Failure to Understand Islam:
A Challenge Facing Today's Muslims!
Dr. Pasha
(Bringing Islam to the World One Concept at a Time!
Taking the Qur'an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It --
And which One Does Not?)
The biggest challenge before those Working for Allah is to understand Islam.
That is right, the biggest hurdle to Islam is not failure to "practice," as Muslims like to call it, but failure to "understand."
That is the tragedy that has befallen the Muslim World today: failure to know exactly what Islam is in modern times and how to conduct oneself as Muslim in our world today.
That is why Islam places such great emphasis on Ilm or knowledge.
Just look at what the Qur'an does. The Qur'an says:
Fa'lam!
Know!
And the Qur'an says:
Iqra'!
Read!
Many Muslims cannot even translate that word "Iqra!" right in the English language. To them, it is: "Recite!"
One fellow with little knowledge and less understanding generally starts something like this and we all follow like a herd of sheep.
"Recite," like a magical formula!
"Recite," like the Brahmans of India recite their Mantras and Shlokhas in the Sanskrit language, without anybody knowing or understanding what they are chanting or reciting.
Not "read and reflect" like something rational and something based on solid knowledge. Such as read a book or a document, for example.
And then what did the Qur'an do immediately? It hit the world with a Thunderbolt.
The Qur'an said:
Dhaalikal Kitaab!
That is the book that you all should be reading!
And pondering and reflecting and analyzing!
When you do all that, a time will come when you will learn to practice what That Book says to you.
And you will know how to put That Book into practice.
And, don't forget, to read That Book is to practice it -- and no practice of anything better.
And to try to understand its meaning is to practice it -- and none better.
And to analyze and reflect on its teachings is to practice it. And it is the highest form of Ibaadah -- worshiping Allah -- and none better.
To teach it to others is to practice it -- and none better.
And to try to take it to every home and heart that needs it and which one does not is to practice it. And none better.
This the knowledge and the understanding that is missing from much of the world today. Including what we so glibly call the Muslim World.
And that is why so many good Muslims today will happily hide out in the Masjid, but will not read the Qur'an.
And so many good Muslims will chant a lot of things Islamic but will not spend comparable time in trying to understand the meaning, the teachings and implications of the Aayats of the Qur'an.
And so many good Muslims will gladly wander the earth for three or seven or 40 days in groups, but will focus little on developing true insights into the text and language of the Qur'an.
And in what the words and passages of the Qur'an really mean in our time and in the various places where Allah Almighty may have placed us.
So, Qur'an, anybody?
END
