Prof. Masoom Ali
Ma’shallah, our new generation is very well educated. Along with a lot of good things, I have observed two major changes in our new generation as compared to us, the old generation, and both are results of their advanced education.
One is the way of their thinking - education has elevated their level of understanding and thinking. The second is that they are open-minded and not biased. Education has provided them an excellent tool called "logical approach," to discuss any topic fearlessly to find the truth.
After having said that, I would like to challenge the brains of our new generation. Is killing innocent people by cowardly attacking them Islamic Jihad? Can an Islamic Jihadi who wants to be honored as a Shaheed, act cowardly? You are absolutely right. There is no other answer to these questions but a big "NO". There is no justification for violence against innocent people. Although it is being done today all over the world on the name of Islam, it is not an Islamic Jihad. It is a pure Terrorism. Islam is against all kinds of terrorism and it is obligatory on all Muslims to bring the perpetrators to justice. It is also very clear here that the people committing these crimes will go directly to the Hell Fire instead of Heaven, as they think they are going to go to. If we really want to save ourselves from the Hell Fire, we only have one chance- this life of ours- to make or break our eternal life, the life after death. We must understand correctly the teachings of Islam and the path it shows that leads us to Heaven before we act. It is a serious business not emotional. We must be sincere about it. We all must spend the valuable time of our materialistic life wisely to find this path of the Real Islam and stick to it to receive the pure and absolute blessings from Allah s.w.t. in our eternal life. Sooner we do it, the better it is, because we do not know when this golden opportunity will be taken away from us.
If so far you are with me, then let's see where can we find the Real Islam? Obviously there is no other time to look at but the time of our beloved Prophet Mohammad p.b.u.h. All Muslims have to believe in Him and Qur'an, the book of Allah s.w.t. Lets forget every thing after His time and concentrate on the time when He was here. No Muslim can deny that when Prophet p.b.u.h. was here that was the time when we had the real Islam. During that time Prophet p.b.u.h. Himself practiced all the real rules and regulations of Islam and taught us the same. He is the role model for all mankind. Allah s.w.t. has said very clearly in Qur'an - "Prophet Mohammad p.b.u.h. is the mercy of Allah s.w.t. on all creations," and "He never speaks unless We reveal our words or Vahi on Him." Now if anyone wants to go to heaven, without any doubt, he/she must follow Prophet's teachings and that is real Islam. In Qur'an, Allah s.w.t. has asked Muslims to follow the Prophet p.b.u.h.. Do not look at what people did after Him. You will get confused just like if you look what people did before Him. Just focus on what He did in His time and follow his foot steps. I think for an educated person, it is a reasonable approach.
Today, we as Muslims have great responsibility in this world where Islam is being introduced with various different faces painted by all kinds of people. It is our duty to work towards the unity of Muslim Ummah, practice the teachings of our beloved Prophet p.b.u.h., and introduce the real face of Islam to the world.
When we study Prophet's life, we find it full of magnificent events. He never asked anyone to kill innocent people. Even during war, he asked Muslims to fight for their defence and not to go after enemies who were running back from the war fields. He also asked not to kill innocent men, women, kids or animals and even not to destroy crops. After all, our beloved Prophet p.b.u.h. is the mercy of Allah s.w.t on all creations and He brought Islam as a religion of peace, respect and security for all.
According to the Qura'n "He speaks only when Allah s.w.t. reveals His words or Vahi on the Prophet p.b.u.h." There is no condition here. So whenever Prophet p.b.u.h. speaks, He speaks Allah's words. His words are specifically chosen to teach Islam and thus contain very deep meanings. We must pay attention to each and every word he said for our own benefits; to understand Islam and the path that leads us to heaven. For this special occasion, I would like to discuss one very special event of His life and one great message that Prophet p.b.u.h. delivered to all creations. He said it in three simple words, "Fatimato Baz'atum Minni" or "Fatima s.a. is a part of me." It is very interesting, He could have said, "Fatimato Baz'ati" which could have also be translated the same "Fatima s.a. is my part." When He used an additional word "Minni," we will have to think why? He is the leader of all Prophets. He will never use any word unnecessarily. When we think about it honestly, we can easily realize that He used the word "Minni" to communicate a very special message that He wanted all of us to understand. Let me clarify it with an example; when I say "my part" it means any part; such as my hand is a part of my body; my eye is another part of my body; my brain is also a part of my body. They all are parts of my body but have some or limited qualities of me; hand can not see as I see; eye can not hold my food as I hold it and brain can not walk on floor as I can. But when I say "part of me," it emphasizes that this part has all the characteristics and qualities that I have. The easiest example to understand this is a jug of water that is filled from a river or a sea. It will look different but will have all the qualities of the river or the sea water where it came from. The water in this jug is Tahir; it can make things Tahir, be used for Wazu or wash things, just like water from the river or sea.
It is very important for our new generation to recognize Janabe Fatima s.a., the beloved daughter of our beloved Prophet p.b.u.h., for the sake of our own eternal life. Once She is understood correctly, all the other problems and differences created after Prophet could be very easily understood and resolved. Listen to the Prophet p.b.u.h. and think for a moment what He says about Janabe Fatema s.a. He is introducing His beloved daughter to the Ummah by stating that She is a part of Me. Look at the facts: just like the Prophet p.b.u.h. Janabe Fatema s.a. did not study anything in this world; She is the role model for women like Her father is for Men; the Prophet p.b.u.h. declared Her as the leader of the women in heaven. Additionally, our beloved Prophet instructed the Ummah very bluntly that just like annoying Prophet p.b.u.h. would take you to the Hell Fire, annoyance of Janabe Fatema s.a. will also do the same. Further He clarified openly that teasing Janabe Fatema s.a. is like teasing Prophet p.b.u.h. which in itself is like teasing Allah s.w.t. that takes the person out of Islam and makes him/her a kafir. The Prophet always treated Janabe Fatema s.a. with unconditional love and respect and always mentioned that it was the will of Allah s.w.t. as well. I can go on and on with the sayings and actions of our beloved Prophet p.b.u.h. that relate to Janabe Fatima s.a. The point I want to make here is this: recognizing the prestige of Janabe Fatema s.a. is as important as recognizing Prophet Himself since She is a part of the Prophet. Without understanding Her, we will not be able to completely understand the Prophet p.b.u.h.
If we are just one step away from reaching our ultimate goal, will we not take that step? By all means we must take that step. To completely understand our beloved Prophet, to find the real Islam, and to save our eternal lives, we must learn about Janabe Fatema s.a. She was given several prestigious but unique titles by the same leader of the Prophets such as Zahra, Azra, Raazia, Siddiqua, Tahira, Batool and Zakiya. Each and every title given to Janabe Fatema s.a. by the Prophet p.b.u.h. contains a deep meaning. Read more about Her and find out the meanings of these titles. You will be amazed. Once you understand Janabe Fatema s.a. you will understand the Prophet of Islam (the mercy of Allah s.w.t on all creations) and the real Islam (a religion of peace, respect and security). After that it will be easier to find the path that leads us to Heaven (our ultimate goal).
One last thing, if you are wondering why the Muslim Ummah is facing the current serious crisis, let me inform you. Janabe Fatema s.a. warned Muslim Ummah 1400 years ago about it in Her last sermon when She suffered the injuries which caused Her death. In reply to the wives of the Emigrants and Companions of the Prophet who came to visit Her, She explained it very clearly. This sermon is on internet. I encourage you to read it once and find out amazing things She has said. You will appreciate it.
