Standard Bearers of Islam
The Movement
What it is and why we need it
Mirza Yawar Baig
،،ﺒﺎﻏﺮﻳ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ ﺑﺪﺃ ،ﺒﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺑﺪﺃﻏﺮﻳ ﻭﺳﻴﻌﻮﺩ ﻟﻠﻐﺮﺑﺎﺀ ﻓﹶﻄﹸﻮﺑﻲ "Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers." Ki taab al fitan 3986 Saheeh Hadeeth [Ibn Maajah, Kitaab
2
،،ﺒﺎﻏﺮﻳ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ ﺑﺪﺃ ،ﺒﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺑﺪﺃﻏﺮﻳ ﻭﺳﻴﻌﻮﺩ ﻟﻠﻐﺮﺑﺎﺀ ﻓﹶﻄﹸﻮﺑﻲ "Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers." Ki taab al fitan 3986 Saheeh Hadeeth [Ibn Maajah, Kitaab
2
Genesis
Like most thinking Muslims of our ou r time, over the last few years, I have also been thinking about the sad state that the Muslim Ummah finds itself in. Like lost sheep we are large in number but distracted, disconnected disconnected and dispersed, prey to every passing wolf. All the power, authority, wealth and influence seems to be in the hands of those who are arrayed against us, leaving us with little choice if any, even with respect to the wealth which is apparently in our hands. It is they who dispose of it at will even though on the face of it, we are its owners. Like most people I too complained, complain ed, defined our ‘problem’ ‘problem’ and re-defined it; discussed it, debated debated it and agonized agoni zed over it until I came to the conclusion that none of this was getting me any closer to a solution. s olution. And frankly that was all al l that mattered. I rea read d the the Qur’a Qur’an n and and the the Seer Seerah ah of of Raso Rasool olul ullah lah
and our
history, both ancient and modern because history has the potential to teach teach us lessons. l essons. I spoke to people wiser and more learned than I am and listened carefully to what they had to say; Ulama and others o thers in several countries. I prayed and asked for the the help help of Alla Allah h
to unde underst rstand and our situ situati ation on and and devi devise se a
way out of it. As I thought about these these times I couldn’t help help but see many similarities between the situation today and the situa situati tion on as it it exi exist sted ed in the the time time of Ra Rasoolu soolullllah ah
and his 3
Sahaba during the major part of his life in Makkah. They too had almost no influence, i nfluence, power power or wealth. They were the victims of all kinds of persecution and deprivation. They were evicted from their homes, boycotted and embargoed, tortured and some were killed. Yet in one generation, in less than 20 years, the situation completely completely transformed and Muhammad and his followers became became the leaders of Arabia Ar abia and the known world. The big question of course is, ‘HOW DID IT HAPPEN? HOW DID THEY DO IT?’ The answer is very simple – this happened simply by Muham Muhamma mad d
and his fol follow lowe ers liv living ing Islam Islam.. All All that that they they did did
was to be Muslims. They Th ey were living models of Islam; Standard Bearers of Islam. They did not n ot spend time in giving speeches about Islam or holding seminars and symposia about points of Fiqh. They did not no t write momentous treatises treatises on the hidden aspects of this Ayât or that. They lived the Qur’an. They did not lecture others about the importance of the Sunnah. They followed the Sunnah in every single aspect of it. They did not debate debate and create nomenclature to distinguish between what is Haraam and what is Makrooh and within Makrooh what is Tanzeehi and what is Tahreemi. They did not get stuck in minor matters of religious observance thereby thereby creating divisions. 4
They simply did not do anything that was displeasing to Allah and His Messenger
. They did not ask which sin was big and
which was small. They avoided sin because in their mind it was not the quantum or nature of the disobedience but who was being disobeyed, that was important. And that is why when Allah
said the word ‘Believers’ He meant the Sahaba.
So there it was the answer to my question, ‘What should we do to help ourselves?’ The solution was clear as daylight: ‘Be Muslims as the Sahaba were Muslim. Become Standard Bearers of Islam.’
I realized that it was necessary for us to go back to the basics and see how Rasoolullah
and his Sahaba practiced Islam and
do the same with the hope that Allah
would then change our
condition when He saw that we were ready to do His work and to give it precedence over our own desires and pursuits. It is really quite simple. We are the ones who complicate it for ourselves and then suffer. The Qur’an is quite clear on the fact that the decisions of Allah
that are made with respect to our lives in this world are
related to our actions. Good begets good and evil begets evil. 5
ﺾﺑﻌ ﻢﻬ ﻳ ﹶﻘﺬ ﻴﺎ ﹺﺱ ﻟﺍﻟﻨ ﻱﺪ ﺃﹶﻳ ﺖﺒﺎ ﻛﹶﺴﻤ ﺮﹺ ﹺﺑﺒﺤﺍﻟﹾﻭ ﺮ ﻲ ﺍﻟﹾﺒﻓ ﺎﺩﺴ ﺍﹾﻟﻔﹶ ﺮﹶﻇﻬ ﻮﻥﹶﺮﺟﹺﻌ ﻳ ﻬﻢ ﻌﱠﻠ ﻤﹸﻠﻮﺍ ﻟﹶ ﻱ ﻋﺬ ﺍﻟﱠ Ar-Rum 30:41. Evil (sins and disobedience of Allâh) has
appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that Allâh may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allâh). Also that the solution lies within us:
ﺴِﻬﹺﻢ ﻔﹸﺎ ﹺﺑﺄﹶﻧﻭﹾﺍ ﻣﺮﻴﻳﻐ ﻰﺘ ﹴﻡ ﺣﺎ ﹺﺑ ﹶﻘﻮﻣ ﺮ ﻴﻐ ﹶﻻ ﻳ ﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﹼ ﺇﹺ ﱠﻥ Ar Ra’ad 13: 11….. Verily! Allâh will not change the good
condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allâh). And that is how the idea of becoming Standard Bearers of Islam was born. I believe therefore that the solution to our problems today globally is to return to the Sunnah of Rasoolullah
and be as the Sahaba were – true to Islam to
the best of our ability. I agree we are weak and we ask for the help of Allah . But we need to do our part. 6
I want to begin with a quote from the great scholar and student of Shaikh ul Islam Ibn Taimiya, Imam Ibn al Qayyim Al Jawziyya who says in his booklet Al Ghurbathu wa Al Ghuraba: The Meaning of “Strangeness” “Many times in many situations the people who follow the religion of Allah
feel a sense of not belonging, of being out of
place, of not fitting in, and, in other words, of being strange. This feeling could occur in a gathering of non-Muslims, but, unfortunately, this feeling sometimes also occurs when one is with his fellow Muslims. A person sees his brothers and sisters doing acts that are contrary to Islam, or taking part in innovations that sometimes even border on kufr (apostasy), yet he feels that he does not have enough power or courage to stop them in these acts. Some brothers and sisters, especially if they do not have enough taqwa or Islamic knowledge, sometimes buckle under the pressure of their peers and join in these acts, knowing that this is not what Allah
wants them to do.
