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Answer
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Name
Ghelda
- Germany
Profession
Question
Dear counselor-the problem of women here in Gemany is vey big Ve can have education and jobs yet I think this is not everything for a woman social welfare--How can islam solve this problem of women in Europa
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialog. If we understand your question properly, you are concerned with the fact that although women in Germany are able to become educated and choose their careers, you believe just education and a job are not the full answer to what women need to achieve social well-being.
Since Islamic teachings are comprehensive and universal, we will not confine our response to dealing only with the "problem of women in Europe," rather we can speak about women in general terms. The Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was granted revelation from Allah some 1430 years ago, and among the revealed knowledge were teachings about the unparalleled rights accorded to women in Islam.
It is important therefore not to underestimate the value of both education and jobs for women in Germany because in many countries with a majority Muslim population, women are still lagging behind with regards to basic rights such as even a primary education and the ability to read and write. Therefore, those Muslim men and women who are conscious of their religious teachings regardless of where they reside in the world, must take it upon themselves to help promote a holistic view of social well-being for all members of society, but especially women.
Name
R.M.
-
Profession
Question
Asalamu alykum, do you think the Prophet set for us a social reform model? What do you think of the violent incidents we witness now?
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialog.
During this blessed month of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) it is important for Muslims to remind ourselves of just how beautiful a role model the Prophet is to us now and for all of time to come. Not only did the Prophet reform his own society through the teachings of Islam, indeed, his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the later generations of righteous predecessors helped to uphold that model and spread it throughout the world. We are today discussing his model of social reform because we are beneficiaries of his sacrifices and struggle.
With regards to your specific question about the violent incidents, no matter where in the world this violence is occurring, we can say without any doubt that it is totally unjustified and against the teachings of Islam if the violence targets innocent men, women and children regardless of their religious backgrounds.
There is simply no precedent in the teachings of the Prophet to justify what we are now experiencing as violence at the hands of people who say they are Muslims, bold whether these acts of violence are committed in society or in the home. Therefore, if nothing else, Muslims must use this blessed month to reconnect with the teachings of the Prophet whom we claim to love. Let us show our love for him by emulating his behavior in all aspects of our life. And Allah knows best.
Name
Taher
- Canada
Profession
Student
Question
I have never quite understood how and why Muslims are so absent from the field of social welface etc. Here in Canada, we have all the freedom to practice Islam but we seem to have a narrow focus on the obligatory acts of worship and do nothing to benefit the rest of society. Any thoughts?
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialogue.
You raise a very interesting point because the kind of frustration you are expressing with Muslims in the West is also shared by others in the United States and in Europe. There is some justification for the focus on the obligatory acts of worship because by nature, Muslim immigrants to a new land are anxious about maintaining their connection to Islam and transmitting the teachings of Islam to their own children. Therefore much of their energy is exerted internally, within the Muslim community at the expense perhaps of their interactions with the larger society. However, this is not the way of the Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wasallam because throughout his life, he emphasized the Islamic teachings which enjoined a deep sense of concern for all members of society. Especially in today's world, when Islamic teachings are totally misunderstood by the larger society, it would be of tremendous spiritual benefit to Muslims and of social welfare benefit to members of the larger society if Muslims took seriously the Islamic institutions of zakah and sadaqa or charity. By understanding the needs of those around us, both Muslims and people of other faiths, we will be in a better position to put into practice the Islamic teachings who emphasize concern for the vulnerable and at-risk members such as the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the uninsured, the orphans, the widows, etc. It is our sincere hope that the coming generations of Muslims in the West will take up this challenge and begin to set up institutions which will address some of the major social welfare concerns of all members of society. And Allah knows best.
Name
Dina
-
Profession
Question
Salam
Dear Sheikh- the term Social welfare is rather a new one - how could prophet Muhammad promote it 1400 years ago?
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialog. Although I am not a sheikh rather a student of knowledge, your question is very important and I will share some thoughts with you. One of the challenges Muslims face is that of the use of modern terms to describe Islamic teachings which have been in place for over 1430 years. One such example is the use of the term "social welfare." In 1917, the Merriam-Webster dictionary added the term social welfare and defined it as "organized public or private social services for the assistance of disadvantaged groups." Yes, the term and the definition seem to be new compared to Islamic teachings which were revealed 1430 years ago. But that does not mean that we cannot apply a new term retroactively to teachings which were revealed centuries ago. What we mean here is that the earliest verses revealed to the Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wasallam enjoined upon him and the believers around him to care for the orphans, the needy, the widows, the wayfarers etc. And then, since people might or might not follow through with such recommendations, obligatory acts such as fasting and zakah were connected directly with ensuring the well-being of those whom we refer to today as "disadvantaged groups" or "vulnerable populations," or "at-risk populations."
