Words that mean what they say

How many times do you think of someone in a day? And what do you do when their thought crosses your mind? Sometimes a smile or tear is enough to express your feeling, but other times you need more. Life is just a series of thoughts that cross our minds; a series of thoughts that we process and translate into something more meaningful and tangible - very frequently into words and consequently into speech.


As Muslims we are subjected to words at all stages of our development. From the moment of birth we are welcomed into this world with the words of the Adhan that serve as a constant reminder of our fitra (inner consciousness) throughout our lives.

We must realise, however, that there is only one set of words upon which we may truly rely for truth a guidance and these are the words of the Qur'an. For '..the superiority of the words of Allah over all other words is like the superiority of Allah over His creation' [at-Tirmidhi]


Throughout history we see that whenever Muslims set off for a new land their primary purpose was always to propagate Islam. This is why they nearly always succeeded in convincing the inhabitants of the logic and straightforwardness of Islam.
Here in the UK we are met with a completely different picture. Many of our parents and grandparents settled here with the sole intention of furthering their financial gain. Perhaps in a bid to be accepted, our ancestors were more reluctant to push forward their own views and agendas and more willing to adopt the practices of the inhabitants.


The revival and propagation of Islam is best served through example; the characteristics and qualities that Islam enhances within a person are, indeed, beautiful and 'a thing of beauty is joy forever'. In order to do successful propagation and revival we as Muslims cannot afford to cut ourselves off from the population at large. We need to make an active effort to befriend non-Muslims as well as non-practising Muslims and genuinely care for them so that they place their trust and confidence in us. Only then can we offer them Islam as a solution to all their problems.


In order to prosper, Muslims need to get their priorities straight, in other words we need to shrug off the non-committal 'cannot do' mentality that we have acquired for ourselves.
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) instructed, that if we see a wrong action we should first attempt to change it with our hands and if this is not possible with our tongues, and if this is not possible, we should despise it within our hearts. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) told us that this was the lowest degree of faith. Muslims need to concentrate on furthering themselves academically. This does not mean we want a communikty overflowing with doctors and accountants but rather, a community that contains people that are capable and knowledgeable, complementing all areas of society.


Muslims also need to prioritise their efforts to unite, co-operate and co-ordinate. In an age where major companies and banks are merging, we fail to realise the merits of avoiding unnecessary clashes and duplication of work.
People associate so much with Muslims - how much longer can we afford to allow 'I saw this and thought of you' regarding Muslims continue to be so negative.


So what do you do when a memory of a person crosses your mind? Obviously it depends on who that person is. The point I was trying to make is that there is one being whose memory should remain with us 24-7, all the time, and that is Allah. As long as He remains in the forefront of our intentions and actions we will be able to purify ourselves inwardly and outwardly. We will be able to contribute towards the Islamic revival! (insha'Allah)