However, feeling helpless, since it seems that they are alone in their ideas and without any support to help them do what is right, they succumb to such pressures. These brothers and sisters, may Allah
have mercy on them,
should take consolation in the verses of the Qur’an and the 7
many statements of the Prophet
describing this very
situation of strangeness that they feel. Why Have They Been Called “Strangers”? Allah
says in the Qur’an,
ﻲﻓ ﺎﺩﺴ ﻦﹺ ﺍﹾﻟﻔﹶﻥﹶ ﻋﻬﻮ ﻨﻳ ﺔﻘﻴ ﹸﻟﻮﹾﺍ ﺑﹸﺃﻭ ﻠﻜﹸﻢﻦ ﻗﹶﺒﻣ ﻥ ﻭﺮ ﺍﹾﻟﻘﹸ ﻦ ﹶﻻ ﻛﹶﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻣﹶﻓﹶﻠﻮ ﻴﻪﺮﹺﹸﻓﻮﺍﹾ ﻓﺎ ﺃﹸﺗﻣ ﻤﻮﺍﹾ ﹶﻇﻠﹶ ﻳﻦﺬ ﺍﱠﻟ ﺒﻊﺍﺗﻭ ﻢ ﻬ ﻨﺎ ﻣﻨﺃﳒﹶﻴ ﻤﻦ ﻣ ﻴ ﹰﻼﺽﹺ ﺇﹺ ﱠﻻ ﻗﹶﻠَﺭﺍﻷ ﲔ ﹺﺮﻣﻣﺠ ﻧﻮﹾﺍﻛﹶﺎﻭ Hud 11:116. If only there had been among the generations before you, persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Al-Fasâad (disbelief, polytheism, and all kinds of crimes and sins) in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them. Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and were Mujrimûn (criminals, sinners). This verse speaks of the few people on earth, the “strangers”, who prohibit mankind from evil. These are the same people the Prophet
spoke about when he said, "Islam began as
something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings [ar. Tooba. This is a tree in Paradise. So the Prophet
is giving the good news of 8
Paradise to these strangers] to the strangers." He was asked, "Who are those strangers, Ya Rasoolullah
?" He replied,
“Those that correct the people when they become corrupt.” [Reported by Abu Amr al-Dani, from the hadith of ibn Masoud]. Another narration says, “Those that correct my Sunnah which has been corrupted by the people after me.” In another narration he said in response to the same question, “They are a small group of people among a large evil population. Those who oppose them are more than those who follow them.” [Reported by ibn Asaakir] These praiseworthy people are called strangers since they are a small minority among mankind. Thus, Muslims are strangers among mankind; the true believers are strangers among Muslims; and the scholars are strangers among the true believers. And the followers of the Sunnah, those that clear themselves from all peoples of innovation, are likewise strangers. In reality, however, their strangeness is only because they are the minority and it is not because their actions and beliefs are strange. This is what Allah
says in Sura al-Anaam,
9
ﻮ ﹶﻥ ﺇﹺﻻﱠﹺﺒﻌﺘﺇﹺﻥ ﻳ ﻪ ﺒﹺﻴ ﹺﻞ ﺍﻟﻠﹼﻦ ﺳﻋ ﻙ ﻀﻠﱡﻮ ﻳ ﺽﹺَﺭﻲ ﺍﻷﻓ ﻦﻣ ﺮ ﺃﹶﻛﹾﺜﹶ ﻄﻊ ﺗ ﺇﹺﻥﻭ ﻮﻥﹶﺻ ﺮ ﻳﺨ ﺇﹺ ﱠﻻ ﻫﻢ ﺇﹺﻥﹾﻭ ﻦ ﺍﻟ ﱠﻈ An’am 6:116. And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allâh's Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie. Allah
also says,
ﻨﲔﹺﻣﻤﺆ ﹺﺑ ﺖ ﺮﺻ ﺣ ﻮ ﹶﻟﺎ ﹺﺱ ﻭﺍﻟﻨ ﺮ ﺎ ﺃﹶﻛﹾﺜﹶﻣ ﻭ Yusuf 12:103. And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.
ﺃﹶﻥ ﻢ ﻫﺬﹶﺭﺍﺣﻭ ﻢ ﻮﺍﺀﻫ ﻫ ﹶﺃ ﺒﹺﻊﺗﺘ ﻻﹶﻭ ﻪ ﺰ ﹶﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﹼ ﺂ ﺃﹶﻧﻢ ﹺﺑﻤﻬ ﻨﻴﻜﹸﻢ ﺑﺍﺣ ﻥ ﺃﹶﻭ ﺍﻟﻠﹼﻪ ﺪ ﻳﺮﹺﻳ ﺎﻧﻤﺃﹶ ﹶﻠﻢﻮﺍﹾ ﻓﹶﺎﻋ ﱠﻟﺗﻮ ﹶﻓﺈﹺﻥ ﻴﻚﺇﹺﻟﹶ ﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﹼ ﺰ ﹶﻝ ﺎ ﺃﹶﻧﺾ ﻣ ﹺﺑﻌ ﻦﻋ ﻙ ﻮﻨﻔﹾﺘﻳ ﻘﹸﻮﻥﹶﺎﺱﹺ ﹶﻟﻔﹶﺎﺳﺍﻟﻨ ﻦ ﻣ ﲑﺍ ﺇﹺ ﱠﻥ ﻛﹶﺜﻭ ﻢ ﻮﹺﺑ ﹺﻬﻧﺾﹺ ﺫﹸﻌﻢ ﺑﹺﺒﻬ ﺒﻴﻳﺼ ﺃﹶﻥ Al Ma’aidah 5:49. . And so judge (you O Muhammad
)
between them by what Allâh has revealed and follow not their vain desires, but beware of them lest they turn you (O Muhammad ) far away from some of that which Allâh has sent down to you. And if they turn away, then know that Allâh's Will is to punish them for some sins of theirs. And truly, most of men are Fâsiqûn (rebellious and disobedient) 10
ﹺﺮﻙﺸﺎ ﺃﹶﻥ ﻧﻨﺎ ﻛﹶﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻟﹶﻣ ﻌﻘﹸﻮﺏ ﻳﻭ ﻖ ﺤ ﺳ ﹺﺇﻭ ﻢ ﻴﺍﻫﺮـﻲ ﺇﹺﺑﺂﺋﻠﱠﺔﹶ ﺁﺑﻣ ﺖ ﺒﻌﺍﺗﻭ ﺃﹶﻛﹾﺜﹶﺮ ﻜﻦ ﻟﹶـﺎﺱﹺ ﻭﻨﻠﹶﻰ ﺍﻟﻋﺎ ﻭﻨﻋﻠﹶﻴ ﻀ ﹺﻞ ﺍﻟﻠﹼﻪ ﻦ ﹶﻓﻣ ﻚ ﻟٍﺫﹶ ﺀﻲﻦ ﺷﻣ ﻪ ﺑﹺﺎﻟﻠﹼ ﻭﻥﹶﺮ ﻜﹸﺸﺎ ﹺﺱ ﹶﻻ ﻳﻨﺍﻟ Yusuf 12: 38. "And I have followed the religion of my fathers, - Ibrahîm, Ishâque and Ya'qûb, and never could we attribute any partners whatsoever to Allâh. This is from the Grace of Allâh to us and to mankind, but most of mankind are ungrateful. Therefore, Allah
, the all-Knowing Creator, knows the most of
mankind will not follow the truth. Instead, only a small group of people will be set apart that truly and correctly believe in Him, the strangers from among mankind. The strangers in belief, however, and the strangers in character and actions are in reality the majority of mankind, for they are strange to Islam and to the laws that Allah
has revealed.”
