johar's poem 1
TRANSCRIPT
Reflections on God
Islam
and
Life
by
Johar Mohammad,
aged 14 - 15
I
Wrote
this while
I was excluded,
at the end of year 9 and
over the summer of 2005. I
was writing it when the London
bombs went off on 7th
July
and I finished most of it
before my fifteenth
birthday. It’s my
view of almost
everything
I’ve got
Views
On.
1
2
Reflections on God
Islam
and
Life
by
Johar Mohammad,
aged 14 - 15
Copyright © Year by Blue Lotus Enterprises
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned,
or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.
First Edition: Summer 2013
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: ISBN
3
4
Dedication
To my family – with gratitude and love
And
To all my world-family,
Muslim and non-Muslim
And
To all the non-human creatures
Even to the little ants
And
To all the plants
Even to the smallest blades of grass
And
To the rocks of the earth,
Even to the tiny grains of sand.
And
To the waters of the oceans
Even to the ripples on the ripples on the waves
And
To all the winds of the heavens
Even to the evening stillness when the winds have gone to
sleep
And
To the sun and moon, the planets and the stars
Even to the finest star-dust in the farthest invisible reaches of
space
To all this sacred universe
And
To its Creator
With love and gratitude and my heart’s prayers
For
A peaceful world.
5
Contents
Dedication ………………………………………………………………….4
Contents…………………………………………………………………….5
Background to my ‘poem’ ………………………………..…..……….7
With some other poems about God by year 9 pupils
Unicorn by Kiefer…………………………………………………………....9
Dragons by Daniel ……………………………………………………..........10
The Universe by Danielle ……………………………………………….......11
The clueless Atheist by Dean……………………………………………......12
Jesus by Faye ……………………………………………………………......13
Transcendent by Tom ………………………………………………………..14
My ‘Poem’ - Reflections on God, Islam and Life
Allah and Imagination……………………………………………………....17
Religion and Truth ……………………………………………………….....18
My family and Islam …………………………………………………….....19
Direct encounter ………………………………..……………………….....20
Pluralist or Exclusivist …………………………………………………......21
Peace and Surrender …………………………………………………….....22
Muhammad and the Angel ………………………….…………………......23
Qur’an and Hadith …………………………………………………………24
Variety and Beauty ………………………………………………………...25
Be True to Yourself ………………………………………………………..26
The Dance of Religion ……………………………………………………..27
Jihad ……………………………………………………………………......28
Sharia Law? …………………………………………………………..…….29
6
A Literal Interpretation ………………………………………………….....30
The Power of Faith …………………………………………………………31
The Strongest Love ………………………………………………………...32
A Way Forward ………………………………………………………….....33
To Know – Not to Argue …………………………………………………. .34
Attacks and Reactions ……………………………………………………...35
Modesty and Consideration ……………………………………………….. 36
The Inner Hijab …………………………………………………………..... 37
Women in Islam? ………………………………………………………….. 38
Science and Religion ……………………………………………………… 39
Truth is Truth ……………………………………………………………… 40
Moses and the Shepherd ……………………………………………………41
Islam and Judaism ………………………………………………………….42
Art and Music ………………………………………………………………43
The Qur’an ………………………………………………………………… 44
Heaven and Hell …………………………………………………………....45
Contradictions ………………………………………………………………46
Compassion …………………………………………………………………47
‘Post Script’ ………………………………………………………………....48
The Bismillah ……………………………………………………………….49
One World …………………………………………………………………..50
The Beautiful Names ………………………………………………………..51
Poetry and Symbolism ……………………………………………………....52
Knowing ……………………………………………………………………..53
99 Beautiful Names ……………………………………………………........54
Defense ………………………………………………………………………57
Afterward …………………………………………………………………...60
7
Introduction and Background to my ‘poem’
With some other poems about God by 14 year olds.
It’s now July 2006.
I wrote this ‘poem’ last year and some friends are urging me to publish it because, as
people remember what happened when the bombs went off in London last year, as each
day’s news is full of more bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Israel and Lebanon etc,
it is clear that there is a lot of fear, prejudice and misunderstanding in our world. My
friends think what I wrote last year will ‘contribute to the debate’ in a constructive way.
I hope that if I can get this published it will improve my finances, too!
My name is Johar.
Actually Johar is not my real name. I chose to use a ‘nom de plume’ because I am
writing about myself and my beliefs and that is quite a private part of my life. It is also a
very controversial subject and I don’t want fall out with anyone or get into arguments. I
like ‘communication’ not ‘confrontation’ so I just want to share my views anonymously.
I looked on Internet for a good name to use as my nom de plume and I like Johar
because it means a gem, a precious jewel, (which I think is true for every single one of
Allah’s creatures, especially humans - so I’m not just being big-headed.) Johar is a name
given to both boys and girls but in my case I am a boy. Johar is not just a jewel. It also
means ‘secret nature.’ My nature is secret first because I am hiding my real identity and
also because I am different when I am with different people. Only Allah sees my real
nature.
A lot of people think I’m moody, specially my family. But sometimes I’m like a little
kid, sunny-natured and not a care in the world. I like to play around and mess about. But
now that I am 15 I’m often irritable. My family would say plain bad-tempered. To be
frank I don’t like being 15, still a kid but no-longer a kid, almost an adult but with none
of the power or freedom. No money but needing (wanting?) things which my parents
can’t (won’t?) pay for. It’s like living in ‘no-man’s land.’ I guess it’s a common
experience for kids my age but that doesn’t make it less annoying. I spend my time
either out with my Mates or in my room reading, watching TV and videos or going on
internet or MSL even though it’s pure boredom. (I like to say outrageous things just to
annoy people. Then I invent a new personality to escape.)
When I’m out with my Mates or older cousins I’m someone else again. I act cool and
witty. I like to explore new places that I wouldn’t get to go to on my own. In the last few
months I’ve been to Stourbridge, Kidderminster, Birmingham, Coventry, Matlock,
Preston, Lancaster, Kendal, Windermere, Blackpool. Bradford, London and more, often
in schooltime. It has been the best part of my year 10 ‘education.’
8
School is something else again. In year 7, I was keen and enthusiastic; I was smart in my
new uniform, new bag, pencil case bursting at the seams. I was on the Gifted and
Talented register, a model student dreaming great dreams. That was not a good idea. In
our school the Mean-Team ruled. I got a lot of bullying, every day. It was relentless.
School did try to stop it but teachers only made it worse. You’re mixing with the other
kids out of school as well as in class so teachers just didn’t have the power to stop them.
The first time I hit back, it felt great. After a few terms I started either to get into fights
or to walk out of school. In year 8 things got worse. I was truanting and fighting a lot so
then my family tried to get me into another school. Eventually, in November of year 9, I
got a place in another school. By then I didn’t even want to go. One thing was sure. I
would make friends with the right people. I was not going to be bullied any more.
I passed year 9 finding ways of having fun with my new friends and making mischief.
But this school is like Coldits prison. You can’t escape. When I did truant they said I
was a Health and Safety danger because if I was out of school and got in trouble when I
should have been there, they’d be in trouble. They couldn’t risk something bad getting
into the papers and spoiling their good name. When teachers go on at me I’m not very
polite so they just kept excluding me either for being rude or walking out. That was why
I was excluded from school last year, in Summer 2005, when I started writing this
‘poem.’ (To be fair my school has not given up on me. They got me my computer so I
can do some work from home - and put me on part time work and school this year which
suits us both.)
My Tuition Teacher is a friend of the family. I wouldn’t work for her either but she lent
me books, discussed the news and played chess with me. She tried to meet me where I
was at and to keep the ‘lines of communication’ open, so at least we stayed friends. In
June 2005 she asked if I would help with a project she was working on. She had been
teaching her year 9’s about religious identity and they had written some good poems
which she was thinking of publishing but she thought it would be stronger and more
interesting to include some poems from other religious perspectives. I always distract
her from tutoring me by asking philosophical questions and I’m a practising Muslim so
she asked if I’d write a poem for her, just a short poem about what God means to me,
from a Muslim perspective.
Since I was not in school and I was bored, I started reading the poems her students had
written. Some of my favourite poems were by atheists. Although I totally disagree with
atheism it helped me to understand why someone might loose their faith in God. I like
them because they are so powerful and true to what they feel. I don’t share the hostility
to religion that the atheists do but I can identify with their fierce emotion and how
important their views are to them. I think that this heart-felt integrity makes their poems
more true than some of the ‘prettier’ theistic poems – and Truth is another word for God
in my vocabulary.
I’m quoting some of the poems from that project as part of my Introduction so you can see what
motivated me to write mine. The first ones are pure atheist.
9
UNICORN
God is
Like a
Mythical creature.
A unicorn
With silver blood.
If you drink the blood you will
Live for ever.
It makes a good story in a book
Like Harry Potter.
The idea of God makes
Young children
Laugh and feel safe at night.
But when you grow older
And see the evil in the world
And the face of death
Like a shadow
Behind the eyes
Of every living thing,
Then where is God?
Then God is revealed in all his
Foolishness,
A naked lie,
A childish dream,
A mythical creature
Like the
Unicorn.
K H
10
DRAGONS
I
am
An
Atheist.
I do not
Believe
In God.
So if I chose
An animal
To symbolise God,
I think it would be
A Dragon.
People
say that
dragons
Are beautiful,
awesome beasts
Powerful and majestic,
Red, green, purple,
black and gold.
Nature,
‘God’s Creation’,
is
Beautiful, colourful,
powerful
Like wind, thunder and
volcanoes,
Awesome
like the
darkness of the
night
Majestic,
like mountains
and the moon.
People
Say that dragons
Are terrifying
fire-breathing
monsters
Protected
with scales that
nothing can
destroy.
Dragons are
Invincible and consume
Innocent,
helpless victims.
If
God
exists
He is not just the
Creator
Of beauty and goodness
Flowers, butterflies and
warm summer days,
But also
a monster,
The cause
Of all the terrible things
That happen in the
world,
Like wars
and the tsunami,
like disease.
It is always the
innocent ones
That suffer
and die.
So if God does exist
He must be
a monster
Like a dragon.
I prefer to be
An atheist
Than worship a God
Like that.
D B
11
THE UNIVERSE
If
There was a God
Ask yourself
These questions!
Where did he come
from?
How did he get into
(or outside of) space?
There are so many
Questions
That cannot be
answered.
True,
Science can’t give us
All the answers either,
Like what existed
Before the Big Bang
How and why did it
happen?
And has the universe
any purpose?
Is there life on other
planets?
Has human life any
meaning?
And if there is a
goal to life
What may it be?
When you think
about it,
Why does
anything exist
Instead of nothing?
I think if God exists
He should give us
a sign.
Perhaps he has.
Is the existence of the
universe itself
The sign?
I
am
An atheist.
I don’t believe
In God
Because
If there was an
Almighty Creator
A marvellous God,
Where did He
come from
before He invented
the universe?
How did He get here?
(Wherever He’s
supposed to be)
And why do bad things
happen
If he’s so powerful
and perfect?
If
we
Had a sign
Or some proof
That God was real
I might change my
mind and
Become a Theist
A Believer
But for now
I am happy
Being
Atheist.
D H
12
What I like about the next poem is the way the author is thinking about what
he believes and shows how your views are not fixed but constantly changing
with every conversation, experience and even each thought. This one begins
with tragedy but there is a sense of humour and hopefulness in it too.
THE CLUELESS ATHEIST
If
God was
An animal
He would be
A slug
Because
Slugs are slimy
And easily squashed.
I
Used to believe
In a God who
Was loving and kind
Like Father Christmas
Like fairies among the flowers,
Like Jesus stories in the Bible
But then a drunk driver
Murdered my friend
My closest friend.
Where was God then?
If He exists and has power
Did he choose
for my friend to die?
Then
I knew the
stories about God
Are fake, disgusting, delusional,
Like the slime of a slug,
Because They fool you
And take you away
From the
Truth.
I
am
An Atheist
A Lapsed-Theist-Atheist
But I call myself
A ‘Clueless Atheist.’
Because I haven’t a clue
About life.
Could it really be
A meaningless
Assembly of atoms?
The more you
Study of science
The more amazing
It appears.
If
I could
Find clues
To understand
A real God
Within this world
Of cruelty and pain
An adult God
Who is really there,
Who holds your hand
In the depths of disaster,
Who is big enough
To span the whole truth,
Bigger than death
As well as bigger than life,
The storms and tsunamis
As well as the smiling sun,
Famine as well as harvest.
Then perhaps I might
Change my views
Again.
So
perhaps
I am not
A ‘clueless atheist’
But a secular Agnostic.
And if I did stumble
On some clues
And decide to
Follow them up
That would make me
An open minded
Aspirant!
D P
13
Some of the poems were angry, like this one. The author of the next poem’s
mother is terminally ill.
JESUS
God
Is not real.
God is a lie.
If God exists then
He does not have a heart.
He just destroys other people’s
Hearts and lives.
If God exists then
He is stupid, mean,
Cruel and
Manipulative.
If God is really true and
Jesus was God’s Son
Living on earth
One with God,
Like Christians claim,
Then I am glad he was hung
On the cross
And crucified.
And I am glad he is not still
Living here with us
On earth
Now.
F S
I asked my Tuition Teacher what she would say to someone like this. She said she wished more Christians
would recognise that the picture of God as ‘Gentle Jesus’ ‘wiping away earth’s tears’ is only part of the
picture and leaves people who are suffering as this girl is, with nothing. She said that Jesus was gentle and
kind but he was also a fighter. He used actions and words, not physical force but there was nothing ‘meek
and mild’ about him. He said he wanted ‘to set the earth on fire’ to deal with the evil in the world.
