Disengaging from what does not concern one

I have always considered God’s teachings as a means of supporting one’s self esteem and personal values in order to enrich the quality of one’s life. Human society is made up from individual units who, working together, weave the fabric of the quality of their lives, good or bad, to better themselves or to regress and change for the worse.

These teachings and guidance are surely provided for the purpose of improving the quality of human society as whole and to maintain a climate, in which we all can prosper and co-exist, until we are brought in front of God for the final accountability.

We all understand the benefit of engaging with others for the good of all. Indeed most of us encourage a positive engagement, seeking good relationships in charitable work, and in the public interest, and when endeavouring to enhance the quality of all our lives.

However, there are times when such engagements are discouraged in Islam: when there is fear that engagement could become a liability and would harm the quality of human lives or the life of an individual. Indeed, given the chaotic situation that the Muslim world finds itself in at the moment, heads need to be put together to establish appropriate areas of engagement and disengagement for the Muslim community. 

I would like to mention some supporting references for what I have just said:

The Quran says: ‘O believers! You must guard your own self. No harm would come to you if anyone goes astray, if you follow the guidance’. S5 V105

Engagement with others begins with disengaging from one's self interest. There is a saying in Arabic: ‘The empty-handed person does not offer anything’. One has to possess the qualities of goodness and excellence for oneself in order to offer them to others. The above-mentioned verse does not advocate a total banishment from engagement, but reminds people to look at what, in the first place, concerns them, before they worry about others.

In the same vein, the Quran says in Surah 18 and Verse 6: ‘You would perchance fret yourself to death following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this message’.

These verses show two different levels of public concern but clearly define the limits of engagement whilst reminding us of their respective priorities.

What one achieves by the means of speech, action or indeed through thoughts depends, in the first place, on the consideration given as to the best positive outcome for all. Thinking about oneself before thinking about others is not always an act of selfishness. Indeed, it should be seen as a part of the process of being prepared before engaging with others.

Drawing attention to this understanding, the Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘the best part of the Islam of a person is to disengage from what does not concern him’.

Excellent advice, everyone should appraise their goal and purpose in life and evaluate their personal qualities. No one should attempt to pass on  to others what they don’t have or believe themselves.

The Prophet Muhammad, going further, and speaking somewhat bluntly, said: ‘whoever believes in Allah and in the Hereafter, must speak of goodness or (if not) rather shut up’.

Disengaging from wrongdoing or evil deeds is called an act of charity, and that in itself becomes an act of positive offering and engagement with positive thinking.

According to a hadith narrated by the Companion of the Prophet Anas ibn Malik, a man commented on the death of another man, in the presence of the Prophet Muhammad, saying: ‘Have the glad tiding of the Paradise’.  The Prophet then spoke to him saying: ‘How can you say that? Perhaps he has spoken about something that did not concern him or withheld that which did not make him the less for it’.

This is an important subject and knowledge of it will certainly benefit any person searching to make a positive change and a real impact. Problems arise when the ignorant force their way into what is not, or should not be, their concern. If people only play the role that is their God given capacity, life would be better for all. People must desist from playing God, concentrate more on themselves, and not meddle in the affairs of others. Then, Insha'Allah we will enjoy a more peaceful existence, an enhanced quality of life for everyone, and human society will be less infected by slandering, mischievous acts, evil deeds and of course wrongdoers.

Muharram al-Haraam: Start of a new Islamic year or a new beginning?

The  new Islamic year of 1436 has just begun, marking the time that has passed since the migration of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions from their home city of Makkah to the new township of Yathrib: later called the City of the Prophet and now named Al-Madinah in his honour.

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar following the month of Hajj, being the 12^th month of the Islamic calendar. Muharram means sacred or made sacred, which is further qualified as ‘Al-Haraam’, meaning again  sacred or forbidden.

The twelve names of the months in the Islamic calendar each have their own characteristics, denoting their relative importance, purpose and the obligations required of us during their timelines.

