Whoever Resembles A People Is One Of Them – Part 2

(Continued from Part 1)

This fuel of the Hellfire are the ones that many Muslims are imitating today, chasing after their customs and fads, trying to please them and win their approval. A Muslim must realize clearly in his mind that all of these disbelievers are either worshipping false gods, other humans or their egos and desires. These are the people who some Muslims are following, imitating and bending over backwards to please. Allaah has said in the Qur’aan:

“Thus We have made you a just and balanced nation, that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger be witness against you.” (al-Baqarah, 143)

We are supposed to be witnesses against mankind. We are supposed to be witnesses to the truth of Islaam and its superiority over every other way of life. We should be showing people that we are the true followers of Allaah’s guidance and that what we have is the best guidance for mankind. If this is truly in our hearts, we would not turn to the ways of the disbelievers and imitate them.

How can we be witnesses of Islaam against humanity when, instead of showing that we believe in Islaam and love it and demonstrate its greatness, we give up our ways and customs of Islaam to follow the ways of the disbelievers? I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked by non-Muslims, “If your religion is the truth and so wonderful, why are so many Muslims abandoning your teachings and following the ways of the West in their own countries?” What answer can be given to that question?

We see this phenomena of Muslims imitating the ways of non-Muslims in many ways. The following are all examples of this phenomena: Muslim men shaving their beards to be like their clean-shaven Western colleagues that they respect so dearly. Muslim men giving up the modest attire that was found in every Muslim country for the tightest pants and latest fashions of the West. Muslim women giving up the Islaamic hijaab and come out in public dressing in the latest Western fashions.

In some parts of the Muslim world, even the definition of beauty and cleanliness is defined according to the disbelievers and not according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Some Muslims today believe that having a beard is unclean. They think that to be clean shaven implies being clean, civilized, and proper. Is this what Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has taught us about the beard? Is this how Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam and his Companions viewed the beard?

All of these can be seen throughout the Muslim world. What does all of this show? It shows that we have lost the true dignity and honour of being believers. We no longer feel honour, dignity and joy in following the ways of the Ambiyaa’, martyrs, sincere and righteous. Instead, we feel better when we succumb to or follow the ways of those who have earned Allaah’s wrath or have gone astray. Allaah say in the Qur’aan:

“Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the disbelievers, and forgive us. Our Lord, verily, You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (al-Mumtahanah, 5)

One of the explanations given to this verse is that when the believers do not set an example for the non-believers, when the believers themselves are not following or adhering to the teachings of Islaam, then this is a great trial for the disbelievers. How could they possibly be attracted to Islaam if they not only do not see Islaam as being practised in front of them but they actually see the Muslims abandoning their revelation from Allaah to follow the ways and customs of the disbelievers. This will definitely lead the disbeliever to conclude that Islaam has nothing to offer and it could not possibly contain the truth that will lead to his salvation.

Let us all return to the ways and guidance of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Let us all feel the honour and dignity that true iman should give us – we should feel that this is a special bounty that Allaah has given to us. We should turn to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) to take our values, our customs, our beliefs, our aspirations, and our guidance from those two sources. That is the only way of life that is worth living and that is the only way of life that is pleasing to Allaah. If we abandon it and instead follow the ways of the disbelievers, we would be abandoning a great thing in return for something that will actually bring us nothing.