Islam – politics or spirituality

Islam has become so politicised now that the original and sublime purpose of its original message, designed to raise humanity from the abyss of darkness into which it had fallen, and to which it now returns, has been lost to many people. Any sense of righteousness or spirituality is increasingly difficult to detect in any of the actions of the many people who continue to claim that they serve Islam. Indeed, many so called scholars seem to be driven more by their political and personal agendas than by any sense of duty towards Islam.

It has become increasingly apparent that many of those who convert to Islam do so solely for political reasons, wishing only to join those organisations who actively ferment turmoil and conflict amongst the Muslims, rather than embracing the Spirit of Islam and taking the opportunity to become a decent human being and become part of a positive force for good. We have also noticed that, even in our local area, some of those who entered the fold of Islam have created dichotomy among the local people, deliberately destroyed community cohesion, set themselves up as teachers of Islam and joined the same groups who continue to spearhead the politicalisation of Islam.

There is a recognised euphoria, or 'wow factor', which affects all those who revert to Islam, and many who do so become mesmerised by it, to the point where they believe that they have become the teachers and not the pupils. We, in turn, in our excitement at the conversion, lose sight of their possible intentions, and fail to distinguish whether it was for political or other reasons.  

Most of the upheavals in the Muslim community could be resolved if a positive Islamic approach is taken based on the revelations of the Quran.

The present lack of leadership in the Muslim community must be at the top of the list of our concerns. This includes not only political leadership, but religious leadership, social leadership, intellectual leadership and any other form of leadership. What little leadership there is seems to be based on individual personalities who present their own form of Islamic understanding and are unwilling to share any space with others or to recognise or accept any differences in orientation of their personal ideologies.

When Allah the Almighty chose the Prophet Mohammad, Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him, as his final prophet and the spiritual leader of the people, He proclaimed in the Quran saying: ‘”And you are, O Mohammad, on the pinnacle of the greatest characters”.  However, does anyone think about this now when they take on the role of leadership, and on what contribution they may offer to minimise the effects of continual conflicts on the Muslim Ummah.

In a hadith of the Prophet ,narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, a Bedouin asked the Prophet saying: “When is the Hour”? He replied: “When the trust is neglected then wait for the Hour”.  The Bedouin then asked: “How would the trust be neglected”? He replied: “When the responsibility of affairs is given to those undeserving then wait for the Hour”.

This trust is a general term applied to all sense of rights, responsibilities, coupled with a sense of accountability. Its importance is apparent from the two verses below from the Quran.

First it says in the surah 2: “Allah commands you to deliver the trust back to those to whom it belongs”.

Secondly it says in the surah 33: “We presented the Trust unto the heavens, the earth and the mountains but they all feared (to deliver it) but man took it upon him. Indeed he was most unfair and most ignorant”.

This is what exactly is happening with the present Muslim leadership. They have taken the trust upon themselves but are patently unable to deliver it and their actions have resulted in conflict and dichotomy among the followers of Islam and installed a fear of Islam in the rest of the human population.

We ignore at our peril the teaching of our Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, who said of the responsible leadership: “Bring ease upon people and do not create hardship, deliver the glad tidings and do not make people run away from you”. This guidance highlights the role that leadership must play in all fields of human behaviour without compromising the essence of the purpose of Islam.

Islam, according to the Quran, is mercy to the world and the Quran says: “O Mohammad, We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds”. We need to explore the meaning and sense of this mercy and to what extent it is applied in Allah’s purpose of guidance.

The teaching and guidance of Islam shows us what is possible and indicates the best traits in human character, so that those of us who fail to reach them can benefit from this guidance and improve the quality of our lives. Islam has never caused, neither are its teachings meant to cause, any regressive effect on human life. A good character creates and increases the quality of our lives.

The best character is acquired by the continual practice of Islamic guidance. It is encouraged to the point that the Prophet Mohammad said: “There is nothing heavier in the scale of a believer on the Day of Judgement than the best character, and Allah dislikes the abhorrent and indecent one”.

The Prophet also said: “Of the perfect believers are those who are the best in their characters and good manners, and the best among you are those who are best to their wives”.

This hadith excludes any potential for domestic violence if the person is a believer in Allah. Yes, domestic violence is rife in the world today, regardless of the boundaries of religion and culture, but what stops, or should stop, a Muslim from perpetrating domestic violence towards their loved ones is their imaan or belief in Allah. The two cannot go together in Islamic teaching. Indeed there is no place for any kind of violence in Islam as there is accountability for all our actions, in particular where they concern human rights.

Islam educates people in good manners and in the best ways by which we may achieve harmony in our lives, but Muslims need to reflect upon what matters most to us in respect of our religion. While peace and surrender to Allah should be at the forefront of our reflections, we must also consider what Islam means to the rest of the world and on its wider ramifications on people’s lives. We should celebrate Islam and its teachings by adopting its guidance for human development and goodness in human society and in our personal life.