November 23, 2001
Presenting Islam to Non-Muslims – The Role of the Masjid
Section: WRITINGS | 594 reads
An Open House for Your Mosque
One way for Muslims in North America and Europe to accomplish this mission is to throw open the doors of their mosques to non-Muslims on a regular basis.
Muslims need to remind themselves constantly that non-Muslims are their neighbors. And neighbors in Islam have rights.
Unbeknownst to many modern-day Muslims – and non-Muslims – “neighborliness” is a fundamental concept in Islam. In fact, it is one of Islam’s most powerful and evolutionary contributions to human culture and civilization.
The first lesson for Muslims to learn in this regard is the fact that their neighbors, regardless of their religion or race, share with them their creator.
Whether they believe in it or not, all human beings are the creation of the same one true God. Regardless of whether the color of their wool is black or white, they are all sheep owned by the same master. They are all part of God’s flock.
Additionally, humans also have a common origin. Looked at from what is generally referred to as a religious viewpoint, they are all children of Adam and his spouse, bound together by ties of blood.
Even from the point of view of secular science, humans, to the extent science is able to determine with any degree of confidence or certainty at this time in history, share a common origin.
Muslims must also learn that neighbors, Muslim as well as non-Muslim, are those who happen to share with them this particular spot on God’s earth in this particular portion of God’s time.
Together, they are companions on this common journey called life – Muslims and non-Muslims, all neighbors together, sharing common space and time.
A journey whose common origin is God.
A journey whose common destination is God.
For, it is to God, as the Qur’an points out that all humans belong, and it is to him that they all shall return.
Not just that. Human beings are also a very special creation of God, even the seemingly least and worst among them. In fact, more special and extraordinary than words can describe or most human minds can comprehend.
God Almighty made humans exalted and special: wa la qad karramna bani aadama: “And indeed we gave the children of Adam a position of great dignity and honor,” says the Qur’an. All humans – without exception of color or creed.
And then there is the fact, recorded in the Qur’an, of God creating Adam with his own two hands – how much honor and dignity does that confer on the human race?
And then, when God finished shaping Adam’s form from tinkling, smelly clay, he also breathed in him his spirit.
Humans, all humans irrespective of religion, race or gender, are heirs to that incomprehensible divine legacy.
Based on all this, how much more exalted or special can an individual human being possibly become?
And where is the room at this most basic human level for distinction between Muslim and non-Muslim, male and female?
Islam: A System of Neighborly Relations
The Qur’an clearly highlights the obligation of neighbors to each other, irrespective of their belief, behavior, denominational affiliation, party loyalty, color, class or gender.
And in doing this, the Qur’an comes up with a scheme for categorizing and classifying neighbors that is nothing less than revolutionary.
Instead of inquiring into the race or religion of the neighbor, the Qur’an simply tells people to look at the blood relationship that binds them with their neighbors.
In this Qur’anic scheme of classifying neighbors, ties of blood come first. That means, you are obligated most to that neighbor who also happens to be your relative.
Then come sheer spatial considerations, as the Qur’an asks us to see who is the closest neighbor to us. That means, the closer a neighbor’s door is to ours, the more “neighborly” must we feel and act toward him.
No matter what the religion or the race of that neighbor.
And then, the Qur’an completely closes and boards up the door of any likely ill-treatment of one’s fellow humans – at any place or time – by any human being, especially those who would call themselves Muslims.
The Qur’an now highlights the rights, not only of next-door neighbors, but also of those who are merely passersby. Not only of permanent neighbors of some kind, but also of pure transients of all kinds.
“And then the person next to you,” says the Qur’an, making it virtually impossible for a Muslim to be rude, mean or indifferent to the “next” person. That is, to the person who happens to be sharing space and time with you, whether in a bus, train or plane; or whether in a classroom or workplace.
Or just about anywhere else on the face of this earth, in just about any context or situation.
In other words, this is what the Qur’an is telling the Muslims: if you happen to sit or stand next to another human being, no matter where and no matter for how long, then you’d better know how to behave in the most neighborly, gracious, kind, charitable, respectful, honest, caring and helpful manner toward that person.
What a revolutionary recipe this is for the creation and nurturing of a civilized society!
In such a society, every individual pushes the limits of care, concern and respect for the other, no matter who that other person is, so long as that person happens to share with you, no matter for how short a time, contiguous or proximate space-time coordinates.
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