A Primer for
Those Who Speak and Write –
And Think They Are Doing It for Allah!
Dr. Pasha
(Bringing Islam to the World One Concept at a Time!
Taking the Qur'an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It --
And which One Does Not?)
Yes, those are the folks we are talking about. All those people who are in the business of speaking: delivering speeches touching on topics that may be somehow “Islamic” – and which topic is not?
“Islamic” I mean!
And in the business of writing – whatever it is they write: in the broad context of Islam. And what context in the world is not an “Islamic” context?
In other words, all those people who may consider themselves Working for Allah. Or, as they say, doing the so-called Islamic Work – to borrow a commonly used expression among Muslims.
The question is, these people, when they are speaking for example, for whom do they speak, and whom do they address? Who is really supposed to be listening to what they say – and monitoring how they say it?
In the same way, when these folk write, who are they writing their great big articles and their great big books for?
Who is their intended readership? And who is actually reading what they write?
These people think they are speaking to and for people. And they are right.
But there is someone else with them, as they speak, listening to every word they say and watching their demeanor and observing their attitude.
And that happens to be Allah himself. That is right! God Almighty is watching and listening to everything you say and write – and of course do.
Don't take it from me, hear God himself speak:
Innanee Ma'akumaa Asma-'u Wa Araa!
It is Allah telling Musa, Alaihis Salam, in the Qur'an, that he will be listening and watching as Hazrat Musa and his brother Hazrat Haroon, Alaihimas Salam, approach Fir'awun and deliver Allah's message to him.
Ever so softly and nicely, of course.
Remember:
Fa-Qoolaa Lahu Qawulan Layyinan?
That is:
Speak softly and sweetly to him – to Pharaoh that is.
That is right.
Those were the instructions that Allah gave to Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Haroon, Alaihimas Salam, as they were being sent on a mission to deliver an important message to one of the most arrogant men on God’s earth at that time: the Pharaoh.
In this context, what goes for Hazrat Musa, Alaihis Salam, goes for all those who follow in the footsteps of Hazrat Musa, Alaihis Salam – and go forth to deliver Allah's message to the Pharaohs of our time.
Whether they do it through their writings or through their speech-making.
The point they should bear in mind in either one of these contexts is this:
Yes, Allah is reading what they write!
And Allah is listening to what they say.
So, it is all really done for and directed at Allah.
But, at the same time, they should not forget that their purpose – and their function in life – is to address their fellow human beings, whether it is using the spoken or the written word.
That means, from a human point of view, their speech as well as their writing, must be perfect – whatever that means; and to the extent humanly possible.
Nothing less is acceptable from a Muslim – especially from those among Muslims who think or claim that they are working for Allah. That they are doing what they are doing for the sake of Allah.
And that means doing something – anything – for or in the name of Allah is not a reason, or an excuse, for doing a halfhearted, half-baked or less than perfect job. A perfunctory job, as they call it in the English language.
Look at the Qur'an!
There is not a single item of writing – communication in general, written or spoken – in this world that is in any shape or form better or of a superior quality than the Qur'an.
That means when it comes to writing or speaking, Qur'an is the last word. It simply does not get better than the Qur'an.
In any language and at any time!
That to me is proof positive, as they say, that this Qur'an cannot be a human creation. The probability of that having happened is so small as to be almost nonexistent.
So, this Qur'an has to be from a source higher than, and very different from, everything human. It has to be from God Almighty.
Maa Kaana Haadhal Qur'anu AnYuftaraa Min Doonillah!
There is absolutely no way this Qur’an could have come from any other source than God!
Then, after the Qur'an, take the Hadith of Sayyidina Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam.
The Hadith is absolutely, positively the best, the finest and the highest level of communication – written or spoken – there is in this world.
There is not a question or a doubt about it.
Except, of course, the Qur'an!
This, once again, is clear evidence, and all the proof you want in this world, that Sayyidina Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, was indeed a Rasul (Messenger) of Allah, just as he claimed.
And that, indeed, he was given the ability to speak in the most miraculous and amazing language, the way no other man or woman could emulate.
He said:
Innee Oo'teetu Jawaami'al Kalim.
And how right he was!
The Hadith can be paraphrased as implying that he was given complete control over language and no other human being could speak like him.
The amazing thing is you place the Qur'an in one column and the Hadith in another column, next to each other, you can see two things very clearly:
(a) You can realize that you are looking, in each case, at a miracle in human language. And there is no parallel or match to either one of them – the Qur'an or the Hadith – anywhere else in the world: in any culture or language.
(b) Next, you will readily see that there is an order between the two of them; one is above the other. The Qur'an naturally seems to stack up above the Hadith.
That means, even though Qur'an and Hadith both appear completely miraculous, each in its own right, the Hadith seems to come visibly a rank below the Qur’an.
This is a complete miracle all by itself.
So, language – any language Muslims touch – should be a Muslim game. Muslims should be on top of their language just by virtue of being the users of that language.
And they should go from being the users of a certain language – any language – to becoming the owners of that language. That is how Muslims did it all through their history.
They owned the languages they used. And enriched and glorified them. And made them perfect – as perfect as human beings can make anything.
The English language is now awaiting its turn to be blessed by Muslim ownership of it, after that most rich and beautiful language served so faithfully and for so long those who claim to be the Ummats and descendants of two of God’s greatest prophets and messengers, Musa and Eisa, Alaihimas Salam, the Jews and the Christians of this world respectively.
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