Muslims must be high-quality, cultured and knowledgeable

This article has been published on Islamonline website 

http://www.islamonline.com/news/articles/122/Muslims-must-be-high-quality-cultured-and-knowled.html

What it means to be a Muslim has been misrepresented for many years. Radicals have appeared in the name of Islam. They have portrayed Islam, a religion of love, peace and brotherhood, as one of terror, savagery and rage. Instead of encourage love between people, they have incited hatred. They hated women. They hated children, flowers, the sky and pleasant views. Because they lived far removed from Allah, true Islam and the Sunna of our Prophet (saas). Instead of Allah’s beautiful religion, they came up with nonsensical beliefs and traditions of their own making and produced an image that was ugly, frightening and even terrifying. Of course the Western world was frightened by that terrifying image.

Radicalism is of course the greatest threat to Islam. Because it talks nonsense in the name of Islam. But radicalism is a threat to all the true faiths, not just Islam. It is therefore a major threat and one that the true friends of Allah must wage an intellectual struggle against. That campaign must be based on ideas. Verses from the Qur’an need to be used in order for the intellectual foundations of radicalism to be eliminated, false and superstitious ideas exposed and to describe life according to the true Qur’an. All those who fall into the clutches of radicalism must be educated in this way. The problem is the misinformation in their brains. But when misinformation is eliminated through accurate information, then those who apply such misinformation will also disappear.

We have responsibilities to ensure that such an education takes place. We need to live by the true Islam in the Qur’an and the true Islam embodied by our Prophet (saas) and act as role models if we are to encourage others to live by it. If we can really make the Qur’an a reality then we can educate people on the false path of superstition. Then through our own lives we can show them how to live by the true Islam and what a fine life that is.

As Muslims there are many things we have to show with our lives. Because Islam changes a person and totally renews them. But for now I wish to concentrate on just one of these things; a Muslim’s obligation to be high quality.

Loving Allah with a passion bestows the greatest superiority on a person. Muslims need to be aware of this. The best of blessings lie with the friends of Allah. The finest quality and modernity lie with the friends of Allah. Under the influence of radicalism, blessings and superiority have for many years been thought of as lying with people who forget Allah and follow worldly desires and passions. In terms of their fanatical perspectives, these people have inferiority complexes and are always dirty, ill-groomed. Badly educated and uncultured. They have always regarded being clean and cultured as a bad thing. They have kept the fact that modernity is praised by Islam and that our Prophet (saas) was the most modern man of his own and all times hidden from the world.

Just like our Prophet (saas), true Muslims who abide by the Qur’an must be clean, extraordinarily well groomed, modern and cultured. They must attach great importance to quality. But quality does not mean being rich, buying expensive clothes and wearing designer goods. Quality is a style of dressing that shows one is clean and fastidious and respects other people. A person who wears the headscarf can be high quality, as can those who cover up entirely and those who go uncovered. It makes no difference. What matters is for a person’s breeding, powerful general culture, the pride and ease that come from knowing that blessings come from Allah and the self-confidence that comes from being a friend of Allah to be clearly visible. A true Muslim must be highly cultured. Muslims must educate themselves on all subjects in the finest way. Muslims must make the best use of the time given to them in this world. One the one hand they must call on people to unite in brotherhood and love, while on the other they must educate themselves in a most perfect way.

We must show the whole world the beauty, love, joy, quality and superiority that Islam brings with it. This is our responsibility as Muslims. With our appearance we must repair the damage done to Islam by the radicals and also show those people who are not fully acquainted with Islam the kind of life available by being a friend of Allah. We must act as guides to those who avoid Islam out of fear caused by the damage done by the radicals. If we wish to put a stop to radicalism we must tell them to embrace the true Islam and support true Muslims. That is only possible through good behavior and attitudes. Perfection of behavior and attitudes, quality, general culture and sincerity, love, friendship, joy and modernity will be important guides in showing others what the true effect of Islam should be. And that is what is compatible with Allah’s approval. We have a responsibility to show all mankind the warmth of our beautiful faith that our Lord has bestowed on us as a blessing and that was implemented by our lovely Prophet (saas).