Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason? (Quran 2:44)
Muslim-on-Muslim crime, domestic violence and child abuse are a just the tip of a very big iceberg that is casting a shadow of neglect and shame upon our Ummah.
Become an ‘Ambassador of Islam’. Demonstrate to others how you can walk in the footsteps of Muhammad (peace be upon him). And serve as a beacon of hope to your brethren in faith while also setting a good example to attract non-Muslims to our faith.
Islam is perfect. Over 1,400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad delivered Islam as a guidebook for living and a mercy to mankind.
Allah Almighty revealed each verse during the lifetime of Muhammad and it was applied in real time. Muslims have a flawless example to follow. We only have to turn back to the Noble Quran and the Sunnah whenever we go astray.
So why is, then, it that many Muslims are not living up to this example? Instead, some are making a mockery of this Deen and twisting the message of Islam to suit their own narratives or to fulfill cultural traditions.
Islamic Educational System
It’s quite expensive to send a child to an Islamic school. Tuition fees are through the roof for this most-coveted form of private education.
Parents work hard to earn enough of an income to cover the fees. To them, it’s a much better choice than public education where there is no way of knowing what a child will be exposed to.
However, well-intentioned parents make the mistake of assuming that the Islamic school is going to educate their child completely and cover every aspect of Islam. Then at the end, the child will graduate as an ideal Muslim!
Truth be told, many children attending Islamic schools learn the worst behavior and manners from their classmates who are grappling with a lack of discipline from both parents and educators alike. Most troubling, Islamic values are not being fortified at home and that makes the job of the teacher all the more difficult.
There is no guarantee that a child’s Islam will be improved or impacted by attending an Islamic school. It’s up to both parents to be ambassadors in the Islamic education of their child. They should raise a responsible Muslim that will be a blessing to their community. Don’t leave it up to Islamic schools exclusively. Do your part and look for ways to support both teachers and students.
The Muslim Home
The home is a sanctuary, where parents and children come back together at the end of a long day. However, it is also the place where discipline often falls to the wayside as families struggle to keep up with the daily schedule.
Lack of discipline in the home is one of the most crippling issues that the Ummah is suffering from. As Allah Almighty says in the Noble Quran:
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. (Quran 66:6)
Islamic education, morals, manners and proper etiquette must all begin before a child is old enough to even enter school. Both parents must be ambassadors in the raising of their children in the light of the Quran and Sunnah.
Allah Almighty has laid out everything for us, from bathroom etiquette, to treating neighbors and even visiting the sick in a simple manner that is not only easy to understand, but also apply.
Parents have a responsibility to teach their children while at home so when they enter the mosque, or even a grocery store, they know how to behave. Let your family be ambassadors of Islam that draws people in and does not, instead, repel by lack of Islamic decorum.
Social Media Over-saturation
Our smart phones have become our wardens in social-media-made prisons. It’s becoming increasingly acceptable to interact more with your device than actual human beings. We’re so used to communicating from behind a screen…
The appetite for social media content is voracious. Many Muslims have found themselves swept up into social media platforms. The principles of Islam, many times, are bypassed entirely in favor of the ‘selfie’ phenomenon or ’emoji’ communication.
Be an ambassador of your Islamic faith online and offline. No matter where you find yourself, strive to live up to the example that Muhammad set for us. Speak truthfully, enjoin what is good and remove what is bad.
We’ve got the eyes of the world upon us 24/7. Any time a major crime or terrorist attack takes place, billions of people around the world look to Muslims first.
This reason alone should give each one of us reason to pause and ask ourselves whether we are representing a positive image of our faith or a negative one.
If you find that you fall into the latter, take steps immediately to live your best Islam for the sake of your soul and guiding others to the one true faith.