October 2020 – madin118

Reflections: Modern Islam 10:27

How can we modernize Islam? Does it need to be modernized? An orientalist will answer in affirmative. A western government will answer in affirmative. Because they want to control the world and have influence on every aspect of people life. This is why they are against home schooling. As Muslims, we believe that Allah decided to reveal this book and complete the ‘deen’ (religion) for people. Deen that we call religion is translated as the way of life. The way or the path we need to walk on to be successful in this world and the hereafter. Allah knew how life is going to be and what man is going to accomplish, but still He decided to send the final revelation in the middle of The Arabian peninsula on an unlettered man. And He revealed that if you stick to his teachings you will attain prosperity. Many ask how Islam is going to adapt to today’s life. Individuals like Macron (the French boss) states that Islam is in crisis. As a manner of fact, Islam is not in crisis. Humanity is in crisis. The solution to this crisis and the problems we are going through is Islam. The real Islam not the Islam portrayed in western media or defined by the orientalist or Macron. Islam provides solution to all the problems humanity is facing in 21st century. All we have to do is to adapt ourselves to the true teachings of Islam and our beloved prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

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Reflections: The Idiot

You find in many fields many specialists, but you don’t find practical people. People who can solve problems. You have many engineers, experts in various fields, and professors. Yet your economy has been going down. Yet the unemployment rate is on the rise while you live in one of the most resourceful countries on this planet. Why is it that those who are talented in field are not used in that field? On the contrary, those who occupy crucial positions are ordinary and sub-ordinary individuals. Is money to be blamed for this? Our prophet (PBUH) has been reported to have said: if you have a mountain of gold, you would wish for a second. And if you have the second mountain, you would wish for the third. The desires of human being are limitless while the resources of this world are limited. Pursuing this world greedily never ends. The greedy one is not satiated until he dies and is turned to dust. Will this kind of individual ever feel happy? A true feeling of happiness when one feels upon helping a fellow human being. Never forget your share from this world, but always be content with what you have.

This is a combination of summary, notes, and some reflections from the book: The Idiot by Dostoevsky.

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Reflections: Orientalism & the real Islam 10.24

What we believe is that Allah Himself protects the Quran and Islam. So if Muslims stick to this noble book and follow the teachings of the beloved prophet (pbuh), they will be successful in this world and the hereafter. As it has come in the Quran: “do not forget your share from this world.”(23:77) Here comes the confusion. How much is my share? Imagine we are riding a ship. For a ship to get to it’s destination, it needs to go through waters (sea, ocean, river). The ship needs the water to float. The ship needs the water outside it not inside it. This world is like water for our ship in our journey to the hereafter. If we indulge too much in this world, then the amount of water increases and raises so high that it will enter the ship and we will be drowned in this world. We will be so occupied that we will forget our goal in this world. We are here temporarily and to be successful, we must obey our Lord. All our actions must please Him. And the best way to please Him is to serve the humanity. This is Islam. What one Muslim asks himself is what is the real Islam? Who represents the real Islam? Certainly not the politicians since they consider their own interests and their bosses and not that of their people nor their creator. This is how they can keep their positions or achieve a higher position. Then there are scholars who are supposed to be the knowledgeable individuals in the society. They are the point of reference for people. Unfortunately, there are scholars who are linked to the politicians, so they cannot be trusted either. There is another group of scholars that are not Muslims but are scholars of Islamic studies. These are the orientalist as mentioned in the book “Orientalism” by Edward W. Said. This movement of educating western individuals about Islam and Arabs started in late 1700s when Napoleon Bonaparte started invading/colonising Egypt.

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Reflections: Orientalism 10.23

Disappointment turns into rancor; rancor turns into hatred; hatred waits for the right moment and it turns into action. This a quote from the must-read book “Orientalism” by Edward W. Said. How is this quote connected to the murder of a French teacher who was simply exercising his freedom of speech? Was the action of that individual the result of hatred? After this event Monsieur Macron comes out and says Islam is in crisis. How could we link all these together. This is not the first time this type of crime has happened on a western soil. Let’s look at this from the view point of an “oriental.” I will discuss this term later. This oriental sees no future for himself in his home country. From the media and propaganda, he envisions a hidden paradise in the west. He goes through so much trouble to reach the hidden paradise. He comes with a large baggage. Not a baggage that contains his clothing. A baggage of culture, mentality, and a set of beliefs. He comes to find out that it was a mirage. There is no paradise, no democracy nor freedom. Actually, all of these exist, but defined differently. As in the above case, there is freedom of speech, but you can’t talk about any subject in any manner you want. There is freedom of choice, but you cannot wear any type of clothing you want. If you go to the beach, you have to undress yourself. There is freedom, but you cannot educate your child anyway you wish. The state has to educate your children since a group of strangers know what’s best for your children than you. Some call this hypocrisy. So when this oriental faces this hypocrisy, he is disappointed. Whose fault is this? Islam is to be blamed. This means Islam has to be modernised. And this is going to be done by a scholar of Islamic studies who is obviously not a Muslim. He is an orientalist.