What Sort of Budak Surau?

But what sort of budak surau?

One who doesn't only frequent the masjid

but is also able to

argue his stand in an intellectual debate,

jog a few miles without a problem,

and lead society with the principles of Islam.

For, after all, 

Islam itself is holistic, perfect, and synergistic.

Should we not, then, question the state of our tarbiyyah

if our tarbiyyah is not consistently churning out

the main ingredient of a strong ummah: 

the well-rounded individual?

Shall We Let Them Win?

Manifestation of khalifah?

Shall we let them win?

They;

who are enemies to

non-Muslims and 

Muslims alike.

Enemies to non-Muslims

as they in the name of Islam

behead, bomb, and gun down

innocent souls.

Enemies to Muslims

as they behead, bomb, and gun down

innocent souls

in the name of Islam.

Shall we let them win?

The trick they play is the

exploitation of ignorance,

to sow fear and hatred,

for the purpose of causing division;

in a misguided jihad for the khilafah.

And 

we are letting them win

as governments  "declare war" on them

when that is the very thing they want:

a reinforcement of their narrative

that "the West" is at war with Islam,

and so Muslims must kill the Westerners.

President Hollande announces the French declaration of war on ISIS

We are letting them win

as we discriminate against Muslims even more,

making them even more alienated in European society.

We are letting them win

as we keep Syrian refugees out,

leaving them vulnerable to the allure of violence.

In so doing,

we are serving them new recruits on a silver platter;

we are letting them win.

Shall we let them win?

We shall not;

but only if ALL of us

Muslim or non-Muslim,

reject the idea they are selling:

the idea that

Islam is a religion of violence,

eternally at war with the West.

To the non-Muslims of Europe,

I advice you to have sabr

and hold on to your principles of

justice, freedom and tolerance.

To the Muslims of Europe,

I advice you to hold on to the Islamic principles of

justice, freedom and tolerance

and have sabr.

Do not let them win.

This, actually, is the manifestation of khalifah

Redefinition

Perhaps we don't find peace in our solat

not because we have forgotten "how"

but because we have forgotten "why".

The irony being 

that the answer to the question "why solat?" 

is, actually,

"Why"

You see,

it is the nature of the dunya 

to make us fixated on 

the "how"s of life:

how to get a girlfriend,

how to raise our kids,

how to graduate from uni;

so much so that

we start defining ourselves 

by those "how"s: 

"I'm a lover,

a mother, 

a student."

Against this background,

the solat is, actually,

a redefinition of self

prescribed 5 times a day;

because, you see,

it is the nature of the solat

to make us remember 

the "why" of life:

"I'm an abid of Allah."

But it can only be so

if we stop misperceiving it as

as a mere ritual,

and stop the "how"s of life

from intruding into it.

Perhaps then

we shall find peace in our solat.

Credit