Christianity is unusual because Jesus suffered torture and death, and Christians take him as God so God is
inside all kinds of suffering and sharing it. But they say he was also 100% human too. Jesus cried when he
heard his friend was dead, so he can share emotional pain and suffering too. I would tell her that if Jesus is
God as Christians believe, then he is not limited by time and space. He is with her in her suffering now
and if she can open herself to Him at this time she will be with her and give her comfort and assurance
even in this terrible time. Suffering and death come to everyone. But she is just getting a huge dose of it
now. If she looks at what is happening in the world she will find other young people who are suffering and
perhaps their experiences can help her cope with hers.
14
In Islam we believe Jesus is a real prophet, but not a divine person, (Islam says God is One God and
can’t have any sons, like Christians believe.) But Jesus is important and I can understand how
awareness of his love and suffering could help you face terrible things like the illness and death of
your mother. I wonder if F has been able to feel the love and compassion of God in her grief. It’s
easy for me to think about it in a theoretical way but I don’t know what I’d do if it was my Mum.
I think Allah is bigger than death and there are some things which we can’t understand. We only see
a small part of the picture. That’s why religions require faith and not just intellectual belief.
It is so hard to choose just a sample of the poems. My Tuition Teacher gave me so many. Some of
them were silly, some made no sense but some were really interesting. I think the one I agreed with
most, was this one, written by a practicing Christian, because I also think you can’t pin God, (or
Allah as we call Him) down with words.
TRANSCENDENT
If
God was
An animal
He would be a …..
God
Is all Power
Creator
of life and death,
Creator of
The entire universe.
Anything you think of
Is not great enough
To be a symbol for
God.
The Bible warns
‘Don’t make images of God.
Don’t make idols.’
I think
Symbols for God are
Dangerous
Because
They make us think
We can know what
God is like,
What
Omnipotent,
Omniscient,
Omnipresent,
Almighty,
Eternal
Transcendent,
and
Infinite
mean.
We can
Write these words down,
We can learn a definition.
But we cannot
Know what
words
like these
mean.
God
predicts
The future
Of life.
God knows
What will happen
In the future
And
what is happening
now
In every atom
of the Universe.
You can’t
change
the future.
You can’t
catch
God
In a poem.
T H
15
This poem is quite like our Muslim view about God but we get a lot of insights from
the Qur’an and from some of the great saints of Islam. So when I read all these poems
I wanted to enter into the discussion and share the insights that I know from my
religion. So I started to write my poem. I was working on it when the bombs went off
in London, in the London Underground Trains and on a bus. I felt sick when I saw the
news. I prayed that the bombs would not be caused by so called ‘Islamic’ terrorists.
It’s so hard to get on when there is so much prejudice against Islam and although
anyone who knows about Islam knows that it does not teach people to do things like
that, there are a lot of ignorant people and atrocities like the bombing just make it a lot
worse. So that event and all the talk about it inspired me write a lot more – in defence
of my religion, my people and myself - and about many things, not just about what
God means to me.
My crazy tuition teacher was worse than I was. She got caught up in my emotion and
encouraged me. We were as bad as each other, even in the holidays, phoning and
meeting up all through the summer. She discussed with me all the verses as I wrote
them and urged me to write about many other subjects. My ‘poem’ is not really
finished yet. There are some verses I’m not happy with and some more things I
wanted to say - but time has moved on and I’ve lost the inspiration to write any more.
I’m 15 now, coming up to 16 and year 11. I’m not the same person that I was when I
wrote it so it will just have to do. My Tuition Teacher says I don’t need to ‘finish’ my
poem. She thinks it should be left just as it is, because life is like that too, for most
people, left unfinished. You never know when your time will run out.
I was talking about that with some friends the other day. Some of my mates were
saying that when your time is up then that is it. It’s all predestined; you can’t die until
God wills it and you won’t die until that hour. So you can do what you like, take any
kind of risks and you’ll be OK unless your time is up. But I disagree. I think that view
is just an excuse not to care about risky things they’re doing like doing drugs or
driving fast to show off to the girls. Don’t get me wrong. I like to have as much fun as
they do, but I just see things in a different way. I think I have a wider view. I have a
different kind of awareness. I probably read newspapers too much and talk to more
kinds of people.
I know how drugs are ruining the lives of some of my friends, making behave in a stupid
way, addling their brains and making them puppets in the hands of the dealers. That can get
them into stealing or selling drugs just to pay for the addiction because an addiction is no
joke. You’re caught by it and a slave to it because it takes more strength of will to break free
than most people have got. There are so many people having their lives ruined and getting
into prison like that. If you can’t die until Allah wills it then what about the statistics on
drugs and poverty. Every three seconds a child dies from poverty – and that is mostly in
poor countries. Does Allah want the poor children to die, does God favour the rich? That’s
not what Islam or any other religion I know about says. And what about war? Have the
victims of bombing all suddenly reached the end of their allotted time, even the little kids?
16
A third of the victims in the current conflict between Israel, Palestine and Lebanon are
children – and much more are Muslim than Jewish casualties. Is this what Allah wants?
It’s absurd to think there are simple answers to questions like life and death, like you only
die when it’s Allah’s Will. And what about suicides, which are more common for some
groups and nationalities than others? What about the ‘post-code lottery’ in hospital places?
What about the tsunami last year or the earthquake in Pakistan or the massacres in
Srebrenitsa, Rwanda and the holocaust. I do believe that life and death are part of Allah’s
mystery and the importance of faith is to hold your hands out in surrender before things
which we can’t comprehend – but I don’t think that means God choses for some people to
suffer and die and others to have a comfortable life. I think God is much more mysterious
than that and it’s no good just accepting everything without using your eyes and your brain.
My own view on this is that there may be an ‘intended life length’ for everyone - which is
given by God, but I think there are also accidents and forces of evil which can end lives a lot
earlier. We have free will. If we choose to follow our religion sincerely then I think Allah
has power and can give protection – miracles can happen in our lives. I even know people
who have had this kind of miracle-experience – but there’s no magic formula and no
guarantees. Allah has given us brains and the capacity to look at the world and think. Islam
encourages us to be educated and thinking people. So I think it’s right to question things
like this – even though lots of Muslims and others who love God might disagree.
If we choose not to follow our religion, of if we are just following it to ‘look good’ but we
don’t really have any faith, then I don’t think Allah’s protection will be there. Then
accidents and bad things can happen that can end our lives. That doesn’t mean God wished
us to die then or that he is powerless or cruel. I think that God is bigger than our lives. He
gives us a chance by giving us life – but everyone has to die. I think when people die God
takes them into the world beyond death, in a compassionate way, whenever that time comes,
early or at the destined time. Then it is just a question of what you did with the time you had
while you were on earth. I think the whole process is more complicated than we can
understand but to think everything is predestined and we can take any kind of risk, and then
if we hit trouble to blame it on God’s Will, is just shutting your eyes to reality. If we do our
best in life then we don’t have anything to worry about when our time is up. I’ve not got
much time for speculation about death, judgement and all that. When the time comes we can
find out about that. I just want to get on with living.
As you can tell, I like thinking about philosophical questions. This is only the introduction
to what I wrote last year. I’m getting side-tracked. But this question is important and I
wasn’t thinking about it last year. I read somewhere that ‘dialogue refuels the brain’ so if
you have any comments on my ‘poem’ or poems of your own, you can add to this great
debate.’ I am not an expert in my religion and I certainly don’t have all the answers.
Johar Mohammed - July 2006.
Updated Afterward in Summer 2013 – before going to print – can be found at the end.
17
Reflections on God, Islam and Life
By Johar
*
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, The Merciful
In Islam there are many polite traditions which remind us of Allah. One is to repeat
the ‘Bismillah’ before starting any new activity. This is a prayer found at the start of
almost every chapter in the Qur’an which is our Holy Book. That is why I have
started this exercise with the Bismillah prayer, to ask Allah’s blessing on my work.
ALLAH and IMAGINATION
If
God
Was a
Tree, flower,
Animal, bird, fish,
River, geographical feature,
Geometric shape, piece of furniture…?
These are all questions I am not able to answer.
I know God exists. For me God is not a question but a fact.
I am a Muslim. Our name for God is Allah which simply means
‘The God’ in the Arabic language which was the language of Muhammad*
Our prophet, the prophet of Islam, to whom the holy Qur’an was revealed.
The Qur’an tells much about Allah and the first thing is that there is
Only Allah, only One God. So a Muslim is not free to speculate
By writing imaginative poems, about what God might be
If He was a tree or a flower, a jewel or anything
else. That would be like the idolatry
Which was practised in
Arabia before
Islam.
* It is customary for Muslims to write ‘PBUH’ (Peace and Blessings Upon Him) after we write the
Prophet’s name. It is a polite, devotional custom which I would use if writing this only for Muslims but as
this poem is mostly for ordinary English readers so I have decided not to follow this custom. My aim is
fluent communication and I think this makes it easier to read. It does not indicate any lack of respect and I
hope it does not offend any Muslim readers.
18
RELIGION and TRUTH
Our
teacher
who set this
exercise is not an
idiot. She designed this
to give everyone a way to reflect
about the mysterious concept of God.
Many of my classmates are secular and never
think about God (except as a swear-word perhaps) so it
is a good idea to ask them to stretch their imagination and use
the language of poetry and symbolism to explore and try to express
their own point of view. My teacher is a ‘lapsed Quaker, independent God-
Seeker’ and she is strongly pluralist which means that she loves all the religions
and believes that God is revealed in them all. She thinks that when God sends any new
light to humanity it is received in a particular place on earth and a particular time in history.
The particular place, culture and circumstances where it is revealed shape it so it flowers into a
religion. But since the source of every religion is God, she believes that all religions are
full of His Light. She says that in her view religion is a universal human experience,
like truth. You can think of religion as a Jigsaw in which each person is part of
the picture. Without every person’s point of view the picture of religion
will be distorted and false. The truth will be partial and not full. That
is why we all had to write a poem about ‘God,’ even the staunch
atheists. Our teacher says that religion is like a kaleidoscope
because it is not static like a jigsaw but full of moving
colours and patterns that are constantly changing.
Each moment and each thought makes up
a piece of this jigsaw, so religion also
spans the dimension of time. It is
an all-encompassing subject
like ‘Reality’ or Life. Our
teacher has asked us
all to explain in the
form of a poem
‘What ‘God’
means to
me.’
19
MY FAMILY and ISLAM
I
am
Johar, I was
born in England. My
family are practising Muslims. My
father is a Yorkshireman but my mother comes from
Mirpur in Pakistan. My Grandfather knows the Qur’an by heart
and, like all devout Muslims, he and my mother pray five times a day. My
brother and I also pray regularly. Islam is the heart of our family. Like all those who
follow any religion seriously, it is our way of life. Since the age of seven we have attended
Mosque School where we learn about Muhammad’s life and to read the Qur’an in both Arabic
and English. I also have many other books about Islam at home. Some are about the famous
Muslim ‘Pirs’ - saints and poets. Many favourite stories are from the book ‘366 Readings
from Islam,’ edited by R. Van de Weyer. I like reading about the Sufi poets such as Al-
Ghazali who ‘thirsted after truth from an early age.’ He questioned everything and
was then ‘released from the disease of scepticism’ by ‘a light which the most high
God shone into my breast.’ Ghazali became a great theologian and philosopher,
a famous scholar and professor. But increasingly he was drawn to mysticism.
He writes, ‘I now understood that mystics are not people of words - but
people of real experiences - and that I myself had progressed as far
as I could through intellectual study.’ Ghazali was torn between
his responsibilities as a professor and his growing desire for
mystical experience. He gave away everything he owned
and sought solitude for 10 years, following the Sufi
teachings. ‘During this time many important and
deep things were revealed to me.’ When asked
about his experiences he said, ‘You draw
closer to God. Some speak of this
closeness as becoming a child
of God, some as being
in union with
God…’
20
DIRECT ENCOUNTER
‘A
mystic once
said: ‘My mind does
not recall being close to God.
The experience is as it is - and I simply know
that being close to God is good.’ The mystical state is
an immediate, direct encounter. By following the mystical way I
came to understand the true nature of God’s revelations to Muhammad.’
Muhammad travelled through the seven higher worlds of Heaven during his
‘Night-Journey’ and the closer to Allah he came, the greater the Light he saw until it
almost blinded him. So in Islam God is often described as Light. There are many great
Sufi mystics who reveal the nature of God in Islam. Ibn Arabi wrote ‘There is nothing but
God. There is no closeness except closeness to God; there is no distance except distance from
God. When I look with the eyes of the soul, I see nothing but God.’ Some Sufis were not accepted
by the Muslims in authority. One of the greatest - Al-Hallaj - was tortured to death by some fearful
small-minded leaders of his time who were afraid of his popularity and found his experience of union
or oneness with Allah blasphemous. It is a good example. of how dangerous intolerant people who have
small closed minds can be. The Saints of all religions often see Allah ‘in everything and as everything.’
When he was suffering from persecution Al-Hallaj wrote, ‘Since I knew God as he is, and was in union
with him, he appeared to abandon me - but even if he were to torment me with the fires of hell for ever
and beyond I should not bow down to any other being but him. My proclamation of faith is the same
as the proclamation of all who are sincere. In the love of God I am triumphant. How could it be
otherwise?’ I have seen this kind of faith, this intense love for God and fierce, fearless emotion
expressed by many of the saints from the different religions. I love finding about new ones.
