I Am Not a Snitch, Mr. President!
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?)
Mr. President, President Obama that is: I Am No Snitch, Period!
Wanted to catch you before you step out of the White House for the last time as President. Even though this post -- this piece of writing I mean, on January 10, 2017 -- has been brewing in my mind for I don't know how long. Not a minute less than a year, I am sure.
I know what I am writing here will not reach your ears, or your eyes, but write I must. For, I see it as my patriotic duty, which is the same thing as saying it is my human and civic duty.
But more than anything else, it is also my Islamic Duty, which is an expression that encompasses all of the above.
My Islam compels me to speak the truth, and especially to Power. And you, as one of the smartest presidents this country has had, you know precisely what that means.
So, I am no snitch, Mr. President.
That means I am not the man you can expect to tell or snitch or inform on my fellow-Americans, regardless of whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim, and whether they are related to me by bonds of kinship or not.
Oh don't get me wrong. For, the standards that Islam imposes on me are very different. And they are much higher. And much more stringent.
For Islam, instead of turning all of us into a nation of "snitches" and "rats" and "informers," and thus denigrating us to a fairly low level of humanity out of which not much good can come out, raises us to a heaven-high level of being the Blessers of everyone and everything -- in sight and out of sight.
That is what Islam does: It raises us, not lowers us.
Myself, whenever I "pray," as they say, and over a billion of my fellow-Muslims in and out of America, that is what we do: We bless you and America, and every American citizen and visitor and "alien" as we call them, and the American Government and all Government Agencies, including the FBI and the CIA and the NSA and the DOD and the rest of the folks.
And, believe it or not, it also includes the Congress of the United States. But don't get me started on Congress, Mr. President. We better postpone that topic for another date -- for another post.
"Assalamu Alaikum," then, is my bread and butter as Muslim, Mr. President, regardless of whether or not I am a good or a bad Muslim.
I say it every time I "pray." And I say it on all kinds of other occasions -- every time I run into a fellow-Muslim.
And this Salaam thing is not just what they told you: "Peace Be On You!" It does mean that, of course, but it also means much, much more: Basically All Else!
It means The World, Mr. President: health, wealth, wellbeing, prosperity, success, happiness, and each and every other nice and good and wonderful and noble thing you can possibly imagine, and that is good for you, your family and for all of America and for everyone and everything in the world.
That is what this Divine Expression Salaam means: Everything salubrious and wonderful and blessed and joyous and pure and perfect and noble and good and decent that human beings may need, and can possibly have, to make their life on earth better for themselves and for everyone else.
So, I am a Blesser, Mr. President, along with all my Fellow-Muslims and not a low-life snitch and rat and informer.
And personally, Mr. President, let me confide, that is my whole ancestry and family history. It is a family of Blessers. God raised up my ancestors to be a blessing to every friend and foe on this earth, and in this entire universe.
You Mr. President, following Western Cultural Norms and English Language Use, will say Mercy to Mankind. But I, bound by the language and culture of the Qur'an, will change it to Mercy to Humanity and To All The Worlds.
That is who God Almighty's Messenger Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, was. He was sent into this world for one exclusive reason and with one exclusive mission: To Be Mercy, Love and Blessing to All of Humanity and To All The Worlds.
Here is how the Qur'an puts it:
Wa Maa Arsalnaaka Illaa Rahmatan Lil-Aalameen!
But there is more Mr. President. When it comes to the well-being and safety and security of my nation, and my neighbors and my fellow-citizens with all their stripes and hues and shades of color and conscience and views and beliefs, my role is not to snitch and to rat but to protect and to serve.
That is right, that is who I am: one charged by God Almighty and his Blessed Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, to not just Protect My People, Americans and everyone else, but also to Serve My People.
And at the same time also to Protect and Serve the World! The Entire World!
Listen to this Hadith Mr. President and simply consider its scalability -- and its immense scope:
Kullukum Raa-in!
Says this most blessed Hadith -- actual words coming out of the blessed lips of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam.
I paraphrase these words as follows:
"Each one of you, male, female, everyone, is a Shepherd."
"And," continues the Hadith, "Everyone of you will be held responsible
for your Flock."
And I, Mr. President, have been put in charge of a very large and some would call a very diverse flock. For, it is a flock that includes every human and nonhuman on the face of this earth -- and beyond.
It starts with myself and my family and includes my neighbors, friends, colleagues, fellow-citizens, fellow-humans, all animals, all plant life, and the Environment and all the galaxies of the world.
You call it one humongous flock or call it a collection of a vast range and types of flocks, that is your choice. But what accepts no choice or prevarication is my personal accountability for each member of that flock -- or all those flocks.
It is my job to make sure that every member of my flock is safe and healthy and wealthy and well and doing just great in every conceivable way. And I must ensure the safety, security and well-being of each and everyone of them even at the risk of life or limb for myself.
