Dr. Pasha on Islam,
Muslims and the World
(Bringing Islam to the World One Concept at a Time)
www.IslamicSolutions.Com
(601-700)
700
Sir! You Ain't No Imam!
This morning, my Inbox delivered this mail. Sender's name said "Imam ..."
Could not read the actual name. Just that word "Imam.
When clicked open, the mail revealed the name of a Muslim of some prominence, associated with the work of a Muslim organization of considerable history and repute.
The mail was sent to me in official capacity of that Muslim organization and that individual.
The sender's name said: "Imam XXXXXXXXXXX"
{The actual name of sender is omitted}
The following was my response to that mail that I sent out to the sender:
Assalamu Alaikum,
Sir,
The greatest kindness you can do to me -- and quite possibly to a lot of Muslims -- is to drop the prefix "Imam" from your name.
Just use your name: XXXXXXXXXXX.
{The actual mail I sent gave the name of the sender}
And let "Imam" adorn names like Imam Malik, Imam Bukhari, and such.
{Then I signed my name}
Muslims, should I give a Fatwa that this abuse and trivialization of the highly honored title of Imam may actually -- I am not saying it does, I am saying it "may," but that should be scary enough for most people -- constitute a sin of some serious proportions and unknown consequences?
699
Islam is about Respecting Authorship
My humble request to one and all is: If they are not my words, do not associate them with me and my work.
And always resist the temptation to change something I may have said or written and then put my name on it. No matter how foolish, or wrong, or stupid my words may sound to you.
The proper way -- the Islamic way; the Western way; the civilized way -- of doing things is to first cite accurately what I may have said or written and then to criticize or attack it or to agree with it.
This was the way of our Aslaaf.
What goes for me also goes for all others -- Muslim or non-Muslim.
It is to teach these things that Islam came into the world. And this is how the civilized world operates today.
Anything else is intellectual dishonesty. And it is not Islam.
And it is a product of flawed character.
And, make no mistake, a cause for the downfall of Islam and Muslims.
698
Our Training Manual
We are people wedded to a certain goal. And that goal is taking the Qur'an to every home and heart that needs it -- and which one does not.
And that requires our being thoroughly trained in several things:
1. Understanding full well what this job is.
2. Clarity on how to carry it out in practice.
3. Learning how to deal with issues and challenges that may arise along the way.
4. Keeping our motives and intentions as pure, as clean and as focused as possible.
5. Living a life overall that is in keeping with the enormity and complexity of the responsibility we have assumed for ourselves.
And that means living a life of deep belief or Iman; persistent worshiping of God in heaven or Ibaadat; and unflagging service to humanity on earth -- Akhlaq, 'Aadaat and Mu'aamalaat.
The question is how do we train ourselves in all this. And where do we find the training manuals?
And the answer is:
A. The Qur'an.
B. The Hadith and the Sunnah.
C. Our writings and audio on www.IslamicSolutions.Com.
D. Whatever good stuff humanity has been able to produce -- over the years, decades and centuries, and across all cultural boundaries.
When we turn our back on these, we do it at our own peril. And that means, in the game of life, we will continue to be square pegs trying to fit into round holes.
And we will continue to be more of a problem than a solution.
Like so many people -- both Muslim and non-Muslim -- seem to be doing.
697
Islam Is about Staying Put
Islam is about constancy and consistency.
We keep reciting the same kalimah: La Ilaha Illallah, Muhammad Rasulullah!
We keep doing Wudu the same way.
And we perform our Salah the same way.
It makes sense that, within certain limits, our work also should be about constancy and consistency.
With regard to the new ideas concerning World Day of Fast, I did not check anything. I do not know what is what. But I repeat what I have always said: Everything we do and say must be within the confines of www.IslamicSolutions.Com.
To the extent this is technically feasible and achievable.
And to the extent it is pragmatically considered the best. "Pragmatically" meaning from the point of view of results and outcomes.
It seems to me, there is neither any sense, nor any need, nor any utility, for stepping out of IslamicSolutions and for creating new identities.
On the other hand, the perils of splintering could be many.
So, you want to do something "new," just add it to www.IslamicSolutions.Com -- to the extent it is feasible to do so.
Just plain change the dates on the call for World Day of Fast.
And for all other "Days" that we have on our list.
And that means someone -- all of us, some more than others -- monitoring those things and keeping abreast of them. That is what our job is.
And keep doing that for the next 100 years -- but do so in a timely fashion.
And without too much prompting from too many people.
And without placing on the leadership the burden for monitoring and executing even the most minute mechanical details of what gets posted on the website.
That energy and that time can and should be more productively focused in areas that really need the urgent attention of our leadership.
Otherwise, this is called distraction: taking our eyes off the ball. It is shifting our focus from the really important things to other less important and less urgent things.
And distraction is one of Shaitan's favorite tools and Shaitan is a master of it.
