Muslims are God’s people on earth. And there are expectations that are associated with that exalted position.
Expectations that humanity has from Muslims.
Expectations that all of Allah’s creation has from Muslims.
And, more than anything or anyone else, expectations that God Almighty has from Muslims.
And, also, expectations that we all must have from each other – as Muslims; and as civilized people on earth.
Therefore, if we are Muslims in the truest sense of that expression, here is what we must expect from us – each one of us, from each and every one of us.
Not so much from “others,” but from ourselves.
And yet, also, at the same time from each other. For, believers are supposed to be the mirror of one another, as the Hadith Sharif puts it.
We must expect that each one of us will take personal responsibility for this work – for, let us say, the next 50 years.
For the work of taking the Qur’ān to every home and heart that needs it – and which one does not?
For taking the message of the Deen of Islam to all of humanity in every part of the world.
For informing the whole world about Allah and his Rasul, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and about the Qur’ān and its most amazing and ever-fresh and ever-living message.
And for inviting everyone everywhere to come to their Creator; and to say “Yes!” to their Lord & Master: God Almighty, Allah, subhaanahu wa ta’alaa.
Here is your own personal dictionary to help you understand the Arabic expression: subhaanahu wa ta’alaa.
It is actually a part of the Qur’ān, did you know that?
The expression “Subhaanahu” means a bit like Hallelujah. It means “May he be glorified!”
It means he is free from all limits and blemishes.
“wa” means “and” and “ta’alaa” means he is high – most high; above and beyond.
Islam teaches us to use those expressions of glorifying God whenever we mention his name. It is like the Bible teaches us not to take God’s name in vain.
Like I said before, it is from the Qur’ān – this expression subhaanahu wa ta’alaa I mean.
Do you see how seamless is the flow of divine guidance between the Qur’ān and the Bible?
So, if we are Muslim, we must commit ourselves to take God’s message to the rest of humanity for the rest of our life.
And we must do that regardless of who else does what.
That means regardless of who else does what, we will do what we must.
And, at the same time, do so within the parameters that Islam defines: of doing it within the limits of the law and decency and keeping in mind the imperatives of common compassion and human decency.
Using altogether nothing but a most beautiful approach, as the Qur’ān puts it: wal mawu’izwatil hasanah.
And of course to the extent possible within the guidelines specified by the Jama’at we are working with.
And, to the extent possible, without impulsive and unauthorized innovations.
Does anyone see how beautifully the concept of “innovations” fits into this?
Bid’ah, that is what the Hadith Sharif calls it – Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, that is, in the collection of his sayings (called Hadith) that the world has taken such amazing care to preserve and to protect over the past 1400 years.
Now get ready for this: Hadith is the only true record of any people, place, personality, culture or historical event in existence anywhere.
It is all first-hand eyewitness account.
And it is all confirmed and verified and validated multiple times over, in most cases, by witnesses and participants of unimpeachable character and extraordinary personal and psychological abilities and powers and prowess such as memory and recall – and truthfulness.
Everything else in the world of that nature – whether it is ancient history or modern media accounts of what passes for reality – comes nowhere near Hadith.
All these other things – whether it is history or journalism – are at worst make-believe and smoke-and-mirrors and at best shoddy fragments of hearsay reality and gossip filtered through a host of personal and social agendas and preferences and pieced together at will for desired effect, often driven by profit motive.
That is what the Hadith is, and it is very different, and it stands in a very different class of its own, and that is how it compares and contrasts with what is called history and journalism in our world.
In any case, that is what each and every Muslim is supposed to do – in every part of the world: Take personal responsibility for taking the message of the Qur’ān to everyone everywhere. There are no ifs and buts about it.
But, by and large, Muslims are not doing this – they are not doing their job. Muslims are not working day and night to take the message of the Qur’ān to every home and heart that needs it – and which one does not.
In other words, Muslims are not manning their post. They are not doing their job.
Muslims have abandoned their post and they are what is called AWOL: absent without leave.
As a result, the world is in a sorry and pitiable state. Qur’ān says it most succinctly: Innal insaana lafi khusr: humanity is in terrible shape.
And of course, Muslims are a part of this mess – the mess much of which they created by abandoning their post and relinquishing their responsibility that was given to them by Allah.
Surah Wal ‘Asr (103: 1-3) summarises the whole situation most beautifully and clearly in three passages totalling no more than 14 words. I suggest you read it and ponder over it.
And then there is this Aayat Karimah – the noble passage of the Qur’ān, the reference of which I think is 3:110 – which says:
Kuntum khayira ummatin ukhrijat linnaasi ta’muroona bil-ma’roofi wa tanhawuna ‘anil munkari (3:11).
Paraphrase: You are the finest nation, Raised up for People. You tell People to do good things. And you tell People not to do bad things (3:11).
So, where are the Muslims who will respond to this call – and return to their post?
And rededicate themselves to their divinely assigned job of taking the message of the Qur’ān to every home and heart that needs it – and which one does not?