And we can close this response with a detailed verse from Sura Al-Baqara:
"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity, to fulfill the contracts which we have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, God-conscious." [Al-Qur'an 2:177]
Name
Emad
-
Profession
Question
Do you think dear scholar that if Prophet Muhammad was to live now in our time he could have solved any of the complicated problems that we suffer from now? and how could this possibly happen?
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialog. You pose a very insightful scenario, but which we believe respectfully, is an impossibility as it is presented. Why? For if we learn anything from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and from his followers, is that human beings were sent the Prophet by Allah as a mercy to all of creation precisely so that he could be the last of the prophets and that the guidance he left behind in the form of the Qur'an and his sunnah, along with the interpretations of the righteous scholars for generations to come, would suffice all of humanity for all of time.
Therefore, the response to your hypothetical situation can be stated in two ways: 1) If the Prophet was to live now, we would not have ever been experiencing such complicated problems because we would have never been so far from the teachings of our religion and allowed our position in society to deteriorate to such an extent; and …
2) No matter how complicated the problems are today, precisely because we have with us the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet, we should be able to resolve these problems IF, and the emphasis is on IF, we can restore to our righteous scholars their true position with regards to the interpretation of the Qur'an and sunnah, in proposing solutions for us. The problem is, we are neither practicing our religion as if we truly believe it is the guidance for all times, nor are we listening to our scholars when they interpret the teachings for us. We have to move away from simply saying that "Islam is the solution," and towards reforming ourselves first, and simultaneously developing individuals and institutions which can and insha'Allah will address with the help and guidance from Allah the complicated problems we are facing. And Allah knows best.
Name
Ali
-
Profession
Question
As salamu alykum
Dear Sir
How was prophet Muhammad dealing with women concerning them Socially- did he give them any privilege due to their less strength - because now we hear a lot about how Islam and Prophet Muhammad treated women badly-sorry to say-
Answer
Although the present condition of Muslim women in majority Muslim countries is far from ideal, there is no blame upon Islam. In fact, in pre-Islamic Arabia and indeed around the world, the condition of women had deteriorated to such an extent that in some instances, the news of a birth of a baby girl was enough for her parents to bury her alive out of fear of superstition and dishonor. It was during the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that the development of a comprehensive, universal and timeless system of human rights was developed, and indeed among the beneficiaries of those rights were, have been, are, and insha'Allah will continue to be, women. The right of women to own property, to maintain their family name after marriage, to propose marriage and to initiate a divorce, and so on, are integral to the teachings of Islam.
Name
SS
- Canada
Profession
Question
I am really interested in Islam but the social aspect of Islam though have some unique aspects of goodness yet Socially Muslims are in the back of the track-does Islam contain any teachings that promote this ?
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialog. Your question is unclear because it seems you are asking whether there are any teachings in Islam which promote Muslims to be socially in the "back of the track." As we have mentioned in responses to other questions in this live dialog, Islam the religion is not to be blamed for the condition of Muslims today. We are in the condition in which we find ourselves because we chose either individually or collectively to abandon the Islamic teachings. If we can aspire to learn Islamic teachings, and attempt to practice Islam in all aspects of our lives, insha'Allah, we will no longer remain backwards and seemingly anti-progress - we will insha'Allah be the leaders of the progress. And Allah knows best.
Name
Abo Amr
-
Profession
Question
How can West Muslims make use of the Prophet as a social model in introducing Islam to non-Muslim? J.A.K.
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialogue.
One of the many valuable lessons from the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is that he and his companions went about living their lives according to Islam and it was sufficient as a an invitation to others to want to learn more about their religion. What did they do? Among so many other things, in terms of social welfare, they cared for the poor, the orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, the widows, and they freed the slaves. As we mentioned in other responses in this live dialogue, Islamic teachings enjoin upon Muslims a sincere and consistent concern for the well-being of all human beings regardless of their religious background.
Therefore, if Muslims in the West can focus our energies on being the best Muslims we can be, then surely we would be developing social welfare programs and in doing so, we would be clearly and unambiguously introducing Islam to people of other faiths. And Allah knows best.
Name
Ezz
-
Profession
Question
Asalaam o aliakum My mother is the nicest person, I have ever known. Very calm and down to earth. Some of my family member never liked her and does not give her the respect she deservers. Can I stop my relation with such person who doesn't pay respect to my mother?
Answer
Thank you for joining this live dialogue. Your question is more suited for a response from the Cyber Counselors so please resubmit it using the following link:
Finally, we would like to thank our guest for speaking to Islamonline viewers today, and we also thank all those who participated in this dialogue. We request our readers to join us in the upcoming sessions.
