New Literature for a New Era

“Here is one more proof that Islam is from God. And that Islam could not possibly be the concoction of a human source. Consider this: For those working for Allah, their work is worship. That is right: All their work is counted as worship to God Almighty.

Here, let me put it a bit differently and maybe a bit more clearly: In Islam, Work is Worship.

That means God Almighty showers those who work for him with blessings and reward, not only when they go about their prescribed so-called worship routines such as prayer and fasting. But also when they do their own so-called personal and professional work, and go about their daily chores, such as washing up, eating, sleeping, sweeping the floor, attending office, working in a factory or a farm, driving a car or riding a bicycle, or doing business.

It is almost like saying all time is company time. And you are on company payroll Twenty-Four-Seven as they say, including vacations and downtime.

Who could have possibly invented a concept like that in the 7^th Century?

Mindboggling stuff, which, I am sure, is not easy for a human mind to conjure up at anytime, leave alone in 7^th-Century Arabia. It is clear as day that God’s hand is behind it.

And Islam is from God.

Here is the Qur’an on the subject: Innaddeena ‘indallahil Islam.” (Dr. Pasha)

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“For those who work for Allah, their work is their rest. At the end of a long march through the desert, Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, said to Bilal, his beloved companion and personal assistant: “Now let us have some rest, Bilal!” His original Arabic words: “Arihnaa Yaa Bilal!”

Implication: Now, Bilal, call the Adhan – the Divine Call to Worship – and let us, after a long day’s work, find rest, comfort, joy and peace in the life-giving exercise of prayers or Salaat: even more work.” (Dr. Pasha)

“Muslims are smart. They have good business sense. And they can always negotiate a deal – with God.

God says in the Qur’an he sent his Messengers (Alaihim Assalam) so people will obey and follow them. Muslims say: “Sure, we will follow Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam. We will eat like him; we will drink like him; we will dress, and pray, and fast like him,” they say.

And they say: “But if he did anything else, beyond that, then he is on his own – pretty much. Too bad it had to be Camels and not Cadillacs in those days. Frankly, don’t get me wrong, a Cadillac makes more sense in today’s world than a Camel.”

But then supposing someone says to them: “Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, spent all his waking hours, and all his energies, and all his resources, inviting people to God. He knocked at every door; he went to every fete and fair; he attended every meeting and gathering of people; and he got people to assemble wherever and whenever he could. All for one single purpose: to invite them to come to God—and of course to follow him. Shouldn’t that, then, be the focus of everything Muslims do?”

Muslim response?

I am still awaiting the Muslim response.” (Dr. Pasha)

“There are those who organize all kinds of grandiose conferences for Muslims. And invite all kinds of good Muslims to those conferences. And fill them with all kinds of good food, sumptuous accommodations and great Islamic speeches laced with liberal references to the Qur’an, to the Hadith and to all things good and past and remote.

And then they pull out their golden bugles and begin blowing on them. “Go after the enemies of Islam,” they tell the Muslims.

“And beware of the enemies of Muslims,” they warn the Muslims.

Good Muslims who attend these gala events on special invitation from special people in the Muslim world listen to the great speeches by the great sheiks, shake the hands of great leaders, partake of the sumptuous feasts, and hobnob with those they think are of greater wealth and power or of higher status than themselves.

I have a bit of advice to the good Muslims who attend these conferences: Next time around, take a pocket mirror with you. Borrow one from your ladies, if they are the kind who will carry a mirror in their purses and vanity bags.

And then, just as the great big Muslim leaders and their equally great big Islamic sheiks bugle you to go get the enemies of Islam and Muslims, reach for that little mirror in your pocket, make sure it works, polish it if you need to, and then hold it right in front of their grand noses.

Tell them: “Yes, Your Eminence!”

Tell them “Of course, Your Highness.”