Some of my friends say that it’s not right to talk about ‘saints’ in Islam, because nothing
ever comes between a Muslim and Allah. Some Christians and Hindus keep pictures
or relics of their saints. They pray to their saints, which is like bowing to an Idol.
It’s wrong in Islam. Muslims only bow to Allah, so it is not right to use the
word ‘Saint’ I do not use the word like that. In Arabic we use the word
‘Wali’ for someone who has developed unusual closeness to Allah by
the power of their prayer and their devoted worship. It means a
spiritual giant whose whole life is devoted to Allah so that
their whole life shines. I know Arabic, but my poem is
not for Arabic readers. I’m English and I’m writing
for other English people to read so why should
I write ‘Wali.’ This argument is typical of
Muslims here who are afraid of British
society and Western ideas and think
that God is watching us, waiting
to condemn us and send us to
hell. That kind of view just
makes me feel sad and
sorry for them since I
think Allah looks
at our hearts
not at the
words.
21
PLURALIST OR EXCLUSIVIST
In
the same
way that I feel
proud to be a Muslim
there are people like me who
were born into families which practise
other religions. They read different Holy Books
and hold different beliefs but, just like me, they love God,
practise their religion seriously and are proud of their Religious
Identity. Everyone has a religious point of view - even the God-denying
secular atheist. If we do not understand each other and if we are ‘Exclusivist’
which means that we think our religion or World-View is the only one that is right,
then there can never be an end to the arguments. That is why I am a Pluralist Muslim and
respect all the religions. I think that some people are exclusivist because they have never had
the opportunity to meet people who belong to other religions. But some are exclusivist because
they are just choosing not to look at the real world. It’s a kind of blindness. I think that if you
say that your religion is the only one that is correct and that anyone who disagrees with you
is going to go to hell when they die, you are suffering from a dangerous, closed - minded
and arrogant kind of prejudice. You can hear this kind of argument from both Christian
and Muslim ‘extremists.’ They justify their views by quoting selected passages from
their Holy Books which they say record the Word of God or Allah.. I don’t want to
deny the truth of their Bible or my Qur’an, and I don’t want to fall into the same
trap as them and make out I know more than they do, but there are many ways
of interpreting these texts. I look for my answers in the lives of the greatest
saints of all the religions. From what I can see they have a lot in common.
They don’t argue. They live in the presence of Allah (God, Wahaguru,
Yahweh, The Brahman, Buddha’s Enlightenment, the Supreme…)
so that His Blessings, Light, Peace and Joy illumine the world
through their lives. I believe our world is Allah’s Creation,
so only when people of all religions respect each other
and live by Allah’s Will, like the saints and not by
arguing about their own interpretation of bits
of their the Holy Books – only then can
there be hope of peace in the world.
The holy books come from Allah
but they are not gods. I think
if you stop at the words
Then even the Bible
or the Qur’an
can become
idols.
22
PEACE and SURRENDER
Enough
Of what I think.
Let me tell you something
about my religion. Its name is Islam
which means ‘surrender to the Will of Allah.’
‘Islam’ is related to the word Salam which means peace.
It means the peace we feel when we can surrender to the Will
of Allah at every moment. There are five main practises: daily prayer
to strengthen our living relationship with Allah, the oneness and discipline
of fasting, the inspiration of pilgrimage, the responsibility of sharing our wealth and
to remember always that Allah is the only God and his prophet is Muhammad.
Muhammad (Peace and Blessings upon him) was a real historical person.
Born in Makkah in 570 CE, he was a highly-respected, successful
trader. Happily married to Khadija and father of six children,
he seemed to have all that anyone could want but wasn’t
content. Muhammad felt that there must be more
to life. The Arabs were polytheists. Each
tribe had their own traditional gods
and goddesses. Makkah was a
centre of pilgrimage, with
a cubic-shaped temple
called the Khabba.
This contained
About 365
idols.
23
MUHAMMAD and THE ANGEL
Some
Arabians were
not polytheists. They
worshipped only one almighty
deity. There were Jews, Christians and
Zoroastrians who were all monotheists and
there were mystics who went out into the desert
and up into the mountains to pray and meditate and
search for the truth of life on their own. They were called
Hanifs and Muhammad’s grandfather was one so it was natural
for Muhammad also to seek solitude in the mountains in search of
fulfilment. He often spent many days and nights meditating silently alone
in a cave in the mountains near Makkah. One night an angel appeared to him,
carrying a flaming scroll. The angel commanded Muhammad to read or recite what
was written. Muhammad was terrified. He told the angel that he could not read because
like most people at that time he was illiterate. The angel just repeated the command even
more forcefully. Muhammad felt a force of energy coming from the angel. He felt he
would be crushed, but all he could do was say that he could not read. Again the
angel commanded Muhammad to read. This time, this third time, the force
was so strong that Muhammad feared he would die. Suddenly words
started to flow from his lips. He was reading or reciting what
was written on the scroll. This was the first revelation
of the Holy Qur’an. All the religions are full of
revelation and miraculous events. Islam
is not alone in this, but unlike other
great religious scriptures the
Holy Qur’an is direct
revelation from
Allah by an
angel.
24
QUR’AN and HADITH
These
revelations
continued for the rest of
Muhammad’s life and cover a
period of 23 years. They answered all
his questions and came to him in times of
struggle and persecution in Makkah and later, when
Muhammad moved to Medina and set up the first Muslim
state there - and then when Muhammad returned to Makkah and
made it the centre of Islam. (The Qur’an is a ‘complex many-layered
document a bit like half of a conversation.’ The other half of the conversation
is ‘hidden in that place, time and circumstance.’ You have to approach the text with
devotion, through your heart, rather than in a ‘cerebral, analytical or mind-based way.’
If you start to do that or pick and choose what to read and how to interpret it then you can
distort the whole meaning. If people do that they can use any texts to justify anything This is a
danger with any religion.) Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the pure word of God. The second
source of authority, which most Muslims will use as a guide is the example of Muhammad and what
he taught. This is recorded in the Hadith. The problem with Hadiths are their reliability. There are
two main branches or denominations in Islam - Suni and Shi’ite. Islam teaches that all Muslims
are equal and should live in peace like members of one family but it split when Muhammad
died. The Shi’ites said he had appointed Ali, his son-in-law to lead the community but the
Sunis chose Abu Bakr. This led to a war and the two communities went their separate
ways and developed their own collections of Hadiths. Some Muslims say that since
no Hadiths were written down while Muhammad was alive you can’t rely on any
of them. Then even if you say they are genuine, there is the question of how
to interpret them, which also causes debate. So that’s why some scholars
prefer just to use the Qur’an as their authority and do not use Hadiths.
Other Muslims say that hundreds of pious, trustworthy and wise
scholars have checked the authenticity of the Hadiths so they
are completely reliable. I think we should use them but
still keep a bit of an open mind on what they mean
for today. Our next source of authority is from
the examples of great Muslims. The Sufi
Saints are famous mystics who knew
Allah directly, like Muhammad.
In all religions you see many
different denominations.
In Islam Sufi, Shiite
and Sunni are
common
ones..
25
VARIETY and BEAUTY
Our
family is
Sunni-Muslim. All
religions are about real
lives, real people who live in
today’s world, people who try to make
sense of what is happening in their life by using
the teachings that their religions give and by growing
spiritually through their particular forms of worship. In every
religion you can find different views and contrasting ways of reading
and interpreting the holy books. Islam is no different. Muslims argue about
how to practise Islam correctly. I think only Allah knows who is following His
Will correctly. I think it all depends on what we feel in our hearts. If we are right in the
way we practise any religion, if we are pleasing Allah, then we will feel Allah’s blessings
and have a clear conscience, feeling a real sense of happiness and peace. I feel this when my
prayers are strong. When I talk to people from other faiths they say the same thing. There is
only one Allah, one Creator, so we really are one world-family, all the people in the world
are our brothers and sisters not just other Muslims. So I think that if we are obeying His
Will we will be increasing the oneness, happiness, harmony and peace in our lives and
in the world. I think that the question of who is right or wrong in religion is not one
that any human being can judge. Allah is the judge. Up to 100 years ago very few
people travelled from one part of the world to another. There was a lot of fear
and wars like the Crusades, But now everyone is coming together. I think
this is Allah’s Will. The different religions are part of His Mystery. It
is His challenge for us to work together in peace. Leicester is a city
where you see the diversity of Creation every day. I love all the
different cultures and faces in our city. I think variety is a
quality Allah loves, because even each leaf on a tree is
unique and a garden would not be so beautiful if all
flowers were the same. Being a Muslim makes
me different from most classmates but if
you are serious about any religion
you will stand out because this
country is so secular and
materialistic. Those
who love God
have to be
strong.
26
BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
I
think
you just
have to be true
to who Allah made
you to be, that is true to
yourself. It is only in a few
places like Britain where everyone
can even try to live by this ideal. Being
British is to be part of a ‘diverse dynamic.’
Britain is ‘great’ because here there is a respect
for difference and you get the space to be who you are,
true to your beliefs. Islam is devoted to establishing a world
of harmony where everyone is equal before Allah. Peace is at the very
heart of the word Islam. In Islam the harming of innocent people and to harm
yourself like in suicide are completely forbidden. People who use these tactics and
call themselves ‘Martyrs’ are just murderers. They argue that anyone who lives in a rich
western country is guilty of killing people in Iraq, so they are not bombing innocent people.
But they have just been brainwashed and had their faith corrupted. The word Muslim means
someone who has surrendered to Allah’s Will. How can anyone think that Allah wants them
to murder people like that, people who are just getting on with their lives, people from all
the different communities and religious backgrounds including other Muslims? I don’t
know how anyone can seriously think that is a way to please Allah or create a better
world. The bombers have been told that they will go straight to heaven. I think
that they have chosen a short-cut path, not to heaven but to the gates of hell
because they have brought disgrace to our religion and stirred up a lot
of fear and hatred towards all Muslims. Of course there are many
serious problems in the world that we all need to confront but
terrorism makes things worse. Millions of British people,
Muslim and non-Muslim alike, agree that Britain and
America were wrong to go to war in Iraq, (where
an average of 35 civilians are killed every
day) * but we will not stop that
nightmare by killing
more innocent
people.
(* Sadly, writing now in 2006, Iraq is on the brink of Civil War, the death rate is far higher than this now.
I think it’s more like 100 people a day and over 5,818 civilian Iraqis were killed in May and June alone!)
27
THE DANCE OF RELIGION
Trade
injustice
and dire poverty
are killing many more
innocent people. Every three
seconds a child dies from poverty.
While I am writing this and as you read it,
more children die. If you are rich and white you
may be able to ignore these statistics but it is countries
like Pakistan and other Asian and African nations that suffer
most. Many Muslim countries are included. My teacher says that
Religious Education is like a dance; first we see the world from where
we stand and then through someone else’s eyes. I find it easy to see through
the eyes of poverty because I see it face to face when we go to visit our relatives in
Pakistan. I can’t ignore poverty. How can there be peace in a world so divided and full
of injustice? Causes of poverty include bad debts and trade injustice. The rich and powerful
countries and multinational companies are the main culprits. These are facts that everyone can
see. Terrorists want to blame the rich countries and fight them with their suicide bombs but
they don’t see that this kind of action only make things much worse. Palestine and Israel
show just what happens when you take the principle of retaliation and revenge as your
policy. You just get more death, fear, anger, hatred and hopelessness. In my view all
the nations and religions need to work together to stop problems like these that are
crippling our world. We have the United Nations and I think it needs to be freed
from the controls of the rich nations and given real power to find solutions to
all the complex problems in the world. The weapons industry is the biggest
industry in the world. I think all countries should pay a tax on their arms
trade which will go to the UN for research into solving the conflicts.
I don’t think politicians and UN peace-keepers can solve all world
problems on their own. I think we need spiritual progress too.
Fear, jealousy, greed, and other human weaknesses are at
the heart of so many conflicts. Only Allah can change
the hearts of the people so they learn to see him in
each other, to love him in everyone and not just
look with their eyes of prejudice and hate. I
think it is happening slowly, like the two
million people who marched through
London against the Iraq war and
after the tsunami millions all
over the world helped. It
was inspiring to see
such a flood of
compassion,
love and
unity.
28
JIHAD
My
teacher
asked me also
to write something on
Sharia Law and jihad. Jihad
means ‘struggle’ - the inner struggle
to accept or surrender to Allah’s Will. Each
person experiences this. We all need to overcome
our undivine qualities such as selfishness, desires, anger,
fear, jealousy, doubt, and dishonesty etc. This real struggle is
unique for each person. For me it includes getting the discipline
to get up for early morning prayers and to make my prayers regular
and meaningful, real sincere heartfelt prayers, (not sleepy or mechanical
with my mind on something else.) Then, as education is important in Islam, I
should try my best at school even though it’s often very boring and I sometimes
get bullied or loose some friends for working hard. My jihad includes avoiding the
temptations like alcohol which is forbidden in Islam, and not smoking or taking drugs
which cause harm. My jihad requires me to keep my eyes off the girls even though they
do not wear modest clothes and I am just like any other boy going through the emotions of
adolescence. My jihad requires me to try to be polite and help my parents even when I think
they’re wrong and I’m right and learning to be stronger than my emotions and not fight back
when my brother annoys me or explode when something goes wrong. Jihad for me includes
seeing the good side of everyone - even when they may not be trying to live by Allah’s Will,
being strong enough to do what’s right, not just join my friends if they do something wrong.
We’ve so many choices to make each day and it’s difficult because most people aren’t even
trying to live in a strong and spiritual way and some of those who are (like in the Mosque)
criticise me because I don’t follow all their traditions (like putting PBUH each time I write
Muhammad’s name and using the word ‘saint.’) This is Jihad, the inner and outer effort
to live by our faith which we engage with each day. All those who seriously follow any
faith will know what I mean. We do our best. That does not mean we always succeed.