I would like to begin with this quote from Imam Ibn al Qayyim Al Jawziyya because I believe it describes in the words of the hadith the essence of the concept of being a Standard Bearer of Islam. It encapsulates the purpose for which Allah Rasoolullah
sent
- to guide and show the way. This is the purpose
that we inherited by being his followers – to give to the world. 11
To give to mankind a standard by which to live. To give it by living it ourselves and demonstrating it as did Rasoolullah
.
A ‘standard’ is something to aspire to, to aim to reach, to benchmark and measure yourself against to see if you are able to meet it. A ‘standard’ is a flag, high and alone on its staff; establishing its presence, a symbol of great thoughts and ideas, a guide to the lost. A ‘standard’ is the flag which represents its nation, a symbol of respect. A ‘standard’ is called a standard because it stands out. A flag drying on a clothes line is laundry. A flag flying high on its staff is saluted. A ‘Standard Bearer’ is the one who carries the flag in battle. In the days of cavalry warfare the Standard Bearer would carry the battle standard around which the troops would rally. As long as they saw their flag flying their morale remained high. If the flag fell it would demoralize the soldiers. The Standard Bearer would not be armed. His only job was to keep the flag flying as the battle wore on. His comrades would surround him and protect him from the enemy. On the other hand the Standard Bearer would be the focus of attack of the enemy because if they could cut him down it would have a far bigger effect than the death of any other soldier and would be a great victory. The Standard Bearer was the symbol of the force, the 12
symbol of the nation. The Standard Bearer was not an ordinary soldier. To relate this to our lives today as Muslims, living in a world that seems to be rushing headlong towards moral and ethical destruction, the term ‘Standard Bearer’ has special relevance. A Standard Bearer of Islam therefore is someone who is the embodiment of the Islamic Way. This person is a walking, talking, living model of the beauty of Islam; completely obedient to Allah Rasoolullah
and a follower of the Sunnah of
. A Standard Bearer of Islam is someone who you
would point to if someone asked you, ‘Who is a Muslim?’ A Standard Bearer of Islam would be confident of him/herself, not apologetic; stand out from the crowd, not blend in; be proud of his/her Islam and practice it joyously as a matter of choice. Islam to the Standard Bearer would be the primary focus, the criterion for every decision, the basis of his/her identity and definition. He/she would differentiate on the basis of Islam and Islam would be their ‘Brand’; their ‘Signature’. A Standard Bearer of Islam would be someone who considers their Islam to be the greatest gift from Allah
and consider it a
privilege to be its Standard Bearer which they would not exchange for all the gold in the world. A Standard Bearer of 13
Islam would understand that being a Standard Bearer is sometimes a lonely job and would be ready for it and be proud of it. After all it is the ideology behind the flag that converts a piece of cloth into a symbol that is saluted. Becoming a Standard Bearer of Islam
So what does it take to become a Standard Bearer of Islam? Allah
said about the first Standard Bearer of Islam:
ﻮ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺟ ﺮ ﻦ ﻛﹶﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻳﻤ ﺔﹲ ﱢﻟﻨﺴﻮﹲﺓ ﺣ ﺳ ﺃﹸ ﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﱠ ﻮ ﹺﻝﺳ ﻲ ﺭﻓ ﻛﹶﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻟﹶ ﹸﻜﻢ ﺪ ﹶﻟﻘﹶ ﲑﺍ ﹶﻛﺜ ﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﱠ ﺮ ﺫﹶﻛﹶﻭ ﺮ ﺍﻟﹾﺂﺧ ﻮﻡ ﻴﺍﻟﹾﻭ Al Ahzab 33:21
(Muhammad
Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh
) you have a good example to follow for him
who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day and remembers Allâh much. Allah
sent Muhammad
to be a living model of His Message,
to demonstrate Islam in practice in every aspect of life and therefore in this Ayât Allah Rasoolullah
quoted the whole life of
as an example for us to follow and related it to
our meeting with Him on the Day of Judgment. An example is meant to be followed and to be handed down from generation 14
to generation and that is what the Sahaba did with the model they learnt from Rasoolullah
. They were Standard Bearers of
Islam who carried this standard with them wherever they went and practiced it in societies where they stood out as ‘Strangers’ because their way was ‘Strange’. Strange in the way that the one who stands up for justice looks strange in a land where oppression is the way of life. Strange in the way as the one who is modest and dignified looks strange among a collection of people intoxicated with self indulgent shamelessness. Strange in the way that honesty and integrity looks strange amidst corruption and lies. But it was this very ‘strangeness’ that caused people to stop and look; to compare themselves to the ‘Strangers’; to consider their own lives and the bankruptcy of values, ethics and morals that they were immersed in and to decide to change. Islam did not spread because the Sahaba became like everyone else. Islam spread because the Sahaba stood out. Islam spread because it was ‘Strange’. It spread because of the ‘Strangers’. There are four steps to becoming a Standard Bearer of Islam: 1. The Niyyah – making the intention 2. Ta’alluq Ma’Allah – connection with Allah 3. Tarbiyyat – thoughtful upbringing 4. Ihsaan – excellence in everything we do 15
1. The Niyyah – making the intention
On the authority of Ameer ul -Mu’mineen Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have only that which he intended. Thus he whose migration (Hijra from Makkah to Madina) was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Choosing to become a Standard Bearer of Islam starts in a quiet, small, dark room with making a conscious intention because it is a very serious business. It is a lifestyle choice that depending on the kind of society we live in, can be difficult to practice. Making a conscious intention to be a Standard Bearer of Islam means transforming our life. It means deciding to change our own way of thinking, seeing, living, speaking, acting and being satisfied. It changes the way we look at life; what we are happy about, what we aspire for, what we stay away from and what we stand up for irrespective of how inconvenient or painful this may prove to be. 16
It means changing our standards, role models, icons; who we like and who we don’t and the reasons for both. Choosing to be a Standard Bearer of Islam means not only changing behavior but going deeper than that to the ethics, morals, values, beliefs, attitudes and desires that the behavior emanates from. Yet the person who is conscious of the value of being a Standard Bearer of Islam chooses this path not despite its difficulty but because of it. He does it for the same reason that a person chooses to climb Mount Everest – not because of the ease or difficulty of the climb but for the satisfaction of reaching the top – a place where only the best can hope to reach. So we begin with the intention and ask Allah Allah
for His help.
