they cannot and will not be able to harm the religion of Allah. Allah gives us the consolation in the next verse of this amazing Surah:

“And do not be grieved, by those who hasten into disbelief. Indeed, they will never harm Allah AT ALL…” (Qur’an, 3:176)

However, we often have questions as to why such behavior from the disbelievers is allowed by Allah. Is Allah pleased with them that they have all this power and we have nothing similar to it? Allah answers such questions in the same verse,

“Allah intends that He should give them no share in the Hereafter, and for them is a great punishment.” (3:176)

And also in a later verse,

“And let not those who disbelieve ever think that [because] We extend their time [of enjoyment] it is better for them. We only extend it for them so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment.” (Qur’an, 3:178)

In between these two verses, Allah addresses a particular sickness that has gripped certain aspects of this Ummah, and He said that the sickness bears no consequence upon the cause of Allah,

“Indeed, those who purchase disbelief [in exchange] for faith – never will they harm Allah at all, and for them is a painful punishment.”  (Qur’an, 3:177)

Today we find Muslims who have converted to Christianity for money; they have left Islam because a particular church helps their visa applications. Muslim youth call themselves atheists cause it’s “cool” to be one. A more pressing issue is with those Muslims who do not apostate but attack Islam from within. They use these anti-Islamic situations to gain some rapport, some popularity in the media. They will deny the divine punishments ordained by Allah for “harmony”, they will even say that being a Jew and Christian can take you to Paradise, or that the illegal wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are “not our concern” and so on and so forth.

This is one of the reasons why Allah keeps us through these trials. Many of us ask: Why does Allah test us like this? He answers,

“Allah would not leave the believers in that [state] you are in [presently] until He separates the evil from the good…” (Qur’an, 3:179)

The word used “tayyameeza” is also used for the purification of gold. Gold can only be purified by heating at a very high temperature. This is what Allah is doing to the believers: He is testing us to extract the filth out of this Ummah and only keep the pristine clear believers, and bring out the hypocrites and expose them. Some of us also ask: When will this suffering end? When will we be free? Remember that Allah doesn’t love the oppressors, He is merely using them to test us and only Allah knows what will happen:

“Nor would Allah reveal to you the unseen…” (Qur’an, 3:179)

Allah will decide when it’s time for good to prevail, and that time will be when all the wicked are separeated from the good. Allah doesn’t intend to reveal it to us, so this  uncertaintly is also part of the test. When tested and tried our duty is to fall back onto the legacy of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Allah tells us,

“…And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from the Mushrikeen much abuse…” (Qur’an, 3:186)

He informs us that yes, we are going to be tested, abused, tortured and imprisoned by the actions of these Islamophobes who attack the very religion that their Creator has ordained upon them. But Allah also reminds us of a noble response:

“But if you are patient and fear Allah, then verily, that will be a determining factor in all affairs, and that is of the matters [worthy] of determination.” (Qur’an, 3:186)

While our screaming is detrimental, our patience speaks volumes. Allah has clearly said our reaction ‘is a determining factor’. ‘All these are from the matters of determination’ and these are what we should hold on to. We should be patient, and also be aware of Allah. However, being patient doesn’t mean just shutting up. Patience is also to act in a calm, calculated manner, as did our beloved Messenger ﷺ. What we should do is counteract the spreading of lies in our universities, our masaajid, especially our homes, institutions, and our workplaces etc. We should do our best in conveying the correct image and true message. Only when the people know the entire truth to a situation and message, can they reject falsehood, or else they will get confused.

We must also work on purifying ourselves more often as we have to face and survive these trials as individuals inshaAllah. The greatest criminal against the book of Allah is the believer who abandons the Qur’an. Today we live in a society where the Qur’an is grossly misunderstood, misinterpreted and misquoted. And we have little knowledge in opening up the dialogue to clarify such issues. We need to come back to the book of Allah ourselves first, and then invite others to it. Media houses and powerful iconcs have instilled a tyrannical fear into the people. Shaytaan has done his job, and now we have to do a better job inshaAllah. So the first step is to fix our individual relationship with Allah, improve ourselves and then clarify the deen to our own people, before going out to teach the world.

Unless we accept Allah we will be cursed by Allah. We have read Allah’s words that no harm touched the believers (Qur’an, 3:173), so when will no harm touch us? When we “seek the good pleasure of Allah”, and we can say in our hearts firmly ‘HasbunAllah wa ne`mal wakeel’. Allah gives a stern promise in His Book twice, in (Qur’an, 9:32-33), and again in (Qur’an, 61:8-9):

“They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will that His light be perfected, no matter how much the Kaafiroon hate it. It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the way of truth, such that it will prevail over every other way of life, no matter how much the Mushrikoon hate it.”

No matter how many talk shows or how much money the anti-Islam people dedicate to discrediting the deen of Allah, Islam will always flourish. So the question is not whether Allah’s light will be perfected because we know it will. Rather the question is, are you and I going to be part of this?