It means we are sincerely trying to remember Allah (God) and follow his Will in the
way we live our lives and we don’t stop trying even when we make mistakes or slip
up. When terrorists say that Jihad means a holy war they mean the time when the
Muslim community in Medina was faced by an attack from an army of soldiers
from Makkah who opposed Islam and wanted to wipe it out. Until then, Allah
always directed Muhammad to use patience, kindness and compassion but on
this occasion he was commanded to fight. Most people will agree that you
have to stand up to evil and there are times when you have to fight. With
Hinduism there was the Mahabarata war of good against evil. The Jews
have believed it was right to fight on many occasions. In Christianity
there are many pacifists because Jesus blessed the peacemakers and
he taught that you should love and forgive everyone. But mostly
Christians say that there are times when evil should be fought.
In Islam fighting is permitted in defence of your life, your
community and your faith but even then you are never
permitted to harm civilians. For Muhammad it was
a war of armies, not of civilians and when he
had won, he said that now was time to get
back to the Real Jihad, the Great
Jihad, the inner struggle for
spiritual progress.
29
SHARIA LAW
If
you look
at all the countries
in the world and see how
they are ruled, it is obvious that
all the different systems of government
have problems. Dictators tend to misuse their
power but the democratic governments are not all
that much better, especially at the moment with the war
in Iraq and the huge imbalance between rich and poor that the
G8 governments seem unable or unwilling to sort out. The world
seems to be ruled by greed and bullying. But there is another way. God
exists and when Muhammad lived in Medina the state was ruled by Islam, by
the revelations given in the Qur’an. Many Muslims think that this, alongside the
example of what Muhammad said and did, is the best way, (the way Allah wishes)
to live and govern society. Over the centuries since Muhammad’s time, scholars have
put together a detailed system of rules based on this ideal. This is called Sharia Law. In
theory it is brilliant because what could be better than to follow Allah’s perfect laws. But in
practise there are real problems. About 1,500 years have passed since Muhammad walked the
earth and the Sharia system was completed hundreds of years ago. In that time many things have
changed and scholars don’t always agree about how to interpret the revelations for today’s world.
Some experts say we should just transplant the system of laws from that time for governing now,
without any alteration, while others say you need to study and understand the society in Arabia
before the Qur’an was revealed, to see how the revelations changed things. In what ways did
Islam change life? When you can see that, then you can apply the same kind of ‘transforming
power’ to our society and take it forward in a similar way. It’s like ‘distilling the essence’
of the Qur’an. Naturally this approach is opposed by the traditionalists so there is a hot
debate on the issue. I think that if you try to transplant the outer form, the outer
details of the rules found in the Qur’an (such as cutting people’s hands
off for stealing) then there will be many ordinary Muslims who
object, never mind people of other faiths It. might reduce
the plague of stealing at school but it would also
result in thousands of one-handed children.
No-one is going to agree to that. And
who would cut off their
hands? It is just
unrealistic.
30
A LITERAL INTERPRETATION
I
think
that to begin
to understand what
the Qur’an is saying about
theft, you would need to look at
what happened to the thieves in Arabia
before the revelations were given to the Prophet.
If there were no police or prisons to sort out any thieves, you would need to do something strong, or if thieves were hung
(as happened in Britain in the old days) then to cut off a hand would be
an act of compassion. It would be kindness. But if you cut off someone’s hand
for stealing now, in our society, it would have the opposite effect. It would be totally
cruel. Also, at the time of Muhammad, there wasn’t all the advertising making people want
loads of things that they don’t need and can never afford like there is today. I’m not saying it’s
OK to steal but when you get judged by what you wear and what kind of mobile phone you have
etc, there’s much more pressure. I think that even if we had that kind of law now it wouldn’t stop
stealing. Some people would just think they could be clever and not get caught, just like they do
now. I know someone who knows about prison from inside. He says the system is no good. It
can’t help anyone stop stealing. They just learn how to be better thieves. When they come out
they may be worse than when they went in. As a way of helping people to improve and lead
good lives or to protect the rest of society it doesn’t work. He thinks the Sharia Law would
be better even though it seems cruel. In one story about this law - from early Islam, a thief
begged Muhammad to let her off. She came from a rich, powerful, prestigious family so
she thought that the rule would not apply to her. By being strict with her, Muhammad
showed that everyone is equal in Islam. Even if you are very rich and powerful you
get no favours. It was a good lesson in equality. The woman took the punishment
and became a model citizen and a good Muslim. So that system can work but I
think we need something different for today. There is a Christian example
that shows the dangers of taking an ancient law and trying to apply it in
a literal way. Because the Bible has some food laws such as that the
blood must be drained from any slaughtered animal before it can
be eaten, one group of Christians believed this to mean that it
it is wrong to take blood of any kind into your body. So
they refused blood transfusions. In meat the blood
rule may help against food-poisoning and save
life. But by refusing blood transfusions a lot
of people died. This rule has now been
changed. I think Sharia Law also
needs revising if it is to
work in our world
today.
31
THE POWER OF FAITH
The
idea of
all the people
converting to Islam,
Christianity or any model
of religion is simply not realistic
in my view. Just as I will never abandon
my Islam and convert to another religion, (like when
you meet some Christians who believe that Jesus is the only
Saviour,) I’m sure that all those who sincerely love God and follow their
own religion sincerely, will stay true to their beliefs. We will not be converted to
other religions any more than we will become atheist and agree with those who say that
religions are the cause of all the problems and the world would be fine if everyone was
secular and lived by science, logic and reason. They argue that life on earth evolved by
pure chance of chemistry and has no meaning; that the material world is everything;
that there is no such thing as spirit or soul; that there is no Source for the universe,
just endless matter; that there is no right or wrong, no morality except selfishness
and the ‘Survival of the Fittest;’ no life after death; emotions like devotion and
compassion, gratitude and wonder are worthless; and that there is no point in
prayer or meditation, no Divinity or spiritual Truth. This is absurd. People
who practise a religion experience the proof. They know that arguments
like these (that arrogantly dismiss all the greatest Prophets and saints
of all the religions as deluded) are empty. I believe that the outer
world only exists for Allah’s Glory. It is the most wonderful
gift from Him, our greatest test and opportunity to grow
in His Light and feel His growing closeness as we
struggle to surrender to His Will. People who
practise other religions have told me the
same thing. We have proof that our
faiths are true, through our own
experience in worship. We
feel a living, growing,
relationship with
Allah. We
would
die
32
THE STRONGEST LOVE
for our
faith. It is the
most precious thing
to a believer - the strongest
kind of love. Just as an atheist would
be ready to die to protect his children or his
mother, a believer is ready to live and die for his or
her relationship with Allah (or God.) This is the emotion
that the terrorists hijack and manipulate when they recruit young
Muslims to their cause. To die for your faith is nothing new. You find it in
all the religions. Al-Hallaj, the Sufi saint laughed and joked as he was tortured to
death by ignorant political leaders who felt threatened by his power and popularity.
His love for Allah was far greater than death. The Prophet Jesus felt human fear on the
night before his crucifixion. He prayed to God ‘If it is possible take this cup (of suffering)
from me.’ But he added in his prayer, ‘Not my will but Yours be done’ which is the message
at the heart of every religion - of complete surrender to God’s Will. The Hindu saint or ‘great
soul’ Mahatma Gandhi used his own life as a political weapon more than once when he fasted to
force people to do the right thing but he was assassinated by an ignorant Hindu bigot, because he
loved all his countrymen and was fighting for the good of both Muslims and Hindus. The Roman
Catholic Bishop Oscar Romero was assassinated on the steps of his cathedral because he stood up
to the rich and powerful on behalf of the poor and powerless people. Martin Luther King was shot
because he stood up for all the Black people against the prejudice and discrimination found in U.S.
laws and practises. He campaigned for the poor people too, black and white, demanding economic
as well as racial justice and freedom. He once said, ‘I submit that an individual who breaks a law
that conscience tells him is unjust - and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in
order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, - is in reality expressing
the highest respect for the law.’- And - ‘I submit to you that if a man hasn’t discovered
something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.’ Religious people know that death is not
the end and it must come in time to everyone. They have endless courage to serve
God and face the dangers that obeying God may bring to them but they don’t go
out deliberately to die or put other people’s lives in danger. When death came
to these ‘saints’ it was a result of their love for God and faith-driven, wise,
positive, fearless actions to change the world for the better and bring
us more happiness Their deaths inspired the world. They did not
increase suffering and death. Like Martin Luther King said -
“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere
Ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” That, in my
view, is where both the suicide bombers and some
of our politicians come in the picture. What
the rich Western countries are doing is
wrong – true - but when terrorists
kill innocent people they are
just adding to the misery,
suffering and evil in
our poor world.
Allah must
be sad.
33
A WAY FORWARD ?
That
death is not
the end and there
are serious consequences
to our actions (through heaven
and hell or through karma and reincarnation)
is something all religions agree about. There are a lot
of differences between religions. Some can’t be reconciled but
there are many more characteristics and beliefs, practises and goals which
they all share. They come from the same Transcendent Source, they do the same
thing by connecting us to the Mystery of our Creator and by giving us a framework of
ideals to live by, they have the same function and satisfy the same human needs. It is this
and the way that (despite their varied origins and outer differences) believers share similar
experiences in worship that makes me a ‘pluralist’ Muslim rather than believing that Islam
is the only true way to Allah. Pluralists argue that all the religions are like different routes
up one mountain. They are all ways to the One Truth or Ultimate Goal. If people have this
perspective, they will care for everyone on the planet and never be poisoned with hate or
seduced by the terrorists argument. In my view we have to see the truth that Allah is One
for everyone and accept that ours is not the only way to Heaven. For me seeing this was
like coming from a dark, cramped and fearful room into joyful sunshine. I knew it was
right, deep inside, in my heart. It’s not something you can argue about or ‘prove’ any
more than faith is. There are millions of Muslim Pluralists like me. I get a lot of joy
insight and inspiration from Inter-faith and multicultural events. They give me
hope and make me an optimist even in the face of all that is bad in the world.
There are real, serious human injustices. But Allah is there Awesome and
Terrifying but also infinite in Beauty, Kindness, Love, Mystery, Power
and Glory, too. Now, for the first time in history, many people from
all over the world, all races and religions, are coming together to
work for His Victory. If we learn about Allah from our own
traditions, in the way that we were born, practising our
own faiths but listening to other views too. If we
can accept and value them and work together
(like at the Live -8 concerts and after the
tsunami) we can become instruments
of Allah and (according to His
Will) bring peace, justice
and joy to this sad
and broken
world
34
TO KNOW - NOT TO ARGUE
I
Am a
British Muslim
and I live in a world made
up of many different faiths and points
of view. If I want my views to be respected
then I must give those who follow other religions the
same respect and right to be heard. I believe that just because
Allah is eternal, the Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Creator of
all, (as all the religions teach,) He is still speaking to us today. If we listen to Him
in the depths of our hearts and through the lives of His saints - the saints of all religions
and all times, we will succeed. I want to know Allah in my life, personally, through prayer
and through my worship as a British Muslim today, not just know about him by studying
a book, however holy. I want the Qur’an to enable me to look forward, not over my
shoulder, I want to know the reality of Allah’s guidance directly, today and not
by arguing about how things were done in Pakistan or in the past. I believe
that the great religions offer those who follow them genuine ways to
find peace and to know Allah. They give our lives structure and
direction in the storms and troubles of our far-from-perfect
world. I get tired of attacks on my religion and of racist
insults, tired of attacks on myself, my family and
on my community especially since the July
bombs, which is why I am writing
such a lot here. I want to
stand up for
Islam.
35
ATTACKS and REACTIONS
For
us the figure
given in the news
of a 5 - 600% increase
in racist attacks since 7th
July
which includes some arson attacks
on Mosques, businesses and homes, a 43
year old father and an 18 year old black student
(who was not even Muslim) being murdered, are not just
statistics but our own experiences. My mother is sworn at by other
drivers as she comes home from dropping us to school. She has grounded us
because of the real danger of fights and because I may see the boy who stabbed me
on the Monday after the bombing as I was going to the chip shop. She did not even let me go
with my friends to a Peace Rally in Birmingham City Centre on the Saturday after the bombing
in case I bumped into him. She’s afraid I won’t have the self-control to respond in a wise way.
I don’t want to fight but in truth I don’t know what to do because if I do nothing then he
will think he has won - but if everyone just retaliates then things just get worse. I
see the news on TV and read the papers – then I lie in bed and try not to think!
I’m glad that the latest Harry Potter book just came out because it helps
to take my mind off the crazy news. We have booked a few days
holiday at a Youth Hostel in the Peak District next week
but we are worried that with all the racism it may
not be safe. I hope we do go. I like the space
and freedom of the hills and we may go
to Alton Towers, too. I thought I’d
finished this but my teacher has
asked me to write about the
Muslim dress and Hijab
or scarf that Muslim
women wear but
I know very
little about
that.
