By ( siraj-islam.com )
I never thought that I would be a Muslim, then I became one. Thereafter, I never thought that I would be writing a blog about Islam, but here I am. In fact, I am writing this blog for myself to remember and renew my faith, to express how goosebumps coming from my heart when I first got shocked by truth… the truth of Islam, this great religion that causes human to be reborn and takes them to the realm of the heavenly kingdom
1-Idols: knowledge and desire (“Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire”)? [Al-Jathiya, 23]
My background knowledge is very deep and largely based on science and philosophy combined with logic derived from the culture of Greece up to the Age of Enlightenment onwards. It is a journey that begins with Plato, continued to Descartes and Nietzsche, then Darwin, Freud and Niels Bohr, and did not end with Michel Foucault and Wittgenstein. It was a journey that even had included literature (Novel and Plays). I had laughed on Voltaire’s jokes, imagined Shakespeare’s ghosts, and immersed myself in Dostoyevsky’s analysis of his character Raskolnikov. As for religions, I fully understood the commandments of the Old Testament and the sermons of the New Testament, furtherly I had not overlooked the religions of the Egyptians or Phoenicians.
Despite my obsession with knowledge, I had also lived a life full of experiences. I had made love with women, enjoyed spending a lot of money, and delighted to spend time with the children when they were young, before I left their mother. I had been also able to travel to advanced countries thinking that tourism might improve my mood which was spoiled, and I had felt like “meaning” was lost from everything. Nothing really did work, and I found myself going into alcohol and drugs, losing consciousness in order to live a few minutes in illusion before waking up to the sombre reality I had been living in, and all of these did not really work.
2-Humility and breaking idols: submission to Allah: (“The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children | But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart”) [Al-Shu’ara’, verse 88-89]
I had been looking to be the best version of myself and to embody high morals, but I had turned into a distorted, frightened person, knowing that I realized the reason for that later: “I was arrogant, I considered myself a God -(“ there is not within their breasts except pride, [the extent of] which they cannot reach”), I was not humble and genuine with myself. I lived with the false self that believed that I was strong just by having money and knowledge (“No! [But] indeed, man transgresses| Because he sees himself self-sufficient, [ Al ‘Alaq- verse 6-7]. My weakness was not revealed to me, yet it was clear and obvious (“and mankind was created weak”, Al-Nisaa- verse 28]. How blind I was! How human cloud think of themselves as a God, treat people around them as salves just to satisfy Ego ([Pharaoh] said, “If you take a god other than me, I will surely place you among those imprisoned.”, Al-Shu’ara’, verse 29). Also, the more the person became distorted, the more pain is magnified deep inside till losing the meaning of the whole life (And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, Taha- verse 124).
I realized that the greatest thing a person could do when they first started to search for a life, where their hearts can feel the bliss, is to be sincere and humble, and then let this sincere genuine part to be the guide on the way (“And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended”, Al-Ahzab, verse 5). This genuineness, sincerity, humility, and the pursuit for truth is what I later had learned to be the beginning of “Islam,” that is, “surrender to Allah,”- whenever you are lost but truly honest and sincere to yourself, truth then will come to you by itself (“That Allah may reward the truthful for their truth, Al-Ahzab, verse 24] that is Allah will come to you, grant you joy and let you in into the blissful tranquil life (And whoever believes in Allah – He will guide his heart, Al-Taghabun- verse 11).
So, how did Almighty Allah receive me? (“Allah wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of those before you and to accept your repentance. And Allah is Knowing and Wise”, Al-Nisaa- verse 26]
3-Guidance rewarded after being humble, truthful and sincere: (“If Allah knows [any] good in your hearts, He will give you [something] better than what was taken from you, Al-Anfal- verse 70).
One day, I went to a small lake away from the noise of people in the city, just siting alone, watching the fish (“Say, “I only advise you of one [thing] – that you stand for Allah, [seeking truth] in pairs and individually, and then give thought”, Saba- verse 46], and processing my feelings and emotions while focusing on my heart with only one intention inside, that is, [O truth, come to me!]
I cannot tell how I ended up contemplating the Holy Qur’an that Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, brought to us. This is a story similar to what happened to Lawrence Brown with his daughter, because of whom he became a Muslim.
The story is nothing but a context, the real reason is truthful dwellings with myself that brought Islam to me to look and search into while considering it in terms of its logical and scientific consistency, and most importantly, in terms of how it creates a supreme morality in humankind and the extent of its success?
I opened the book of Holy Quran and started reading, then I found it spoke to me, describing my inner depths that I was afraid to face. The Holy Qur’an showed me the true meaning of life, that is by surrendering to Allah, connecting with love to Him, getting closer to Him, and by dwelling with Him. This made me saw the previous things (knowledge, money, women, children) just through the lens of coming to know Allah Almighty, and through the “meaning” I hold thorough this life.
4-This is Islam: The attainer (“Indeed, those who have said, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remained on a right course – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve”, Al-Ahqaf- verse 13]
I was very impressed by the Quranic text, but I did not want an ideal theoretical narrative in mind. This time, my research would be about the impact of “Islam” on the hearts of those who lived by. Had they really embodied the high moral model? Here I was surprised by the situations and scenes I came through while searching for an answer to my question:
The scene of Muhammad, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, entering Mecca impressed me. The people there fought wars with him for many years and were determined to kill him, and they were causing harm to him in every possible way, but after Muhammad gained control of them, he forgave them, and even treated them with deference, said: “Whoever enters my house is safe!”
It is an incomparable scene for those who know history! This great forgiveness can only come from a truly great one. (“And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess [beyond needs]”, Al-Baqarah – verse 219).
