21st century Muslim ~ Knows the past, deals with current problems!
Chapter Two
Muslims are currently being the most vilified people on Earth yet at the same time draw hundreds of thousands if not millions of people into our fold. Those who were Disbelievers before this but are so very curious to find out more about Islam by either checking out the hundreds of websites sharing information about Islam and attending talks and lectures by prominent Callers to Islam such as the popular Dr.Hj.Zakir Naik, Abdur Raheem Greene, Syeikh Yusuf Estes, Sheikh Khalid Yasin, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf and many others.
To those of us who are living in these times where the human advancements in the field of Science & Technology has in a way brought people closer through the advent of the worldwide internet network of digital websites and telecommunication technologies, learning about the oceans of knowledge and information stored online and accessible by wired and wireless connections.
We are truly living in a time of both the good, the bad and the ugly side of humankind which has elevated human society in one way and also destroyed it in another. In countries which have a fair amount of development, proper infrastructure and good telecommunications, utilizing the internet network has become part and parcel of our daily lives and we often surf the web through our mobile smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop personal computers.
With just a click of a button, we are able to seek information about anything through our telecommunication gadgets and devices in a split second. Information that before this would have taken the Seeker of Knowledge months if not years to learn and discover is now made available instantly through the trillions of digital files stored extensively in the archives of the webservers.
People of before who lived in times yearned for messages or news about some important matters or incidents that would take much time to be delivered to its intended recipients now take just a few seconds to be displayed in full, vivid color to the seeking eyes of modern day mankind. We today are so fortunate to be able to access and use all these modern technological telecommunication marvels yet many of us at times do abuse and misuse all these.
Instead of using the internet to enrich ourselves with useful knowledge and information, many of us waste away our precious times by surfing on websites that only cloud our judgments and contaminate our souls. Instead of utilizing the web to spread the Truth about Islam and to help others learn about their birthrights to be fellow true servants of Allah, we get bogged down with wasteful squabbles and strife amongst ourselves in matters involving disruptive politics, religious and racial tensions.
Surely, we should know better than to argue with those who are fools and recalcitrants! There is a famous saying:
At times, we would good naturedly pass a comment on a discussion online or give our opinion sincerely but then like clockwork some idiot or mindless fool would come and insult us or ridicule us for no rhyme or reason.
Should we entertain such uncouth buffoons?
Surely not! Just learn to walk away from that unnecessary encounter and remove our self from that online discussion or thread. It’s just not worth our precious time. Let the fools occupy themselves with such needless banter or squabbles. We have much more better things to do than to argue with such idiots. Period.
On the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash’aari (Radhiallahu Anhu), the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam said:
“The likeness of a righteous friend and an evil friend, is the likeness of a (musk) perfume seller and a blacksmith. As for the perfume seller, he may either bestow something on you, or you may purchase something from him, or you may benefit from his sweet smell. And as for the blacksmith, he may either burn your clothes, or you may be exposed to his awful smell.”
Therefore it is incumbent upon us 21st century Muslims to pick and choose with whom we keep company or become friends with in order to keep our sanity and self-respect. If you want to be one who is knowledgeable then mix or keep company with those who are learned in matters concerning our Deen of Al Islam and learn to engage only with those who might benefit you with their righteous knowledge or they from yours.
We should not get ourselves entangled with matters that are of no concern to us or detrimental to our well being or that of the Ummah and general human society in which we live in. The current world is already chockful of crazy trouble makers and social instigators. True knowledgeable Muslims need not add themselves to the mess.
We should help uphold justice and the truth. We are duty bound by Allah’s Commandment to us to ‘ Invite all (mankind) to the Way of thy Lord (Islam) with beautiful preaching and ways that are best and most gracious!’ This is the meaning of the verse in Surah An Nahl, Chapter 16 Verse 125 in the Glorious Qur’an.
We must master whatever forms of technology and fields of knowledge that will help us to share the Truth about Islam with those who are hungry for the Love and Mercy of Allah the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful. Remember! We are due to stand before Him on the Day of Judgment in the Yaum al Akhirat.
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