And then very quietly ask them to take a peek in the mirror you are holding. But don’t tell them it was my idea. Pretend it was yours. There will be other pretenders there to keep you company.” (Dr. Pasha)

That is how it was that over fourteen centuries ago Islam forever nailed the three interrelated concepts of Gender Neutrality, Gender Respect and Gender Inclusiveness in all forms of human communication.

And Islam did so using a single word that the Qur’an called Annaas, which means a perfectly gender-neutral concept: “People.”

Not the exclusively and heavily male-gendered expression “Mankind,” which created such havoc in the world at so many levels of human thought, discourse and behavior for so many centuries.

And which subjected women, one half of the human race, to serfdom and second-class status throughout the world.

The Qur’an uses instead the expression “People” that, unlike “Mankind,” includes, in equal measure, both genders: male as well as female; men as well as women.

And the Qur’an uses that expression Annaas – People – not just one or two or 10 times, but close to 250 times.

And not once does the Qur’an use the male-centered “Mankind.”

Not once!

I feel I am trivializing it by putting it this way, but that is the image that comes to mind. And it is not even apt or appropriate, really.

But when I see people falling over themselves, and not even minding if they trample each other, to get to their coveted bargains in all these sales, I say: All right, here is another sale for all you sale lovers of the world. [...]

Here is a real-life Whodunit in the form of a perfect chicken-or-egg circle: Is it Islam or is it the Muslims: Who is the real culprit when it comes to all the terrible things that are going on in the world?

And at whose door should the blame be placed: Muslims as good-for-nothing people, or Islam as a failed philosophy and religion? Or the Qur’an where all this stuff is supposed to come from?

Whodunit?

Everybody is asking that question.

You are now in perfect sync, harmony and balance with the rest of the universe, with the rest of God’s creation.

You have now become the one who embraces and exudes peace and love, joy and optimism, forgiveness and compassion!

Like the rest of the universe.

Who would have thought the path to peace – and to salvation and eternal bliss – would be that easy?

And the divine message of Islam would be that much within everyone’s easy reach!

Did we ever take a few seconds to think about God’s Big Mercies on us?

And the Small Ones as well?

Did we ever catalog or inventory any of his mercies on us – small or big.

Or are we waiting for the next Thanksgiving to do so?

First of all, let me explain a simple fact about life – and about science, to the extent I understand science, if I do at all: As a rule, a univariate model of reality is dead on arrival.

Meaning: Any attempt to understand or explain reality – any reality, meaning anything in this world – using only one variable or factor as its cause or explanation is almost always misleading – if not downright wrong.

So, there is not one single reason why “They” hate Islam – and Muslims. But there is a whole set of them: a whole lot of reasons and motivations why “They” hate Islam.

And often these reasons and causes work in concert with one another – work in tandem that is.

But Islam is nothing if not systematic – and from that point of view absolutely and positively scientific.

So, let me take first things first. And let me tackle them, one thing at a time.

There is absolutely, positively no way out for Muslims except to fully and unreservedly re-dedicate themselves – as individuals and as societies, cultures, institutions and governments – to the original mission of their life: Da’wah.

To invite the whole world to Allah and his Deen – the life-giving message of Islam.

Wa lidhaalika khalaqahum – that is why God created them in the first place.

Otherwise, to borrow an expression from Hazrath Abu Bakr, No sky will shelter them under its roof and no earth will carry them on its shoulders – if Muslims do not, as a people, reclaim their mission of Da’wah.

Therefore, for Muslims, it is Da’wah or bust. [...]

Since it is the love and lure of false gods that are the root cause of individual and collective human misery and tragedy in the world, the solution is to change the world by changing the human condition, based on the light and guidance embodied in the four words of La Ilaha Illa Allah!

No God but God!

The transformation of the world produced by Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, was so beneficent, so positive and so complete and far reaching that to this day – fourteen centuries after his death – the world has not stopped marveling at it. In fact, the world is still trying to understand and appreciate the true nature and extent of that transformation.

