Developing a good personal character

We often hear that we are what we eat. No doubt ancient or modern health professionals took, and continue to take great care, when dealing with human health care problems and continue to explore the effects that food has on them. We also take great care about what we eat, not only to sustain our lives, but also so that all the necessary quality ingredients are included to ensure a healthy life and as a result we have all developed our own tastes.

However, we are not going to talk in this article about the benefits derived from our food but rather about the intriguing taste of our characters. Man’s character is either a credit to the quality of his life or discredist it to the point of shame and lowliness. As a Muslim, I always look for the traits, or tastes in my life, that make me positively happier and please our Lord Allah in the first place.

A life can only be honourable and qualitative as long as we are mindful of its place and dutiful responsibility in this world. Islam, unlike other religions, focuses comprehensively and intensively on human development so that a person is empowered and equipped with all the necessary positive qualities to ensure a life of fulfilment.

The Quran makes this point in this verse: ‘He it is Who has sent to the gentiles a Messenger from among themselves, one who rehearses to them His verses, purifies their lives, and imparts to them the Book and the Wisdom although before that they were in utter error.’

A very beautiful verse that so succinctly highlighted the purpose of the mission of the Prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him. Indeed the Prophet has said: ‘I have been sent in order to accomplish for mankind their honourable characters’.

Anyone, who has studied the life of the Prophet, lifting himself above all prejudices and biased opinions, finds in him a perfect spiritual and moral leader who paves the way to connect with God the Almighty.

Islam came to lift the mankind from the abys of ignorance and distinguishes itself by its enlightening teaching, in sharp contrast to what has been regarded as the era of Ignorance. So in the above verse, the prophet does not only ‘rehearse God’s verses to people’, but he helps ‘purify their lives and hearts’ too. He not only teaches people ‘the Book’ that was revealed to him but he also teaches them the ‘Wisdom’ as well. Wisdom results from the highest function of human intellect in judgement and understanding. It was a part of prophetic mission to teach the good and proper use of human judgment and intellectual faculties to raise human life above the animalistic desires and unjust attitudes. The Quran has said: ‘He grants wisdom to those whom He wills; and whoever is granted wisdom has indeed been granted much good. Yet none except the people of understanding take heed’ S2 V269

The emphasis placed on acquiring and teaching wisdom to mankind becomes obvious in this verse: ‘O Prophet! Good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with that which is good, and you will see that he, between whom and you there was enmity, shall become as if he were a bosom friend (of yours). But none attains to this except those who are steadfast ; none attains to this except those endowed with mighty good fortune. And if you are prompted by a provocation from Satan, seek refuge with Allah. He, and He alone, is All-Hearing, All-Knowing’. S41 V34-36

Verses like this fill the pages of the Quran and the teaching of the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him. Unfortunately the learning and teaching of such wisdom is rare in the Muslim educational institutions and even rarer are the necessary actions required to achieve it.

Islam is, unfortunately, seen only as a collection of rituals of certain obligatory acts, hardly any of which are performed in the required manner and result in the intended outcome. Islam embraces the good qualities in people’s lives and appreciates them and promises good rewards for them.

The Prophet has always been known as patient educator and he very proudly said to people: ‘I am sent as a teacher’. That is a different mission than to being the Prophet, one who receives revelation and a Book and preaches them to their people.

Once the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said to a person who came to the Prophet and became a Muslim and whose name was al-Ashajj: ‘O Ashajj! You have two qualities in you that Allah loves them; forbearing and carefulness’. By praising the man and appreciating these manly characters in him, that are the good qualities of a responsible leader, the Prophet encouraged others to followed suit and grow those characters in themselves as well. The Prophet also drew the attention of others to find in themselves or in their characters that quality that may be pleasing to Allah or to grow one.

We find in Islamic teachings an intensive emphasis on character building guidance that develops a man socially, morally and spiritually to high rank. Only the strength of such a fortified character can help a man fend against all unseen harmful elements in life.