36
MODESTY and CONSIDERATION
So
she asked
some friends and
Muslim RE teachers for their
help. ‘Most Muslim women cover their
heads with a ‘Hijab’ or scarf because the Qur’an
requests this kind of modesty and Muhammad’s own wives
wore it. Women had little status in pre-Islamic Arabia and were at
risk from men so it is a strong symbol of protection and emancipation.’ All
religions speak about the importance of purity and modesty. Western society uses sex
as a marketing tool and this creates problems for men and women alike. (One recent example
is a student in school who was sitting his GCSE exam this summer. He asked the invigilator
what he could do about the girl sitting in front of him. She was wearing trousers which
were cut so low that he could see the thong she was wearing under them. This was
causing him to feel aroused and making it almost impossible to concentrate on
his GCSE paper.) Why should girls cause boys this kind of problem? And
how can parents who love their daughters let them wear clothes which
expose them to real danger from men who can’t control their sexual
desire? There are so many dangers such as date-rape and teenage
girls getting pregnant that result. Advertisers know that sex
is a very strong emotion and they use it just to make
money. Another example of the way advertisers
exploit women is now in many of the BP
garages. They have just started to
display the porno magazine
‘Nuts’ by the till, on
the counter.
When
my
37
THE INNER HIJAB
Mum
complained
they said that the
management had told
them to put the magazines
there to improve sales. My mum
asked the lady who served us if she was
happy about it. The lady just shook her head
but she had no power to remove them. Birmingham
has a similar problem but I don’t know who is behind that.
Victoria square is at the heart of the city. In front of the town hall,
is a sculpture of a naked woman lying in a bath and holding a bowl which
overflows with water. Locals call it ‘The Floozy in the Jacuzzi.’ I think a floozy
is a prostitute, but what ever it is supposed to represent it is the wrong statue to have in
any city especially in a central place like that. It’s embarrassing. Put it on an island in the lake
at Sutton Park or in any of the parks - and put a beautiful fountain in front of the Town Hall that
the city can be proud of and all the people can enjoy, something for visitors to take photos beside
instead of walking past quickly and looking the other way. I think that a big part of the population
is offended by it and not just Muslims. It makes me laugh because whenever we go there I see a
pigeon sitting on its head and its knees and making a mess on it, like its expressing the views
of the people. There is a difference between the so called ‘Western’ attitude to life and the
attitude of many other cultures. Advertising is a big part of it. A lot of the adverts show
people with almost no clothes on and this is something that also offends many people.
There is something called modesty, dignity, purity, respect, which the Western way
of life seems to be forgetting. Anything really gross, like ‘Little Britain’ which is
insulting, racist and sick is seen as clever and anyone criticising it is looked on
as dumb and old-fashioned. But it just alienates a lot of people, both British
traditionalists and people from other communities - not just Muslims. The
Hijab, like the clothes that Christian nuns wear, is an important symbol
of modesty, purity and protection for both sexes but I think it’s more
important to keep the ‘inner Hijab’ the inner purity in your attitude
of mind. There is no use in wearing the Hijab at school, and then
provoking the boys like any of the secular girls who think it’s
just a game. I think that inner purity is more important than
the outer Hijab which is just a traditional symbol. That’s
why some Muslim women choose not to wear a Hijab.
What you wear and how much of your head or face
you cover is a cultural not religious choice. In
school a lot of Muslim girls choose to keep
the ‘inner Hijab’ while some prefer to
please their family and show their
faith in their religion and pride
of culture by wearing the
full Hijab. I believe
it is a personal
decision.
38
WOMEN IN ISLAM?
Thinking
about Hijab has
inspired me to write
about women in Islam since
the general view is that they are
treated as second-class citizens. I think
that the Hijab is a very visual symbol and it
can make western women think Muslim women are
oppressed. But if you talk to some English women who have
chosen to become Muslim they will tell you that they like to wear
the Hijab because they are tired of being seen as sex objects and having
to think about makeup and hairstyles all the time. The Hijab makes them feel
free from that pressure. People talk about the equality of the sexes and the Qur’an
gives women more status and equality than any other religion I know of but it doesn’t
say that women and men are the same. They are equally important but they have different
roles in life. Muslim women are first and foremost important as mothers. That is something
no man can be. There’s a nice story about Muhammad, when someone asked him who should
come first and be treated with the most respect, Muhammad said ‘your mother.’ The person then
asked, ‘And after your mother then who?’ Muhammad again said, ‘Your mother.’ Three times he
repeated that your mother must come first. In the this society a woman is expected to have a career
and bring up her children too. That can put a big strain on the family. In traditional Christian religion
as well as most of religions and cultures I can think of it’s the same as Islam. The woman’s role is first
as a mother and to make their home a warm and happy place. It’s not easy to earn enough for the family
so some mothers need to go to work but there is a clear division of roles and responsibilities. I think this
can make things easier for men and women. Another thing people often criticise in Islam is for allowing
a man to marry more then one wife. This is quite rare. I don’t know even one family like that. But I saw
a programme about it and they were saying that a family is a lot of work and the wives were like sisters
and able to help each other, such as one looking after the children while the other went shopping. They
liked it. If it works well and everyone’s happy why should it be viewed as wrong? In Islam the idea of
having more than one wife began after the wars in Medina when many men had been killed. A lot of
women were widows so it helped make sure everyone was cared for. In Islam the greatest blessings
come when you help orphans and widows or other people who are in difficulty. Having more than
one wife is only permitted if the husband can love all his wives equally and provide for them all,
so I guess that’s why it’s so rare to see. When a family’s happy there will be fewer bad things
such as domestic violence and divorce and the children will be happy too. But it sometimes
doesn’t work and marriages sometimes break down. Divorce can happen in Islam. This is
more likely in England. I think arranged marriages can be good because both families
give support to them, but what ever way people meet up the strength of the marriage
depends on how the husband and wife care for each other and how well they work
together. In England there are more pressures on everyone so it can be more
difficult. When you see some women wearing black robes from head to
foot with faces covered it is because of cultural tradition and not real
Islam. For example my mother is a serious Muslim but she just
wears the scarf-Hijab. She goes to work and drives a car
so she has a lot of independence. Some girls may
not want a family so being a mother can’t
be the only important role for a woman
but it is not valued in western
society. I think Islam is
better in this
respect.
39
SCIENCE AND RELIGION
I
know
that in some
branches of Christianity
there is conflict between religion and
science. Theology is sometimes called ‘The Queen
of the Sciences’ but then the scientists started to discover
things that contradicted the religious view of the world. Galileo
was in trouble for saying that the earth is not the centre of the universe
and it goes around the sun. Then Darwin and other people who were studying
different species of plants and animals – and geologists who were studying the rocks
and fossils, worked out the ‘theory of evolution.’ Some Christians take the Bible literally
and calculate from it that the earth is about 4004 years old but when geologists study the rocks
they calculate the age of the earliest rocks to be about 4,500 million years. I have read some books
on geology. It is based on the things you see happening to the earth today. There are oceans into which
rivers flow and deposit loads of sand and mud they have been carrying. There are mountains which are
being eroded by forces like gravity and weather, snow, glaciers-ice, wind, rain and rivers. All the forces
are slow and would eventually make the earth quite flat but there are forces in the earth that make oceans
tear apart and continents collide. Then molten rock is forced up through cracks and things like volcanoes
and earthquakes occur. You can find evidence for the same forces operating in past ages - frozen into the
rocks. From these you can work out the relative ages of rocks - and map out the history of the world. You
can find crystals of minerals which alter at a set speed. They act like clocks. Then many fossils show how
the different species of creatures on earth have changed over millions of years. In very early rocks there
are traces of simple sea-creatures but later rocks have more complicated creatures. In later rocks there
are simple land animals. Then there is the age of dinosaurs which was about 100 million years ago I
think. When they died out there was a small animal which was a mammal and it developed into the
whole range of mammals which we see on earth today. The process for this evolution from one
species to another is the struggle for survival. Parents give their genetical code to their babies
but each individual is unique. If a certain feature gives an individual some strength which
helps it survive and reproduce then that feature will slowly come to be found in all the
population. The fossil record shows that creatures looking like us only appeared in
the last few million years. These fossils are found in caves in Africa. They share
many features with the apes and scientists have worked out that the apes and
monkeys in our world today have evolved from the same ancestors as us.
This is confirmed because we share a very similar genetical code. The
Bible begins with the Book of Genesis. This that says God made
the world in seven days. Humans and animals were created
separately, and just as they are now. Evolution is not on
the menu. So Christians who take the Bible as the
literal word of God have a problem. Some of
them refuse to look at the discoveries of
science and have even made a theme
park in America showing men
walking on earth with the
dinosaurs. This is like
closing your eyes
to truth.
40
TRUTH IS TRUTH
In Islam you
find many scientific
truths which were not known
in the Christian world. For example;
the Qur’an refers to the way that God directs
the movement of the stars and planets. The Qur’an teaches
that the world of nature is evidence for Allah’s existence. If people
study science then they are learning more about Allah, the Creator. There
can’t be two truths, so I think that scientists just need to feel that their study is part
of their religion. Some Christians are not able to accept evolution, but others say that the
book of Genesis is an ancient record which came from a time in pre-history before the written
word had been invented. The stories in it are from the traditions of tribes who did not understand the
life as we do today. They looked for truth by praying, meditating and interpreting dreams and visions.
They explained the truth in song story and poem. Their way of speaking was full of symbolism and you
can’t compare that truth directly with the kind of truth we have in history and science now. If you know
about Oral Tradition and understand the symbolism then you never compare it directly with the truth that
science reveals and it’s easy to accept that evolution is the process that God has used to create this world.
You also have many truths that the story of creation holds and science can’t give, like the earth is created
by God and he sees that it is good. In the Genesis story humans have a special role to care for everything.
It is all explained quite clearly in the Qur’an. The earth is created by Allah and we have responsibility to
care for it. Both the Genesis story and The Qur’an also say that Adam was the first man. In Islam he is
named as the first of the Prophets of God. The Qur’an is the revealed truth, dictated directly by angel
Gabriel, so its truth can’t be interpreted as ancient Oral Tradition. But it is not a scientific document
either. It is a unique document with a source that can not be compared directly to any other and it
also needs careful interpretation. There’s a lot of symbolic language in the Qur’an. I don’t know
exactly how to resolve the question of Adam as the first man and the way that life has evolved
over some 4,500 million years but I know both accounts are true so there must be an answer.
Allah is Truth. Truth is truth. As I was thinking about all this my brother came home with a
new book from a Muslim bookshop. It is ‘Drops from an Ocean’ by the great Sufi saint,
Mwlana Jalaluddin Rumi. I found a story he tells about Musa and the shepherd called
Worship of the Heart. Reading this made me realise that in this verse of my ‘poem’
I am getting far too much into the mind and into issues where the arguments are
interesting but endless. These arguments will never be solved in a way that
everyone will agree about and they do not help me in any way to grow
wiser or closer to Allah. We can only do that through worship, our
prayers and meditations. So I am putting the question of Adam
and evolution and other such questions to one side. In his
introduction to Rumi’s stories the editor writes: ‘One
thing that is absolutely clear to anyone who reads
the Mathnawi with an unprejudiced mind is…
Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi was a truly great
Muslim… The sweeping criticisms that
some Islamic extremists make
of the Sufis are clearly
ridiculous’
41
MOSES AND THE SHEPHERD
However
If you have any
aspiration at all to understand
existence then do not be contented with
books… Seek out a teacher and a circle of sane
people…’ I think that is what I am looking for. Anyway
Here is the story which inspired me because it shows that you
don’t need to answer all the questions and all agree about everything.
The only thing that matters is to think of Allah more and love Him more
In your own way – in the way that He has for you. And since everyone is unique
I think He will have His own ways for each one of us to worship and approach Him.
‘..Musa (Moses) saw a shepherd on the way who was saying, “Oh Allah, You who choose
whom You will, where are You, so that I may become Your servant and repair Your shoes and
comb Your hair? That I may wash Your clothes and kill Your lice and bring You milk, O worshipful
One; that I may kiss Your little hand and stroke Your little foot, and at bed-time I may sweep Your little
room, O You for whom all my goats are sacrificed, - O You in remembrance of whom I sigh and moan,
Where are You?” Moses asked the shepherd who he was talking to and he said. “To that One who created
us; by whom this earth and heavens were created.” Musa scolded him and said he was talking nonsense
because it’s wrong to talk to Allah like that. ‘…..Does the Lord of Glory have such things as a body and its
needs?’ The shepherd said, ‘Musa you have closed my mouth and burned my soul with repentance.’ But then
Allah came to Musa as a revelation and said, “You have parted my servant from Me… I have given everyone his
own particular way of acting. I have given everyone a special form of expression. From him it is praiseworthy,
but from you it is blameworthy. From him it is honey but from you it is poison… I am not made holy by their
glorifying Me; it is they who become pure and radiant. I do not look at the tongue or speech; I look at the
inward and the state. I gaze into the heart to see whether it is humble because the heart is the essential
thing and speech is secondary… Light up a fire of love in your soul, burn thought and expression
completely away.” Musa ran after the shepherd to tell him, “Permission has come from Allah.
Do not seek rules and methods; say whatever your heart desires. Your way of speaking is the
true way and your way is the light of the spirit. You are saved and through you a whole
world is saved. O you who are made safe by ‘Allah does whatever He wills.’ So
free your tongue and do not worry about what you say.” The shepherd
had already received great blessings. Rumi concluded by saying
‘Take good heed! Allah’s acceptance of your praise is from
His mercy.’ I think this means we should try to
Listen to Allah’s Voice in our hearts
rather than just follow
other people.
42
ISLAM and JUDAISM
Soon
after the
attacks of
7/7 the father of
one suicide bomber
was interviewed. He was
asked if his son’s behaviour had
changed in any noticeable way in the
months leading up to the attack. He said that
his son had become more serious about his religion. He
had started wearing the Muslim robes and a hat and attending the
Mosque more regularly. I want to make it clear that Muslims usually wear
traditional clothes when they attend Mosque. My brother and I wear them every day
to Mosque school. All practising Muslims will try to go to the Mosque regularly to pray
and most men will wear traditional clothes. These are not a sign that someone is becoming
extreme or fanatical in their views or may turn into a terrorist. Our robes are practical.