does not accept anything that is impure, so the purity of
the intention must also be examined – what is the intention for? Is it to please Allah
alone or is it for worldly gain, name, fame
or popularity? In the course of this reflection and consciously making the niyyah we must not forget to examine our niyyah for Ikhlaas – sincerity and the desire to please Allah
alone. If
this is missing then the whole exercise is futile. So one must constantly monitor the niyyah. It is important to remember that making the niyyah is not a one-time thing. The niyyah must be made and constantly renewed, examined for sincerity and reexamined again and again. It is like going into a crowded fair 17
with a lot of money in our pocket. We are ever conscious of the money and continuously check to keep it safe from pickpockets. The biggest pickpocket of niyyah is Shaytaan and so one must always be aware of this and guard against him and not allow the slightest Riya (ostentation, showing off, seeking other’s approval) from creeping into the niyyah. 2. Ta’alluq Ma’Allah – connection with Allah
It is not within the scope of this paper to go into the details of all that needs to be done to gain closeness to Allah . I will suffice to say that in order of priority the steps are: a. Tazkiyatun Nafs – Purifying the Self b. Glorifying and thanking Allah
- Shukr
c. Kasratus Sujood wa Tilawatil Qur’an wa Dhikrullah
a. Tazkiyatun Nafs – Purifying the Self
What do you do when you have the best seed in the world and want to plant it? You first prepare the soil. Without preparing the soil the best seed in the world will not germinate or grow satisfactorily. So also with becoming a Standard Bearer of Islam; we have to prepare the soil – the Self first. The Self must be prepared to 18
receive the message of Islam. This preparation is the essence of Tazkiyatun Nafs – purification of the self. Tazkiyya begins with Tawba – repentance from all sin and disobedience and returning to Allah
from whom Shaytaan had
separated us. Of being genuinely contrite and repentant, making amends where this may be required and hating the actions of disobedience that we used to do such that we would never consider repeating any of them at any cost. Tazkiyya also consists of – Tahara – purifying one’s body, clothes, home, friends and one’s life from all forms of impurity and disobedience. We must make a detailed Muhasiba – accounting – of our entire life to identify the impurities that it contains. Some may be physical and others mental and spiritual. Arrogance, race or caste pride, absence of humility, argumentativeness, rebelliousness, rigidity on own opinion, selfimportance, self righteousness, seeking pleasure, avoiding the pain of learning, unwillingness to accept own mistakes, tendency to point out other’s mistakes, looking down on others, high opinion about our own knowledge or ability and a lack of respect for others are all illnesses of the self which must be cured. Each must be addressed individually and worked on to eliminate. Still others may be with respect to people – unsuitable friends whose ideas, beliefs and attitudes don’t 19
match with our intention to become Standard Bearers of Islam. Such people are an impediment to our own growth and will inhibit our connection with Allah . All impurities must be cleansed and removed from our lives in order to prepare the ground to connect with Allah . This cleansing must be done with what we eat, earn, spend, wear, see, read, listen, speak and live with. Everything must be examined to ensure that it is pure. Allah
is pure and likes only what is pure.
b. Glorifying and thanking Allah
- Shukr
Then comes reaffirming the Tawheed of Allah
ﻔﹸﻮﻥﹶﻳﺼ ﺎﻋﻤ ﺎ ﹶﻥ ﺍﻟ ﱠﻠﻪﺤ ﺒ )ﺳthat He is pure and free from all associates
(
and purifying our lives from all forms of Shirk. Along with this we must be thankful to Him
ﲔﺎﻟﹶﻤﺍﹾﻟﻌ ﺏﺭ ﻟ ﹼﻠﻪ ﺪ ﺤﻤ )ﺍﹾﻟfor all that He
(
has given us and praising His Majesty and Magnificence
ﺮﺃﹶ ﹾﻛﺒ ﻪ )ﺍﻟ ﹼﻠ
(
It is essential to develop the habit to constantly thank Allah and glorify Him as it is His right. Allah
promised to increase
His bounty if we thank Him for what He has given us and so thanking Allah
is a very important part of developing
closeness to Him. Learning to see the glory of Allah
in His
creation increases our Imaan and Yaqeen and enables us to love Allah . In today’s world, given our scientific development and tools it becomes ever easier to see the glory of Allah ’s 20
creation and to praise His greatness – provided of course that we learn to recognize Allah . This love makes it easy to obey Him because we want to please the One we love who is the only one worth pleasing. We only have to look around us and within ourselves and all that Allah
has created and blessed us
with to simply spend the rest of our days in Sujood.
ﺬﹶﺍﺑﹺﻲﺇﹺ ﱠﻥ ﻋ ﻢ ﺗﻦ ﻛﹶﻔﹶﺮﺌﻟﹶﻭ ﻢ ﻧﻜﹸَﺯﹺﻳﺪﻷ ﻢ ﺗﻜﹶﺮﻦ ﺷﺌﻟﹶ ﺑﻜﹸﻢﺗﺄﹶﺫﱠﻥﹶ ﺭ ﺇﹺ ﹾﺫﻭ ﻳﺪﺪ ﺸ ﻟﹶ Ibrahim 14: 7. And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed:
"If you give thanks, I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe." But unfortunately it seems to be human nature to be thankless and this is something that we must guard against very carefully.
ﺎﻣ ﻴﻼﹰﻗﹶﻠ ﺎﹺﻳﺶﻌﺎ ﻣﻴﻬﻓ ﺎ ﹶﻟﻜﹸﻢﻨﻌﻠﹾ ﻭﺟ ﺽ ﹺَﺭﻲ ﺍﻷﻓ ﺎﻛﹸﻢﻨﻜﱠﻣ ﺪ ﻟﹶ ﹶﻘﻭ ﻭﻥﹶﺮ ﺸﻜﹸ ﺗ 21
Al A’araf 7: 10.
And surely, We gave you authority on the
earth and appointed for you therein provisions (for your life). Little thanks do you give.