In another hadith, the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, teaches another companion a beautiful wisdom to live with in life for everyone, saying: ‘the upper hand is better than the lower hand, start (your charity) with those for whom you are responsible, the best charity is what is given after fulfilling your needs, and whoever seeks chastity Allah will grant him that, and whoever seeks dispensation with people Allah will grant him protection from needs of people.’

There is a wide range of teachings in the Quran and in the guidance of the Prophet that build and strengthen the social, moral and spiritual characters of human being. Islamic teachings are not the kind of ‘religious teachings’ of a ‘religion’ that are all about occasional display of rituals and that has nothing to do about the lives of people or a nation. Islam guides, educates and rewards the goodness that a person has acquired in his characters that which will uplift him higher in respectful rank.  This is a struggle we are all expected to go through in order to purify ourselves.

Allah, through His Book the Quran, speaks directly to every single human being and invites them to reflect on every thoughts and actions that affect their lives and its outcome. Allah says in the Quran:

‘Surely We created man in the best mould. Then We reverted him to the lowest of the low; except those who have faith and do righteous deeds. Theirs is a never-ending reward. Who, then, can give the lie to you, (O Prophet) about the reward and the punishment? Is Allah not the greatest of all sovereigns? S95

In conclusion, as a time well spent looking after our health is a worthy cause, a time spent on the development of our characters and personal behaviour is also a much worthier cause for our benefits and the benefits of all those who are around us. We expend so much thought on our diet, should we not spend little more on developing our characters?

The Day of Arafah

Today is the day of Arafah, which, in the Islamic calendar and history, is one of the most important milestones to be remembered. The day of Arafah is essentially the day of Hajj, when Muslim pilgrims stand in the Plain of Arafat in complete devotion and devoid of any materialistic attachment. This event is said to be a foretaste of the scene on the day when Allah the Almighty will collect all humanity together for their accountability on the Day of Judgement.

This standing at Arafah is one of the pillars of Islam, to  be performed by all Muslims that have all the necessary legitimately gained means to travel to Makkah and spend their time in performing the obligation of this duty. It is a day when nothing but a devotional return to Allah is required and people feel the need to attach themselves to the purpose of their lives in the next world, which are blessed by Allah and will be a permanent existence without fear or grief.

The Prophet Muhammed, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, performed only one hajj and that was called the ‘Farewell Hajj’. All the tell-tale signs of that occasion indicated that the divine revelation of Allah’s guidance for mankind had been completed and that the role of the Prophet Muhammed, as a messenger of Allah, was coming to an end. While it was a Farewell occasion in which the Prophet Muhammad unequivocally announced that ‘perhaps I may not meet you after this year’, he gave a series of sermons, most famously on the mount of Arafa’, in which he highlighted the summary of Allah’s guidance through His revelation to him. We will in this short article remember some of those important points that the Prophet left for our guidance.

But first: Islam is guidance towards the Almighty, Allah the Creator, Who has no associates of deities or partners in creation, or sons and daughters. Allah has described Himself by Himself in the Surah al-Ikhlas. He said: ‘Say He is Allah, the One and Unique. Allah Who is in need of none and of Whom all are in need. He neither begot any nor was He begotten. And none is comparable to Him.’

This guidance we call ‘Tawheed’ or oneness of God. This is the most honourable and logical belief to have if we want to make a sense of our life and its purpose and of the creation. This concept of belief, ‘Tawheed’, brings humanity together and connects us all to the Lord, the Almighty Creator. On the day of Arafah and during the Hajj, this is proclaimed by pilgrims: ‘Here I am, O Allah, here I am, here I am, You have no associate or partner, here I am, indeed all praise and thanks, and favours belong to You and the dominion, You have no associate and partner.’ This chant re-emphasises or re-establishes our belief in the One God, the Almighty.

To invite humanity to this guidance was the purpose of all those prophets and messengers whom Allah sent out to people throughout human history, culminating with the Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him.