We bend down to pray so tight-fitting trousers would be uncomfortable. Also if
we wear similar clothes it help everyone remember that we are all equal
before Allah. How much money you have or what your status is in
society does not count at the Mosque. Our hat is a symbol of
respect for God. This is the same as in Judaism but our
prayer hats are a bit bigger than Jewish caps. Jews
and Muslims are cousins. Jews are descended
from Abraham through his son Isaac and
Muslims through his first son Ismael.
We share many of the same beliefs
and prophets, including that
‘idol worship’ of any
kind is forbidden
and God is
ONE.
43
ART and MUSIC
I think
Allah wants us
to run towards Him with
joy and enthusiasm, with the love
and devotion of the Sufi saints, not to hide
in a corner criticising each other and afraid even
to use our own language (like the word Saint, not Wali)
to speak about Him. But this is not a view which all Muslims
share. In the Qur’an there are many passages which warn us that life
is a test and there are serious consequences if we do not do the right thing. This
is why many Muslims are so cautious. The reality of heaven and hell is central in Islam
so many people would rather be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to bringing up their
children. My teacher has asked me to write about music and art because she knows I have strong views
on that. Because I live in a multi-ethnic city, I have friends who practise different religions and I learn from
them and from Religious Education lessons about the other religions. I think it is good to know about other
beliefs as well as our own. It makes you stronger in your faith because you have to explain and defend it when you talk to other people about religion. But it also helps you see some things you disagree with in
your own community. I like music and at school I was good in keyboard but at home it’s not allowed.
In the Qur’an music is not encouraged but that was linked to impure music for entertainment. A lot
of pop music is aggressive and impure but I know that instrumental music can be pure. Shaam is a
group from Birmingham that use traditional Muslim devotional singing and percussion as a way
of strengthening the faith and worship of their audiences. They are popular and successful and
there are many Muslims who follow traditions in that way. But I don’t like this kind of limit.
There are so many great Muslim musicians. A lot of Muslim Pir’s and saints and a lot of
Muslims from other cultures, like Bengalis, Persians and Turks are not afraid of playing
instruments. But many people in my community think it is wrong. I can watch all the
rubbish programmes on television which are really bad, but I can’t play keyboard.
I think that getting bored and angry because of this narrowness and hypocrisy
is more likely to harm my faith than learning keyboard. It’s the same with art.
The Qur’an forbids us to make idols which is quite natural but that does not
apply to art works. They are not idols made for worship. There’s a Hadith
where Muhammad advises us not to take on Allah’s role as creator. But
what does this mean? Only Allah gives life. No artist can create life.
To be safe, some Muslim scholars say that only Arabic calligraphy
and geometric pattern are OK. Some say flowers are OK but not
people or animals. Others say that any flat images are fine but
to avoid sculpture. The prophet wanted to make sure no-one
worshipped him so it’s not right to depict him and even if
he was drawn by some Muslims, to illustrate the events
in his life, later artists have covered his face. But it’s
different for other people. In Islamic Art there is a
long tradition of depicting people and animals. If
someone says you will go to hell if you draw
an animal or a person I think they are badly
wrong. I think if the interpretation is too
narrow it corrupts Islam I think this
attitude is dangerous and an insult
to Islam. It is the opposite of
truth. The narrowness and
fears are what cut us
off from Allah,
not the art or
music.
44
THE QUR’AN
This
Poem is about
what I understand by the
concept of God. I don’t think it
would be complete without looking
at the Qur’an, and there are many passages
which describe Allah and his relationship with
human beings. I read it in both Arabic and in English.
I’ve been to Mosque School for years and I can recite a lot
of the Qur’an including the whole end passage but that doesn’t
mean I am an expert in my religion. I am not. But I do know enough
to love it and want to defend it against the ignorant critics in our society
and hopefully this poem will help some people understand Islam a bit better.
Because I am writing this for English readers who are not Muslim and don’t know
the Qur’an at all I will quote some selections from a translations created for non-Muslims.
It is called ‘The Soul of the Qur’an’ and was compiled by Saniyasin Khan and it’s one of my
favourite books. Here are just a few suras (2.115) - ‘To God belongs both East and West:
Wherever you turn, there is God’s Countenance. God is All-Embracing, All Knowing.’
‘There is no God but God, who lives eternally. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes
Him. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and on earth. He knows what
lies before and behind all people. Humans can only understand those parts
of His Truth which He wishes them to know. His throne is as vast as the
sky and earth and sustaining both the sky and earth does not weary
Him. He is the highest and the greatest’. (24.35..) – ‘God is the
light of the heavens and the earth.’ (50.16) We indeed created
man; and we know the promptings of his soul, and we are
nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ It is impossible
to choose just a few passages to give a sense of
what God means to a Muslim. There are many
more that I treasure, that thrill me when I
read or recite them. You can feel their
truth and power. My own religious
life is a private thing and not
something I can discuss
in a poem like this.
But these are all
suras that I
love.
45
HEAVEN AND HELL
There
are also many
suras which relate to
the reality Heaven and Hell.
Some people understand these in a
literal way but many of the Muslims that I
know believe that the Qur’an is using symbolic
language for something that’s beyond our understanding.
I think that Heaven is a place or state of great beauty, peace and
happiness, a place where we will know God and be with Him. Hell in
contrast is a place of pain and misery. Even human society has rules and bad
consequences for people who break the laws. In a small way it’s obvious that if your
parents send you out to do something and you go straight away and come back quickly after
doing it well, they are pleased with you so you are happy too but if you argue and grumble and then
take ages and do it badly then they will be angry when you come back and you will be in trouble. So I
think it’s natural that God, who created us will have some sort of consequences, rewards or punishments
for us as a consequence of how we spend our time on earth. All the religions say this - either with the
concept of judgement and Heaven and Hell or with the concept of karma and reincarnation and I’d
rather get things right now and go to Heaven in one life than be faced with thousands of lives and
learning the lessons of life slowly - but whatever the process, it seems certain to me death is
not the end and there are consequences for the way in which we live. I think that this life
which occupies us so much, is only a fraction of all that exists. The visible world, the
physical, material world, is created by God and has no meaning without Him. Life
is an opportunity, a test, which will lead us either to Heaven or Hell and what we
think, all our words and actions are seen. Each time we repeat The Bismillah,
we remember that God is Compassionate and Merciful. God is Forgiving.
He is not mean, always looking for ways to catch us out and make us
fail, but Gracious and Loving, always ready to help us make the
right choices in life and succeed. I know what temptation is, I
have seen evil in people who have no heart and don’t care
about anything except money and power. I’ve also seen
good people who live in the heart and try to do right,
who try to know what is Allah’s Will and to serve
Allah in everything. I know Allah forgives our
mistakes and gives us strength to put things
right when we get things wrong. He does
hear our prayers. I’ve already seen that
happening in my own life so I think
that as long as we always keep
trying to know Allah more,
to love Him and please
Him, we don’t need
to be afraid of
Hell. .*
46
* I have inserted the next four verses, almost a year later. I think they fit best here.
CONTRADICTIONS
I
have
met some
pluralists that
think that if we are all
‘nice,’ polite to everyone and
focus on the things we can all agree
about then all the arguments and fears will
disappear. But nothing is that simple. I think that
if we ignore the real differences and pretend that they
don’t matter then that is dishonest and is just going to make
more trouble for the future. But just as I don’t agree with a lot of
other people’s views there are many people who won’t agree with my
opinions. We all need to see that this is just the way things are and accept it.
Some people become missionaries and try to convert other people to their beliefs.
For example, I’ve been stopped by Jehovah’s Witness missionaries who asked me if I
would like to live in a peaceful world and live forever in a beautiful heaven. All I have
to do is to join their organisation. A different type of Christian gave me a leaflet that
outlined amazing things about Jesus and quoted parts the Bible to make it clear that
He is the only Saviour and only through his sacrifice can our sins be forgiven. But
if you look at these things in a wider way, you find that all religions offer their
followers the promise of peace, forgiveness and eternal life and all religions
have amazing events and people in them. Christians believe that Jesus is
a unique ‘divine incarnation’, the Son of God. Muslims say he wasn’t
divine but a human Prophet of God - Muhammad is the ‘Seal of the
Prophets’ and the Qur’an is the final and most perfect revelation.
Hindus say Jesus was a divine incarnation but not the only one.
They call such Godly people ‘Avatars’ and say that Rama,
Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and others were all Avatars and
God comes into the world like that when it is necessary
to. They go on to say that the goal of every human
being is to realise God and become a light for all
the world. Just to complicate the picture more,
there are Ahmadiyya Muslims who say that
Jesus lived on after the crucifixion, that He
went to Kashmir and taught there. You
see contradictions but there’s no way
of knowing who is right. For me
it’s enough to know that these
great teachers and prophets
exist. I don’t need all the
theory. I just have to
follow my own
Islam and
Respect
all.
47
COMPASSION
I do
not know
a lot about other
Muslim denominations but
the first time I came to know about the
Ahmadiyya Muslims was from a leaflet I picked
up in a Sunni-Muslim bookshop. This gave an outline of their
history and some of their beliefs. It was so contradictory that I could
understand when some of my friends said that Ahmadiyya’s aren’t really Muslims
and all their Mosques should be closed down. Some of their Mosques have even been burned
in Bangladesh. They had a teacher who claimed to have new divine insights, like Prophet Muhammad,
and that in itself is right against the teachings of Islam. I looked up about the Ahmadiyya’s on the internet
and found that they’re the third largest denomination in Islam. First there are the 940 million Sunnis, then
120 million Shiites then 10 million Ahmadiyya Muslims. Then there are Druze, Ibadiyah, Nation of Islam,
Ishmaelis etc. When I asked my teacher about all these groups - how you tell which is right and what to do
about all the ones which are wrong, she said only God is perfect. When anything comes into this world it
gets mixed up with human ignorance human desire for power, fear, greed, jealousy, pride, ego and so on.
Islam is no exception. You just need to get to know different people. She was at university with some
Ismaeli, Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims as well as ‘evangelical’ Christians. They’d all argue a lot. You can
always find things to disagree about. But they had to respect each other as people. When you realise
there’s such variety in everything, then you see that God must love variety. So why would He make
only one way to know Him? Then it’s easy to accept the different religions and beliefs. You can
value and appreciate the differences and even stark contradictions don’t bother you. She knows
some Ahmadiyyas from Inter-faith events and they say that their teacher was a reformer and
reviser – not another Prophet. She said that Jesus said there would be false prophets in the
future and you tell which are true or false by their ‘fruits’ by their actions, what they and
their followers do. From that measurement she thinks the Ahmadiyya’s teacher must be
genuine and it’s always best to look at what people do and not get too tied up with
words and doctrines. Pluralists of all religions believe that the Light of God is at
the heart of all the religions. The contradictions are in the words and outer form
of religion. If you use the heart of love that accepts, expands, and includes not
the mind that criticises and divides, then everything reveals God’s Light. Her
view is that God did not stop sending light into the world when Mohammed
died – that ‘It’s a fact of life and clear to see.’ For example there are ten
Sikh Gurus, the Baha’is, and so many other great teachers around the
world who have lived in the years since Mohammed died. Our world
is still imperfect so if God really does love us, his human creations
then like any good parent, he will never give up on us. Like any
good parent he may say, ‘This is your last chance,’ but then his
compassion will be there and new light will be revealed. My
teacher thinks that because Allah is in charge, whatever
family and religion we are born into is the right one for
us. It gives us the guidance and inspiration we need.
But that does not give us the right to criticise, judge.
condemn or even kill someone just because they
were born into another family or believe in a
different way. And if you want to find out
about any religion you should look at the
people who live by it and listen to
them, not read something which
was written to criticise and
spread division.
48
‘POST SCRIPT’
The
way that
this ‘poem’
has grown over the
year and more that I’ve
been writing has really surprised
me. I keep wanting to stop and sometimes
I think I have finished but then another conversation
or event in the news makes me want to include something
on that too. Last year, towards the end of August, there were about 25
‘verses’ to my ‘poem.’ I had completed the Names of Allah and thought I had
finished. But since then I’ve been inspired to write about a lot of other things, too. The
last two verses (Contradictions and Compassion) were the most recent, written in the first
few days of August 2006 and I have even printed some copies and written a new introduction to
respond to some of the feedback. But now there is more ‘trouble’ in the news, with the plot to bomb
some aeroplanes and arrests all over the place. In the news tonight three MP’s and leading members of
the British muslim community have written to the government saying that British policy in Iraq and our
response to Israel’s fighting Palestine and Lebanon is alienating a lot of British Muslims and encouraging
sympathy for the terrorists. A government representative reacted angrily to this letter and called it ‘facile.’