ﻭ ﹶﻥﻜﹸﺮﺸﺎ ﺗﻣ ﻴﻠﹰﺎﺪﺓﹶ ﹶﻗﻠ ﺍﹾﻟﺄﹶﻓﹾﺌﻭ ﺭ ﺎﺼ ﺑﺍﹾﻟﺄﹶﻭ ﻊ ﻤﺍﻟﺴ ﻢ ﺸﹶﺄ ﻟﹶ ﹸﻜ ﻱ ﺃﹶﻧﺍﱠﻟﺬ ﻫﻮ ﻭ Al Mu’minoon 23:78.
It is He, Who has created for you
(the sense of) hearing (ears), sight (eyes), and hearts (understanding). Little thanks you give.
ﺪﺓﹶ ﺌﺍﹾﻟﺄﹶﻓﹾﻭ ﺭ ﺎﺼ ﺍﹾﻟﹶﺄﺑﻭ ﻊ ﻤﺍﻟﺴ ﻢ ﹶﻞ ﻟﹶ ﹸﻜﺟﻌ ﻭ ﻪﻭﺣﺭ ﻦﻣ ﻪ ﻴﻓ ﹶﻔﺦﻧﻭ ﻩ ﺍﺳﻮ ﻢ ﺛﹸ ﻭﻥﹶﺮ ﺸﻜﹸ ﺎ ﺗﻴﻠﹰﺎ ﻣﹶﻗﻠ As Sajda 32: 9.
Then He fashioned him in due proportion,
and breathed into him the soul (created by Allâh for that person), and He gave you hearing (ears), sight (eyes) and hearts. Little is the thanks you give! The problem is that we have become conditioned to taking His blessings for granted and ignoring them until they are taken away and only then we become aware of what we lost. How many of us thank Allah
for painless joints which enable us to
perform Salah in the right manner without pain? How many of us thank Allah
for good eyesight which enables us to read 22
without glasses? I could go on endlessly but I believe the point is made. We need to live thoughtfully and consciously and count the blessings of Allah
and thank Him for them and
glorify His Majesty and Magnificence. c. Kasratus Sujood wa Tilawatil Qur’an wa Dhikrullah
(Increased worship of Allah , reading the Qur’an and remembering Allah ) One of the students of Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) asked his servant about the private life of Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA); what he did when he was at home. The servant said, ‘He would recite Qur’an and wait for the time of Salah.’ Constant remembrance of Allah
was the way of Rasoolullah
and his
Sahaba.
Rasoolullah
taught us to say ‘Ghufraanak’ when we leave the
toilet because that is the only place which is not suitable for us to remember Allah Rasoolullah
and so His Dhikr is interrupted.
told us that the slave is closest to Allah
in
sajda so increasing our prayers is essential. Tahajjud is the time where Allah
descends to the lowest heaven in a manner that
is in keeping with His Majesty and about which He knows best and listens to our dua. We must make tahajjud fardh on 23
ourselves. Imaam Sufyan Thawri (RA) said, ‘I was prevented from Tahajjud for 5 months because of a sin I committed. Hasan Al Basri (RA) said, ‘Obey Allah
during the day and He
will make it easy for you to get up in the night.’ The Salaf understood that good deeds are a result of the tawfeeq of Allah
and that one needs to ask Allah
that Allah
for them and work so
would make them possible and easy to do.
Rasoolullah
said that if Allah
accepts a deed He makes it
easy for one to do that deed again. So therefore the ability to do good deeds is a sign of the pleasure of Allah
and if a good
deed that one used to do, starts to be missed then it is a sign that perhaps Allah
is displeased. One must immediately take
heed and make Tawba and seek to re-establish his connection with Allah . There is a mistaken notion among the people that Nawaafil are unimportant and may be neglected. This is one of the signs of ignorance that happens when knowledge is learnt by those who have had no tarbiyyat. They extract wrong meanings from knowledge. The only difference between Faraa’idh and Nawaafil is that with respect to the latter there is no punishment associated with leaving them. This is the grace and mercy of Allah
and not a reason to neglect them. We need to 24
remember that it is with Nawaafil that a slave shows Allah how much he loves Him and due to which Allah
permits him
among His Awlia as we know from the Hadith Qudsi where Rasoolullah
informed us:
On the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA), who said that Rasoolullah
said: Allah
said: “Whosoever shows enmity to
my Awlia (someone devoted to Me), I shall be at war with him. My slave draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works (Nawaafil) so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful slave: he hates death and I hate hurting him." [Bukhari] This extends to all acts of Nawaafil including fasting, charity, service, keeping good relations with family and neighbors, being hospitable to guests and so on and so one must seek to increase all of these deeds. The Sahaba understood this best 25
and their lives mirrored this understanding. They extended themselves in doing all kinds of extra actions to please Allah . Imagine a situation where Muslims today start to imitate the Sahaba and do what they used to do. What do you think will happen to the Muslim image if we imitated Abu Bakr Siddeeq (RA) in the way we deal with others? Every morning before Fajr Abu Bakr Siddeeq (RA) used to go to the outskirts of Madina to a camp. He would enter the camp and spend some time there and then would return. When Abu Bakr Siddeeq (RA) passed away Sayyidina Omar (RA) decided to find out who lived in this camp. He went there and found an old woman who was almost blind with age. He asked her about herself and she replied, ‘I am an old woman who has nobody in the world and I live alone here with my sheep. Every morning there is a man from Madina who comes here, sweeps my tent, cooks my food, milks my sheep and takes care of them and leaves. Without him and his care I would have been unable to survive.’ Omar asked, ‘Do you know who that is?’ She said that she had no idea who the man was. He had never mentioned this to her. Omar (RA) told her, ‘That was the Ameer ul Mu’mineen Abu Bakr Siddeeq (RA).’
26
I will suffice with this example as it is not in the scope of this paper to go into more detail. What is important to remember is that Tazkiyya is like a special health checkup and regimen; it needs to be done under the supervision of a Shaikh trained in its science and knowledgeable in diagnosing the illness and prescribing a cure. Like physical illnesses, spiritual illnesses also have specific symptoms and cures which must be applied. While we don’t need a Shaikh to tell us to perform Tahajjud or make Dhikr; to diagnose problems that may be hindering us in our spiritual journey of getting close to Allah
we need to consult
an expert. Considering ourselves self-sufficient with respect to a teacher; that we don’t need a teacher; is a sign of arrogance and a major illness of the heart which will inhibit all learning and closeness to Allah .
Meanwhile it is important to have taqwa and ask Allah ’s help with understanding His knowledge.