Never did justice, truth, liberty, equality, mercy, compassion, love, charity and service rule the earth with such authority and majesty before or since.

According the message of La Ilaha Illa Allah, replacing the love of the self and the world in the human heart with the love and fear of one true God eliminates the common fears, sorrows, angers and hates that are the bane of most human hearts. Instead, it fills human hearts with compassion for all. [...]

“People, Muslims included, have opinions about America – and who can blame them. And they want to express those opinions – and they should. For, that is what America is all about: the right of the people everywhere to have an opinion and express it.

And from way before that, from when America was not even a glint in the eye of the Founders, and when the thought of crossing the Atlantic had occurred neither to Thomas Paine nor perhaps to any of his forbears going back several generations, that is what Islam has been all about: the inalienable and God-given right of people to have opinions and express them. Whether or not those opinions are positive or negative, derogatory or salutary has no bearing on the right of the people – whether inside or outside America – to have an opinion about America, or about anything else, and be able to express that opinion.

So, should I say: Thank God for America?

And should we all not also in the same breath say: Thank God for Islam?” (Dr. Pasha)

“Many people may think that the most important mission in life is to try and get into Paradise after death. And it is. Who can dispute that? But what about the challenge of turning this world itself into a piece of Paradise for all of Allah’s creation, and doing so:

1. Using Allah’s guidance in the Qur’an; and
2. Using the Sunnat or Way of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, as model and example?

Where does that fit into the calculations of these good people? And who is supposed to do that?” (Dr. Pasha)

What most people forget is that no part of this life, and nothing whatsoever that they have in this life, is theirs to begin with. Someone gave it all to them. God Almighty: that is who gave it to them. And he did so free of charge.

So, if people today take a few moments from that life that God gave them and return those few moments to the original owner in the form of service to God and his creation, they want appreciation for that? Or they want what the Brits would call a Vote of Thanks? Or they want a statue set up in their honor to commemorate their kindness and generosity?

I don’t get it. I can be very generous too with someone else’s money.

“Here is what the Qur’an says. And it says it clearly and in multiple places.

God Almighty created human beings to serve him – to do his bidding: day and night; twenty-four seven, as they say. And he provided them with body, mind, health, wealth and resources of all kinds to enable them to do that. Wa lidhaalika khalaqahum, says God in the Qur’an: “That is why he created them.”

Now people – most people – have a tendency to turn that arrangement on its head. Many of the best of them operate as if the main purpose of their life is to make money and then to make merry. So they first serve themselves; their families; their jobs and employers; and everyone else. And then finally they try to find a few moments on a Sunday or a Friday or some other day to “Serve God,” as it were.

And then when things don’t go right, they run around asking everyone why things were not going right. It doesn’t occur to them they may be running from God’s Bounty Hunters.” (Dr. Pasha)

“Here are four dots for you to connect:

1. Abraham, God Bless Him, was an iconoclast and a monotheist. His whole life revolved around the notion: No God but God.
2. Moses, God Bless Him, gave us the First Commandment: No God but God.
3. Jesus, God Bless Him, called the First Commandment the most important commandment of all: No God but God.
4. Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, gave us Kalimah Tayyibah, the Good Word: No God but God.

Question: Connect these four dots – these four points of Divine Light – and what do you get?

Answer: You get Islam, the message that God sent through prophets such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus (God Bless Them) to their respective people in their specific time periods and which God then perfected and sent through Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, to all people for all times.” (Dr. Pasha)

Within Islam it is both legitimate and right to ask the question: “Why Islam?” Every tenet in Islam is subject to analysis and contention. No other religion is willing to subject its basic fundamentals of faith to such questioning. For example, Saint Thomas Aquinas, the most rational of Christian theologians, stopped the use of reason when it came to the basic fundamentals of Christian faith. He then tried to justify faith. So to ask “why Christianity?” is an illegitimate question. However, Allah invites the question as to “why Islam?”.

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