The announcement of this culmination came through this Quranic verse, which said: ‘This Day I have perfected for you your religion (Deen), and have bestowed upon you My Bounty in full measure, and have been pleased to assign for you Islam as your religion,’ S5 V3

It is said that a Jew came to the Omar, May Allah be pleased with him, who was the second Caliph after the passing away of the Prophet, and said: “O leader of Believers! There is a verse in the Quran that you read, which if it was revealed to us we would have made it a day of celebration”. Then he read the verse. Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “We know that day when this was revealed to the Prophet peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, while he was standing in Arafah on Friday”.

So it should be a day of reflection and resolution for stronger attachment and devotion to Allah and for a full and stronger belief in Allah’s guidance.

When the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, realised that this was his last opportunity to address such a big gathering of Muslims, he took the occasion to remind them of some of the bullet points of Islamic guidance.

The Prophet, in his summary of his prophetic mission, said: ‘Indeed your blood, your possessions (wealth) and your honour are inviolable to each other until the day you meet your Lord; they are as inviolable as that Day (the day of Arafah), in this month and in the city of Makkah. They are all called al-haram, meaning sacred and inviolable’.

The Prophet also said: you are going to meet your Lord and He is going to ask you about your deeds and actions and I have told you about it. So if anyone owes to anyone a trust (Amanah) let him return it to him. All usury is removed, but you have your capital money and so neither you should wrong nor you should be wronged.

The Prophet also reminded people of their responsibility towards women. He said: Your women have rights over you and you have rights over them. He said ‘I advise you to treat your women well’.

Among many things, the Prophet also said: ‘I have left with you that, which, if you hold them tight you will never go astray, ever; the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet’.

He said: ‘O mankind! Indeed your Lord is One, and your father is one. You all belong to Adam and Adam was created out of earth. Indeed the most honoured among you is the one who is most righteous among you. No Arab has excellence over a non-Arab, or a white over a black or vice versa, except through piety and righteousness. Behold I have conveyed, O Allah be my witness’. Then he said: ‘Let those in attendance here convey the message to those who are not here’.

The Prophet delivered this sermon to a congregation of over 140,000 people in the Plain of Arafah, on a day like today.

Every hajj should be a reminder to the Muslim community of their commitment to learn and convey those messages from the sermon of the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, and should draw us all to worthwhile reflection and action.

Islam or Islamic teachings no longer seem to bind us together in brotherly and spiritual commitments as they used to. Words have lost their meaning and relevance. The occasions on which we could have accepted guidance to the right path are beyond number. If we had availed ourselves of these opportunities, by now we would have been most clean thinking beings or thought bearers, the wisest among us the most wise, the humble the humblest, the kind the kindest and strictly walking the path of God.

May Allah grant that this year and every year, on this Day of Arafah, we will all make the most of the opportunity!!!

Month of blessings comes to an end

The Muslim community are enjoying their last ten days of this blessed month of Ramadan. This period is one of intensive spiritual activities and community engagement for Muslims. Whilst we are looking forward to happy spiritual accomplishments and, at the end of this blessed month, to a joyous Eid festival, we should also hope to see positive changes in our character and to our outlook on life.

Ramadan is a month of fasting for the sake of Allah, in complete devotion to Him and as such is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a beautifully spiritual experience for those whose desire is to become closer to the Almighty, the Creator, the one God, He who alone is worthy of our devotion and worship. The more we travel along this path in the pursuit of this beautiful experience, the more we may enjoy the blessings of understanding our purpose in this life and discovering what accomplishments matter most to us.

Generosity has always been the hallmark of Ramadan. This generosity began when Almighty Allah granted this blessed month to humanity through Islam and manifests itself in many different ways. In a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him said: ‘Your Lord has made breezes through the days of your years, so make sure you benefit from them; because if you manage to get a breeze out of them, you may never go unblessed’. (Al-Tabrani)

This is a translation of the Hadith in which the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, describes blessed days like Ramadan, the Day of Arafah, the Night of Power, or other days and hours which Allah has blessed them, as ‘breezes’, which are a refreshing experience.

