A Muslim is often accused of being aggressive and hateful to non-Muslims and carrying a culture of hatred to those who do not belong to his religion and faith.
So, another team stood up to respond to what they consider to be fabrications, and confirm with certainty that the Deen of Islam is the religion of love and peace and that no Muslim who knew his Deen can bear hatred or malice against human beings who share humanity with.
Thus, a long debate remains between the two teams; the attack and defense teams, to assess the Muslim personality so as to give him a mark of good behavior or of misconduct, and to subject him to tests, experiences and questions of “with or against” to determine his fate and put him in the appropriate box. A team that exaggerates in condemning the Muslim personality and calls him a terrorist and an extremist, and another that elaborates in diluting the Muslim personality, dissolving it and describing it as peaceful and tolerant…
The controversy in the end is resolved in favor to those who describe themselves as reformists and rationalists who demand that religion be left aside because it is not fit to be a measure to evaluate human beings, otherwise it causes sedition between them and inflict harm; so let the separation of religion from life be the basis, and whoever wishes to practice his religion let him do that individually and not with the group. Because what bonds this group together is the principle of brotherhood and humanity, whereas religion divides!
So, is it permissible for a Muslim who lives with the most complete of the laws that Allah has perfected and fulfilled for all human beings to be in the position of inferiority and humiliation? Is he content with himself as he carries the best religion and the greatest message to be the subject of evaluation and referendum, and he is whom Allah made to be Wasat (best) of the people and a witness over them on the Day of Resurrection because he is from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ?!
Ibn Katheer says in his interpretation of this noble verse: وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطاً لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيداً “And thus we have made you a just nation that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you.” [Al-Baqara: 143].
Allah stated that He has changed our Qiblah to the Qiblah of Ibrahim and chose it for us so that He makes us the best nation ever. Hence, we will be the witnesses over the nations on the Day of Resurrection, for all of them will then agree concerning our virtue. The word Wasat in the Ayah means; the best and the most honored. Therefore, saying that (the Prophet’s tribe) Quraysh is in the Wasat regarding Arab tribes and their areas, means the best. Similarly, saying that Allah’s Messenger was in the Wasat of his people, means he was from the best sub tribe. … Since Allah made this Ummah (Muslim nation) the Wasat, He has endowed her with the most complete legislation, the best Manhaj (way, method, etc.,) and the clearest Madhhab (methodology, mannerism, etc.). (End Quote)
The distinctive quality of the Muslim is that his relationship with Allah and his connection with him is what strengthens his relationship with his people and his surroundings and all humanity. So, the more is the closeness of the Muslim to his Lord, the more he senses the greatness of this Aqeedah which he believes in and the great responsibility before his Lord, his Ummah and all humanity to deliver this religion to all places reached by day (light) and night because there is no greater goodness for the people than the belief!
To perform a sajdah (lie prostrate) before Allah crying, humble and submissive until your tears wash your face and your heart is washed and then you feel the bliss and peace, which no one but a Muslim knows!! And to give your money for charity in preference over yourself so you smile alone in secret and feel the tranquility and satisfaction, that are known only to the Muslim!
And to be dutiful to your parents and kiss your mother’s feet and ask for her satisfaction and she prays for you good, no one lives this goodness but a Muslim! And to be imprisoned tortured and oppressed for this Deen, and to bear it patiently for Allah’s sake asking him to accept it while feeling proud for it, is a feeling that only the Muslim knows!
And to struggle against the rulers and stand up against them despite your weakness and lack of resourcefulness, is a dignity that is only known to the Muslim! And to work to revive this Deen again despite the discouragement and abuse and despite the tragedies that surround you from every front, is a great trust in Allah that is only known to the Muslim!
And to live by the provisions of your Lord in the ruling, judiciary, social life and economy to achieve the Truth, justice and upright life and the souls delight, the eyes content and the earth shines with the light of its Lord, is a glory that is only known to the Muslim!
There are many situations we pass through in our lives as Muslims, great feelings, blissfulness, tranquility and happiness which billions of people in this universe are deprived from. Feelings that go beyond materialism and the consumption of food, clothing and satisfaction of instincts, it is a feeling of great happiness that a person achieves when he pleases his Lord correctly and properly, and that is what non-Muslims are ignorant of.
The origin in the Muslim is to love goodness for himself and for others, and from here comes his role in carrying this Deen, applying it, living by it and conveying this message to all mankind to achieve that goodness and attain that happiness and tranquility, and this is the saying of Allah Almighty: وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ “And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful” [Al-i-Imran: 104]
This good is al-Islam! And Islam alone has urged the Muslim to carry that happiness and that satisfaction and goodness to every human being, and to love guidance, righteousness and salvation in this world and the Hereafter for all people, and we feel sympathy for the non-Muslims for their misguide and misery. This goodness is carried through Dawah and Jihad, by the intellectual and political struggle, the explosion of falsehood and the fight against disbelief, by lifting of arms and the use of force on those who are hostile to us, so the Muslim sacrifices his life and is martyred to save others from the clutches of Kufr.
Hence, the concept of humanity is complete only with Islam, which brings people out of darkness to the light and carries the goodness to all human beings.
Nisreen Buzhafiri