You have probably read on FB the saying that the time before us people were told to look at muslims when they wanted to know what Islam was. Nowadays we say to people that they should rather look at the practice of the muslims for 1400 years ago, because today muslims have mixed Islam with culture. There is lack of knowledge about Islam that result in people following cultural traditions instead of their religion. Most of the time they just don`t know better. Often there are traditions in todays muslims culture that come from their ancestors which make people deviate from the true Islam and it`s teaching.
Study Islam Not The Muslims
It is very important that we explain to people whom are interested in Islam, that they should study it themselves instead of learning from looking at muslims. Just because a country is made on the name Islam, does not directly imply that they are practising muslims. A lot of people get very confused when women from a muslim country don`t wear a proper hijab and see to their amazement that a convert is using a proper, modest hijab. You can say a hundred times with your voice that you are a muslim, though it doesn`t mean a thing if it doesn`t show through your conduct.
Danger Of Being Misled
Everytime a new generation of muslims are born and they are not taught about the true teachings of Islam from the start, they are in danger of being misled by different people. When the parents don`t have enough insight or practice of their deen, how will they be able to teach islamic manners and conduct to their offspring?
Spreading False Information
We often see that some muslims that have deviated from the path are spreading false information about Islam, and trying to make it look bad, with the stories from their life. How they were forced to wear hijab or not allowed certain things. The non-muslims believe them, because they are telling them things about Islam that support their views about it. So they help them promote things like homosexuality in Islam or hijab is not that important, or mix gender gatherings are ok. All of these are misconceptions that deviate from the true teachings of Islam. What media and their promoters have to understand is that most of these people are disliked in the muslim community.
A Beautiful Face Catch Your Attention
Some of the people whom have deviated from Islam says that the hijab oppresses the women. Little do they think about the fact that hijab can be found in the world in different things: the earth has an ozone layer, every fruit has a layer to protect it from getting damaged, pearls are surrounded by a shell and so the list goes on. Where are your ethics. Is it more correct for a woman to show her body to strange men and call it freedom, or is it more correct for a woman to wear modest clothes that doesn`t allow other people to stare at her for the wrong intentions. Would you rather want a husband that want your body or a husband that want you because of you good conduct and character and your obedience to your Lord? The minute your body turns old, your husband is out the door, because he found someone else that is young and beautiful. A beautiful face can catch your attention, but it won`t be able to keep the heart. Good manners, kindness and decent conduct is what impresses the heart.
Times Of Ignorance Is Misleading The Ummah
Some people think that Islam is such a violent religion and that it oppress women. That is because a lot of ayats from different surah in Quran are taken out of their context and spread in the media. It has been said that in Islam it is allowed for men to beat women. That is partly correct. When the Prophet told about this he taught that you can beat her hand lightly with a miswak. The 15 cm long thin stick muslims use to brush their teeth with. Before this ayat comes several other ayats that say that in case you wife is disobedient, first admonish her, than forsake her in their bed, and if that doesn`t work than the husband is allowed to beat lightly with a miswak on the hand. The beating is mentioned in a way that it is only a symbolic way of declaring that you are dissatisfied with her and that she has gone way beyond her limits. The Prophet pbuh is our example, never once did he pbuh beat his wives. I want to mention the fact that he pbuh had 11 wives. Think about his pbuh patience. When they did something he disliked, he would simply not talk to them and become quiet. Nowadays we see practising muslim men forgetting this sunnah and beating their wife so badly that she gets bruised and bleading, leaving marks on her body. That is not what Islam has taught us, that is what the culture from the time of ignorance, jahaliyah, has taught us.
Increase The Dose
Our Prophet pbuh has told us that women are like a rib and the most crooked part of the rib is the upper part, i.e. the tongue. If you try to straighten a rib, it will break, but if you are gentle with it, it will blossom into something beautiful. I don`t think that there is one person that will disagree in the fact that most women can argue a lot and get out of hand. If their husband treat them with care, love and give them undivided attention, they will most probably change for the better. The problem is that most men doesn`t know about these things, or they have gone astray from the sunnah of the Prophet pbuh.
Inspire People. Dont Scare them away
We muslims have a responsibility to spread the right guidance of Islam, from our conduct. If our influence is negative on our surroundings we will have to bear the burden of our followers, because they learned it from us. Therefore it is highly important that we try to have a good and positive influence on our surroundings. The youth need good role-models and a motivating and inspiring way of learning about Islam. If you can`t inspire them than at least don`t scare them away from it either. May Allah help us help the youth by setting a good example from the sunnah of our Prophet pbuh. Ameen summa ameen.
Roshnii179 