Ramadan is one annual breeze that comes to refresh our hearts and spiritual life and strengthens us as a community and reconnects us with our Lord, Allah. It is also the longest continuous period of spiritual activities which embodies many of our spiritual and religious commitments. In a hadith Qudsi, Allah says: ‘All the deeds of the children of Adam are meant for him except for fasting. It is for Me and I will reward for it’. This Hadith shows the especial spiritual status of fasting in the Sight of Allah. Allah has dedicated a special gate to the Paradise named al-Rayyan, through which only fasting people would enter the Paradise.

The generosity of Allah is also manifested through His forgiveness and infinite mercy to all those who seek it for themselves. We humans commit all kinds of wrong-doing in our lives. If such wrongdoing is a violation of people’s rights they may not be forgiven, but all other sinful acts are granted forgiveness by Allah when we ask Him to forgive us.

Once the Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet and asked him to say Aameen (Amen) on three of the supplications that he made. One of these supplications was: ‘Whoever gets to Ramadan and did not get himself forgiven, may Allah remove him from His mercy’ and then he asked the Prophet to say Aameen and he responded by saying Aameen.

This Hadith shows how important it is to seek forgiveness from Allah in this blessed month, so that a person can revert to a purer status in order for him to be reconnected with Allah.

Engaging with the Quran is one such means that will bring a person closer to Allah. The Quran is the word of Allah that came to us as His Guidance and mercy for our lives in this world and the Hereafter. Allah emphasises this point to remind us what the month of Ramadan is all about. It says in the Quran: ‘The month of Ramadan is in which the Quran was revealed, as guidance for mankind, and clear Signs of guidance and Criterion’. S2 V185

This was a very special occasion of divine engagement with mankind, celebrating the accomplishment of Allah’s Guidance and revelation through His Prophets and Messengers. The night in which the whole Quran was brought from the ‘House of Honour’ to the lowest heaven in preparation to be revealed to the last Messenger of Allah, is marked as the Night of Power or destiny’; Lailatul Qadr.

There is a whole surah in the Quran which only talks about this Night. It says: ‘Behold! We revealed this Quran on the Night of Power. And what do you know what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels along with the Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord with all kind of decrees. All peace is that night until the rise of dawn’. S97

In another description of this Night, Allah says further in the Surah 44 Ad-Dukhan: ‘We revealed it on a Blessed Night, for We were intent on warning. (we revealed it on the Night) wherein every matter is wisely determined, by Our command.’

The Muslim community celebrate this Night with extra and longer salaah, recitation of the Quran, charitable deeds of all kinds, engaging in supplication and dua and by turning to Allah through every means available to them.

Ramadan is the greatest opportunity for expressing the spiritual nature and devotion of believers in Allah, One and Only the Almighty, Most Forgiving and Most Merciful. The Night of Power and destiny is the crowning moment when we can bridge the gap between ourselves and our God, Allah the all Merciful. We need to realise the shortcomings in our lives before we can become better and purer. The fasting of Ramadan and the opportunity offered in this Night of Power can bring us back to a world of humanity and brotherhood and to the realm of Allah. May Allah count us amongst His righteous servants and grant us his forgiveness and mercy.

Ramadan: a spirit of rejuvenation

Once again, we, the Muslim community, are celebrating the much awaited and loved month of Ramadan, the month of fasting in Islamic calendar. As soon as many people hear that we fast from from dawn to sunset, they gasp and ask how do you do it? We answer that it is not that difficult. Indeed, if people realised the benefits we gain from fasting for this long period, they too would also look forward eagerly to this month. The Quran says: ‘And that you should fast is better for you, if you only know’.

The spiritual benefits of fasting are, of course, well known to believers. Personal concerns about our religious commitments, in our devotional worship and ibadaat on a daily basis, reconnecting with Allah the Almighty, the fixing of broken or neglected relationships, or rejuvenating our social fabric and community relationships, all benefit from the act of ‘fasting’. Ramadan provides solutions for all these and much more that has a negative impact on our life.