ﺍﻟﻠﹼﻪ ﻢ ﻤﻜﹸ ﻌﻠﱢ ﻭﻳ ﻪ ﹸﻘﻮﹾﺍ ﺍﻟﻠﹼﺍﺗﻭ Al Baqarah 2:282 So have taqwa of Allah
and Allah
teaches (will teach) you In a Hadith Qudsi Rasoolullah
informed us: 27
On the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA), who said that Rasoolullah
said:
"Allah the Almighty said: 'I am as My slave thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed." (1) Another possible rendering of the Arabic is: 'I am as My slave expects Me to be.' The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance of repentance by the Almighty is subject to His slave truly believing that He is forgiving and merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be to mock the Almighty. [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn-Majah]
3. Tarbiyyat – Thoughtful upbringing Islam is all about practice. Islamically there is no such thing as a non-practicing Muslim. A Muslim by definition is one who practices Islam, not someone who merely knows about Islam but does not practice it. So if someone does not practice Islam he can’t be called a Muslim. That is the reason Tarbiyyat is so critical in Islam. Rules of behavior, of dealing with people in all aspects of life are essential to create morally upright citizens 28
who can influence society. Today’s social problems, be those at a micro or a global level can all be essentially traced to a lack of Tarbiyyat. Quite illogically today we take our frenetic lifestyles chasing after material wealth as the given and seek magic foolproof automated methods to bring up our children which don’t include our own time and energy. We imagine that if we throw enough money at it, this problem of badly brought up children who will grow up into uncaring, selfish adults will vanish on its own. This is a fallacy. Upbringing is not a factor of money but of time and thoughtfulness. And there are no shortcuts to it. The ‘areas of operation’ of Islamic influence are five: 1. Aqeeda (Belief & Creed), 2. Ibaadah (Worship), 3. Mu’amilaat (Dealings), 4. Mua’ashirat (Society), 5. Akhlaaq (Manners) It is important to pay equal attention to all. That is the reason why Rasoolullah
said, ‘I have been sent to teach Akhlaaq.’
That does not mean that the Aqeeda is not important but that Akhlaaq are as important as Aqeeda in the upbringing of people. Today while some attention is paid to the first two of 29
these five aspects of the Islamic Way, the last three are either totally neglected altogether or we adopt the ways of others leaving our own ways, mostly because of ignorance. The source material for Mu’amilaat, Mua’ashirat and Akhlaaq is also to be found in the Qur’an and Sunnah and the Seerah of Rasoolullah
and the life history of his Sahaba. It is important
to study this in detail with a view to extracting relevant information from it and then convert it into a teachable form that can be imparted to children and adults alike and implemented in society. For example if we look at modern so-called democratic systems of government and how they are manipulated by people in leadership positions and ask, ‘What is the Islamic Way; which is not open to manipulation and which will ensure that we elect good leaders with integrity?’; the answer lies in looking at what made Abu Bakr Siddique (RA) and Omar ibn Al Khattab (RA) good leaders. What was the foundation, the basic strength which ensured that they did the right thing? That was the taqwa of Allah
and the certainty that they would be held
accountable. That is what protected them from Shaytaan and all his devices. It is not that they did not have desires or that they did not know what they could get by manipulation. 30
It is their taqwa that prevented them from doing anything that would anger Allah . That is the key and Tarbiyyat is the tool to achieve this level of taqwa. Any system has two aspects to it – the structure and the person in the structure. Like two sides of an equation both are equally important if one is to get the result that their combination is supposed to give. If we have the right people in the wrong structure their energy will get dissipated in coping with the stress of the structure. If we have the wrong kind of people in the right structure the people will sabotage the structure and manipulate it to suit their own selfish ends. That is why both are important – the right structure and the right people. One can’t substitute for the other. Tarbiyyat must cover all aspects of Mu’amilaat, Mua’ashirat and Akhlaaq. The right way to do anything must be reinforced through demonstration by elders/teachers in daily life as well as by simulations, questions, assignments and tasks that are specially designed to extract the desired learning. Once again this paper is not the place to go into the details of all these things but I would like to emphasize the importance of ensuring that Tarbiyyat is given the importance that it eminently deserves. Lastly Tarbiyyat is not a onetime thing. It is ongoing 31
training by practical demonstration where standards are clearly practiced by those who set them and then are insisted upon without fear or favor from everyone who claims to be Muslim. Punctuality is a good case in point. Muslims are today known for their lack of punctuality. We hear a lot of jokes about ‘Muslim time’ or ‘Arab time’. This is shameful because making an appointment or promising to deliver something at a particular time and not adhering to it is to break trust which is one of the signs of Nifaaq (hypocrisy). Time is a number. It is not a concept open to interpretation. 8.00 am means precisely 8.00 am. Nothing more. Nothing less. When you are late for an appointment it indicates a lack of respect for the other person, a lack of seriousness about the matter, no value for other’s time, a lack of reliability on your part with respect to all that is to follow and a breach of trust which may happen again and therefore which renders you untrustworthy. We need to seriously ask if this is what we want people to believe about us; that we are a people who can’t be trusted and relied upon, who don’t respect others and who are not serious about any matter. Sadly this is the general opinion about Muslims arising out of an apparently ‘small’ matter of failing to be punctual. Tarbiyyat is about sensitizing people to the serious consequences of socalled small matters which they tend to ignore. 32
4. Ihsaan – excellence in everything we do The fourth issue is of excellence – Al Ihsaan. It is amazing how many of these concepts have their origin in Islam yet we Muslims seem to be innocent of them both in knowledge and practice. It is high time that we changed our ways and went back to the Sunnah of Rasoolullah
and the teachings he
brought for us so that once again we are looked up to as role models by the world. In the famous hadith of Jibreel (AS) narrated by Omar Ibn Al Khattab (RA), Rasoolullah
answered the question of Jibreel
(AS) about Al Ihsaan as:
ﹶﻓﺈﹺﻥﹾ ﹶﻟﻢ ،ﺮﺍﻩ ﺗ ﻚَ ﹶﻛﺄﹶﻧ ﷲﺍ ﺪﺒﺗﻌ ﺃﹶﻥﹾ: ﻗﹶﺎﻝﹶ.ﺎﻥﺴ ﻹِﺣ ﻋ ﹺﻦ ﺍ ﻧﹺﻲﺒﹺﺮ ﹶﻓﹶﺄﺧ:ﻗﹶﺎﻝﹶ ﺮﺍﻙ ﻳ ﻪ ﹶﻓﺈﹺﻧ ﻩ ﺍﺮﺗ ﻦ ﹸﻜﺗ He (the enquirer – Jibreel -AS) said: Inform me about al-Ihsan (excellence). He (Rasoolullah ) said: That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you. If we look at this hadith it gives us the best example possible to define the Muslim attitude to everything in life – to seek excellence. As the hadith says, we are supposed to pray as if 33
we see Allah . And to be aware that He sees us even though we can’t see him. Ihsan or the Islamic concept of excellence is to do everything knowing that Allah
is seeing us and is aware
not only of what we are doing but of why we are doing it. Allah
not only sees everything but is also aware of what we
have in our hearts, our reasons for doing things and so knows whether those reasons are honorable or not. This is important because the reason determines the worth of the action as we mentioned in the beginning of this article. So what we do and why we do it are both important and Allah
is aware of both.