Muharram is one of four months which were originally  marked out as ‘sacred’ on the day Allah created the heavens and the earth and designed the twelve months of the yearly cycle.

Let us look at the relevant Qur`anic verse which reads: ‘The number of months in the Sight of Allah is twelve, so ordained by Him the Day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred, that is the right religion so wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Polytheists (of Makkah) all together as they fight you all together. But know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves’. S9 V36

By emphasising ‘that is the right religion’ the Qur`an  highlights the  corrupt practices of the Polytheists of Makkah when they ignored the ‘state of the sacredness’ of these months and acted only in accordance to their whimsical desires and their tactical planning for invasion and wars.

Allah (SWT) has marked out those four months as sacred and any transposing of those sacred months is called as ‘further stubbornness in the state of disbelief’.

The Qur'an elaborates the purpose of them being marked out as sacred by saying ‘so wrong not yourselves therein’ ; i.e. to either eliminate wars and their causes without any legitimate provocations, or to keep  their effects to the minimum.

The Islamic calendar started from the year in which Prophet Muhammad and his companions were compelled to leave Makkah and emigrate to what is now the City of ‘Al-Madinah’. The Prophet arrived in Quba, outside the city of Madinah on Monday 12^th Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of Islamic calendar and was warmly welcomed by its people.

When, in the time of the second Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattaab, the political establishment started taking shape and a need for dating official records and dealings emerged, the Caliph consulted his eminent colleagues. A host of suggestions was proposed by different companions of the Prophet. However, what attracted the most attention, and the approval of the people, was the Hijrah, which was regarded as the event that stood out most prominently in the life of the Prophet’s divine mission and  as the most important sacrifice made in the way of Allah in safeguarding the belief in Almighty the Creator and sustainer of the worlds.

All the companions of the Prophet agreed to mark this most notable event as  the beginning of their calendar, which is now called as the Hajri (or Hijrah) calendar.

As a result, every year, when a new Islamic calendar starts, it reminds (or should remind) Muslims of the sacrifices that have been made by the Prophet and his companions in preserving the integrity and uncompromising purity of this divine guidance. God is the ultimate reality or what the Qur`an terms  as ‘Al-Haqq’. The manifestation of His reality is all around; from the existence and functioning of man, to the sustenance of all other creatures and maintenance of this existence. The Prophet Muhammad would not deviate from this very essential message of Islam to the people and chose to leave his home city of Makkah to seek refuge rather than to accept any compromise about the reality of this foundational belief in God.

Starting the Islamic calendar with a sacred month, in which we are guided not to wrong ourselves, sends out a very positive and beneficial message to people and makes it very easy to declare to the world our 'new year's resolution’: Do no wrong!

One wonders why this simple guidance provided to our religion has failed to impact on many of its followers, many of whom don’t seem to have any annual plans or resolutions to create positive changes to their lives and to the lives of people around them or under their rule.

People who hold any authority, over anybody, need to reflect on the impact of their many (and often what are seen as deliberate} blunders that have created chaos and conflicts in the Muslim lands and the Muslim Ummah and come up with solutions. A starting point like the month of Muharram provides them with such an opportunity. Unfortunately, there is a definite lack of positive and character building leadership in most Muslim societies. Power grabbing, dislodging others by deceitful means, coupled with the ill-informed and uncompromising characters of those seeking to run religious institutions and those undeserving of the right to authority, is a commonplace phenomenon in  Muslim lands.

Why do we continue to fail to become involved in collective actions in the year to come which can benefit the Muslim nations, mend their ways and directions, guide them to the positive collaboration with the rest of the world on a programme of nation building, mutual understanding and the creation of a healthy world?  Why there is no time in our lives for reflection and collective thinking?

We need to reflect on our negativity and mistaken ways to make positive changes to our lives. That is the way ahead, in my opinion, if we are to make any progress, change the destiny of the Muslim Ummah and serve the purpose of Islam. Spoken words have no importance or merit unless and until they are believed and practised by all.