Islam’s obligatory commitments and its moral and educational guidance are not meant only to serve the spiritual aspects of human life. They can also benefit our physical wellbeing and enhance the quality of our life style in all aspects. Allah says of this in the Quran: ‘Soon shall We show them Our Signs on the horizons and in their own beings until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a witness over everything’? S41 V53

Allah’s Signs are manifested through the benefits that we gain from the practices of His obligations upon us, especially in the improvements to our health. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘Fast and you will be healthier (or you will gain health)’. 

The benefits of fasting have long been recognised by the medical community. Much research and its reporting in medical journals has revealed that, amazingly, fasting provides or aids cures for many health problems.

One research paper that attracted my attention was by Yoshinori Ohsumi. I read an article submitted by Dr Jason Fung MD titled ‘How to renew your body: Fasting and autophagy.

What is autophagy? The word, in Greek, literally means to eat oneself. But essentially it is the body’s mechanism for getting rid of all the broken down old cell machinery (organelles, proteins, and cell membranes), when there is no longer enough energy to sustain it. It is a regulated, orderly process to degrade and recycle cellular components.  In the process of autophagy, the sub-cellular organelles are destroyed and new ones are rebuilt to replace them. Mr Yoshinori Ohsumi discovered the mechanisms for autophagy and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

So if this is the process of autophagy, how does it work and what activates it?

The article says: Nutrient deprivation is the key activator of autophagy. In fact, fasting (raises glucagon) provides the greatest known boost to autophagy. (Glucagon is kind of opposite hormone to insulin.) As we eat, insulin goes up and glucagon goes down. When we don’t eat (fast) insulin goes down and glucagon goes up. This increase in glucagon stimulates the process of autophagy.

The article goes on saying: ‘Fasting is actually far more beneficial than just stimulating autophagy. It does two good things. By stimulating autophagy, we are clearing out all our old, junky proteins and cellular parts. At the same time, fasting also stimulates a growth hormone, which tells our body to start producing some new snazzy part of the body. We are really giving our bodies the complete renovation’.

‘You need to get rid of the old stuff before you can put in new stuff. The consequences of accumulating old junky proteins all over the place can be seen in two main conditions – Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and cancer.’

‘What turns off autophagy? Eating. Glucose (or decreased glucagon) and proteins all turn off this self-cleaning process. So this process of autophagy is unique to fasting – something not found in simple caloric restriction or dieting.’

Interestingly, there are recommendations for fasting between 12 to 16 hours or even a bit longer, if we are to benefit from this process. Islam’s guidance of ‘intermittent fasting’ seems to be the right one and shows us that fasting is not only considered the devotional act of a believer but it delivers health and physical wellbeing to mankind. It shows God’s well planned and the all-encompassing benefits from His obligations to human beings. 

Fasting in Islam also helps people develop a better character and human values by removing bad habits and refraining from evil.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: ‘Fasting is a shield. So one should not get involved in idle talk (indecent talk) or in ignorance. If someone is provoked into fighting or by being sworn at by someone, he should say I am a person fasting.

In another hadith, the Prophet said of the purpose of fasting:  ‘If a person does not abandon the habit of falsehood, in saying and practice and acts of ignorance, then there is no need from Allah that he relinquish his food and drinking’.

In the hadith, there are three types of speech that a fasting person should stay away from:

‘Fala yarfuth’: Rafath is talk or conversation that is of a sexual nature in any shape or form.

‘Laa yaskhab’:  raising one’s voice in argument, or any agitated action that takes away the serenity of the moment.

‘Laa yajhal’: Jahl literally means ignorance. Here in this context, it is more of an impatient attitude, agitation, or failing to demonstrate forbearance.

Ramadan grants us all these benefits to our lives; spiritual, mental, physical, social and moral. We should welcome the blessed month of Ramadan and pray to Allah that He grants us all the benefits that it brings with it and makes us better human beings and wise believers. 

Sri Lanka and the mass murder of innocent people

Once again the Muslim community, barely out of shock over the murderous New Zealand tragedy, is confronted by an even worse atrocity, this time committed by its own members. The community feels exhausted and increasingly more vulnerable as this vicious cycle of violence and hatred continues to take place, in its name, all over the world. Both murderous acts targeted worshippers in mosques and churches when both communities were getting ready for special congregational worship.