A Muslim therefore does every action knowing that Allah
is all
aware and all seeing and so he does only that which is pleasing to Allah . Another major reason for excellence is because the person recognizes that he/she is defined and recognized by his output. He does not work to show others; he works because his work is his signature and differentiator in the market. I recall an incident when I used to live in South India on the KeralaKarnataka border. I was having some wooden furniture made. The carpenters were from Kerala and were famous for their quality. As is the practice in these matters, the client is supposed to provide material and pay for the labor. As we were making a list of the material, the carpenter asked for 7 grades 34
of sandpaper. I was astonished and my immediate reaction was irritation at what I saw as something that would only delay the whole process. ‘Why do you need 7 grades? Why can’t you do with less and work faster?’ I demanded. As I mentioned, the carpenter was from Kerala and not long on patience. He simply told me, ‘This is what I need. If you want to bring it, I will take this job. Otherwise you can give it to someone else.’ Then he softened a little and said to me, ‘When someone comes to visit you and sees this furniture, I want them to ask, ‘Who made this furniture?’ Not, ‘Who on earth made this furniture?’ Actually he said this in Malayalam and used the exact same words but with a slight change in intonation and a slight pause which completely changes the meaning from praise to blame. I got the message and brought him his sandpaper and he made me wooden furniture which when finished was as smooth as glass. Indeed when our friends visited they marveled at the quality of the finish. The lesson for me was in the pride that a master craftsman takes in his work because he knows it defines him and his art. That is what I understand by Al Ihsaan. To do something in the best way that I know how because that is who I am, that is what gives me joy, that is my signature. 35
Finally another reason for Muslims to focus on excellence even more today is because of the tendency of the world to define everything a Muslim does as a factor of his Islam. Sometimes we feel this is unjustified and complain that the actions of Muslims should not be taken to be reflective of Islam but I remind myself and you that is that this complaining is a modern phenomenon. The Sahaba, when asked about Islam used to say, ‘Kunu mithlana.’ Be like us. For the Sahaba, Islam was them and their life and they were Islam to all those who wanted to know what Islam was. So why should we run away from this definition today? Let the world see every action of ours as a reflection of Islam and let us therefore ensure that this reflection is always positive. Let us show the people of the world that the people have changed but the religion is the same and can still be the beacon of guidance today that it was 1400 years ago. I believe passionately that this is possible with the right training and education. What we need is to create a system where children are given the knowledge and tarbiyyat that will make them true representatives of Islam in terms of their beliefs, values, ethics, morals attitudes, speech and action. If we can achieve this, we would have succeeded in bringing alive the memory of the generation of the Sahaba in all its goodness. 36
It is true that all of the above can be done individually but global influence is also a numbers game. So if we want the goodness of the Islamic Way to become visible and palpable worldwide we believe that a systems approach is necessary. With that in mind we have conceptualized a learning institution that is designed to produce men and women with the values, ethics and character of the blessed generation that I mentioned above. We believe that in order to achieve greatness it is necessary to first dream of great things and this we are not afraid to do. We dream and we ask the One who sent the dream for the strength and guidance to make it come true. Others have understood the importance of institutionalizing leadership development to get powerful results for a long time. The British Empire established two schools; Eton Royal Charter King Henry VI) Charter, Queen Elizabeth I)
(Estd. 1440 by
and Harrow (Estd. 1572 by Royal
who between them have produced 27
British Prime Ministers alone. Global leadership is not an accident. It is the result of investing thought, time and resources consistently in pursuit of a vision that spans generations. People who are serious about ruling the world have long understood this and have invested unstintingly in something that they have always considered worthwhile. 37
As Muslims we are fond of talking about global leadership and about how this is a sacred duty and a task that Allah
sent us
to accomplish. The question is, ‘Are we willing to put our money where our mouth is?’ Or are we going to remain among those who talk about global leadership but spend our money to build palaces, malls, hotels and towers and to buy toys albeit expensive ones? We need to remember that no matter what we decide to do, Allah
will hold us accountable for what He sent
us to accomplish. We can either be honored for a job well done or be punished for neglecting our duty. And just to put this in perspective; the cost of one A-380 standard jet without customizing will build 42 academies like the one I am describing below. The choice is ours to make. We are currently a repository of knowledge. We are like those who own a library of automobile engineering books but walk home every day. We need to convert knowledge into practical reality that makes winners in this world. Then not only we, but the whole world will ride. As we know from the history of Montessori education, the most powerful way to convince the world to try a new method is to show them a successful working model and that is why we conceptualized the Standard Bearers Academy. To show the Muslims what is possible to do. After that it is up to them. 38
The Standard Bearers Academy Lighting up the world by igniting minds
A unique comprehensive integrated global initiative with: 1. International school to create Muslim Role Models 2. Research Center to give solutions to the world based on the Islamic Way 3. Academy for Applied Islam: PG Course in Applied Islam for youth to become Standard Bearers of Islam 4. Teachers Training College: Give teachers to the World: Teaching an integrated curriculum of Islam & Science
39
To give Role Models to the world who will make Islam visible in all its beauty in all aspects of life for the benefit of all mankind. The Standard Bearers Academy (SBA) will be an international center of learning and excellence comprised of four units: 1. SBA International School: Children who will get the best education that is possible to get in terms of today’s technology in an institution built to global standards: •
IGCSE & IBO syllabus
•
Tahfeezul Qur’an + Uloom ul Shari'ah
•
Arabic, English + 1 other language
•
Integrated teaching methodology
•
Leadership development, Islamic values, etiquette, sports, international exposure, inter-religious contact
2. Research Center: Through in-depth research create concept papers and working models for: •
Sustainable economic development
•
Local government & international relations
•
•
Value based education for social justice Solutions for emerging societal issues
3. Academy of Applied Islam: Young achievers from all over the world (21+) educated in various disciplines: •
One year PG Course in ‘Applied Islam’
•
Muslim Identity, Muslim Character, Leadership Skills 40
•
Will return to their countries & create Centers of Excellence to demonstrate Islam in practice
4. Teachers Training College: Giving teachers to the world •
Tarbiyyat: Mould the complete person
•
Integrated teaching
•
How to bring the Creator into the class
•
Teaching values by demonstration
•
Teaching love for service
•
Teaching communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, decision making & leadership
The SBA International School
This will be a residential school built to global standards: World Class Education in a World Class Center. We have created a comprehensive integrated curriculum taught creatively giving individual attention to each child in our patented way to give the best of modern education along with Islamic education. Our focus is on building global leaders. So this is not yet
another international school. The curriculum will include: •
Personal attention to value based upbringing including Qur’an, Tazkiyya, Sunnah, Seerah, social skills, communication & presentation, public speaking, teamwork, influencing, problem solving. 41
•
Special focus on Tarbiyyat because values can’t be legislated. They must be inculcated.
