Very sad, Br. Tariq. This reminds me of a rhetorical question one of my teachers posed back in the day - “How can you give da’wah to a people that you don’t love?”
Those are our “people” down there in the Gulf coast, even if they don’t believe in Islam. The word Qawm - people - in the Qur’an doesn’t have a relationship to faith.
Outside of that point, I don’t know how a person with a soul can be numb/dead to the suffering of anyone, especially when innocent babies are involved. SubhanALLAH!
There was nothing wrong with your post. I think that some of us are spiritually dead while others lack undertanding. We aren’t suppose to pray for mushrikeen when they are DEAD. Where is the reference in the Qur’an that we cannot pray for guidance and well-being for a living Non-Muslim?
Tariq, this problem needs to be addressed and I am so glad you brought it up. It is actually one of the biggest reasons that I can’t stand being around many Muslims in the first place…..they seem to hate everyone and everything that is not “them”.
Where exactly did they miss the point that our prophet made about himself as being sent as “nothing but a MERCY to mankind?”
Sometimes I feel like I am following a completely different faith than my co-religionists. So few people in the community inspire me or intrigue me….hence we only keep a handful of friends and have only a small group of people who we can tolerate conversation with.
I am so glad that I discovered blogging and bloggers….they are the only ones that help me keep my sanity these days.
Keep on keepin’ it real, Brother. You have my full support.
If there is one thing I tell people, I do not worship religion, I worship God. My religion is the organization that I choose to be in and where I want to learn about him.
Before I began to study about the Muslim faith, I would go to church and would listen to the words of my former pastor. If there was a tragedy that took place, it didn’t matter what race or religious back ground that person came from, he would always sympathize with the people and we did what we could to help them. I also remembered a couple of times where he preached sermons about the 9/11 incident and how we should never think of ourselves as being to holier than thou to the Muslim and other religious communities.
I once visited a masjid where there was a Muslim woman who was in dire need of help. She came to the masjid that I was at because she was in a crisis. She was about to get evicted from her home. she wasn’t well and couldn’t work. I just felt bad for her because of her situation. I really wanted to help her that day, but I couldn’t. Initially, I had to pay for my schooling before I knew any of this,but I tried to offer her some support in some way. I know what it was like to have hard times and I think about the many people that helpedmy family. Some were Christian, Jewish and secular( Unfortunately,there were no Muslims in my ‘hood at the time.) It didn’t matter. We just needed help at that time and my family was grateful for it. I would have done the same for them if it would have happended to them.
As I said, I was a Christian. I wondered should I have just gave this woman a stupid look and overlooked her because I’m non-Muslim? I will never have any problem with my lord, I just have a problem with how some people see religion. I was thinking about the Hurricane Gustav/Katrina. There may some who thought that they weren’t deserving of prayer because of their backgrounds. The problem is how did we know who /was who in that bunch? During Katrina, many people died but could they tell the Christians from the Jews, the Hindus from the Sikhs or the Buddhists from the Jains? Do some their naysayers believe that they had some stereotypical appearance where they can instantly say ” Look at her !You can tell that she’s ( fill in with a religion). Just look at what she’s wearing”.
I have visited various churches and masjids whether it (WD Muhammad or and immigrant one.)Whether they practice/don’t practice what they preach one thing they have mentioned is that we have one god and that he is a compassionate being. They have talked about being respectful and kind to others who may not be of your background.I’ve learned fro the Holy Bible, now I’ve learned from the Qur’an.That is why I don’t get the their idea of being cold.
What people fail to realize is that it doesn’t what faith a person is in. God is less concerned about that, and more concerned about what’s in your heart. Just because were baptized and become part of a faith doesn’t automatially mean that we have gods favor especially when we look down on his people everybody on this planet. If we overlook our brethern /sistren because of prejudice and not repent an don’t repent, then we have already lost him.
I remember some of the negative posts on that topic, ie “we cannot pray for non-Muslims”. To be fair, those posts were from Daud and that other guy, and they’re both dicks.