I looked in my computer thesaurus and found that ‘facile’ means: ‘simplistic, superficial, flippant, trivial,
frivolous banal, silly, inane, trite, absurd, ridiculous, childish, naïve’ and ‘stupid.’ But the truth is never
facile. I want to believe that our political system has hope, since it seems to be the best system we have
in the world at the moment. Dictatorship is usually abused and the ideal of Sharia Law based on divine
principles needs to be completely revised before that can work. But if our government won’t listen to
its own MP’s who are telling them the facts of what the people that voted for them are saying, and
if they don’t listen to the leaders of the British Muslims who know their communities, who will
they listen to? I used to think the bombers were stupid people, brainwashed by evil men who
hijack their love of Islam for political ends, to use their lives as a cheap ‘guided missiles’
by convincing them that mass-murder is ‘Jihad’ and is the only way to get rid of such
a corrupt Western way of life, to make for a better world. But I’ve read a lot about
suicide bombers since then and I can see that my view was simplistic. facile. The
bombers are usually intelligent and often well educated people. They are not
ignorant or mental cases brainwashed to do what their leaders say. They
care about our world and the terrible suffering in Lebanon, Palestine
and in Iraq etc. But they have lost all sense of hope that the world
can be changed in a peaceful way. They feel powerless, helpless
and frustrated. They think that if their by living they can’t
stop the injustices then perhaps by their death, by their
sacrifice, they can achieve something good. I think
they are absolutely wrong in this but I can
understand what makes them act. The
government needs to listen and
make some urgent policy
changes so everyone
can live with
hope.
49
THE BISMILLAH
I am
a teenager and
I don’t have any magic
solution to all these complicated
problems but I do have real hope for the
future. This is not because I think that our political
system is the best but because I love my religion and I
know a lot of other people of many different religions who
love Allah (or God) in their own ways and are working together
for peace and understanding. I look at our Prophet Muhammad and what
Allah says in our Qur’an. In my view the Bismillah holds the best secret. Before
we do anything if we remember, ‘In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate’
and then to act in a merciful and compassionate way, then we will be likely to do the right
thing. Merciful means forgiving. It is the opposite of vengeful. Someone has done wrong. They
deserve punishment but they beg you for mercy. If you are vengeful you probably give them even
more punishment than you were planning to give. But if you are merciful then you forgive them and
treat them well, like and your real friend and help them on their way. A merciless is powerful. He will
put anyone he wants in prison or have them put to death for no reason. But a merciful king will always
be fair and stop any harm coming to people. Compassionate is more than kind-hearted. It means empathy
and understanding. A compassionate person will know how you feel. If you are suffering they will share
in your suffering and be full of concern for you. But it is more than that. It means to be ready to act in a
way to stop your suffering. Compassion is the opposite of indifference or callousness. A compassionate
person will care about you, be concerned for you. They will be on your side and help you get out of
any kind of trouble. Allah is all-powerful, His Compassion includes the capacity to help in every
way. In Christianity, Jesus said God is Love and he showed what that meant in many ways, like
with his miracles and in the way he died. In Islam there are many Names of God and Muslims
have to develop these qualities in their own lives. Since we try to remember the Bismillah
before everything we do, the qualities of Mercy and Compassion of forgiveness and to
help those in need are especially important. I think they are the qualities we should
try to live by all the time. Muhammad lived by it, and you see the same thing in
all the religions. Buddhists have their Eightfold Path of loving kindness and
doing, saying and thinking right things Christians also have their principle
of love. Hindu Mahatma Gandhi only used truth and harmlessness for
his weapons and one of the Sikh Gurus even gave his life to defend
Hindus freedom to worship in their own way. I wish everyone
lived like that. I try to keep this in my mind so I can try to
do the right thing. Muslims believe that Muhammad is
a perfect example. He was patient, compassionate,
forgiving and kind, even to the small animals. I
think Muslims should try to live like that
and never join any terrorists or turn
their life into a bomb to kill
innocent people.
50
ONE WORLD
In
the early
days, in Makkah,
one of Muhammad’s
neighbours hated him and
when he passed her house she
would sweep her rubbish out all over
him as he went by. One day she didn’t do it.
He wondered what was wrong and went to see. She
was ill so he nursed her. That showed her what real Islam is
like. Later, when Muslims returned to Makkah, they had to fight
just to survive. The battle was quite short but a lot of people in Makkah
were afraid. One woman was running in the street, carrying a big bundle of all
her things, trying to escape. Muhammad helped her. He carried her bundle and
asked her where she was going. She said she was escaping from Muhammad
He told her that he was Muhammad and she was so surprised. Then he saw
that some of his followers were attacking a church. He protected the holy
pictures of Jesus with his arms so no one could damage them and told
his followers that Jesus was a Prophet and they must respect other
religions. In Islam it is wrong to try to force anyone to become
Muslim and there is special respect for Jews and Christians
(‘The people of the Book.’) Muhammad was also kind to
animals, even ants. Once he was travelling with some
friends who made a fire to cook on. He moved the
fire because it was too close to an ant-hill. You
find this kind of living compassion in all the
religions and I think that it is this power,
not the power of politicians or those
terrorists which will change the
world we live in. You can’t
create a good society by
evil and destruction.
Our world is one.
One world for
everyone.
51
THE BEAUTIFUL NAMES
My
teacher
asked me to
list all the names
of Allah as part of this
exercise. She thinks we need
more true saints in the world, people
who have spiritual light. Muslims repeat the
Names of Allah to grow in spiritual strength and
wisdom. I think she hopes I will find some as I copy
them out. It is said that there are Ninety Nine ‘Beautiful
Names’ for Allah in the Qur’an (and one more, known only to
Muhammad’s camel.) In his book ‘The Names of Allah’ Parvez Dewan
writes that he thought the same but discovered there are actually a lot more.
When he studied the traditional lists Parvez was surprised to find that more than
23 of the best-known names are not found in the Qur’an at all. To cover them all he lists
231 plus 7 ‘Beautiful Names.’ The Qur’an makes it clear that it does not matter what name
you use for Allah as all His Names are Exalted. ‘Let it be said that whether you call out
to Him by the name Allah or by the name Rehman, it does not matter how you call out,
for in any case all His Names are Exalted Ones. (Qur’an.) I am giving only the first
ninety nine of the ‘Beautiful Names’ given in this book. The others are also
beautiful and important but too many to give here. This list starts with
the ones found most often in the traditional sources. Because
they are translated from Arabic there are variations
in the English words used so I have looked at
lists on internet and chosen the
translations I like
best.
52
POETRY and SYMBOLISM
The
Word RELIGION
comes from the Latin word
‘RELIGIO’ which means a bond. A bond
is a force which unites two things. In religion this
bond is found in all our relationships. We are conceived
born and grow in relationship. Relationship is central to life.
As we grow older the religion-bond unites us in an ever-expanding
family, larger than culture, tribe or nation. If this expansion stops then
we will feel that our religion is set against the other ones and its power may be
used against others. That is why you see religion stirring up hatred in conflicts like
between the Sunni and Shia Muslims, Catholic and Protestant Christians in Northern
Ireland, India and Pakistan in Kashmir and the 60 years of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed.
But if we let this bond-force-heart of religion grow and expand freely it will unite us not
just with our own religion but with the Source, as the Sufi saints make clear. Then we will
know that we belong to a Oneness Family that embraces not only all people but the whole
planet. I think that when enough people share this feeling, war will be impossible and any
trade injustice will become as unacceptable as stealing from your own mother. We will
care for the environment because we know that all creatures and all the earth are part
of us, like cells of the same body, bound together by the force of religion and the
force of this relationship is elemental, like the wind, like the tsunami, like the
silence of space, like Allah himself. I think the religions offer the ultimate
relationship with Allah and the pure goal of all the religions is to grow
in and perfect this relationship until all our thoughts and actions are
His. The ‘Names of Allah’ are treasures for Muslims to learn
and meditate on. But I think they are inspiring for anyone
who wants to think about the timeless questions
about God and our life, even simply using,
poetry and symbolism - imagining:
‘If God were a tree, a flower,
an animal, or object
etc. what would
He be and
why?’
53
KNOWING
I
hope
my poem
has helped you
understand a bit more
about Islam and feel closer to
the two million Muslims who like me
are proud of our religion as well as being proud
of our Britishness. There are Muslims in every country
and in every ethnic group. We are brothers and sisters. We are all
one family. But many Muslims are like me, sharing the Sufi vision and
believing that since Allah is one and we are all created by him, all people - what
ever their beliefs, belong to the same family and all people are brothers and sisters.
I am still learning about all this and I can’t pretend I have all the answers but I love to
read the words of the saints. Ibn Sina, for example, writes: ‘God knows all beings that
exist. Since God is the only necessary being, all other beings are caused by him. And
since God is knowledge, he must know all that he has caused.’ This ‘poem’ is my
best attempt to express my views about God, about Allah and ‘my Islam.’ I am a
boy who likes to stand gazing at the Muslim-symbol crescent-moon and stars,
imagining. I imagine that Muhammad looked at them in the nights before the
first Revelation. I imagine that the saints of all ages and of all the religions
did the same. I think that what I think and do at each moment is shaping
me and making me who I am. It is a frightening thought if the atheists
are right because I often get it wrong. But if the saints are right, then
I am not alone. There is a ‘Mystery’ which is working with and in
me. If I am true, obedient and sincere, if I don’t give up and if I
keep on trying to do the right thing, to deepen my relationship
with the Mystery that I call Allah, through my prayers and
my meditations, in the books I read, in the hearts of all
the people I meet and all the conversations I enjoy,
then I believe that Allah in His compassion and
mercy will reveal himself to me as he has
to so many others, in His own time
and His own way. And then I
will no longer speculate
about God - I will
know!
54
THE 99 BEAUTIFUL NAMES
Allah (The God. God’s personal name, the secret one, the architect of creation.)
Ilah (God or deity. Sanctuary and protection.)
1) Ar Rehman (The compassionate one.)
2) Ar Rahim (The Merciful one.)
3) Al Malik (The Emperor, Ruler or Lord.)
4) Al Quddus (The One who is absolutely holy and pure.)
5) Al Salam (The Fountainhead of Peace.)
6) Al Mo’min (The keeper of the faith.)
7) Al Muhaiyamin (The Protector.)
8) Al Aziz (He who is mighty, powerful.)
9) Al Jabbar (He who is omnipotent.)
10) Al Mutakabbir (The Supreme, He who possesses absolute Greatness.)
11) Al Khaliq (He who planned all Creation.)
12) Al Bari (He who enforces and implements all His plans.)
13) Al Musawwir (He who creates shapes according to His grand design.)
14) Al Ghaffar (He who forgives and pardons.)
15) Al Qahhar (He who dominates, The vanquisher.)
16) Al Wahhab (The Provider)
17) Al Razzaq (The Great Provider.)
18) Al Fattah (He who opens the doors of mercy, to overcome all difficulties, who
helps in times of trouble.)
19) Al Alim (He who knows everything, omniscient, the wise.)
20) Al Qabiz (He who straightens, withholds, reduces, restrains.)
21) Al Basit (He who makes bounteous, enlarges, spreads, dispenses wealth, increases
quantity.)
22) Al Khafiz (He who abases, brings downfall, turns everything upside down.)
23) Al Rafe (He who raises people.)
24) Al Mu’izz (He who bestows honours.)
25) Al Muzill (He who brings dishonour and disgrace.)
26) As Sami (He who hears everything.)
27) Al Basir (He who sees everything.)
28) Al Hakam (the Judce.)
29) Al Adl (He who is just.)
30) Al Latif (He who is benign, gracious and subtle. He who knows hidden truths.)
31) Al Khabir (He who is aware. He who knows everything that happens.)
32) Al Halim (The Gentle One.)
33) Al Azim (He who is great, Magnificent, Above all.)
34) Al Ghafur (He who forgives without limit.)
35) Ash Shakur (The Patron and Benefactor, He who shows appreciation, He who accepts
gratitude and gives health.)
55
36) Al Ali (The Highest, The Exalted One, The Supreme One.)
37) Al Kabir (The venerable head, The greatest.)
38) Al Hafiz (The protector, The Keeper.)
39) Al Muqit (He who controls all things, He who provides sustenance.)
40) Al Hasib (He who keeps accounts, the reckoner, the Supreme Auditor.)
41) Al Jalil (The Majestic. The Greatest. The Absolute Supreme.)
42) Al Karim (He who is generous and Munificent, The Prime, The Best.)
43) Ar Raqib (The Watcher. The Witness. He who is aware of everything and keeps an
eye on everything.)
44) Al Mujib (He who hears and answers prayers. He who listens. The responsive one.)
45) Al Wase (He who understands everything. He whose vision and ability are unlimited)
46) Al Hakim (The wise One.)
47) Al Wadud (The Loving One. Loving Kindness and Compassion. He who loves
enormously, He who is a great lover. The Beloved One, The Love.)
48) Al Majid ( He who is the Emperor, who is glorious.)
49) Al Ba’is (He who resurrects and lifts up. He who brings the dead back to life.)
50) Ash Shahid (The witness, He who watches everything.)
51) Al Haqq (The Truth, He who is true, The divine essence.)
52) Al Vakil (He who can be entrusted with all one’s affairs. He who is responsible and in
charge.)
53) Al Qavi (He who is extremely powerful, The Strong protective, expert.)
54) Al Matin (The Strong, the Wise, He whose nature is steady and dependable.)
55) Al Wali (The friend, patron, companion, helper. The great watcher, the Prince.)
56) Al Hamid (He who always deserves to be praised. The embodiment of all that is
good.)
57) Al Muhsi (He who counts and keeps an inventory of everything.
58) Al Mubdi (The Cause, He from whom everything has originated. He who creates
existence out of nothingness.)
59) Al Mu’id (He who brings people back to life, who causes rebirth, who restores.)
60) Al Muhyi (He who grants life, he who speeds things up.)
61) Al Mumit (He who causes death and destruction.)
62) Al Hai (He who is alive and eternal, who lives through his own strength and resources.
He who will always be and will never die.)
63) Al Qaiyum (He who exists because of his own strength.)
64) Al Wajid (He who finds, He who exists, is always present, the Watcher.)
65) Al Majid (The exalted One, greatest among all, glorious.)
