DEEN IS A LIFESTYLE

 

Islam came upon earth as the only religion that unveiled the secrets of life and invited mankind to ponder.

The Quran was revealed in a span of 23 years. A manual that guides us from the time we wake up to the time we hit our bed.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the final Messenger of Allah, proved his veracity to the world and devoted his entire life to propagate the message of Islam.

How is it fair for a Muslim, then, to reduce this religion to nothing but a set of rituals?

Since several decades, Islam has been suffering at the hands of practicing Muslims who are unaware of the fundamentals. They have distorted the image of Islam. The correct definition of a believer has been damagingly compromised. A Muslim who was supposed to bring peace to the world, today, fails at establishing order in his house. One reason for this is that we no more consider the religion as a code of life. Islam descended to the world as a concrete set of beliefs and practices that sufficiently and comprehensively guide a believer in every walk of life. However, it has been metamorphosed into mere dogmas.

Secondly, we have reduced Islam to occasions. Celebrating events and anniversaries was not the only reason Islam was chosen for us. I do not negate the importance of such days but this is not the core purpose behind the creation of a man who was granted a higher rank than angels. Unfortunately, even the true essence of these sacred events has vanished. In remembrance of our ancestors and mentors, the only thing we fail to do is follow them. We decorate our houses and invite hundreds of people. The least emphasis is laid upon what they taught us and how to spend a life like theirs. Religious events have lost their sanctity due to being thoughtlessly neglected by disobeying the rules set by sharia’ and being marked as mere celebrations. I have seen schools and colleges organizing one religious event a year, after an entire arena of immodest concerts and trips, that too with a mixed gathering. Holy anthems are recited at high volumes without realizing that they can be disturbing to some people e.g.; elderly, sick.

Islam is hardly present in our affairs. Because we choose the pleasing aspects and leave the rest. Our marriages involve lavish and expensive arrangements which later allow us to boast about them. Neither do we think if it abides by the shariah laws nor do we want anyone to criticize. The religion is molded as per our convenience. Our professions, interactions, dealings, contracts, education, family life all is dictated by the way society accepts its. The modern follower of Islam overlooks anything that requires him to adjust against the societal norms.

Religion ceases to be a priority. Modernism, humanism or any other ideology that directs our life, religion comes last. It can be easily illustrated by a how Bollywood wedding affair becomes the talk of our lives and the hunger-struck Afghanistan rarely receives the spotlight. Does that not question our loyalty to Muslim brothers and sisters? Is a child dying in Palestine, Kashmir, or Burma of less value than the highlights of a Justin Bieber concert?

As sociologist Philo et al. describes, the media determines how something is debated today. Sadly, a Muslim today is as gullible as a non-Muslim who trusts the media’s version of an outdated Islam. Who is, then, responsible to free the religion of all the false accusations it bears due to Islamophobia-Terrorism, women oppression, patriarchy, radicalism?

Islam is a Lifestyle. With distinct norms, values and beliefs that define the life of a believer. A true Muslim exemplifies his deen and prioritizes it in all areas of life. Do not suffer at the hands of a secular society by giving religion a secondary position. It is our duty to prefer deen over everything and let not the biased and misrepresented idea of Islam (by the media) dictate our beliefs. A practicing Muslim abides by the shariah and accepts Islam fully.

Islam is your culture, wear it proudly.