As a volunteer during Hurricane Katrina, I can attest that there are Muslims in Lousiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. What happened to performing charitable work? Allah was not making reference to “Muslims Only”. There we go with that slave mentality. If more people volunteered, maybe and just maybe this would have given us the opportunity to give dawah. I did my best, but I am only one person. I have been back to help rebuild the homes of those in need. There are no Muslim organizations stationed in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama during charitable work. There are plenty of Christian and Catholic organizations stepping up to the plate. As a matter of fact, they house and fed me during one of my trips. When are we going to start taking care of our own? When the Tsunami hit they took care of their own and sent supplies and money. I don’t believe that entire country is Muslim. Come on people - Get It Together!
Some people’s attitudes just SUCK…plain and simple. Who hasn’t been helped by someone else before, whoever it was. Fact is, in quite a few cases, some Muslims would have starved or died in their own situations had it not been for the compassion and help of a non-Muslim.
I suffer from the inability to be able to help others as much as I would like. That too SUCKS…but I carry on. I do what I can when I can and try to encourage others to not be so quick to judge the next person.
flawed concepts such as these have krept into the practice of Islam here in america, this has been truly a bane on my interaction with Muslims, and the root cause is their low self-esteem.
many hate themselves so much, that hate is all they can offer towards anyone who looks like them, I feel pity for them.
It’s so bad that you can even prove how the Prophet (saws) referred to his kafir family and tribesmen as “my people” or how even when they beat Him bloody He still did not ask for them to destroyed, or how the prohibition praying for non-muslims was only towards dead (though that begs the question what was the Prophet (saws) doing when he would visit the grave site of His mother)
So despite what they say I will continue to show compassion towards the needy humanity. Perchance this will open their heart to Islam although that is not a requirement to receive compassion
Thanks Br. Tariq. This post is very important to me. There are so many non-Muslims who have come to my rescue in my 10+ years in Islam. When I get such help, that is Allah’s grace and mercy. Why should I not show my gratitude to Allah and the means by which he blessed me?
I think they need to re-read Qur’an in a language they understand.
As-Salaamu `Alaykum,
Very sad, Br. Tariq. This reminds me of a rhetorical question one of my teachers posed back in the day - “How can you give da’wah to a people that you don’t love?”
Those are our “people” down there in the Gulf coast, even if they don’t believe in Islam. The word Qawm - people - in the Qur’an doesn’t have a relationship to faith.
Outside of that point, I don’t know how a person with a soul can be numb/dead to the suffering of anyone, especially when innocent babies are involved. SubhanALLAH!
There was nothing wrong with your post. I think that some of us are spiritually dead while others lack undertanding. We aren’t suppose to pray for mushrikeen when they are DEAD. Where is the reference in the Qur’an that we cannot pray for guidance and well-being for a living Non-Muslim?
Wassalaam
Salaam alaykum..
Masha’Allah, I was waiting for this.
Ditto, Shayla!
Tariq, this problem needs to be addressed and I am so glad you brought it up. It is actually one of the biggest reasons that I can’t stand being around many Muslims in the first place…..they seem to hate everyone and everything that is not “them”.
Where exactly did they miss the point that our prophet made about himself as being sent as “nothing but a MERCY to mankind?”
Sometimes I feel like I am following a completely different faith than my co-religionists. So few people in the community inspire me or intrigue me….hence we only keep a handful of friends and have only a small group of people who we can tolerate conversation with.
I am so glad that I discovered blogging and bloggers….they are the only ones that help me keep my sanity these days.
Keep on keepin’ it real, Brother. You have my full support.
If there is one thing I tell people, I do not worship religion, I worship God. My religion is the organization that I choose to be in and where I want to learn about him.
Before I began to study about the Muslim faith, I would go to church and would listen to the words of my former pastor. If there was a tragedy that took place, it didn’t matter what race or religious back ground that person came from, he would always sympathize with the people and we did what we could to help them. I also remembered a couple of times where he preached sermons about the 9/11 incident and how we should never think of ourselves as being to holier than thou to the Muslim and other religious communities.