•
Social service and interaction to experientially understand the problems of people and develop a desire to solve them.
•
Interreligious dialogue, international and cross cultural exposure to build mutual understanding in a pluralistic society.
•
Elocution, debates, creative writing, news reporting, internet based communication, poetry, art, hobbies.
•
Leadership education including all its aspects
•
High quality sports and games
Facilities at the SBA Campus will include: •
Masjid & Qur’anic School
•
Globally networked eco-friendly, world class facilities,
•
Retreat center open to scholars from around the world
•
Gym, Swimming Pool, Horse Riding, Games fields
•
Hospital, Conferencing, Library & multimedia center
On completion of schooling, students will go to international universities to specialize in the subjects of their choice. Some will become Islamic scholars. Others will become scientists, doctors, engineers, administrators, diplomats, entrepreneurs. 42
All will be ‘Standard Bearers of Islam’ in their chosen field of endeavor. Academy of ‘Applied Islam’
Handpicked young achievers who have completed their basic education and are poised to enter working life will be invited to join the Academy for a one-year Post Graduate Course in Applied Islam. The curriculum will focus on three core areas: 1. Muslim Identity
a. Exploring own attitudes about the Muslim identity b. Understanding the Muslim identity: ‘Brand’ c. What does the Muslim identity comprise of? d. Tafseer of Qur’an & Tajweed & Recitation e. Usool of Hadith and study of selected Ahadith f. Usool of Fiqh of all four schools g. Maqaasid us Shari’ah h. Total Immersion Course in Arabic 2. Muslim Character
a. What differentiates me as a Muslim and how does it make me a winner? b. With reference to the Qur’an and Sunnah, what are the essential elements of the Muslim character?
43
c. Personal Assessment with respect to the Muslim Character: Where do I stand and what do I need to do to meet the standard? d. Tazkiyatun Nafs – Baatini Islah (Purification of the soul & Internal correction) e. Seerah of Rasoolullah
: Lessons to apply
f. History of Khulafa ar Raashida & Sahaba g. Brief history of Islam: Lessons to be learnt today h. History of Revivers of Islam: Lessons to apply i.
Critical study of various Islamic movements: Lessons
3. Leadership Skills
a. Public Speaking & Presentation b. Negotiation & Arbitration Skills c. Conflict Resolution d. Leading Teams & Working on Teams e. Disagreeing without being disagreeable f. Problem Solving & Decision Making: Tools & Techniques g. Creative Writing, Investigative Journalism, News Reporting, Film Making, Photography, Web Design, Blogging, Internet Broadcasting, New technology h. Da’awa of Islam: Presenting Islam & Inviting towards Allah 44
The emphasis will be to empower graduates to set up centers of excellence on the SBA model in their countries where they become sources of goodness for all in their society. Research Center for Application Models
Research forms a very critical element of this entire vision and SBA’s research will be focused on creating initiatives to handle the challenges of the current and future environment. Our research scholars will focus on societal issues and create working models to solve problems, using Islamic ideology. Working models and research papers will be published internationally. Our purpose is to show the world a better way that will benefit all people irrespective of their religion, race, nationality or culture. I coined the term ‘Applied Islam’ in order to focus on specifically taking the teachings of Islam the final leg, to demonstrate their beauty through practice. This is an area that the Muslim Ummah worldwide has been very lacking in. There has and continues to be a great deal of focus on preserving and learning the theoretical teachings of Islam but almost nothing on actually converting them into practical working models in today’s world that can be easily taught and practiced.
45
It is our intention to bridge this gap in the SBA so that people can actually see Islam in practice. Teachers will be research scholars and professors who may be engaged on a remote, visiting or full time basis. There will be a vibrant exchange program with major international universities where faculty from the Academy will spend time in learning, teaching and influencing. Faculty and research scholars of the Academy will be on an intensive scholastic-academic assessment program which will enable them to benchmark themselves against the Best-in-the-World and become role models. Major importance will be given to publishing, consulting with international bodies and a 360 degree Appraisal system will be implemented for faculty to help them assess their own teaching effectiveness. Research may also be done remotely through affiliation with international universities where doctoral thesis and postdoctoral projects on specific areas of interest may be funded by the Academy. This will help us to leverage resources globally. State of the art communication, networking and data processing facilities will be available for the research scholars to work in a highly conducive and intellectually stimulating and challenging environment.
46
We recognize that learning does not come from books alone but from the company of the learned. It was the company of Rasoolullah
that made the Sahaba the special generation
that they were. Consequently eminent scholars will be invited to spend sabbaticals in the Academy and use our facilities and mentor and guide our students in Tazkiyya and Tarbiyyat. Their company will give the young minds benchmarks to measure themselves against and standards to aspire to reach. Facilities for research with a state-of-the-art library and all relevant material will be available to those scholars who wish to conduct research. The Academy will offer to publish such research at their expense and to conduct international seminars at which these scholars will have the opportunity to present their ideas to an audience of peers and students to enhance learning. Teachers Training College
We recognize that it is likely to be difficult to get teachers of the kind we want i.e. with dedication, a sense of mission and commitment to the long term goal and with the ability to teach Islam and modern knowledge subjects in a seamless integrated manner. Therefore we will train our own teachers; but with an additional advantage. It is the fact that if we do it through a training college and award a degree in education, then not only can we skim the cream from the top for ourselves but we will in 47
effect be seeding the global teaching landscape with teachers, committed to being Standard Bearers of Islam themselves and supportive of setting up institutions like the SBA all over the world. The effect of this hardly needs to be explained. Furthermore teaching is a field that faces a shortage of committed and competent people. High quality teachers are in demand all over the world and are able to command their own salaries. Our college will therefore also perform the service of creating employable people and starting them off on a highly remunerative and rewarding career. The final Result Insha’Allah
The Mufassir who is a cardiac surgeon
The Muhaddith who is an industry head
The Mufti who is an administrator
The Haafidh who is a scientist Our dream is that one day; a graduate of this Academy will become a cardiac surgeon. And that when he is about to do the operation, he will ask Allah cure is from Allah
for His help as he knows that the
alone. That when he holds the scalpel to
start the operation, his hand will be the hand about which Allah
said in the Hadith Qudsi, “My slave comes so close to 48
