A simple thought from The Community on Friday: The point at which admonition becomes of compulsory avoidance, families and then societies, begin to spiral dangerously in a pit that can potentially ruin civilisations. Having said that, we have already arrived at a point in history where words such as tolerance are disguised to actually keep away from telling each other about the right and the wrong. A hurried scan across our community globally will reveal that most people today are what one would idiomatically call backseat drivers (People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver). That a great majority of people would rather that the status quo prevails, even if it is objectionable in matters of faith, as long as we can appear to be promoting some sort of fictitious unity.
Very few people ever dare to tell the other if a transgression is being committed, if a right is being violated or if blasphemy is gradually being introduced into religion. Innately, our Indian roots drag our feet into believing that as long as we are quiet, we are wise. And whereas this Indian culture is mostly in the press for all the wrong reasons, at the end of the day, it is we who are to shoulder the blame for corrupting mainstream life with negative shades of the culture rather than picking the best ones from our ancestral heritage. A scenario where Amr bil ma’ruf and Nahi anil munkar become obsolete as everyone is thinking of staying out of trouble, we inevitably stand the prospect of incurring Allah’s wrath.
But just like the anecdotal donkey narrated in Sura Yaseen, a donkey that does not become knowledgeable by getting a load of books on its back, the propensity of the age of the information and communications explosion, like the domesticated member of the horse family, is creating illusions around us where every Tom, Dick and Harry has assumed the role of social media matron, from where they become the mouth pieces of others words of motivation and advice and becoming cheer leaders at best of the wisdom and knowledge of others, while themselves remaining bereft of any iota of composed or systematic thought. Ironically, the sura we recite the most, constantly talks to us about the need to warn others: 5. (This is) a Revelation sent down by the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful, 6. In order that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, so they are heedless. 7. Indeed the Word (of punishment) has proved true against most of them, so they will not believe. 8. Verily! We have put on their necks iron collars reaching to chins, so that their heads are forced up. 9. And We have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up, so that they cannot see. 10. It is the same to them whether you warn them or you warn them not, they will not believe. 11. You can only warn him who follows the Reminder (the Qur’an), and fears the Most Beneficent (Allah) unseen. Bear you to such one the glad tidings of forgiveness, and a generous reward (i.e. Paradise).
This initiative is made possible by the kind courtesy of Abu Baseer Eye Clinic, Bande Khuda Sponsors, G1 Security, Highways Car Hire Ltd, Max Fries, Meadows Academy, SD Dental Clinic & Ceramic Lab, SokoniAdvertiser and Xpress Rent a Car, and for the ISAALE THAWAAB of Marhumeen of Bhimji and Nayani Family and Marhuma Sarubai Abdullah