Based on information that has and is being published and circulated about this latest atrocity, it would appear that a hate mongering preacher was allowed to preach and build a militant group for many years under the noses of Sri Lankan security agencies. These same authorities even had information of an imminent attack two weeks prior to this catastrophe but failed to act on it.

Such murderous acts are never allowed by any religion and most certainly not in the name of God. Those who profess to be practising Muslims, run a congregation in the name of Islam but still commit such acts, are guilty of an unforgivable abomination that is condemned in the strongest manner in the teachings of Islam.

We live in a time where there is already so much misinformation about Islam and its teachings. Such acts tend to confirm much of this misinformation in the minds of many, but serve only to perpetuate their entrenched bigoted attitudes. What has anyone actually gained from this violent and murderous act? How it is justified to kill and maim so many innocent people gathered to worship in churches? Where is the guidance of Islam? Have the perpetrators served any purpose within the framework of service to Islam? Have they become martyrs?  

Islamic guidance towards the saving of life tells us that the rewards for it are immeasurable. The Quran guided us by saying: ‘…that he who slays a soul unless it be (in punishment) for murder or for spreading mischief on earth shall be as if he had slain all mankind; and he who saves a life shall be as if he had given life to all mankind. S5 V32

The Prophet of Islam, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, reminded people in his last sermons about the sacredness of life and that any violation is forbidden upon Muslims.

Life is indeed one of five essential human rights that Islamic Shariah (Law) was revealed to protect. But we make it look so cheap and easy to take it away. Islam does not allow any violation of the right to human life. Islam builds ‘Haraman Aaminan - protected sanctuary for people’s lives.

People who claim to serve God, by taking on a religious or leadership position, should be mindful that their acts of wrongdoing, especially murder and pillage, are far more heinous in the Sight of Allah than that of those who are not in any religious leadership position.

Since the Afghanistan war started in late 70s, hundreds of thousands of Muslim youths and members of communities have been radicalised and have been and are still being used to destroy their own communities everywhere. Country after country has been destroyed; cities and towns erased from the earth. Muslims are living in appalling conditions as refugees outside their own countries. So much blood has been shed.

Who is responsible for all the losses that we have impacted upon ourselves? Why don’t we snatch a moment of serenity and reflection and go through a process of self accountability? We seem to have become our own biggest enemies and have set ourselves in self destruction mode. Islam taught humanity the principles of civility and created a civilisation where human beings were to be a valued commodity. The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, taught us saying: ‘the disappearance of earth is a lighter sin in the Sight of God than shedding the blood of a Muslim for no right’. In another  hadith, the Prophet said: ‘the destruction of K`abah, brick by brick, is lighter in the Sight of Allah than shedding the blood of a Muslim’.  This applies to all people whose lives are sanctified by Allah.

We Muslims are meant to be the representatives of the sublime values of Islam, which encompass good character and human civility. Allah says in the Quran that ‘Allah has the highest example’. Our honour is that we honour the teachings and guidance of Allah and not be the ones who dishonour it and make Muslims and non-Muslims a cheap commodity.

We need leadership that respects the guiding principles of Islam and will strive to rebuild civilised values. Failure will result in Islam losing its place in the world and we, the Muslims, will bear the responsibility!

New Zealand’s terrorist attack and its unsuspected consequences

I received the news of this terrifying attack at approximately 3.00am by text, from a friend. It came as a complete shock and removed any thoughts of further sleep from my mind. I was confused and just prayed that it was not true. A congregation of Jumuah salaah (Friday Prayers) had just started at the Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch; probably the first Jumuah salaah of the day to begin in the whole world, but no one visualised that such a calamity, planned by a lunatic ‘lone’ wolf as is claimed, was about to be inflicted on those attending that Friday congregation .