I once visited a masjid where there was a Muslim woman who was in dire need of help. She came to the masjid that I was at because she was in a crisis. She was about to get evicted from her home. she wasn’t well and couldn’t work. I just felt bad for her because of her situation. I really wanted to help her that day, but I couldn’t. Initially, I had to pay for my schooling before I knew any of this,but I tried to offer her some support in some way. I know what it was like to have hard times and I think about the many people that helpedmy family. Some were Christian, Jewish and secular( Unfortunately,there were no Muslims in my ‘hood at the time.) It didn’t matter. We just needed help at that time and my family was grateful for it. I would have done the same for them if it would have happended to them.
As I said, I was a Christian. I wondered should I have just gave this woman a stupid look and overlooked her because I’m non-Muslim? I will never have any problem with my lord, I just have a problem with how some people see religion. I was thinking about the Hurricane Gustav/Katrina. There may some who thought that they weren’t deserving of prayer because of their backgrounds. The problem is how did we know who /was who in that bunch? During Katrina, many people died but could they tell the Christians from the Jews, the Hindus from the Sikhs or the Buddhists from the Jains? Do some their naysayers believe that they had some stereotypical appearance where they can instantly say ” Look at her !You can tell that she’s ( fill in with a religion). Just look at what she’s wearing”.
I have visited various churches and masjids whether it (WD Muhammad or and immigrant one.)Whether they practice/don’t practice what they preach one thing they have mentioned is that we have one god and that he is a compassionate being. They have talked about being respectful and kind to others who may not be of your background.I’ve learned fro the Holy Bible, now I’ve learned from the Qur’an.That is why I don’t get the their idea of being cold.
What people fail to realize is that it doesn’t what faith a person is in. God is less concerned about that, and more concerned about what’s in your heart. Just because were baptized and become part of a faith doesn’t automatially mean that we have gods favor especially when we look down on his people everybody on this planet. If we overlook our brethern /sistren because of prejudice and not repent an don’t repent, then we have already lost him.
I remember some of the negative posts on that topic, ie “we cannot pray for non-Muslims”. To be fair, those posts were from Daud and that other guy, and they’re both dicks.
AsSalaamu Alaikum
As a volunteer during Hurricane Katrina, I can attest that there are Muslims in Lousiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. What happened to performing charitable work? Allah was not making reference to “Muslims Only”. There we go with that slave mentality. If more people volunteered, maybe and just maybe this would have given us the opportunity to give dawah. I did my best, but I am only one person. I have been back to help rebuild the homes of those in need. There are no Muslim organizations stationed in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama during charitable work. There are plenty of Christian and Catholic organizations stepping up to the plate. As a matter of fact, they house and fed me during one of my trips. When are we going to start taking care of our own? When the Tsunami hit they took care of their own and sent supplies and money. I don’t believe that entire country is Muslim. Come on people - Get It Together!
Salaams.
Some people’s attitudes just SUCK…plain and simple. Who hasn’t been helped by someone else before, whoever it was. Fact is, in quite a few cases, some Muslims would have starved or died in their own situations had it not been for the compassion and help of a non-Muslim.
I suffer from the inability to be able to help others as much as I would like. That too SUCKS…but I carry on. I do what I can when I can and try to encourage others to not be so quick to judge the next person.
May Allah help us all to be more understanding.
ASA,
flawed concepts such as these have krept into the practice of Islam here in america, this has been truly a bane on my interaction with Muslims, and the root cause is their low self-esteem.
many hate themselves so much, that hate is all they can offer towards anyone who looks like them, I feel pity for them.
It’s so bad that you can even prove how the Prophet (saws) referred to his kafir family and tribesmen as “my people” or how even when they beat Him bloody He still did not ask for them to destroyed, or how the prohibition praying for non-muslims was only towards dead (though that begs the question what was the Prophet (saws) doing when he would visit the grave site of His mother)
So despite what they say I will continue to show compassion towards the needy humanity. Perchance this will open their heart to Islam although that is not a requirement to receive compassion
Here are some Muslims who believe service to man is apart of Deen.
http://humanityfirst.org/
Making Dua for a non-Believer
From the Quran
9:113 It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask All
Thanks Br. Tariq. This post is very important to me. There are so many non-Muslims who have come to my rescue in my 10+ years in Islam. When I get such help, that is Allah’s grace and mercy. Why should I not show my gratitude to Allah and the means by which he blessed me?
Thanks for the info Dua