Islamic obligation to shine on one's brother

6 min read Politics Islam
By M Hamdan Azhar Yousuf

Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. if you are interested in contributing.


SPEAKING FREELY
Islamic obligation to shine on one's brother
By M Hamdan Azhar Yousuf

Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing.

"Not one of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself," declared the Prophet Mohammed, thereby sealing the universal brotherhood of man and enjoining on the society as a whole the upkeep of the downtrodden among their ranks. The Koran definitely declared 1,400 years ago that the most noble among men is not the wealthiest nor the one with the princely lineage, but he with the greatest God-consciousness (Taqwa). And how does one attain God-consciousness? By spending out of that which one loves. The believers are praised in the Koran: "And they feed the poor, the orphans, the prisoners, out of his love, saying 'We desire neither thanks nor reward' save for the pleasure of God, for indeed we fear from our lord the distressful day of fate."

In the better days of the Islamic state, the coffers of the public treasury were overflowing to the extent that there was excess in supply of funds for the help of the community. Alas, today the Muslim world faces not a unified caliphate but a handful of Islamic nations, each with its own interests and problems. And yet it is in light of these circumstances that we must take on our collective responsibility of aiding our Muslim brothers who have fallen under distress with the recent tsunami disaster in South and Southeast Asia. The Prophet said: "The Muslim community (ummah) is like a body; if one part is in distress, the whole suffers." It is incumbent on us all, especially the better off among us, to contribute to this immense disaster to alleviate some of the suffering of the victimized peoples.

It should not be considered offensive to suggest that for the Muslim countries, it is not only our religious obligation but a vitally important strategic necessity to assert our influence in this part of the world. Because, whether we like it or not, this is how the West is perceiving this opportunity. The Independent (UK) notes: "There is already talk of an updated 'Marshall Plan' for Asia, similar to the postwar aid for Europe, that would save lives and repair America's tattered reputation across the world." Even more dangerous than quasi-imperialist designs, however, is the much more latent threat of "predatory evangelists", who are swarming Indonesia's heavily affected Aceh region, "mixing Christian missionary work with humanitarian aid", as reported by the Baltimore Sun.

With the Muslim ummah in such dire circumstances, with children dying daily in Kashmir, Palestine and Chechnya, is it economically and theologically sound for us to divert precious funds to a people whose faith is of dubious quality? No doubt this is the question being raised, if not vocally, then at least inwardly on the parts of the leaders of the Islamic governments. In response, let us consider a tradition mentioned by Imam Ghazali in his Ihya, an explanation of the Koran. A Zoroastrian came to the Prophet Moses asking for some water; Moses said: "First convert to Islam." The man walked away offended, shortly after which the Prophet came to realize his error and ran to him asking him to come back. After Moses treated the beggar to dinner, the man inquired, "Tell me about this Islam," after which he subsequently converted. The lesson to be taken is that the Love of God, as manifested in its supreme form, by the practice of Islam, cannot be forced down someone's throat; rather, it is best spread by the maintenance of superior Akhlaaq, or character, through which naturally the seeds of faith are spread far and wide.

The question that now arises is simply: What must be done? The wealthy Muslim countries, especially the oil-rich Persian Gulf states, must now contribute to the relief effort in amounts commensurate with their wealth. We cannot and must not allow the rehabilitation of the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, to be co-opted by hostile forces as another volley in the battle of "imperialism in the name of liberation". It is indeed a sad state of the ummah when we are forced, out of our weakness, to accept the aid of nations who, at the same time they are feeding starving children in Sumatra, are massacring other starving children in Samarra. Nor is there any real reason that we have to accept the idea of thousands of evangelical missionaries teeming around a Muslim state, preying on weak souls, with the goal of supplanting Islam with their own faith.

As members of the brotherhood of Islam, we must help our downtrodden fellow believers in their time of need. While the individual indeed can contribute in many ways, the strength of Islam has always been in the jamaat, or community. The Prophet said: "Stick to the community for verily the wolf eats the sheep that strays from the pack." While it must be admitted that today we are faced with the prevalence of mulk (nation-states) as opposed to khilafah (caliphate), if these states were to combine their efforts, there is no limit to the good that could be done. Why don't the wealthy Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates match the billions contributed by American and European interests? Why doesn't the sole Islamic nuclear power, Pakistan, replace the US marines in Indonesia? Why don't we have thousands of volunteers from Egypt and Afghanistan rushing to the help of those in need?

Recently, Franklin Graham, the same demagogue evangelical who in 2001 called Islam an "evil and wicked religion" and lobbed vicious slanders against the Prophet Muhammad, left for Indonesia to supervise Christian relief efforts. He said: "If we are going to depend on Muslims to go in and help Muslims, well, they aren't coming."

Let us prove him wrong.

M Hamdan Azhar Yousuf, an undergraduate in economics at Pennsylvania State University and an active leader in the Muslim-American community, is a representative to the Political Action Task Force of the Muslim Student Association of the United States. His other works can be viewed at www.personal.psu.edu/hxy152.
Published: Source: atimes.com
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