The world’s anti-Islam and Muslim hate mongers have been preparing such an atrocity for decades. Indeed in many countries, it has become one way of achieving power and political populism by demeaning Islam and indulging in violence towards Muslims. Both social media and the worldwide internet provide ready made and easily accessible platforms for those hate-mongering opportunists whose only goal appears to be a desire to destabilise the world. Such people continually use these platforms to spread whatever lies and misinformation as they wish, with no fear of the consequences, irrespective of the inevitable adverse effects on other people’s lives and on their communities.

Since the infamous phrase ‘War on Terrorism’ was coined, before the Iraq war, a mindset has developed, akin to slow poisoning, against Islam. As a result, a sizeable proportion of the world’s population has grown up in countries which actively foster hatred and bigotry, arising out of ignorance and spite, against Islam and all Muslims.

Terrorism is a phenomenon in our world that now exists in all countries and has followers from all the major religions and cultures. They all seem to have a ‘just’ cause to fight for. What is a cause for great concern is the hastiness with which Muslims are labelled as responsible as soon as an incident occurs. If an act of terrorism is obviously committed by a non Muslim, it is rarely labelled as such until much later.

In the case of the New Zealand attack, it was very different. I pay homage to the fair-mindedness and courage of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who never hesitated to call it a terrorist act, as did the Australia’s Prime Minister.

Muslim communities have paid a heavy price in this war on terrorism campaign worldwide. They are often, themselves, targets of attack in many countries, including Muslim countries. Families have been shattered and communities have been destroyed and their loyalties have consistently been brought into question.

However, this time, the world response has been quite different. The world seems, with an astonishing outpouring of emotion and solidarity, to be behind their Muslim communities. For this I would give credit to the New Zealand’s Prime Minister’s response to this barbaric atrocity and how she handled the whole unfolding situation with complete empathy and outstanding leadership despite threats to her own safety.

The politicians and people of New Zealand treated the incident as an attack on their entire population and not just on a ‘Muslim community’. The whole political system stood in solidarity and empathy towards their Muslim population and willingly offered their condolences through their parliament, and by inviting the imam and his Muslim colleagues to recite from the Quran with translation, the intended consequences of the perpetrator have been thwarted and reversed. 

A decent and wise leadership keeps working in even difficult circumstances to achieve what is a good and healthier path for their people to follow. The minds of the peoples of this world must no longer be subject to forces that would create an atmosphere of prejudice and bigotry, as in the past. We have great challenges in building our new world and maybe, just maybe, New Zealand has provided a beginning. 

The responses to this act came from three sources:

The first was political and was led by the Prime Minister of New Zealand and its parliamentary parties, including civic leaders with the support of local police and local governments. This resulted in many other world leaders condemning the barbaric attack.

The second came from interfaith and Faith communities. Leaders of Muslim, Jewish and Christian Faiths stood in solidarity worldwide. Interfaith Groups have been the strength and a source of moral support in this terrible time. Leaders of many world religions have shown their empathy and also stood with their Muslim communities.

The third has been the continuing outpouring of empathy from the public. Local residents visited their local mosques and offered help and their condolences with bouquets of flowers and words of kindness.

It all shows that, in New Zealand at least, Muslims are not isolated at times like this. A wide range of leadership and communities groups have come forward to support them. I have been heartened with all these responses and know that it is no longer all doom and gloom in this world. When I was the Imam at the Bath Islamic Society, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 or 7/7 and other terrorist attacks that have taken place, I received a very heartening local response from local government, Faith communities, the Interfaith Group and local residents. That gave me drive and strength to further building bridges of understanding and harmony among people.

We, the Muslim community, have the ideal religious teachings and guidance to bring the humanity together and fight against  prejudiced attitudes and bigoted thoughts of any kind against anyone and any people. We also must engage with all people and work together with them in promoting peace and justice and for all causes that serve humanity. Islamic teachings address humanity but are not exclusive to Muslims. Islam asks us to take a leadership role in all good causes and in co-operating with others in that which promotes goodness and righteous works.

Let this despicable and barbaric attack become the catalyst in changing our fortunes, improving our community relationships and herald a new world that can accommodate us all in peace and harmony.