This is Islam: benevolence through forgiveness
This was not only the great Prophet, but also his students and his nation (knowing as Umah) after him. I observed also his caliphs (successors) who came after him: Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, the greatest companion of the Prophet, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, who brought all of his money to be in service of the highest ideals in Islam. Abu Bakr never thought of keeping money (dinars) for himself or his family, but rather made sure that none of the poor left hungry; he provided aid for widows and paid for the freedom of the slaves. Further, he commanded that no tree shall be cut down and no animal on the road shall be intimidated. When death approached him, he, as a caliph ruling the entire country, ordered that his shroud shall be an old piece of cloth, saying: “The living have a greater need of the new than the dead”! (“but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation”, Al-Hashr- verse 9].
This is Islam: benevolence through altruism.
What another wondrous scene! The kings on this earth only wanted their graves to be great monuments, buried in silver and gold tombs! Abu Bakr, the ruler of the Islamic state from the borders of Iraq to the Levant, died without leaving a single dinar to his heirs, as his daughter Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him), had said.
As for Muhammad (PBUH) and his great followers, to recite their Zikr (Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is Greatest), is dearer to them than anything the sun rises on, that is, than the entire world! They were living in company of Allah, in the ease and love of Him, and they sought gratification of Allah by embodying the true benevolence on earth with other humans, animals, or even inanimate objects.
Also, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, the second greatest companion of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) whose life was also full of wondrous scenes, which stole my heart because of the value justice with which he had been known to be holding onto tightly. I can hardly contain my emotions as I read that he, during one of his tours, heard young girls crying from hunger, while their mother distracted them as much as possible as she wanted them to sleep. Umar quickly brought them something to eat, then he brought dough and food, lo and behold, he himself began kneading and cooking to prepare a meal for the children himself, and said to his Minister, Ali Ibn Abi Talib: “Allah will ask me about them on the Day of Resurrection.”
Where in the history of nations one could witness a person with the stature and position of an emperor personally kneaded bread for hungry children in the middle of the night, that is at the time when none of his subjects could ever see him? But that was the love of Allah and what it did in the hearts of those great men. They see creatures through God and commit themselves to the duty of being kind and benevolent to them out of humility and tolerance (“do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful”, Luqman- verse 18].
This is Islam: benevolence through humility and lack of arrogance and injustice.
Back in time, a year of famine strikes the city, and there were noting to buy or sell. Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf – one of the companions and students of Muhammad (PBUH) entered the city with large convoys. He was a rich merchant. The merchants rushed towards him to buy goods and they were willing to pay double prices, but he refused and told them there is Who gave me more than you? They say: Who? He says: Allah, because He says: (“Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit”, Al-An’am- verse 160); then he distributed the convoys for free on the houses of the city.
Have you seen someone offer his wealth to people for free, and still can make a huge profit? Abdul Rahman Ibn ‘Awf, at this situation, had made his deal with Allah, Lord of the Worlds. And that was another scene that history recorded as rare, unparalleled and in comparable among the nations!
This is Islam: benevolence through mercy to people.
Then for me, I had also wondered about the status of women in Islam? Then I came to know that the status of the mother in Islam is great, not even close to the status of the father. How had I marvelled at the story of that man who asked Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, whether he had fulfilled his duties towards his mother after he had performed Hajj with his mother on his back? Umar replied, “Not only one shot of labour!” Those people believed and thought of the satisfaction and love of the mother as associated with the satisfaction and love of Allah (“And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him, and to parents, good treatment”, Al-Isra- verse 23).
Islam set the criterion for differentiation to be based only on piety (Taqwa). This had been formerly described: people are equal like the teeth of a single comb, so there is no difference between the Arab and non-Arab, between the woman or the man, nor between the black and the white, except by piety, (“made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you”, Al-Hujurat- verse 13).
These great scenes can hardly be found elsewhere among any other nations. And as those scenes were great, they were also very common, not rare, amongst nation (Umah) of Muhammad, PBUH. There was no nation that had embodied morality, benevolence, and set an example for greatest examples of human perfection as Nation of Mohammad did. (“You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind”, Al Imran- verse 110].
The key to this great transformation in the human self is surrender to Allah alone (“And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him”, Al-Zumar- verse 54). Man is not a god to himself, but there is no god but Allah, and this surrender is the love for Allah and the commitment to His commands. Thus, the true Islam is benevolence, where a person does good to himself and to all creations. First, Humans can be in benevolence to themselves by becoming wise, virtuous, polite, and tender; and by living while keeping Allah between their eyes, thus being delighted in His dwelling eternally. Second, Humans can be in benevolence to all creations by having mercy on them, pardoning them, honouring them, and cooperating them to achieve righteousness and piety, so that everyone all together become benevolent towards each other, then they will be granted the paradise of Allah; where this is the ultimate pursuit towards the perfection of benevolence, that is living with Allah in Truth… in His proximity… seeing Him, hearing His words, and rejoicing with Him (“[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant | Looking at their Lord”, Al-Qiyamah- verse 22-23].
5- An Advice and Direction: (“Are separate lords better or Allah, the One,[597] the Prevailing”, Yusuf – verse 39]
Listen to me Ladies and Gentlemen; learning about Islam begins with a deep truthful dwelling with the self, in which a person humbles themselves and searches for the truth impartially without any prior background; also disbelieves that their desires can be their god, then opens the book of Holy Quran, reads, and addresses Allah to guide him and give him the light so that he can see. And at this moment, his story with Allah will begin; he will live the true meaning of life, and he will find undoubted evidence through experiences he comes through with Him. Only when a person come to know that he is truly in contact with Him, all ideas, philosophies, and science shall become additional, marginal evidence for him: because experience is more powerful than any theoretical knowledge.
That how I started to explore and experience Islam, and the meaning of living with Allah as well as dwelling in Him.
Thus, I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah; and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.