The kindness of Islam

With political turmoil raging within Muslim countries and, indeed, throughout the Muslim diaspora around the world, it seems that we, as Muslims, have become a people that lack any discipline or guidance in our lives. We appear unable to accept religious restraints, or recognise any spiritual and moral high ground, in our dealings with issues of common importance. Islam now presents itself as dedicated to chaos and a religion that upholds no ethics: as a consequence Muslims, in general, are no longer regarded, by many, as trustworthy.

Some will, no doubt, argue that this is not the case. However, without doubt, many of us are guilty of shameful ignorance when it comes to the sublime teachings of Islam and Allah’s revelation. This ignorance drives us to respond to even the most minor criticisms with negativity and revengeful reactions. The moral, ethical and spiritual guidance shown in the Quran and the Hadith is being largely ignored while we continue to live our lives ‘in the name of Islam’.

Islam’s ethical teachings are powerful and unmatched. In the Quran, Allah says: ‘and whatever good you do, Allah knows it. And take your provisions. However the best of provision is righteousness’. S2 V197

Islam encourages its believers to always offer goodness, whatever shape that goodness might take, however large or small. Every act of goodness, even if seen as negligible in the eyes of others, has weight in the Sight of Allah and will never go to waste. The Quran likens our lives to a continuous journey and tells us that we should prepare ourselves for it with our provision of righteousness and piety and, of course, with acts of goodness.

By continually bearing this guidance in mind and acting upon it, we can introduce a positivity into our lives that can provide the right framework for a more positive mindset. Such a mindset is necessary if Muslims are to live their lives in peace and harmony, not only amongst themselves, but also with rest of the world.

Two beautiful names that we always mention, whenever we invoke the name of Allah, are ‘Al-Rahman’ and ‘Al-Raheem’: the Most Compassionate and the Most Merciful’. They remind us that God and everything about Him is of gentle and compassionate nature and that He loves to see His servants humble and subservient in their lives, to Him.

The Muslim world, with its political movements and religious struggles, has become filled with violence and an extreme theology that, sometimes, appears to be directing us towards a negation of God’s merciful attributes. Jihad, whose dominant meaning was to persevere in the path of Allah, by following His guidance and teachings and trying to uphold the principles of Islamic guidance, has had its meaning totally reversed and is now being used as a means to incite unrest for political purposes.

The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘Allah has prescribed ‘al-Ehsan’ in everything, so when you kill, in retribution, then show al-Ehsan in the act, and when you slaughter an animal, show al-Ehsan in the act. Let a person sharpen the edge of his knife and save the animal from suffering’.

The meaning of ‘Al-Ehsan’ is to display extreme care to avoid any suffering to a person or animal when they may legally have to go through a necessary process of retribution or an animal is being led to the slaughterhouse.

Islam has never allowed any forms of violence in the name of God. Allah is greater and above any need for this. Allah says in the Quran in Surah16  Verses 125-128: ‘O Prophet! Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and reason with them in the best manner possible. Surely your Lord knows best who has strayed away from His path, and He also knows well those who are guided to the right way. If you take retribution, then do so in proportion to the wrong done to you. But if you can bear such conduct with patience, indeed that is best for steadfast. And bear with patience, and your patience is only because of the help of Allah, and do not grieve over them, nor feel distressed by their evil plans. For surely Allah is with those who hold Him in fear and do good’.

This beautiful guidance shows the supremacy of Islamic teachings. Islamic teachings do not allow for the vain desires of any one person, be they followers or others. No one holds any right to change the meanings or interpretation of the meanings that are the mainline understandings afforded us by Muslim scholars.

The kindness of Islam is its beauty and it is perhaps the only thing that works to soften the hearts and minds of people. It provides comfort and relief to suffering and tense minds that are in a state of bewilderment as they attempt to find meanings for their lives and existence.

Even in the application of legal retribution, Islam stresses the need to look towards the saving of life and avoid taking it away or destroying it. We all need to uphold this precious principle of Islam, which is also the corner stone of its humane guidance and laws (Shariah). We have all used excuses and blamed bogus enemies for our problems, but we continue to refuse to recognise our own faults and failure in following the true spirit of Islam’s teachings.

Islam is kindest of all kindness and its teachings are the most merciful of all mercies. It was sent for all humanity and for the welfare of all and not to cause suffering or woe to anyone. We have to embody its mercy in our daily thoughts and actions if we are to become the most merciful among all people: its compassion to be most compassionate among all people, and exemplify it in all aspects of our lives so that we can become kind by example. Live it all the time and the world will indeed see the true Islam in practice!