Contributed by Mohamed Khaku,
Allentown, USA
The field that requires our immediate attention is education. Education is the most important area in the life of the community, and for this reason the Western world have paid great attention to it. The lack of education is perhaps the greatest affliction to the Muslim Ummah today. Hardly have we seen any research, invention or Nobel prize winners from the Muslim world. We cannot even create the institution that used to produce the likes of Al Ghazalis, Ibne Sinas and many others. Addressing this need is also a community obligation – Fard Kifayah. This responsibility is as much part of our religious obligation to provide Islamic centers and cemeteries. The effort requires leadership. However, leaders are more concerned about nyaz and Iftars, seminars, conferences, colorful brochures, websites and families are more concerned about get-togethers, baraza, picnic and to take children to theme parks and movies.
Qur’an is our guide from the womb to the grave and the priority for all parents should be to teach and understand the noble book – Qur’an to their children and coming generations. There was time when Arabic language was dominant and was a universal language of the world. People from Europe learned Arabic, but this is not the case today. English has replaced Arabic as the universal language.
How did this dramatic reversal in the fortune of Muslim occur?
We recite and listen to Qur’an specially during Ramadan, but how come the recitation of the noble book does not bring about transformational change in our lives that it did in the early days of Islam? The simple answer is that Muslims read or listen to the Qur’an for its undoubted blessing but make no effort to seek guidance. Every Ramadan, Muslims listen to the melodious recital of Qur’an and Duas but few understand it and fail to implement its teaching in their lives.
Islam is not a faith that comes in existence on Fridays, Ramadan or Muharram. It is impossible to think of a Muslim being Muslim during Ramadan and Muharram and not a Muslim at work or home. This in-coherence is a result of our departure from Qur’an. There is something terribly wrong with the followers of Islam
