Time for a Transplant

Some people profess their Islam, but their words and actions are far away from the greatness of its message. Others were born into Muslim families and perhaps take it for granted to some extent; and they might even fail to comprehend the meaning of their connection with Islam. But whether we are born Muslims or are reverts to Islam, our connection with Islam should be the same, and we should commit ourselves to becoming Muslims in every sense of the word.

Allah tells us:

[He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Abraham (is yours). He hath named you Muslims of old time and in this (Scripture), that the messenger may be a witness against you, and that you may be witnesses against mankind. So establish worship, pay the poor-due, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protecting Friend; a blessed Patron and blessed Helper! ] (Al-Hajj 22:78)

Unfortunately, in many places throughout the Muslim world, Muslims are living in emptiness; a spiritual vacuum. This emptiness comes from generation after generation calling themselves Muslims but drifting further and further away from the essence of Islam. At the same time, many Muslim countries have imported modern technology and scientific advancements and have also taken aboard the non-Muslim values that go with these things. They have failed to discern that which is beneficial from that which is not. An example of this is a kidney that is transplanted into a human body which does not accept it, and so this process is followed by distress and pain, and finally weakness and death.

We, the Muslim nation, are now living in this sick condition. But what makes matters worse is that in an attempt to find the cure of our ailments, we are again going to the source of our illness; to the non-Muslim values that damage the character, morals, and thinking of the individual.

Muslims worldwide are facing so many kinds of opposition and hardship in the form of new legislation that limits the rights and movement of Muslims, to taunts and harassment. What is the way out of all this? Should we just give up and adopt the non-Muslim values that are shackling the world? Or should we turn to the deen in its uniqueness and purity and realign ourselves with the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him)?

If we feel a void within ourselves, sometimes, we feel a sense of panic and try to grasp at whatever we find surrounding us. We might cling to relationships, to a habit, or to the values we see people exhibiting. If the values we find around ourselves are not Islamic, then there is a great risk that we will adopt them anyway, hoping to feel better — to feel fulfilled, to fill in that void.

When the spirit of man is not close to Allah, nor in tune with all creation, he will feel troubled. So, feeling troubled, the person is conscious that there is something wrong, but what should he do to fix the situation? Reach for some alcohol, drugs, food, or any other thing that people get addicted to while trying to find comfort? Or should he seek to become more in tune with himself and the reality of his life; his being?

As young Muslims in today's world, more than ever, we carry the responsibility of living Islam because the world is in such need of morality, stability, harmony, and peace. Perhaps the first people we should direct the message to are the Muslims themselves; advise and exhort one another to make all the necessary adjustments to put our lives in harmony with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The answer to feelings of emptiness, to feelings of desperation, and to feelings of depression is remembering Allah.

[Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.] (Ar-Ra`d 13:28)

Latiefa Achmat is an Islamic counselor and social worker in Cape Town, South Africa. She can be contacted at youth_campaign@iolteam.com.