66) Al Wahid (The only one, Unique, Alone.)
67) Al Ahad (The One, The only One, Peerless, Unparalleled, Supreme.)
68) As Samad (He who is Eternal, free from all want, who has no needs.)
69) Al Qadir (He who is able, who rules, who can do anything that He chooses to do.)
70) Al Muqaddir (The powerful one, Almighty, He who dominates.)
71) Al Muqaddim (He who warns in advance, who brings forwards and speeds up.)
72) Al Mu’akhkhir (He who grants remission, fulfils and wards off calamity.)
73) Al Awwal (The First, He who existed before all, who was there when nothing else
existed. He who always was.)
56
74) Al Akhir (He who is and will always be the last. The Eternal.)
75) Az Zahir (He who is evident and manifest.)
76) Al Batin (He who is hidden.)
77) Al Wali (He who governs.)
78) Al Muta’ali (The most High.)
79) Al Barr (The great Benefactor.)
80) At Tawwab (He who accepts repentance.)
81) Al Muntaqim (The Avenger, He who punishes or brings retribution.)
82) Al A’fuw (He who forgives and indulges, He who is gentle and cancels.)
83) Al Rauf (He who is a friend and shows mercy.)
84) Malik ul Mulk (King of Kings)
85) Zu’l-jalali-va’l-Ikram (The Lord who is Bounteous and Majestic.)
86) Al Muqsit (He who ensures that justice is done. He who brings balance.)
87) Al Jami (The Assembler, He who gathers and brings together.)
88) Al Ghani (He who is entire in himself. The Absolute, The Supreme.)
89) Al Mughni (He who enriches, makes self-sufficient and frees from want.)
90) Al Mane (He who withholds, controls or forbids, gives protection and freedom
from fear.)
91) Az Zarr (He who wounds or causes distress.)
92) An Nafe (He who confers advantage, who bestows benefits on others.)
93) An Nur (The Light of the universe.)
94) Al Hadi (The Guide.)
95) Al Badi / Badi-us-samavat-val-arz (The Originator, The Creator of Earth and
Skies)
96) Al Baqi (The Eternal)
97) Al Waris (The inheritor, Lord of all Creation.)
98) Ar Rashid (He who guides people to the correct path.)
99) As Sabur (The patient one, He who is infinitely patient.)
**********************************************************
57
Defence
I call this writing my ‘poem’ because that’s what it began life as, more than a year ago. A few
weeks ago I emailed it to some contacts to get some idea of what people will think of it. The early
response is mostly good but there are a few questions which have come up and I want to answer
these right now, at the start.
1) ‘Was this really written by a 15 year old?’
The answer to this question is yes and no. Yes because I am a real person and I finished most of
this last year, before I was 15. I am still not yet 16 so I have written it all while I am 14 and 15
years old. No because I couldn’t have written it on my own. It was a project that went backwards
and forwards between me and my teacher who is also a family friend. You could say it’s my ideas
but she helped to polish them up and made a lot of suggestions. I used some but not all of them.
I know other people my age who could of written this kind of ‘poem’, just as well as me. Just look
at the great poems in the Background. They are some of the poems which first inspired me to start
on this. I think that the only special thing about me is that first of all I was asked to write a poem
about God – to give my views as a young British Muslim – and that then, when I got really into it
and wanted to confront some of the prejudice and ignorance that’s so strong against Islam, I was
free to do so because I’d been excluded from school so I had loads of time on my hands. The third
thing that helped make this possible is that I have friends who have worked with me and believed
in me. They have encouraged me to carry on, when I might have abandoned this project, so that it
is now as complete as I can make it.
2) ‘I strongly disagree with what you say about death. I think the length of everyone’s life is
predestined and Allah is absolutely in control. You need to make it very clear that these are
your views and not the teachings of Islam on issues like this.’
I thought I had made it clear all the way through my poem that these are my views and I
want to make it very clear that the views I’m expressing in this work are my own. They are
not even ‘Mainstream young British Muslim’ whatever that might mean. Also the views in
the poem were what I thought at that time, and this is an issue which I am still very unsure
about. I know that poor people have shorter lives than richer ones. I know that if you live in
some areas or go to some hospitals or go at weekend for example, you are statistically more
likely to die. That seems like a human reason not the will of Allah – the Merciful, the
Compassionate. So that’s what I was thinking about when I wrote this last year. I don’t
pretend to know everything or to be ‘right’ about anything, just to like thinking about these
things and saying what I think.
3) ‘Why would anyone want to read what a 15 year old thinks? These are serious subjects. If I
want to know about subjects like Jihad and Sharia Law for example, I would look for the work
of a well-respected Muslim scholar who has spent many years studying Islam and knows what
he is talking about.’
In the golden days of Islam, when it was spreading from Arabia to India in the East and Spain in
the West, it was a creative time when all the religions respected each other and shared their
wisdom. I think that we need to recover that openness and respect for different points of view.
58
I think that Islam has lost that early energy because some parts of it have become too closed and
set in their ways. That means people are scared to think for themselves. They always want to ask a
scholar. But Allah is in all of us, closer than the blood in our body, closer than our breath. So I
think we can all try to listen to the Voice of Allah and feel in our heart what is true. That has just
as much truth to me as something some scholar may write because they may be scrutinising the
subject in a mental way, just looking at the writing and not going inside it. I think the truth is
inside and everyone can have a view on that.
About 1000 years ago top Muslim scholars interpreted what was in the Qur’an and Hadith of
Sunni Islam to make a framework of laws. These are the rules which many ‘strict’ Muslims think
of as ‘Islamic.’ They were great when they were written, but any ‘theory’ has to connect with the
living people and the time that is now – not be frozen in the past. For me that means young
Muslims like me can’t just copy the kind of Islam which our parents or grandparents practised in
Pakistan, Arabia or anywhere else – or the Islam which is being exported from the political or
traditional ‘schools of thought.’ We have to pray and listen to the inner Voice of our conscience,
of Allah in our heart. We have to read the Qur’an and soak it up, take it into the heart and not
analyse it. Then we can start to find our own way and make our Islam real for us now.
I think that the Islam which we learn in Mosque schools is not very helpful to us now because
although it teaches the words of the Qur’an which are so important, it does not show us what that
means for us in our everyday lives. It does not apply the teachings of Islam to the issues we face
in school, such as the different religions we meet, the prejudice, bullying, or materialism we have
to deal with every day and the injustices in the world like poverty and war, or how we can fit into
this complicated world we are growing up in. A lot of British Muslims are getting caught up with
drugs and gangs. There are probably as many in prison as in university. At the same time the kind
of Islam we get in Mosque School is so narrow and far from our lives that in all honesty we can’t
relate to it. What is there to help us to do the right thing? So that’s why I try to find my own way
of being a British Muslim.
I did not have a good experience in the traditional Mosque Schools. I learned and continue to
learn the Qur’an in Arabic and English but the teachers at my Mosque Schools weren’t interested
in my questions. I would get into arguments and then get thrown out. Eventually my parents
found me a really great teacher and I still go to his house for one-to-one tuition in all aspects of
Islam. He is patient with my questions and he introduced me to the Sufi tradition and saints like
Rumi, Al Ghazali and Junayd who are well known but there are lots of others especially in my
Pakistan. As well as studying the Qur’an and Hadith, my teacher encouraged me to look into the
history of Islam in Pakistan and our saints. We also read many things together, traditional books
and newspaper articles, especially about Muslims living in Western countries. This is really
interesting and relevant to me. We also follow up all kinds of questions and he is happy to look at
any subject with me, not just Islam – and my tuition teacher is also like that. It doesn’t mean I
know more than the great Muslim scholars but it does mean that my views have something behind
them. They are not just from my own ideas.
My parents want me to have a good understanding of Islam but I didn’t get that in my Mosque
School. I think a lot of us find that a problem. But the teacher I go to now is great. At Secondary
School I had different problems. I was bullied a lot in year 7 and one teacher in particular tried to
help. She ended up coming to my home and became a family friend and Tuition Teacher to me
and my brother. She asked me to write this and has been working with me on it all year. Over the
past few years she has taken us to a lot of things that relate to English life, outside my immediate
community, like the Live 8 concerts and some Inter-faith events.
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I did not sit down and write this ‘poem’ in a closed room. Each verse is the result of many
conversations and discussions, listening to people, reading around, looking at things on internet,
getting different views on what I’ve written, thinking, reflecting and meditating on the issues and
then re-writing things until I was happy. I’m trying to find my own way of being Muslim, which I
want to be informed by the scholars and the words of the Qur’an but my own inner reaction to all
the various views I have encountered, I am trying to hear my ‘heart’s voice’ and write what
‘feels’ right to me, depending on the fact that in each person God is closer to us than our
heartbeat, and we can tell instinctively if something is right or wrong - rather than going by what
is ‘correct’ according to the traditional views of the community which seems to me to be looking
backwards and afraid of being British.
Sometimes I re-read what I wrote and made some changes to it because my views have changed
or because I’ve come across something new which makes more sense to me now. I have not tried
to follow any rule except that of being true to Allah in my own heart. So it is my view and not
pretending to be ‘correct.’
Since Islam means surrender to the will of Allah and the Qur’an tells us that Allah is closer to us
than our own jugular vein, I believe we can listen to His voice deep within our hearts and talk
with Him in our prayers. So that is what I have tried to do. This is my sincere attempt at
expressing what is true to me is part of my own efforts to be a good Muslim.
I’m not trying to find any final answer to the subjects I’m exploring but to find answers which
make sense to me. When I asked my Tuition Teacher about this she thinks that my ignorance of
the ‘correct’ arguments may even be an advantage because I’m free from any kind of mental
restriction and can just write what I think. That doesn’t mean I’m right - but it does mean I’m
honestly trying to look at the subject, not just at one ‘correct’ or ‘accepted’ view.
If anything is special about the views of young British Asians like me, wherever we come from, it
is the fact that we are exploring ways of being true both to our religion and Asian culture while
being fully British too. We are not afraid of the Western culture in the way that some of the older
generation may be. We’re part of it and proud of being British. But that does not stop us being
very Muslim, (Hindu, Sikh, Christian or Buddhist etc.) and proud of our Pakistani (Bangladeshi /
Indian / Afghan / Malaysian etc.) heritage too. That makes our views unusual and who knows –
perhaps worth listening to. I have to find my own identity, my own way forwards as a Muslim in
this world. If I didn’t think I had anything to say then I would not have bothered to spend so many
hours, days, weeks and months working away at my ‘poem.’
At times over the past year I sometimes got quite fed up with all the writing – and especially the
fussy way of making the verses symmetrical – but the whole project had taken hold of me. I felt
that Allah was inspiring me to write it and because I’d started out with the diamond-pattern verses
(at the start, when I thought it would just be quite a short exercise) I just continued with them.
Some people say they make it slower and more difficult to read but I think that each verse (or
page) needs to be read quite slowly and thoughtfully because it is not telling you the facts but
inviting you to think about these things.
4) ‘This is more than a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to 7/7. I think the things you have brought up are
important for Muslims, not just for non-Muslims to think about.’
I wrote this to try to communicate with non-Muslim readers, to try to reduce misunderstanding
and prejudice and stand up for my community because I hear so much rubbish talked about Islam,
but some Muslim friends who have seen it think will be useful for Muslim readers too. I guess
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that in places I was ‘talking to my little brother.’ When I told my Tuition Teacher that it was
taking too much of her time, she said she was happy to work with me on it. She said she thinks
it’s like our joint love-song to God, almost like a prayer. So even though it is designed for non-
Muslims I will be happy if Muslims like it too. But if it is read widely by Muslims it will certainly
cause some arguments because there are so many different interpretations of Islam.
I don’t think that these arguments matter. Or rather I think that the arguments which my ‘poem’
may cause are important. I think that there are as many different ways of being Muslim as there
are Muslims because no two people think alike. Unless we accept that and stop trying to tell each
other what to believe or how to be a ‘real Muslim’ there can be no end to the arguments. I think
we need to get more away from the mind and thinking about the words of the Qur’an and more
into the heart where they can grow like flowers and fill us with their perfume.
We all have to struggle with the questions and ideas that I’ve written about to find our own way
forward not just as Muslims but as human beings of any kind in this world. So I hope my views
will encourage all readers, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to engage in this kind of debate
which helps to make our faith and love for Allah stronger, more sincere and more ‘rooted in the
ground’ of our real living and experience. Then we can all become like flowers of Allah and fill
the whole world with perfume of love instead of arguments and criticism.
Johar
August 2006
Afterward
It’s now summer of 2013 and years have passed which have taken me in many
directions that I could not have predicted and some that I would not have chosen to
follow. All I can say is that I have learned many things from the experiences and there
is much in my life to thank God for. In the current time of recession, I am happy at
least to have a job. And when it comes to good people in my life, I now have a lovely
girlfriend as well as my family and friends from before.
Meanwhile this poem has just ‘gathered dust’ - although computer files don’t exactly
get dusty. My teacher is still urging me to get it published but I am quite ambivalent.
When I was younger I had clear views on everything, but that has changed. What I
have come to know since then is that I know very little – especially about religion. But
if what my Tuition Teacher and I created here does contain any wisdom or inspiration
that might be of value – either to British people who know little about Islam or for
other young British Muslims like me who are engaging with the great struggle of how
to be a good person in their own way, as British Muslims, then I guess I should share
this more widely. Therefore I am happy for it to be published. It is like a little child that
has come of age and is going out into the world on its own. It no longer belongs to me.
It has its own life. I hope it will be able to stand on its feet, walk tall, hold its head up
high and make some good friends along the way.
Johar – Summer 2013