by the admin of islaminaction.wordpress.com

Muslims in every corner of the globe are faced with trying times. The recent onslaught upon the civilian population in Ghazza is having ripple effects in our communities here at home, in ways that are both unexpected and outdated. Some Muslims have been heard to say, “Why should we be worrying so much about what goes on in Sudan, Kashmir, and Palestine, Thailand, Philippines, and Afghanistan when there are so many Muslims suffering here?” Some of us feel that being too strongly critical of Israel’s action, which even the United Nations objects to, may make us appear anti-Semitic and worse. Our fears, I am sure we all can realize, pale besides the fear of those dying and being maimed today, and crossing a myriad of checkpoints just to get to the hospital. While we are at pains to convince the non-Muslim world of the compassion embodied in Islam, we fail to extend this compassion to our very own Muslim brethren. When we fail at compassion for our own, why would any non-Muslim believe that we really and truly feel compassion for those beyond the reach of the so-called magnificent Ummah?

To be sure, there are Muslims facing dire straits in the United States. We, in the wake of September 11, are faced with routine “random” searches at airports. Quite a few of us have been pulled off airplanes because maybe we carried a prayer rug that was rolled up the wrong way. We may have family back in our home countries who are faced with leaders who are leading nothing but chaos into villages and cities alike. And so, we may feel that because we can bear the suffering that has been placed upon our shoulders, so should our brothers and sisters in lands unknown. We fail to realize that while we expect an outpouring of pure, unadulterated support for the trials we face, we likewise owe the same level of support to the rest of our Ummah, and indeed to all human beings in suffering, regardless of the person’s faith.

It has been overheard from the most ignorant of quarters (hopefully not in Salt Lake City), “We don’t know what sins these Muslims committed for Allah to be punishing them like this. How come we’re not suffering like them? It must be because we abide by our deen so well.” It is an amazing thing to hear, and more amazing if you have experienced the bitter taste of never-ending despair, and have asked Allah repeatedly, “Why are you punishing me like this?” This is a question that should be confined to the domain in which it properly belongs: the person undergoing the suffering, and not the more angelic of our Muslim sisters and brothers. When the victim asks such a question, it might open doors for them, God Willing. When someone not faced with the same level of despair day in and day out asks  such a question on behalf of any victim, it shatters windows. And none of us wants to blow shards of glass into the faces of our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. Let us also remember that angels don’t make judgments, they take notes.

As Muslims living in diverse communities of various backgrounds, we are in a perfect position to realize that our trials and tribulations as an Ummah should bind us together. When you stub your toe on the coffee table as you get up to replenish your popcorn bowl  so that you may have a better television viewing experience, do you ignore the throbbing in your toe and tell your toe, “Darn you, if only you weren’t so big, this wouldn’t have happened to you?” Or do you instead momentarily forget about the urgently-needed popcorn, sit back down, and give your toe a quick soothing rub? I bet you pennies to popcorn you gave your toe a rub. (And please, wash your hands before dipping back into the popcorn bowl!) Likewise, when one part of the Ummah is in pain, you choose your timing carefully as to when to offer sincerely well-meaning advice and philosophical discussion, and when to offer sincerely well-meaning empathy. This is the art of communication, and offering advice when you should be offering empathy is the fastest way to make ourselves look ignorant and hardhearted. As Muslims who care for one another, there is no reason to make ourselves appear hard-hearted. In this day and age, we as Muslims should be stubbornly pursuing to perfect this fine art of communication. Determinedly pursuing a stance of ignorance, in the name of “My pain is as big as yours,” is not ignorance in the literal English definition of the word. It is an ignorance of jahiliyah, that most primitive of ignorance wherein man made his own determinations based on nothing other than the workings of his own mind and his own limited and isolated experiences.

Who is the person behind your tongue?
The tongue is perhaps the strongest weapon we have. It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. However, in the times of Greek literary pre-eminence, it was said that the tongue is mightier than the blade. If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that either way, the blade loses. Like all weapons, the tongue must be dealt with in a cautious and respectful manner, done with a strategy that demonstrates the knowledge and heart of the person behind the tongue. There is a very well-known hadith which addresses the power of the tongue, and we will quote the part most pertinent to our discussion:

Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam): “Shall I not … tell you of the peak of the matter, its pillar, and its topmost part?” I [Mu’adh ibn Jabal radiaAllaahu anhu] said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “The peak of the matter is Islam (submission to Allah), the pillar is prayer; and its topmost part is jihad.” Then he said: “And shall I not tell you of the controlling of all that?” I said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah”. So he took hold of his tongue and said: “Restrain this.” I said: “O Prophet of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we say?” He said: “May your mother be bereft of you! Is there anything that topples people on their faces (or he said, on their noses) into the Hell-fire other than the jests of their tongues?”

[Al-Tirmidhi]

Prayer is so important, that, after the shahada, it is the foundation of our imaan. We can strive for, and inshaAllah achieve, perfection in our prayer. Yet, the fastest way to undermine this foundation is the simple act of wielding our tongues unwisely.  Certainly, there are situations when we might be saying the right words…but if our timing is off, then we are launching a missile right into the heart of a fellow Muslim.  Failing to acknowledge the hurt leads to us not asking for forgiveness. Failing to seek forgiveness gives us one more thing for which to be accountable on the Day of Judgment.  So, oh Muslims, be kind to one another…and when you can’t say the things you mean, say nothing at all. Silence hurts nobody. The tongue may very well be the thing which separates us from Jannah. May Allah guide us to use our tongues wisely, reward us when we do, and show us when we don’t so that we may seek forgiveness of those we’ve unwittingly hurt, ameen.

If we find it impossible to condemn barbaric practices, for whatever real and valid reasons, then we should to find it equally impossible to condemn the victims for how much or how little we see them doing. It’s the very least we should do, no matter how much or how little the suffering in our communities across America.