Monday, May 30, 2011

Unintended?


Without realizing this or not, our behaviors might be indirectly insulting our religion. In a greater context, insulting religion is not only when someone intentionally speaks out fitnah about Islam, making fun of the religion and defying the tauhid, ibadah and Islamic jurisprudence.

Allah S.W.T mentioned in His verses in Al-Maa'uun, behaviors that are insulting the religion:

Seest thou one who denies the Judgement(to come)?
Then such is the (man) who repulses the orphan (with harshness),
and encourages not the feeding of the indigent
So woe to the worshippers
Who are neglectful of their prayers
Those who (want but) to be seen (of men),
But refuse (to supply) (even) neighborly needs

From this chapter, it is understood that these behaviors are improper in Islam.
Harshness towards the orphans is a very intolerable behavior in any religion. There are verses in an-Nisa (4:2) to give the orphans anything that belong to them when they reach puberty and not to exchange theirs with yours and not to bully them by taking their inheritance. They are unfortunate community that need to be helped in any way in the society.
Just because they are unfortunate to lose their parents doesn't mean that they are meant to be bullied or to be belittled. If someone did that with the title of a Muslim, it will create a fitnah towards Islam. It is not the individual' behavior to be blame for the wrong doings, but the bigger label, Islam will be blame and will affect the reputation of Islam as a whole. 
How many of us fully understand our prayers? Our ibadah is a total submission to Allah and in order to do that, we have to understand our prayer. As said in this chapter, it is intolerable to be neglectful in our prayers. It is like praying without having your mind and soul and sincerity in it. Praying for the sake of showing off is also not a sincere ibadah.
Yet, you may argue that you ibadah is for the sake of Allah and riak is somehow unconsciously came into mind. An ibadah that is followed by this insincerity feeling is a waste. Worse, Allah mentioned in His verse that this is one of the behaviors that insulted the religion. Therefore, before doing the ibadah, we have to make sure we cleanse our heart from all of these feeling and remind ourselves that our ibadah is only a total submission to Allah, the only God. 
Also mentioned in the chapter is the behavior of ignorance towards the needy. It is the whole ummah responsibility to help and to care for others. How could we bear to see our poor neighbor next door, while we are eating in luxury? Could you imagine yourself on their shoes? Empathy, not only sympathy. Sympathy alone won't make you stand up and take action. These verses are indeed a reflection of the religious, social and communal responsibilities that ummah should endeavor in order to establish a community of socially and religiously balance.

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