(Note: The following is an edited version of the Friday Prayer service sermon conducted 12/10/21 at Masjid Ibrahim, Las Vegas, Nevada. The opening words of praise for God (hamd) have been omitted.)
Allah has created us to be different
The Friday prayer sermons from the last two weeks have dealt broadly with the subject of self-enrichment, and have posited the argument that Allah has created us to embody differences, not just in language and skin color, but personalities, interests, tastes, habits and the like. (ft.1)
Similarly, we have looked at Abu Bakr and 'Umar b. Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with them. Abu Bakr was known to be very gentle and soft-hearted, whereas 'Umar was known to have a tough personality, yet, when they became the leaders of the Muslims after the death of the Prophet ( Sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), they made contributions that led to the growth of the community, despite their unique traits.
A beautiful recollection of 'Umar
Years after he became Muslim, 'Umar recalled two incidents which made him laugh and cry respectively. One was an occasion in which he had done acts of worship to dates, a food item widely available in the middle east. Later on, upon getting hungry, he consumed these dates. This story has been shared often at our Sunday School classes, using the analogy of worship of a cereal box(ft.2).
The reason he worshiped the dates is because that was the social norm at that time in the Arab peninsula. He sincerely believed these practices were legitimate. It should be noted that idolatry (shirk) takes on many forms globally, worship of food stuff being one of them.
The above made him laugh, but what made him cry? He recalled a time in which he had buried his baby daughter alive. This was also a practice common among the Arabs of that time. Upon honest reflection, he cried at this incident.
Exposure to Islam, as taught to him by no greater a figure than the Prophet Muhammad, caused him to engage in honest self-inventory. This did not diminish his courage, intelligence and strength. Islam made him look at himself, at his own actions, despite those actions having been the norm in Jaahili times, nonetheless it shows that he corrected himself.
Islam advocates retaining and cultivating positive traits, and limiting, if not eliminating, negative ones. The ultimate source of judging such things is Divine Guidance. "Blessed is He who has sent forth the Criterion (al-Furqaan) upon his servant, so it may serve as a warning to all nations." (Q 25:1)
تَبٰرَکَ الَّذِیۡ نَزَّلَ الۡفُرۡقَانَ عَلٰی عَبۡدِہٖ لِیَکُوۡنَ لِلۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ نَذِیۡرَا
What is Islam? Second section
Islam is more than a list of allowances and prohibitions. It is the summary of Divine guidance as conveyed to all the Prophets and messengers globally, and, as a side note, not restricted to one particular section of humanity.
It is Allah's deen which should be the most important source of worldview. This does not negate unique identity, tastes and the like, as God has created us to be unique. Once we make Divine guidance, and not necessarily social or family expectations, the ultimate source, life becomes easier.
This does not mean we become angels or saints, but it means that Allah's deen, known as Islam, provides an unmatched safety net. Thus, the Qur'an says "and Allah invites towards a peaceful abode."( 10:25)وَ اللّٰہُ یَدۡعُوۡۤا اِلٰی دَارِ السَّلٰمِ
Allah wants stability and happiness for us. Allah's guidance is for our security in this life!
It is imperative that we incorporate Islam into our lives and our worldviews. There are some simple things we can do, such as read Qur'an, even if just a little, once a week, be consistent in daily prayers, avoid the prohibited actions and items, all of which are clear, stay away from intoxicants of any kind, regardless of their legality, surround yourself with positivity, be clean and organized.
Footnotes
(1) The Friday prayer service sermons referenced are "self -diagnosis and enrichment" part one. found here and part two, found here
(2) Masjid Ibrahim offers quality Islamic education for children 6 and up. For more information, please contact the Masjid office at (702) 395-7013 or [email protected].
