As salamualaykum!
''I can understand it if it is coming from my australian mates, or people who are non-muslim, but it is SOO frustating when it comes from my Brothers and Sisters in Islam! Isn't Islam good enough for me to just enter in for it's beliefs?'' A asked while we were on our way back to her home on Thursday.
It is NOT just her, I have seen so many people who presume that when a non-muslim girl reverts to Islam in an Arab state could be only for the following reasons ;
1. She is going to marry a muslim guy
2. She wants to get a rich arab for herself
3. Maybe she wants to marry a LOCAL!
For all those people who are SO interested in asking these questions, I just want to ask you all One thing, 'WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?' Can't somebody just Enter Islam because they wanted to follow a religion with beliefs that made sense to them? OR maybe JUST maybe! They wanted to follow Truth??! or HEY! Perhaps they read a translation of the Quran and grew more curious about it??
C'mon come out of your cave already.
Don't be suspicious about anyone, because nobody knows the state of eman in their hearts like nobody can know yours.
“Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales and do not look for the others` faults, and do not do spying on one another, and do not practice Najsh (to cheat), and do not be jealous of one another and do not hate one another, and do not desert (stop talking to) one another. And O, Allah`s worshipers! Be brothers!"
Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 008 Book No. 073 Hadith No. 092 Narrated by Abu Huraira (r.a.)
When we ask such questions we make them feel like strangers to the religion. As if Islam is just made for people who are born in it and only those people have the Perfect Reasons to be Muslims and Perfect Knowledge!
Then we have the other set wonderful people who feel that being corrected by a reverted Muslim is a BIG OFFENSE! This may be NEWS to them but guess what?! The Companions of the Prophet (sal Allahu Alay hi wa sallam) were also REVERTS!
''I am born Muslim, I know better than you do, Don't YOU tell me what to do or How to do!''
Akhi or Ukhty who gives this response upon being corrected. Haven't you heard of humility or showing respect to your brother/sister in Islam?
Ok fine, let's presume that you don't ''WANT'' to show both. What does Islam say about arrogance?
614. Haritha ibn Wahb said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Shall I tell you about the people of the Fire? All those who are coarse, domineering, and arrogant.'" [Agreed upon] [Chapter 72, Riyad as Saliheen by Imam Nawawi]
Thats all, I am done with my rant. Plus, the post above is not just what I have to remind about to others, It is a reminder for myself too.
I would think that those who elect to enter a new faith are likely to be more thoughtful on the matter than those born into it. Well done for choosing your religion. I am a deeply spiritual person and have much contact with God and yet am still searching for answers. If all people who follow religions questioned their faith as we do, then we might find that people on a whole get closer to God and further from blind ritual.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteCertainly those who choose to enter into Islam are most of the times much appreciative of it than the ones who are born into it. I was a born muslim and trust me I had just little bit of knowledge of Islam (thanks to the media), I was not really a practising muslim. Although, I am changing for good these days, my reverted friends are the ones who remind me to pray on time.
I am so happy to know that there are still some spiritual people out there. Because the thing is we live in such a materialistic cosmopolitan society that we are almost looked down upon if we are not updated with the latest trends. Habibty, if you are interested in knowing the spiritual philosophy of Islam just let me know. Really, it's quite simple (follow One God and his commandments) unlike what media potrays it as :)
Thanks for dropping by <3
asalamu ailakum!
ReplyDeleteHey, you changed the name :P
This is a great post and I am proud of you for saying it. This is one thing that really enrages me- the cultural backwardness ...how reverts are treated.
I watched a really relevant video to this post which I recommend all Muslims to watch. It is 2 hours long but it is necessary :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHJ9nlQV-QQ
And yes, all to often, we take Islam for granted (those of us raised as Muslims).
Assalam alaik Sis Shiru :)
ReplyDeleteMasha Allah good post! This issue is rarely being addressed although it's been happening for awhile now.. (I watched that video too Lil Auntie! :)) Their lives are not as rosy as we assume it to be after taking their shahadah.
Sadly enough, actually many still hold this perception that if you are a revert, you are not as knowledgeable or not a practising as the born Muslims. In fact, ironically being a born Muslim myself, the revert sisters I knew were the ones who taught me Islam. It surprised me at first that how little my ilm is as compared to them Subhan Allah.. And it's true like you said - reverts tend to be more appreciative of Islam than some born Muslims who grew up with it all their lives that it becomes an unimportant aspect in their lives. And unfortunately, some are even embarrassed to be known as a Muslim. Of course, I'm making a general statement above from what I've seen and observed.
I've met amazing sisters who had gone through alot when they reverted to Islam - with their family and friends especially - and even so, they are still holding tightly to this Deen. I was thinking to myself, if I had been in their shoes, subhan Allah, I don't know if I can face such trials. They are such an inspiration!
Agree, I don't think any creature has the right to judge anyone's intentions/motives, whatever the action is.
ReplyDeleteMasha Allah, great post! This narrow-mindedness in something that is so prevalent amongst Muslim countries/communities. Just because we inherited Islam, we automatically become all knowledgeable about it? What a laugh! There are born Muslims out there who don't even know the six articles of faith!
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can see, people who consciously choose to enter Islam are more careful, more reverent and more devoted to the Deen than those of us who got Islam handed to us on a platter when we were born.
I'm not saying that all born Muslims are like that. But I think the reverts understand and feel the magnitude of what they have been blessed with more than us because they saw what was on the other side of the fence. We who have never ventured on that side, fail to appreciate and value the beauty of what we have.
So does that really give us the license to question the revert's faith and look down on them? No, instead they should be a lesson from which we should learn. We should look at them and humble ourselves in the realization that that with Allah subhanahu wa ta'aala, their Shahadah of two weeks might be worth more than our Shahadah of twenty years!
Honestly! When people look down on someone else, do they not see their own deficiencies?? It completely boggles my mind, the pompousness of some people!!