Centuries ago, Confucius the Chinese politician and philosopher said “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire”. Proverbs 14:31 says “whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Creator, but he who is generous to the needy honour his Creator”. In Islam It is said that our creator does not oppress his creation and so prohibits his creation from oppressing one another. On this basis slavery and persecution is prohibited.
Decades ago, like many other youngsters, I also contemplated the meaning of life? In response my father replied that the purpose and meaning of life is to worship Allah as he should be worshipped.
In contrast to the worship of Allah, Muslims are killing each other in Africa and across the Middle East. For various reasons including tribalism, sectarianism, materialism and a host of other isms, Muslim murder each other. The irony is that each side believes that they are correct and the other must succumb, surrender or die.
I recently asked an associate who is studying at the Al-Azhar University in Egypt why the Ulama of the Al-Azhar were often photo’d with Hosni Mubarak the former dictator, then with the democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi and now with the despot General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. In Egypt it is Muslims that are doing the killing. While many Muslims will argue that this is part of a Zionist strategy to undermine the Muslims, I consider why is it so easy to divide and rule Muslims?
While it is always fashionable for Muslims to blame the USA or Israeli, one rarely read of Muslims leaders assuming responsibility for anything. The problem with this attitude is that, as a Muslim community we have become content with blaming others. Thus, we have in many ways, become unable to assume responsibility for ourselves. The Prophet indicated that when a Muslim fights another Muslim, both will enter Hell as their intention was to kill. This implies that when two Muslims engage in violent conflict they both end up as losers?
Closer to home, in Cape Town there are many Muslims who use drugs. So called Muslims also sell drugs and others encouraging this plan by protecting and assisting those involved in generalised crime. It is ironic that in the Muslim community we have people who claim to worship Allah but in truth serve evil. In my opinion those who commit private and personal crimes will answer to God privately and personally. However, those who commit corruption on a large scale like organised crime and drug dealing must be dealt with publically. This implies that those who facilitate the destruction of our community by laundering drug money through their businesses must be exposed. This includes the drug addict, the dealer and those who enable the planning.
For Muslims to succeed locally and globally and worship Allah in the way that Allah should be worshipped, we will have to cut deep and remove the cancerous growth that remains concealed and active within our midst. We must begin by confronting our own hypocrisy by speaking truth to each other. Muslim unity and progress is doubtful when we are unable to speak the truth to each other and identify those who claim to worship Allah in public yet serve evil in private.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress