Playing Games with Allah's Deen!
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?)
Those Who Let the Qur'an Define their Goals and Purposes
There are two kinds of Muslims in this world – among all the other kinds that there are.
One kind of Muslims tries to learn the Qur'an, seriously and diligently. And with a great deal of humility. For, utter and abject humility is essential to successfully communicating with the Qur'an at any level.
They try to develop their ideas and plans using the Qur'an as basis and guide -- as their point of departure; and as their basic framework to direct their thinking and their action in this world.
And these people try to fit themselves into the plan that the Qur'an came to deliver to the world. A plan that the Qur'an unravels before them as they go deeper into the Qur'an – with single-minded concentration and with unflinching persistence and, of course, with a strong sense of humility.
That is part of what the expression “submission” means in Islam: surrendering and submitting yourself to God and his book and his Rasul, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam.
As they begin to strengthen their bonds with the Qur'an – God Almighty's own word in their hands.
His blessed, most beautiful and most unerring word that God Almighty sent into this world as Light (Noor); as a cure for all human ailments (Shifaa'); and as a solution for all human problems (Hudan Linnaas).
Those Who Force the Qur'an to Fit Their Own Plans and Purposes
The other group does the opposite.
They begin with a plan and agenda of their own. And then they try to cherry-pick the Aayats of the Qur'an. And then they try to force the Qur'an into their own plans and purposes.
They use specific parts and Aayats of the Qur'an to strengthen their case, and win their arguments, against their Muslim or even non-Muslim friends and adversaries.
Thus, these people take from the Qur'an what supports their prior notions – no matter where they got them from.
And they leave parts of the Qur'an that they do not like: Aayats of the Qur'an that do not support their agenda and their arguments.
In other words, they play games with the Qur'an and its Aayats.
A Most Dangerous Game
To say the least, this is a most dangerous game that these people are playing.
It is dangerous for them as human beings and it is dangerous for them as Muslims.
And it is also full of dangerous consequences for the world – this game that some people, especially Muslims, are playing to fit the Qur’an into their own plans and purposes.
And this game these people are playing is directly from Shaitan. Make no mistake about that.
Shaitan’s Strategy
Because Shaitan's main strategy is to keep Muslims – and the world – from reading and understanding the Qur'an.
It is also part of Shaitan’s strategy to keep Muslims – and human beings in general – from using the Qur'an in their lives and in their everyday affairs. Whether those affairs are individual, social, political, economic, military or something else.
Shaitan simply does not want human beings – Muslim and non-Muslim alike – to benefit from the teachings of the Qur'an.
Shaitan does not want human beings to let the Qur'an guide and illumine their lives.
Shaitan does not want this world to be changed according to the teachings of the Qur’an.
Shaitan’s Message to the World
So, Shaitan's simple message to the human world is this:
"Hey Adam's children! Don't read the Qur'an!
It is not good for you!"
And he plays the same trick with them that he played with their parents Adam and Eve.
He assures human beings that he is their best friend and that he has nothing but their best interests at heart.
He says to them like he said to Adam and Mrs. Adam before them – “Don’t you know I am your well wisher and I want nothing but the best for you?”
In the words of the Qur’an:
Wa Innee Lakumaa La-Minan Naasiheen!
So, says Shaitan to human beings:
“Whatever else you do, don’t please read the Qur’an.”
Shaitan’s Plan B
But that is not Shaitan’s full strategy. Shaitan also has a Plan B.
And Shaitan’s Plan B is quite a complex and detailed one. And it goes something like this:
“Look here, you foolish humans! Don’t forget Qur’an is a sacred text. It is after all your 'Holy Book,’ right? Just like Bible, the Holy Book the Christians have.
So, all you need to do is to chant the Qur’an – well, like the Brahmins chant their Vedas. That is all you need to do.
But if you insist on going further, then all you need to do is to understand a word or two from here and there. Don’t waste your time in trying to learn and understand the Qur’an fully – in toto.
And, furthermore, under no circumstance should you think of changing yourself or your world to fit the mold of the Qur’an.
That is primitive stuff. It is old fashioned. Totally backward way of thinking as you should know. Great thinkers and intellectuals, and smart men and women like you, cannot allow yourself to do that.
Instead, whenever and wherever you can, you should try to fit the Qur’an to your own needs and purposes.
That is the smart thing to do.
That way, you will not become the slave of the Qur’an, but you will remain its master, as a great intellectual and smart man and woman like you should be.
In fact, that is what all smart humans like you should do.
They should not change themselves to meet the dictates and directions of the Qur’an. They should change the Qur’an to fit their own agendas of the day: wherever they are, in whatever time period.”
A Successful Plan
So, this is Shaitan’s Plan B for human beings.
And, historically speaking, it has been a quite successful plan, as a lot of humans, both Muslim and non-Muslim, have fallen for its charms over the centuries.
That means, instead of changing themselves to fit the model of the Qur’an, these unfortunate men and women have perished and fallen by the wayside trying to fit the Qur’an to their own models of thought and action.
The Qur’an has one word to describe the force that propels and leads these people: Hawaa!
They are the victims of their own Hawaa – generally meaning their own thinking, opinion and preferences.
They have chosen to put themselves above God and his word. And who can predict what would happen to such people?
END
